Dear Western Region Members, Costume Society of America
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Judi Dawainis, Editor | May Edition | SPRING 2020 Vol. 2
Dear Western Region Members,
I hope you are all well, and your families are safe. These have been
difficult times and hopefully, the shelter in place orders will be lifted soon.
So many parts of our lives have been canceled or put on hold, and we’ve
had to make extraordinary changes, both in our personal life and our
professional life. But a lot of us are makers, most of us are problem solvers,
and plenty of us know how to make something from nothing from having to
work in chronically underfunded programs. So when our frontline healthcare
workers needed help, those of us who could, put away our costume making,
pulled out our fabric stash, and started making masks.
As an educator, making the shift from teaching laboratory classes to
online has been difficult, but perhaps not as hard as it has been for some of
my students who have minimal access to Wi-Fi and/or computers. To help
with my transition, I have found CSA’s forum a great help as there are
several conversations going on about teaching online. Other helpful
resources have come from Facebook such as Costume Educators Forum and The Great Online Course
Migration of 2020. We all know that in the Fall, we are not going back as we were, so I’m trying to find
ways to go forward and still give the students the knowledge they need to be successful.
I’ve gone through several stages of grief and anger, and now I’m trying to find moments of joy, when
my young friend brings his tiny girls around the block for their daily walk, I go out and greet them and
laugh at their antics (from a safe distance of course), my garden is getting a makeover, I bake
obsessively, and sew masks. Every day I make a point of reaching out to talk to someone, and we’ve
been having “dinner parties & cocktail parties” via zoom, I’m actually talking to my nieces and
nephews more frequently than I normally do! If any of you want to have a zoom meet-up with me, let
me know I’d be delighted to chat with you.
As a Region, we are going forward with several items, the first coming up right away are our
elections! Included in this newsletter is a link to the ballot, please vote! The second event item is our
mini-symposium and national meeting in October in Reno. The call for papers for that is still open, and
again, there is a link in this newsletter if you are interested. We will publish the papers selected even
if we have to cancel the event.
Be well, stay busy, and find your moments of joy.
Abra, WR President
***WR BOARD members: Next board meeting will be in June. Date/Time TBD***
Extraordinary Times
A Little Levity Around Mask Making
In our work lives, my husband and I both were patternmakers. As I'm sure
happens in other occupations, most pattern makers feel their own pattern is
preferable (superior!) to someone else's. As we (I, actually) set about making
masks for the 2 of us, we soon found ourselves analyzing (criticizing?!?) the
pattern, changing the shape, smoothing the lines, reducing the sides when out
came--"We should do a muslin mock-up!" Had we actually gone down that
ridiculous path, we no doubt would have found a way to improve each other's
pattern. If you have not seen this video, it's bound to at least make you smile!
Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4c5eo_3-y0
For more serious information about mask making, I refer you to the section below titled Member
Showcase.
WR Board of Directors Election
Voting is still open to place 3 new board members!
DON'T TO FORGET TO VOTE by MAY 10!
VOTE HERE
Western Region 2020 Symposium
TECHNOLOGY AND THE NEW BESPOKE:
Craft and Craftperson's Adapting over Time
October 2nd-4th, Reno & Carson City, Nevada
Alert! Deadline for submitting abstracts has been extended to June 1, 2020
The 2020 WR Symposium explores the art of the maker and its place in our lives. We explore how
artisans, creators, and businesses have shaped the world as it relates to the study of Dress and how
current trends will shape the future. You are invited to share your knowledge and ideas by looking at
technology and its influence on design, fabrication, machinery, commerce, and communication in the
fashion world.
We have chosen Reno, NV for our semi-annual Western Region Symposium. Reno bills itself as "The
Biggest Little City in the World" and offers a myriad of sites and opportunities. It has become a rapidly
expanding center for technology with Tesla, Google, Apple building campuses there in recent years. In
Reno, you can get a divorce, ski the mountains, visit the casinos, enjoy good food any time of the day
or night, enjoy the beautiful scenery and the Truckee River, visit Lake Tahoe (30 minutes away), visit
the art museums and galleries, see the National Bowling Stadium (78 lanes!)...only a few of the things
to do. You might want to schedule a few extra days.
Our Western Region Symposium will take place primarily at University of Nevada-Reno's Innevation
Center - a collaborative space created to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship.
