Communications Center

Open on Mondays 1:00 pm - 3:00 p.m. or by appointment.

The exhibit features coats worn to protect the wearer from cold weather, rain, and snow, and exemplifies the different colors, materials, and occasions on which the coats were worn

Coats are made from materials which often determines how well and from what the coat protects the wearer

Among the leather jackets displayed in the exhibit is a women's 1990s leather jacket that is a mixture of a men's suit and an aviator jacket. Leather, a material from animal hide, can be effective in protecting the wearer from wind, rain, and cool weather. To protect a pilot from hypothermia, leather jackets were worn by fighter pilots during the early twentieth century when planes did not have heating systems.

There is also a bright, metallic gold synthetic leather trench coat displayed that reflects the colorful fashions of the 1960s. When compared to real leather, synthetic leather is less warm and resistant to wind, but its film-like property keeps the wearer dry on a rainy day.

Also on display is a 1930's seal fur coat with marten fur trim. Fur is another original material to protect the wearer, particularly from cold temperatures. Authentic fur coats take advantage of its structure to achieve maximum warmth on a cold winter day. Under the beautiful outer layer of lofty animal hair there is a thick undercoat that keeps an animal warm.

The exhibit also has several faux or fake fur coats, including a 1970's short jacket made from synthetic fur. Although invested in 1920 with a technology that used alpaca fur, it was not commonly worn until later in the 20th century when the animal rights movement progressed and modern fur manufacturing with the use of purely synthetic materials was invented. Both events prompted the use of fake fur, however, without the thick undercoat of real fur these fake fur jackets provide less protection from the cold.

Wool is one of the primary materials used in coats. Wool is a fiber that originates commonly from sheep fur and has gained its popularity due to its ability to hold in heat. The fiber has a hollow core called the medulla that traps heat, and its loftiness holds that heat in air pockets. Wool also molds well to the body, and is thick and structured, producing a clean, crisp appearance while hiding the insulating layers inside the coat. One of the coats showing off this fiber is the 1960's women's coat.

Colors in the displayed coats, with a few exceptions, reflect the fall season. These colors include shades of red, orange, brown, black, and gray. Even the spring rain coats on display show off some of these colors. The exhibit also features a reversible black coat with a quilted pattern of falling leaves and feathers at the center front. The darker colors don't just look good, though, they serve a purpose too. Specifically, darker colors absorb heat, making them excellent at keeping the wearer warm.

An example of a uniform jacket in the exhibit is an Eisenhower jacket. The Eisenhower jacket is a full, short jacket worn by the U.S. Army during WWII. It was originally worn underneath a long and straight M-43 field jacket for insulation.

There are two early 20th century children's wool coats that demonstrate what a child might wear on a walk to school. Two of the evening coats in this exhibit include a 1950s black fancy weave capelet with two jeweled broaches and a 1920s shimmery coat made with gold metal fibers integrated into the weave. The lose fitting cape-like shape of these garments was a solution to keep warm at a winter party during time periods when sleeveless evening dresses were fashionable.