Costume
Collections The Costume collection at Worthing is exceptional and ranks amongst the leading resources for dress history in the UK.
An insight into the collection
The Costume collection at Worthing is exceptional and ranks amongst the leading resources for dress history in the UK. Among its 30,000 or so objects are garments made for men, women, and children; accessories, such as fans, gloves, and hats; and tools of the trade, like paper patterns and miniature garments made by tailors to showcase their wares.
The Collection was begun when the Museum opened in 1908. Acquisition gathered pace in the 1950s and 1960s, and since then, we have worked to maintain its status by adding items that broaden its range and increase its depth. Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century clothes are a particular strength, but the Collection spans from the seventeenth century to the present day.
Our oldest item of clothing is a Jacobean man’s jacket dated around 1610.