The symposium will open with a themed reception on FRIDAY evening, October 2 at one of Reno's
many entertainment venues. SATURDAY's functions will take place at University of Nevada-Reno's
Innevation Center and include a tour of American Duchess Headquarters. Our Annual Business
Meeting for the membership will kick off the day. The keynote address will be given by Lauren
Stowell, founder of American Duchess, a small, historical reproduction footwear company born from
one customer's inability to find elegant, affordable, comfortable, and historically accurate footwear.
Amon their other offerings are accessories, books, patterns, and online tutorials. SUNDAY we travel to
the Marjorie Russell Clothing and Textiles Research Center in Carson City, NV. CSA member and
curator, Jan Loverin will give us a tour of the fascinating collection, including unique gowns of
Governor's wives.
*Western Region ANNUAL meeting will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2020*
*Western Region BOARD meeting will be held on Sunday, October 4, 2020*
Due to the present trying times, the deadline for submitting abstracts has been extended to June 1,
2020. Click here to go to the Call for Papers and submission details.
WE HOPE TO SEE MANY OF YOU THERE!
"Behind the Seams" with Clara Berg
At the Mohai in Seattle, WA
Friday May 8, 2020 at 5pm, free webinar
https://mohai.org/event/behind-the-seams-zoom-in-on-the-details/
"Levi Strauss: A History of American Style"
At The Contemporary Jewish Museum
San Francisco, CA
“Showing their
Levi’s” postcard
from the
California Rodeo
Salinas (July 13–
16, 1939), 1939.
Levi Strauss & Co.
Archives
https://www.t
hecjm.org/lear
n_resources/522
FIDM
The FIDM Museum is happy to provide several ways to connect virtually with our institution. The FIDM
Museum Blog provides in-depth research about our 15,000+ objects. We also feature exhibition photos,
interviews, and designer profiles; after 11 years of posts, we've covered extensive ground, making this
the perfect place to dive into a research project. We are proud to be part of the Google Arts &
Culture 'We Wear Culture' initiative, which includes digital collections from 180 fashion institutions
around the world. This rich and comprehensive resource has 360 tours of our gallery spaces, online
exhibitions, and photo albums - including examples from the Michel Arnaud Fashion Photography
Archive. The FIDM Museum Online Collections is a digitized database where you can find object
images and material information. The database represents only a portion of our total collection, but
we are continuously adding to it - make sure to check back frequently! Of course you can follow the
FIDM Museum on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for up-to-date engaging content. We are
particularly proud of our Unboxing Series, available to watch on Instagram Highlights. Now at 50+
episodes, why not start with the first and catch up? Finally, we've recently released a selection of
family resources available to download: a coloring book, activity sheet, and word search. Please
contact us at info@fidmmuseum.org if you have any questions about utilizing our digital resources.
Happy browsing!
Design Week Portland Aug. 1-8, 2020
Click on the Stories tab for great interviews!
https://designportland.org/festival/2020
Taking Mask Making to Heart
Mask making has become not just a necessity but quite a means of personal expression as well. If you
have been following the Forums on our website or any social media, you can find any number of good
sources of information on how to make masks for your community or yourself. My dentist even sent out
instructions!
As one might expect from members of our organization, there has been a lot of
passion around making masks for those in need. Here are a few stories from people
who wanted to share.
From Coleen Scott Trivett, Secretary Western Region
The tragedy of our healthcare workers not having the safety
equipment they need in this Covid-19 crisis is an occurrence that
could have been avoided; on the flip side, it is nice to see sewers
showing their support of essential workers and healthcare
professionals by making face masks. The masks will not replace
an N95 protective piece, but it seems that many healthcare
workers see the gesture as a sign of support and are using masks
as a way to make their n95's last longer. Some masks are being
used for patients or other healthcare providers who are not in the
highest risk departments of a hospital, but are conserving the
more protective gear for those with the most need.
There are many organizations out there, and your local hospital may
also have specific requests posted on their website, but I have been
working with the Relief Crafters of America and Sew the Curve Flat.
Both organizations have preferred patterns and links to direct need
requests, as well as organized ways to collect and distribute masks.
There has been a lively conversation about mask making through our
organization as well, and many of our members are sewing away!
Additionally, as I have been posting on social media, I've gotten personal requests from a relative
who is a nurse, and friends who would like to send masks to family in Puerto Rico as well as everyday
protective masks to wear while running errands in New York City. It seems that this may just be "the
way" now. From a science professor at Ventura College: "As we all touch our faces up to 1000 times a
day, wearing a mask outside helps remind
you not to touch your face". I would
recommend that you make a mask or a set
for yourself and maybe those in your
house, and if possible, try to have a little
fun with it. (Here is a little high speed
video!) A little fun goes a long way!
