The Charleston Museum is pleased to announce the opening of Fur & Frost: Carolina Winters on October 2, 2021, the latest installment in its Historic Textiles Gallery. Charleston is well known for its temperate winters, but sitting fireside would not always have been enough to keep residences toasty throughout its history. Although the city has witnessed flurries many times over the years, the winter storms of 1899, 1973, 1989 and most recently 2018, left the city blanketed in snow.
This exhibit showcases historic fashions for winter, from 1890s children’s coats to 1920s fur stoles and 1950s acrylic sweaters. While immersed in this exhibit, you will learn why wool and fur dominated the 19th century fashion industry, and how the rise of new synthetic materials, frequently designed for cooler temperatures, has actually contributed to the changing climate in the 21st century.
-Submitted by The Charleston Museum
(Image credit: charlestonmuseum.org)