“You’re never completely dressed without a smile.”
The late Bill “Buckskin Bill” Black always closed his local television program with that phrase, and though he’s no longer here to “complete” his fringed outfit on display in the LSU Textile & Costume Museum, plenty of visitors are closing the gap with their own smiles.
The attire worn by Black’s alter ego during the 35-year run of WAFB-TV’s “The Buckskin Bill Show” stands center stage in the museum’s exhibit, “Dressing Louisiana: Histoires de la mode de la Louisiane.” The show runs through March 6, highlighting the state’s fashion spectrum from the sparkly Mardi Gras attire and Louisiana first ladies’ inauguration pageantry to LSU athletics wear and, yes, Buckskin Bill.
Stories through fashion
Black’s display is where the museum’s mission becomes clear. This show is about more than its featured garments — it commemorates the many ways Louisianans have created and used fashion as a tool for identity and celebration…