We are in this for the long haul everyone,
and we can put our skills to good use for
ourselves and for others. Be safe and
take care.
From Eileen Trestain, Co-Program Chair, Western Region
My costume shop crew and I have been madly sewing cloth masks and have delivered over 700 mask to local nurses,
clinics, the homeless shelter, Meals on Wheels, and an EMT school. We have been busy with our downtime.
From Mary Gibson, Past President, Western Region
Mask Making in the Time of the (2020) Plague
CSA Member Mary Gibson wondered just how many PPE items in this time of COVID-19 are being made
by sewers, both home and professional. Because she belongs to several
FaceBook groups, Costumers, Textile Artists, and CSA Members, she was
aware of many conversations taking place about sewing as an
undervalued skill in theatre and other fields. So she decided to take a
survey of items produced, by this underground workforce. The notice
below (MAKING MASKS?) was posted on Facebook in several places and in
3 days more than 77,000 completed masks were reported. Masks reports
noted making 20 to 10,000 (by a group on the east coast). Additional
items; caps, gowns, button hairbands are also being made. If you haven’t
reported your totals, Gibson encourages you to send a PM on Facebook to
Mary Gibson-San Diego.
MAKING MASKS?
I know a multitude of you are masking masks these days. I think it would be interesting and important
to try to track how many masks have been made by the usually under-appreciated sewers among us. To
that end, I am doing an unofficial survey, so we can show how we contributed to the protection of
citizens and health care workers and contributed to the fight against the COVID-19 virus
If you have made masks, please PM me*: your name or other ID and number of masks made. I don’t
care if you volunteered or were able to sell them, (if sold, please post your number with a $ in front of
it).
If you have made other PPE; caps, gowns, post those also. I will share all statistics as they come in.
* I don’t want to overwhelm the group site.
From Norma Greene, general member after having served in most every other capacity:
I did get the sewing machine out to make our masks. Gary's is almost camouflage looking print but of
course mine is colored coordinated.
Norma also ran across this article from Piecework magazine written by Christina Garton
Protecting Your Jaws from Septic Paws: Making Masks During the Spanish Flu (1918)
Now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended wearing masks
when we are out and about, it seems as if everyone with a sewing machine is sewing their own, sharing
patterns, and creating bulk orders to give out to essential workers. This is, of course, not a new
phenomenon. During the Spanish flu pandemic, women (and presumably some men) sewed tens of
thousands of gauze masks.
In cities throughout the country, people were required to wear masks at all times. In other areas
people were prohibited from riding public transportation or going to school without masks. Failing to
do so would result in as many as 10 days in jail or fines ranging from $5 to $100. One source I read
claimed the fine for not wearing a mask in one area was $500, which translates to almost $8,500 in
today’s currency.
Just as is happening today, everyone who could sew and was willing to pitch in made masks. At one
point students at the University of California, Berkeley sewed 8,300 masks in just 3 days and went on
to sew a total of about 24,000. Newspapers had instructions for sewing masks so anyone at home could
sew their own, and sewing circles around the country organized to create masks not just for locals in
need, but also to send to soldiers on the front line.
These masks would not have been made from the lovely quilting cottons many are using today, but
instead, it was required they be sewn from layers of gauze. Ads placed in newspapers by the Red Cross
claimed: "A Gauze Mask is 99% Proof Against Influenza." In some areas, it seems the requirement was at
least 4 layers while in others, 6 layers were suggested. Instructions I found from a Montana newspaper
used a large piece of gauze that was then folded many times to get the required layers before pleats
and seams were added. It also suggested adding a stitch of black thread at the corners to indicate
which side was the front—a very clever addition.
Gauze masks were known as “flu fences” and “chin sails,” and there were fabulous mottos used on
signs and in newspapers around the country to encourage folks to wear them whenever possible. My
personal favorite is “Obey the Law. Wear the Gauze. Protect You Jaws from Septic Paws.” Of course,
not everyone used the masks as intended. For example, masks with flaps were devised for smokers—
although some chose to simply lift the masks up to their foreheads when out having a smoke. Waiters
in some areas didn’t have to wear masks when serving food because they inhibited easy breathing. The
list goes on.
