On Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, the Michigan Maritime Museum will kick off their new Lecture Series with Tri-Cities Historical Museum Assistant Curator, Joshua Simon presenting Best Dressed Women in the World Today: A Style Examination of the United States Coast Guard’s SPARS. Simon will examine how consumerism, especially associated with dress, and gender were integral components of the SPARS’ experience as enlisted service members, sometimes in contradictory ways.
The United States Coast Guard initiated the SPARS program during World War II putting women recruits under military direction in this reserve corp. More than 10,000 women volunteered for service between 1942 and 1946.