Deirdre Clemente

Associate Director, Public History program
Expertise: 20th century American Culture, Fashion and clothing, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Museum studies

Biography

Deirdre Clemente is a historian and curator of 20th century American culture, specializing in fashion and clothing. She is an expert in the use of fashion in the work of F. Scott Fitzgerald and served as a historical consultant for costume in Baz Luhrmann's film, The Great Gatsby.

Clemente is the associate director of the UNLV public history program. She holds a master of arts degree in Museum Studies from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in history from Carnegie Mellon. Her research on the intersection of clothing and social change has been published in the Journal of Social History, New England Quarterly, Journal of American Culture, and others. Her book Dress Casual: How College Kids Redefined American Style was published in spring 2014 from UNC Press. The book explores how and why collegians pioneered the adoption of casual dress – one of the most pervasive cultural shifts of the 20th century. Clemente is currently working on her second book titled, Chic Streets: Urban Development, Shopping, and the American Fashion Industry which considers the evolution of New York's Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive and Miami Beach's Lincoln road as places where American clothing was made and marketed.

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Deirdre Clemente In The News

Sky News
The style choices of politicians have long been scrutinised by voters and the media. Women have historically been subject to more inspection for their looks than men. But all politicians are communicating through their style, according to two experts.
The Straits Times
With election day in the US approaching, candidates are courting voters with everything they’ve got: targeted ads, texts, taunts and stump speeches. As a fashion historian, I think an overlooked aspect of electioneering is clothing, which is a silent, powerful way for candidates to tell the American public who they are. It’s an act as old as power itself.
Glossy
On August 29, Gap posted strong earnings that pleased investors, doubling net income from a year prior and blowing past revenue expectations to $3.7 billion in the second quarter. It’s a triumphant comeback for the company that has been struggling in recent years. With the exit of leaders like Sonia Syngal and a 7% drop in sales, new CEO Richard Dickson, who took over last year, has been working to turn things around at Gap. The numbers show that the plan is working.
SheThePeople
With Election Day approaching, candidates are courting voters with everything they’ve got: targeted ads, texts, taunts and stump speeches. As a fashion historian, I think an overlooked aspect of electioneering is clothing, which is a silent, powerful way for candidates to tell the American public who they are.

Articles Featuring Deirdre Clemente

Undergrad researcher Benjamin Sabir helps H. Jeremy Cho examine an atmospheric water harvesting device. (Jeff Scheid/UNLV)
Campus News | October 1, 2024

A monthly roundup of the top news stories featuring UNLV staff and students.

Students pass by Lied Library as they walk campus on the first day of Fall 2024 semester classes
Campus News | September 6, 2024

A collection of news highlights featuring students and faculty.

Mirage Resort
Campus News | August 1, 2024

Roundup of the hottest news headlines featuring UNLV students and staff.

Josh Hawkins, UNLV
Campus News | July 3, 2024

News highlights featuring UNLV students and staff who made (refreshing) waves in the headlines.