The big takeaway is that then, as now when dealing with adversity, makers are more than happy to
step forward and help in any way they can. People around the country are sewing masks by the
thousands and some are even working with hospitals to sew gowns for medical professionals. I’ve seen
other people crochet ear savers and 3D print medical supplies with guidance from their local hospitals.
As we collectively sew (and crochet and design and print and otherwise make), it’s good to remember
we’re not alone now or in the grand scheme of history. We prevailed before and will do so again.
UCLA's Sketch to Screen 2020 by Nan Turner
Deborah Landis, Mark Bridges, Jacqueline Durran, Christopher Peterson, Arianne Phillips, Sandy Powell and Mayes
Rubeo (photo by Nan Turner)
Attending the Oscars is high on my fantasy bucket list, although probably unobtainable. I have
however achieved the next best thing, attending UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television’s 10th
Annual Sketch to Screen Costume Design Panel and Celebration. For the last ten years, the theater
department’s David C. Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design has gathered the most acclaimed
movie costume designers the day before the awards ceremony to speak with students and industry
professionals. This year, all six nominated designers attended: Mark Bridges for Joker, Jacqueline
Durran for Little Women, Christopher Peterson for The Irishman, Arianne Phillips for Once Upon a Time
in Hollywood, Sandy Powell for The Irishman and Mayes Rubeo for Jojo Rabbit.
Deborah Nadoolman Landis, PhD, Chair and Founding Director of the Copley Center, created and
hosts the event each year. The engaging and humorous Landis is herself an award-winning costume
designer. Her resume includes Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Three
Amigos. She was nominated for an Academy Award for the 1988 film, Coming to America.
Professor Landis leads the discussion which focuses on the realities of a career in costume design.
Designing costumes for a major or even minor film is not an easy task. The audience learns that
lengthy lead times and generous budgets are rare in the costume design world. Schedules can be so
tight and the work so demanding that designers often have to give up their lives for the duration of the
filming. Traveling to distant sets for months at a time adds to the pressure of the job. Several of the
designers commented that the atmosphere of partnership and comradery during the design process
helped to relieve the pressure. The film The Irishman in fact required two designers, both Sandy
Powell and Christopher Peterson, who had often worked together in the past. The pair explained that
the enormous amount of extras needing to be dressed made the project too much for one person.
Landis emphasized the importance of costume in developing character.
A question and answer period followed the initial presentation. Jacqueline Durran, who designed the
costumes for Little Women, was asked about the beautiful hand-knit sweaters that the sisters wore.
Durran remarked that she herself loves handknitting and while going through Godey’s Lady’s
magazines, discovered knitting patterns from the 1960s. She said, “Victorian patterns don’t have a
picture, they just have a pattern.” The sweaters had to be knit to see what they will actually look
like.
A celebration was held in the courtyard after the event to give students and attendees the
opportunity to meet their role models and network with industry professionals. It was a great
opportunity to network over expresso, gourmet appetizers and desserts.
Reservations can be made for next year’s event, to be held on February 27, 2021, the Saturday
before the Academy Awards Presentation, by contacting Natasha Rubin (nrubin@tft.ucla.edu) starting
in January 2021. Start planning ahead! More information can be found on UCLA’s web site:
http://www.tft.ucla.edu/programs/special-programs-initiatives/sketch-to-screen-academy-costume-
designer-panel/. If you did not make it to the event this year, you can find it on you tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cILpwm6A50w.
Fashion History Crash Course - CANCELLED
with Ann Bissonnette
The University of Alberta’s Fashion History Crash Course in Paris has been cancelled. The organizer,
Dr. Anne Bissonnette, would like to inform all individuals who may have been interested in this course
that, due to the pandemic, it is impossible to plan for the daily visits in French museums and cultural
institutions that followed morning lectures on dress history. If you wish to be informed the next time
the course is offered, you can contact her at anne.bissonnette@ualberta.ca.
How to Read a Suit by Lydia Edwards
Fashion is ever-changing, and while some styles mark a
dramatic departure from the past, many exhibit subtle
differences from year to year that are not always easily
identifiable. With overviews of each key period and detailed
illustrations for each new style, How to Read a Suit is an
authoritative visual guide to the under-explored area of men's
fashion across four centuries.
Each entry includes annotated color images of historical
garments, outlining important features and highlighting how
styles have developed over time, whether in shape, fabric
choice, trimming, or undergarments. Readers will learn how
garments were constructed and where their inspiration stemmed
from at key points in history – as well as how menswear has
varied in type, cut, detailing and popularity according to the
occasion and the class, age and social status of the wearer.
