Exhibit examines a color that's always stylish
Exhibit examines a color that's always stylish

Comments 0

By Ann DeFrange

Published: March 6, 2008

Stop! Danger! Fire! Rage!

Or merely: Look at me!

One thing ties all those exclamation marks together — the color red.

Red is such a versatile concept, the Oklahoma History Center built an entire exhibit around a color. The curator of the exhibit, "Simply Red, A Fashion Statement,” is Jill Holt, the museum's textile specialist. Holt manages the collections of vintage clothing. She said she planned the exhibit when she began to notice, "Red has been used in fashion throughout history,” and yet "it's a timeless color; it doesn't go out of style.”

The center received a donation of vintage clothing the Oklahoma State University home economics department had used to teach fashion. It dated from 1830 to the present, Holt said, and much of it was red.

Into the exhibit she put a child's red shoes; a red velvet coat from 1875; flappers' fringe from the 1920s; and a shirtwaist and a scoop-neck top dating from the 1950s.

Holt said ancient cave paintings were done in red ochre. Roman warriors wore red to hide bloody wounds. During the Renaissance, a vibrant dye was made by crushing an insect — the cochineal — that lives in Mexico and eats cactus. Chinese and Indian brides have traditionally worn red wedding gowns, for the color of love. Great Britain sent Redcoats to win back America.

Holt's favorite color is — of course — red, but she also discovered a theme in Oklahoma history.

The Choctaw origin of the name Oklahoma means "red people.” We have red soil and Red River and Red Rock Canyon and the crimson of University of Oklahoma athletics.

Holt has hung a panel to honor the 375 Red Hat Society chapters in Oklahoma. She has shown red shoes, which carry their own mystique and mythology, including stiletto heels, dance slippers and plastic Jellies. Bags and luggage are shades of red.

A vintage Barbie doll proves that while presently the miniature fashion icon is blonde and wears pink, originally she was brunette and clothed in red.

Holt said the museum owns clothing collections because "people hang on to them, can't bear to part with such things.”

And because they capture historic moments in time, she said. These special garments went to special events.

"Simply Red” will be on view until early next year, but artifacts in the exhibit will be on display at the center for research afterward.

Red is stimulating, memorable and intensely emotional.

Also, as a panel in the exhibit announces, it was designer Bill Blass who advised: When in doubt, wear red.