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

Leggings Take a Victory Lap

November 16, 2020

When Vice President-elect Kamala Harris called to congratulate Joseph R. Biden Jr. on winning the election last Saturday, she was wearing what women everywhere in the United States seem to be wearing during the pandemic: leggings.

Juicy Couture's Tracksuit: An Oral History Of The Blinged-Out, Era-Defining Outfit

The Zoe Report

October 30, 2020

In 2001, a young, upstart brand called Juicy Couture introduced its tracksuit, and the world was never the same. Dramatic? Yes. But entirely hyperbolic? Not exactly. In the years just after Juicy’s 1995 launch, the U.S. was enjoying a prolonged period of unprecedented economic growth. It was the era of excess, and Juicy’s plush zip-ups and matching sweatpants became the bedazzled picture of a new kind of luxury.

Will The Pandemic Have An Impact On Fashion?

WCBU

August 28, 2020

The coronavirus outbreak’s huge impact on business, education and sports continues to be felt, but what about the effect the pandemic is having on the way we dress?

A vicious cycle fuels systemic racism in the fashion industry, where rich white people determine beauty standards and who gets access in the first place

Business Insider

August 20, 2020

On June 1, L'Oréal Paris posted on Instagram a black square with white text that read, "Speaking out is worth it." The brand, like countless others, expressed solidarity with the Black community amid widespread protests calling for police reform in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.