This lavishly illustrated book is the ideal tool for anyone who
has ever wanted to know their Chesterfield from their Ulster coat. Equipping the reader with all the
information they need to 'read' menswear, this is the ultimate guide for students, researchers, and
anyone interested in historical fashion.
HEADWEAR by Alan and Vanessa Hopkins
This book has 216 pages in full colour and features 263 items of
headwear from a total of more than 900 hats, bonnets and caps in
the Hopkins Collection. The selection consists of 33 examples for
men, 211 for women and 19 for children, all of which originated
in Europe and America. Details of their materials, shapes and
construction are included, together with images of similar
examples being worn at the time.
Available for purchase at:
https://shop.theschoolofhistoricaldress.org.uk
Just Say "YES"!
or A Little Bit of CSA History from Phyllis Specht
Your Mother most likely advised you to just say no when asked to do something you had your doubts
about. Well, I am advising you to just say YES, especially when it comes to CSA! Let me give you some
examples of how saying yes to CSA has benefited me.
In 1975 CSA held its first Annual Meeting at LACMA. Mary Hunt Kalenberg was then the Curator of Costume and Textiles and hosted the event. There has always been some confusion about this. The first CSA Symposium was held at The Smithsonian in Washington DC. This was also the first CSA meeting held outside of NYC. In 1976, the two meetings were combined as they have been ever since. The LACMA meeting got excellent publicity and was open to the public. I did not attend, but a colleague of mine did. She suggested that our college join CSA, I knew the college would not, so I did. (My colleague never did.) Sometime after becoming a member of CSA, I got a call from a gentleman named Jack Handford. He invited me to lunch at the lovely old Bullock’s Wilshire. The purpose of the luncheon was to explore the concept of starting a Western Region of CSA. I am not sure who all was at the luncheon, but I do remember Alicia Annas from San Diego State and Alice McClosky from UCLA. We decided it was a good idea. And the rest is history…. At the end of that luncheon, Jack asked for individual checks. I was appalled. The guy had asked us and now we had to pay! Much later, Jack explained to my husband, Chet, be very careful when out with a group of ladies. Never be the last one to get the tray with the bill and cash. Ladies usually don’t remember what they ate, and NEVER remember tax or tip….what ever is still owed on the bill will be your share! Over the years of CSA gatherings, Chet found this was really was good advice. Jack had a career with women in many aspects of fashion and was speaking from experience……Still, he had invited us to lunch! The first Western Region meeting was held at the Blarney Castle in their free public room. The Blarney Castle was a bar, in the Wilshire area of LA. The night of our first meeting was a big prizefight. Ours was a gathering of about 15 excited new CSA Members. The lovely poised Alicia Annas, then a Professor in the Drama Department of San Diego State, presented a talk on movement in period costume. When the door of the bar in the next room opened, the wrinkled sheet “screen” swayed. When the prizefight excited the bar patrons, they screamed and shouted and the sheet swayed. Movement was the perfect subject for the swaying sheet! The unflappable Alicia carried on. Chet and Jack’s wife, Virginia, observed the whole thing from the back of the room and declared this would never work. In retrospect, it was a very funny scene. But work, it did. Western Region became the first CSA Region. We held monthly meetings in the LA area. We got to know each other very well and loved our Western Region. Several years later, Inez Brooks-Meyers, from the Oakland Museum, was elected to the Western Region Board. She informed us that we were a Region, not a Chapter, we had to have meetings throughout the Region. So for many years, we alternated between the Bay Area and LA. How this original meeting pattern was established explains why, even now, WR has many more meetings, throughout the entire Region, than other Regions, some of which meet only once a year. In 1982, the CSA Symposium and Annual Meeting were held in Oakland. Inez single-handedly planned and presided over this event. It was my first CSA symposium. I have two distinct memories from this. First, when Alicia and I asked, at the event, if we could help Inez, she told us we could heat the dim sum for a refreshment break in the microwave. Neither Alicia or I knew what dim sum was, let alone how to operate a microwave! Second, I was attending the CSA Board meeting as President of Western Region, and at that time, those meetings went on forever. The Eastern Board members elected to hold the Board meeting outside on the grounds of the Oakland Museum. It was cold, damp, but sunny. When the sun set, the Board adjourned to a restaurant, The Rusty Scupper for dinner and the balance of the meeting. Most of the Board Members were young and frisky. After the meeting ended, most