An appreciation for fashion and a curiosity about the historical aspects of Baltimore’s one-time illustrious garment industry is captured in this blog article about my aunts Rose Valenziano-Matassa, Josephine Valenziano-Greco, and my mother Concetta Valenziano-Di Marco. The post was researched and written for the Baltimore Museum of Industry (BMI) by the Education Department’s Research Intern Jennifer Liles, assigned by Stevenson University, where she is majoring in Public History.

In it’s heyday (19th to the early 20th century), Baltimore ranked fourth in the nation for the manufacturing of clothing. Eventually it was second to New York City for the manufacture of men’s suits. With the movement of the fashion industry off shore in the late1990’s and early 2000’s there is currently a strong movement in the fashion industry to keep this shining part of Baltimore’s history alive.

Read the full article, Designing a Way of Life in America: Three Sisters Join Baltimore’s Garment Industry, by Jennifer Liles, Stevenson University >