The Costume Society
ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS
The Costume Society Symposium in Exeter
Friday 4 – Sunday 6 July 2014
Rites of Passage
The 2014 Symposium takes place in the historic city of Exeter with a visit to the costume
collection at its newly refurbished home in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum with Saturday
lectures taking place at the XFi building in Exeter University and a Sunday visit to the renowned
costume collections at Killerton.
The Costume Society Symposium is the forum for academic research,
the presentations will reflect the theme of the Symposium
The symposium theme is Rites of Passage in the context of life in Britain. While this includes
reference to traditional clothing for important life events: christening clothes, first communion,
bridal gowns, veils and trousseaux, and mourning dress; other events such as coming of age
and clothing marking key milestones such as breeching and debutante dress will be explored.
Key note Speakers are:1. Edwina Ehrman, Victoria and Albert Museum, London,
Wedding Dress at the V & A
2. Joanna Hashagen, The Bowes Museum,
Lucile, the Bride and the Titanic
3. Professor Lou Taylor, University of Brighton,
a new approach to studies of mourning dress
Our accommodation is the 4* Mercure Southgate Hotel, a hotel and
conference centre situated just outside the historic city walls. Minimum two
hours and fifteen minutes by rail from London Paddington to Exeter St.
David’s. As this station is located at the bottom of a hill we recommend an
onward connection to Exeter Central or a short taxi/bus ride to the hotel or
XFi centre. Bristol International airport approx. 78 miles. The Hotel has
residents parking charged at £10 per day.
The cost of attending the Symposium (Friday to Sunday) will be £355.
Registration will be from 2pm Friday 4th and will close at approximately 4pm
on Sunday 6th.
The Society offers a bursary for a student to attend the Symposium
– details can be found on our website costumesociety.org.uk.
Costume Society Symposium
Exeter 4-6 July 2014
Rites of Passage
CALL FOR PAPERS
Papers on any aspect or period of clothing in this context would be welcomed. Personal or
literary accounts, sartorial milestones, the cult of personality and studies of single surviving
garments associated with well known figures, royal dress; the design, making, supply,
marketing and fashion journalism; and the consumption of dress for significant occasions or
times of life. The theme is fairly wide ranging and offers many possibilities for papers. These
could include:
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Wedding lace
Layette or trousseaux
High Street and couture bridal fashion
Growing up, teenage fashion, popular culture and dress
The debutante’s wardrobe
The Mourning Emporium
Traditional and regulation wear; rules and etiquette
Religious practice, and rites of passage
Budget bride
Cultural practice and the new born
There is no restriction on period. Papers are solicited that draw on a wide variety of approaches
and consider the broadest range of issues.
We welcome interdisciplinary research based on garments and accessories, photography, film,
literature, and archives with no date restriction.
Those wishing to offer papers should submit an abstract of about 200 words in WORD format
with no formatting. Please do not put your name on the abstract. Cover page should include
title of abstract, your name, address, email and telephone number and institutional affiliation,
if any. Submissions should be accompanied by a separate short CV.
All submissions must be received by 8th November and will be considered by a committee
from the Costume Society Executive, headed by the Symposium Academic Co-ordinator,
Shelley Tobin, Assistant Curator Costume and Textiles Royal Albert Memorial Museum
and Costume Curator, the National Trust.
You will be advised of acceptance or otherwise by January 2014.
Papers, with the exception of those by keynote speakers will be of 30 minutes duration with
illustrations by PowerPoint. Non-illustrated papers will only be considered in exceptional
circumstances.
The Society regrets that it is not possible to pay for expenses in the
preparation and presentation of a paper, or for travel to the Symposium.
Abstracts and CVs should be sent to symposium@costumesociety.org.uk