Mitchell D. Strauss is professor of textiles and apparel at the University of Northern Iowa. He has been involved in education and consulting with the textile industry for more than thirty years. He has also served as the dean of the Institute of Textile Technology, department head of Design, Textiles and Interior Design at Kansas State University, and director of textile research at Air Products & Chemicals. His most recent scholarship has included field research exploring the meaning of dress among Confederate Civil War re-enactors, as well as coauthoring with Dr. Lynch Changing Fashion: A Critical Introduction to Trend Analysis and Meaning.