The Costume Society’s latest journal edition is now out!

27 August 2025, by Suzanna Hall

In this week's blog, we get excited for the publication of the latest volume of Costume: The Journal of the Costume Society, the second issue for our Diamond Jubilee year. Society members will be receiving their physical copies, while access to all editions past and present are available for members to access digitally as usual.

Tales from the Crypt: Tracing the Origins of the Myth Surrounding Eleonora of Toledo’s Burial Dress, by Suzanna Hall 

The body of Eleonora of Toledo, Duchess of Florence, was exhumed in 1857. Over a century later, after extensive restoration work, her burial dress was first displayed to the public. Prior to its restoration, a widespread myth emerged claiming the burial gown was the same dress as the one the Duchess is depicted wearing in Bronzino’s 1545 state portrait, which hangs on the walls of the Uffizi Gallery. Although this misconception has long been dispelled — the two dresses are not similar — this story is nevertheless often repeated and has continued to influence the ongoing scholarship surrounding both dresses. This article traces the origins of this misidentification, arguing that it stemmed from a frequently cited secondary source. Based on this, it also examines how research practices, assumptions and referencing methods contributed to the myth’s endurance. In turn, the existence of this myth is shown to demonstrate the ongoing importance of dress history in cross-disciplinary research. 

Unpicking the Smock-frock: Challenging Popular Myth through Practical Study, by Sarah Thursfield 

The smock-frock emerged in the second half of the eighteenth century as a working man’s outer garment without fashionable pretensions. A century later, as it went out of common use, it was taken up as a picturesque ‘peasant’ artefact and became the subject of deeply rooted popular myth focused on the distinctive decorative needlework. Much of the social mythology has been exploded in recent writing, and the main purpose of this article is to consider the technical aspects of the smock-frock — its cut, construction and ornamentation — and to assess whether these are indeed part of the ancient Saxon tradition described by twentieth-century writers or whether, on the contrary, it represents innovative cutting and new forms of decorative stitching which are remembered as the final flourish of the seamstress’s skill as it gave way to mechanical production. 

Frivolity and Modernity: Parasols in the Long Nineteenth Century, by Elena Vanden Abeele 

The parasol — an essential accessory for women in the nineteenth century — acted as a bridge between traditional feminine ideals and modernizing society, thus bringing the seemingly contradictory aspects of frivolity and modernity into dialogue. Despite their emblematic role, parasols are often overlooked in fashion history and museum collections. This article reassesses parasols as both fashion accessories and cultural artefacts and explores when and why they reached their peak in popularity by combining object-based research with a theoretical approach. Drawing on fashion magazines, contemporary writings and images, this research demonstrates that changing ideologies of femininity played an essential role in the rise and fall of the parasol’s fashionability. By examining the parasol collections at the Art & History Museum and the Fashion & Lace Museum in Brussels (Belgium), the article simultaneously provides a framework to date and contextualize parasols. 

‘Conventionality is Deadness’: Unlocking the Wardrobe Collection of Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Gill MacGregor 

Lady Ottoline Morrell was an aristocratic patron of the arts throughout the early twentieth century, best known for being on the periphery of the Bloomsbury Group. She was famed — and often mocked — for her eccentric style of dress, but her surviving wardrobe collection has never been studied in any detail. By combining the multi-disciplinary resources available it has been possible to contextualize many of the pieces within the collection, which will be revealed through several case studies which have benefited from this wide-ranging study. The collection itself spans several hundred items of textiles, dress, and accessories, and reveals numerous insights into the taste of this famed unconventional dresser, from which a different story of her style can emerge. 

In our last issue, we shared that Christine Stevens would be stepping down after six years as Co-Editor and a further decade as Book Reviews Editor. We are deeply grateful for her dedicated service and delighted to welcome Harriet Hughes as our new Co-Editor. This issue also includes the final new books list compiled by Anna Buruma, who is stepping down after many years in the role. We thank Anna sincerely for her invaluable contribution to our readers. 

Costume Society members receive a physical copy of  Costume  at every publication, and also have digital access to past and present editions. Find out more about  becoming a member here.