The University of Delaware Historic Costume and Textile Collection was organized in 1971. It consists of over 3,000 women's, men's and children's clothing items as well as 18th-century textiles. Selections from the collection are displayed in exhibition cases on the second and third floors of Alison Hall West.
The collection is managed by the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies in cooperation with the Center for Historic Architecture and Design.
"Established in 2008 by the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies in partnership with key industry partners, the University of Delaware Sustainable Apparel Initiative (UDSAI) leverages the department’s extensive expertise in apparel and textiles sustainability and social responsibility, consumer behavior, and apparel design to research, design, create, and demonstrate a framework of guidelines, practices, programs, and solutions to shape the character of the apparel and retailer industries in their evolution toward sustainability."