The Texas Fashion Collection has expanded its international holdings thanks to a donation from former Pan Am flight attendant Joy Losee. The 27 outfits, acquired by Losee on her travels and as gifts from friends, include an Afghan burka, Nubian dresses, Middle Eastern abayas, a Turkish caftan and a Thai temple dancer’s costume. The clothes represent traditional garments from northern Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Central America and the Pacific, providing a look into the lives of women of other cultures.
The Texas Fashion Collection has preserved and documented more than 18,000 items of historically significant fashion, with strong holdings in post-World War II western European and American designer pieces.