Seattle Style: Fashion/Function

Seattle Style: Fashion/Function highlights how elegance and practicality coexisted and converged in Seattle wardrobes, providing new insights into local clothing, ranging from couture, to outdoor gear, to denim. The book features over fifty garments and accessories from the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) collection, revealing captivating stories about the city's sartorial spirit.

Organized into four main sections, Seattle Style surveys key influences on local clothing. "Nature and Place" explores the relationship with our environment and garments designed for outdoor adventures; "Growth and Aspiration" tells stories about how clothing options expanded as Seattle became increasingly metropolitan; "Northwest Casual" takes a deeper look at the city's affinity for casualwear and its leadership in the casual clothing industry; and "Innovators and Rule Breakers" celebrates Seattle's creative problem solvers and nonconformists. Alone, few of these elements are unique to Seattle, but woven together, a distinct local story emerges.

Seattle Style: Fashion/Function is the most significant work yet compiled on dress and the clothing history of the Seattle area and is a companion to the exhibition at MOHAI.

Clara Berg is collections specialist for costumes and textiles at MOHAI. Luly Yang is a multi-award-winning artist, businesswoman, and internationally known Seattle-based fashion designer.