"Worn in Iraq by a Cornell alumnus, the combat uniform set a template for contemporary camouflage and tactical design, according to exhibition notes. The khaki trench coat, originally designed for British officers, evolved from battlefield necessity into a fashion staple. The Hawaiian shirt reflects the early influence of Japanese textiles - designs and motifs forced to shift after the attack on Pearl Harbor."
""These garments reveal how the theaters of war and fashion intersect," said curator Catherine Kueffer Blumenkamp, MPS '15, associate director of the CF+TC and a lecturer in the College of Human Ecology's Department of Human Centered Design. "Both realms stage systems of fit - physical, functional and symbolic - that continue to influence how we design, wear and interpret dress.""
"Drawing primarily on items donated to Cornell and its Reserve Officers' Training Corps by alumni or their families, as well as some created by Cornell designers, "Fit for Duty" traces the interplay of form and function across conflict and couture - while highlighting Cornell's land-grant legacy of military service. Displayed in the CF+TC's public gallery on the Human Ecology Building's terrace level"
An exhibition titled Fit for Duty presents military garments that demonstrate links between battlefield function and fashion form. Featured pieces include an Army combat uniform worn in Iraq that influenced modern camouflage and tactical design, a khaki Burberry trench coat that evolved from British officer necessity into a fashion staple, and Hawaiian shirts showing the impact of Japanese textiles and wartime shifts after Pearl Harbor. The show draws mainly on donations from alumni and ROTC, displays across the CF+TC public gallery and Wortham Military Museum, and revives archival collaboration to preserve and increase access to Cornell-connected military clothing.
Read at Cornell Chronicle
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