of us adjourned to the bar for libation and dancing. Jack and I left that party early and walked back to Jack London Square and our hotel rooms. Several months later, Jack and I were back in Oakland for a WR meeting. This time, my husband, was with us. The three of us were dining in Jack London Square, in a restaurant overlooking the Bay. Jack and I proudly pointed out to Chet the Rusty Scupper where we had had so much fun with our CSA colleagues. Chet innocently asked us how we walked back to Jack London Square over the water….we never did figure that out! Jack Handford was the first president of Western Region. I was the second. Since those first years, I served on the Western Region Board and held a variety of offices and chairmanships because I said yes. In those early years, we complained about the “Eastern elite officers” and the power of the National Board. We wanted our independence and we did get it. (Now, it seems WR has given much of this power back to National.) Most of the Founders of CSA were museum curators or specialists. I always assumed they had generous travel budgets. (I later learned I was wrong about this. Often attendees at symposium were sharing four to a room.) I was a California Community College Professor, and was budgeted $250.00 a year to spend on any of the educational events I selected. That stipend did not go far, even in those days. (pun, recognized). As Western Region and CSA grew, I did too, because I said yes. I was elected to the National Board and then to several chairmanships and offices, finally serving as CSA President 1998-2000. When my boys grew up, I was able to start attending the annual CSA symposium regularly first with Jack and others from WR. Later, Chet, decided we were having too much fun, so he joined us for the next 30 symposiums. As you know, CSA symposiums rotate through the Regions. See the USA with CSA! Be assured that the Region hosts plan special events that make each symposium memorable. (Note: Louise Coffey-Webb, author of Managing Costume Collections, took most of her book photos of costume storage, during visits to the museums arranged at various CSA Symposiums.) Western Region, in my opinion, has led the way with contributions to CSA. For many years, we were the largest Region, both geographically and in membership and because others said yes to CSA:
We have:
hosted eight annual meetings/symposiums:
1975 Los Angeles,1982 Oakland, 1983 Los Angeles, 1993 Seattle, 1998 Pasadena, 2007 San
Diego, 2013 Las Vegas, 2019 Seattle.
produced four national Presidents:
Inez Brooks-Meyer, Alicia Annas, Phyllis Specht, Kathy Mullett
claimed three President’s Awards:
Bob and Judy Mathey, Chet and Phyllis Specht, Norma Greene
honored ten CSA Fellows:
Jack Handford, Alicia Annas, Phyllis Specht, Inez Brooks-Meyers, Edward Maeder, Nancy Bryant,
Elizabeth Wayland Barber, Patty Reiff Anawalt, Kathy Mullett, Shelly Foote
Through these many years, my activities in CSA have truly enriched my life. I have done almost
everything from setting up chairs and carrying out trash to the national presidency. Each task has been
done with other CSA members, who shared their interest in costume and love of learning. Each time I
said yes, and volunteered for something, I grew. My contributions to the Society were mainly in small
tasks and governance. Remember, I was a “Becky Home Ec-y” community college teacher. My first
interest in historical costume was because I was assigned to teach the class, three weeks before it
started. I read and then lectured and learned. I have always been in complete awe of the expertise
many members of CSA who share their knowledge at our symposiums. I know the richness and success
of CSA are in its welcoming of all, the scholar, the collector, the novice, each one interested in some
of the many aspects of costume.
Now, in my retirement years, I do what I can from home for CSA. I edited the CSA Series for fifteen
years and helped produce thirteen books written by CSA members. I serve on national and regional
committees, write articles, nominate CSA Fellows. When I can, I attend Western Region meetings.
Most of all, I keep in touch with the many CSA Members, throughout our region and the nation, that are
my cherished friends, those I have had the pleasure of getting to know and serve with though these
many years of my CSA membership.
Thank you to all of you who now carry on the many tasks and responsibilities that continue to make
Western Region a vibrant and special organization. Do say yes to whatever is asked of you and do
consider moving on to national CSA service. Whatever you give in both service and treasure will be
rewarded, both in friendships and satisfaction, long into your future. Just say YES! CSA has bountiful
awards for you!
Phyllis Specht
A big hearty thank you to the following contributors to this edition:
Sarah Andrews-Collier, Naomi Arnst, Nan Turner, Jenny Tiramani, Phyllis Specht, Coleen Scott, Eileen
Trestain, Mary Gibson, Tracy Panek, Clara Berg, Jo Ann Stabb, Meghan Grossman Hansen, Anne
Bissonnette, Abra Flores.
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