Visit Bath Fashion Museum and See A History of Fashion in 100 Objects

Bath has a fantastic range of museums, and this week we wanted to tell you a little more about the new exhibition which the Bath Fashion Museum is running.

On the 19^th of March Bath’s famous Fashion Museum opened the doors on its new exhibition, “A History of Fashion in 100 Objects”. In just 100 carefully chosen items of clothing; encompassing everything from 18^th century dressing gowns to designer dresses from the likes of Christian Dior, and from embroidered gowns dating from the 1600s to bodycon outfits from the last decade, the exhibition aims to show visitors what the fashions are that have shaped us over the past 400 years, and what they’ve meant for the people wearing them. The 19^th century crinoline for example freed women from needing to wear multiple cumbersome layers of petticoats in order to have full skirts, and in doing so allowed them to do more as they were able to move around with greater ease. While in more recent years sustainable clothing has come to the forefront, and one of the most unusual items on display in the new exhibition has to be the blue, quilted and tied jacket and trousers that are the first menswear design to win the Fashion Museum’s Dress of the Year competition.

Another special addition to the Fashion Museum’s calendar of events this year are special “Behind the Scenes” tours. On a few select dates a curator from the museum will take guests behind the scenes at the museum to view some of the historical collections which aren’t on general display. As well as a chance to see items that aren’t out on show to the general public, these tours will give attendees an insight into the preservation techniques and storage and filing methods that are vital in looking after the collection. Tickets for the 5:45 pm tour on Thursday July 28^th are available via the Bath Box Office website, as are tickets for the 5:45 pm tour on Wednesday August 24^th. Tickets for the 9:30 am tours on Wednesday July 13^th and Monday August 8^th may be available on the door but as this is such a rare opportunity there’s no guarantee.    

The Fashion Museum and the 100 Objects exhibition is open this summer from 10:30 am - 6 pm (last entry 5 pm), and then in November and December the hours will be slightly shorter (10:30 am – 5 pm (last entry 4 pm)), but bear in mind that the museum recommends allowing for between 1 ½ - 2 hours for a visit. Although if you are really into your history of fashion, and you also decide to explore the Assembly Rooms (which the Fashion Museum is located under), and perhaps also the tea rooms that are part of the Assembly Rooms, a visit could easily last for a whole afternoon.