Fashioning History: Exploring Women's Labor History Through Postal Uniform

Attention K-12 educators! Join the National Postal Museum and DC Project Zero on March 1, 2025, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM for a free, in-person workshop exploring the evolution of postal uniforms and the impact of dress codes on women in the postal workforce. Through objects from the National Postal Museum and Project Zero thinking routines, we'll explore how uniforms have shaped women's experiences and reflect broader conversations on gender, labor, and work culture. Advance registration required.

Mail delivery in large cities began in 1863, but no official uniforms were worn until after July 1868. While women have worked for the United States Postal Department in both official and unofficial capacities since even before its inception, it wasn't until the 1960s that uniforms were first designed specifically for women.

How does what people wear-particularly women-affect their daily lives and experiences as postal employees? What do dress codes and uniforms reveal about women's work culture within the postal service and broader conversations about labor?

Through guided inquiry, self-exploration, and group reflection, educators will explore these questions through a unique postal lens. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how to use National Postal Museum (NPM) and Smithsonian resources, alongside Project Zero thinking routines, to enrich teaching and learning in their classrooms.

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