The Textiles and Clothing Museum reopened for the spring semester with “Our Favorite Things,” a collection that celebrates 10 years and combines more than 30 exhibits.

“Our Favorite Things” showcases examples of Western and European apparel styles from the late 1800s to the present day.

An email was sent to all faculty and staff in the apparel, events and hospitality management department that allowed them to go to the storage and pick any garment they found interesting or were attracted to and then elaborate on why.

Thirty-two faculty members responded to the initial email.

“The exhibit represents 32 different interests, so everyone will be able to relate to any given piece,” said Janet Fitzpatrick, curator and manager for the Textiles and Clothing Museum.

Fitzpatrick picked out a skirt and blue blouse with a sailor badge on the arm that was from the 1910s to the 1920s.

“I picked these garments because I had seen a picture of my grandma wearing that same outfit and it reminded me of her,” Fitzpatrick said. “My mom had also made me one as well.”

Sara Marcketti, member of the collection committee since 2007, picked out a dress worn by Rose Frankel Rosenfield. Rosenfield was a supporter of the 1916 Iowa referendum on women’s voting rights.

“This dress really is a piece of history — how women worked very hard for voting rights and continue to work hard for equal rights,” Marcketti said. “I hope that this garment exemplifies hope for the present time and for the future, even in this time of upheaval and uncertainty.”

The exhibit showcased some pieces that have not previously been seen in an exhibit yet. Fitzpatrick said some of the pieces from the 1920s are starting to deteriorate, and this may be their only time on display.

“Our Favorite Things” exhibit was organized and brought up by Arienne McCracken. McCracken is the Agatha Huepenbecker Burnet graduate assistant for the Textiles and Clothing Museum.

While working at the museum, she has the opportunity to go to collection committee meetings, help mount and take down exhibits and help inventory objects in the collection. She was the main curator on the current exhibit.

McCracken got to pick one garment as well.

“I picked a Halston evening gown that had orange and hot pink squares on it,” said McCracken. “Halston was from Iowa, so I wanted to pick something by him.”

The museum was established in 2007 after Morrill Hall was renovated. Before the museum, items in the collection were stored away in McKay Hall. The collection has been building since the 1920s. Now, the collection has 9,500 objects that vary from the garments to the tools that made them.

The museum usually showcases three or four different exhibits each year — one key exhibit a semester, along with other brief exhibits throughout the year. The summer exhibit showcases the winning material from the fashion show at Iowa State.

The Textiles and Clothing Museum is located in Morrill Hall, room 1015. It is open to the public, free of charge, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The “Our Favorite Things” exhibit will close April 8.