Welcome to The Costume Society

The Society promotes every aspect of the study of clothing and textiles: our appeal is wide-ranging and object-based. Our members include academics, collectors, curators, designers, re-enactors, students and informed enthusiasts across the world. What we have in common is our wish to provide the best and most varied opportunities to study this fascinating topic.

Our many events, our annual symposium, our journal Costume and our Newsletters offer members lively and accessible ways of involvement with the history of this perennially dynamic subject. This is a friendly, forward-looking society, responsive to members’ ideas. When you join us you will be warmly welcomed and encouraged to help us to maintain our role as a major influence upon costume, dress and fashion studies.

Visit our Membership page and you will see how easy it is to become a member.

What does The Costume Society offer?

As a Registered Charity the Society has as its constitutional aim the promotion of education in dress throughout out the ages including contemporary dress. The Society has been doing so for over forty years. In keeping with our constitutional aim the Society offers, every year, four Awards and also a Student Bursary.

The annual Symposium is a theme-based weekend conference with key speakers and the opportunity for members to present their research. It also acts as the society's social focus. As a member of The Costume Society you will receive: Access to the Society's annual programme of study days and visits which cover a range of subjects and periods and organizes visits to collections, exhibitions and archives including overseas excursion to some of the great museums and galleries throughout the world at membership special rates.

Costume — our journal, published every year and presents the latest research on all aspects of dress worldwide, from pre-history to the present day. It also reviews recent books and exhibitions. The bi-annual Newsletter keeps members in touch with what is going on in the Society and where the latest exhibitions, courses and study days are being held. The Newsletter also reports on past events and on what our programme sub-committee is planning for us in the future.