In light of climate change's growing impact and the increasing interest in ecologically-minded fashion design approaches (Bednall, 2022), this thesis explores how historical pedagogical methods might inform future sustainable fashion solutions. The research connects early-to-mid-20th century 4-H clothing club curricula with contemporary 21st-century sustainable fashion practices, hypothesizing that these curricula unknowingly taught and promoted sustainable practices. Employing oral history and archival case study methodologies, this research analyzes primary sources from Cornell University's Division of Rare and Manuscripts Collection (1930-1990) and incorporates 22 newly conducted interviews with 4-H clothing club participants, educators, and leaders (1944-present). The investigation explores individual narratives and collective initiatives, correlating them with ecologically-minded practices. This research acknowledged the potential presence of socially unsustainable concepts embedded within curricula and materials disseminated by Cornell Cooperative Extension. The research reveals how even well-intentioned educational programs can unconsciously perpetuate outdated paradigms. Acknowledging sustainability as a nuanced concept, it engages with the complexities and ambiguities within 4-H curricula as they relate to sustainability, acknowledging that practices are just one facet of a multifaceted concept. Through a critical analysis of historical pedagogical approaches employed in 4-H clothing clubs, this thesis seeks to find valuable insights that could potentially inform and enhance contemporary and future sustainable fashion education practices through youth development programs. These findings aim to contribute to interventions addressing the detrimental impacts of fast fashion.