Why I Chose Costume History

My interest in costume history began during my BA, a course focused almost entirely on practical costume making. While most projects centred on construction techniques and production processes, some required research into historical garments. It was through these that I first became fascinated by the way clothing, particularly designed and constructed garments, could reveal insights into the lives, values, and identities of the people who wore them.

Costume history, for me, extends beyond the study of silhouettes and textiles. It opens up questions about bodies in context, about the social, political, and emotional meanings that are embedded in dress. Historical costumes often survive only in fragments - garments, illustrations, fashion plates, or production notes - but through these, it becomes possible to build a richer picture of the past. I found myself increasingly drawn to the analytical side of the discipline, especially how garments can be ‘read’ as cultural texts.

One of the key distinctions I came to appreciate is the difference between fashion and costume. In fashion, the designer, maker, and wearer each bring their own intention and emphasis to the garment. In costume, those three roles collaborate to create a fourth identity: the character. That layering of intention—designing for a narrative purpose, constructing for performance, and inhabiting a role—creates a complex, multi-authored object. I find the minute detail required to bring that fourth person to life both intellectually and creatively compelling.

This intersection of design, history, and embodied experience has become central to my research. I am now pursuing a PhD at the University of Bristol, where I examine the work of British designer Julia Trevelyan Oman, with a particular focus on her ballet and theatre costume designs. Oman’s practice was rooted in historical research and rich material specificity—qualities that continue to inform my own approach to costume history.

This blog will explore these themes further: the practice-based research that connects making with academic inquiry, the historical figures and designs that have shaped performance, and the material objects that continue to offer insight into how identities were constructed and performed. Through this space, I aim to contribute to the growing conversation around costume as both craft and critical discipline.