Keeping Abreast of Fashion - A History of Decolletage Tuesday 18th August 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm ... More

Keeping Abreast of Fashion - A History of Decolletage Anya Glinksi gives an iIllustrated talk about Corsetry through history. Anya Glinski will entertain and enlighten us with a light hearted look and the corsetry that helped creat and maintain iconic silhouettes through history. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/keeping-abreast-of-fashion-a-history-of-decolletage-tickets-1990566317440?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Exhibitions 'Laura Ashley : From Kitchen to Catwalk' Extended until Summer 2026 Read more 'Best Foot Forward: Shoes and Accessories' June 2026 Read more 'Power Dressing' February 2025 - November 2026 Read more '20th Century Brides : A Hundred Years of Wedding Dress' 16th February 2026 Read more 'Youthquake:1960s' 16th February 2026 Read more More... More ... More... More... More...

Our education room is currently available for hire. Our affordable fees include free entry to the museum and a staffed cafe with teas,coffees and cakes available. Please contact facilities@blandfordfashionmuseum.co.uk for more information. Room Hire

Education Blandford Fashion Museum can support teaching and learning in your school or college. We can offer: Suitcase Loans A suitcase loan of clothing for a specific period eg WW2, Victorians. The suitcase can be collected from the Fashion Museum and kept for display for one or two weeks, depending on demand from other schools. The cost is £15 per week for the loan. For older students we can offer collections showing garment construction, such as boning or lace insertion. Talks at the Museum We can organise tours of the Museum for groups of children. Staff are welcome to come and view the exhibits prior to booking for their class. The cost for a visit to the Museum is £60 for up to 15 students. We offer a talk looking at the contents of a suitcase that a Victorian maid would take with her to her place of employment. The cost of a visit plus a talk is £90 per visit for up to 15 students. Family Workshops at the Museum We run regular popular family workshops and advertise these events through local schools, the Blandford Fashion Museum website and Eventbrite. eg Easter Hat workshop, ‘Make it Yours’ workshop where participants decorated a plain garment with fabric pens and embellishments. Research facilities Older students can request to see and sketch specific items to support their work in school. They would then be able to have the garments made available at a specific time by contacting info@blandfordfashionmuseum.co.uk . The cost for a research visit is £25 but this can be shared by up to 5 students. Notice is required in order for us to meet these requests effectively. Refreshments The Fashion Museum has a very inviting tea room where refreshments can be purchased. School groups can be accommodated in our Lecture Room. Break or lunchtime can be taken in the tea room. Please note we only sell scones, cakes and biscuits. Our shop has a range of items for sale, including books and our Museum Brochure.

About The late Mrs. Betty Penny MBE founded the Blandford Fashion museum, located in Lime Tree House, in 1996. The house is a beautiful Georgian property in Blandford Forum, built by John and William Bastard after the town’s Great Fire in 1731. Mrs. Penny’s collection of costumes, known locally as the Cavalcade of Costume, form the nucleus of the present collection. However, since then the collection has almost trebled in size and continues to grow thanks to generous donations from the public. In 2024, thanks to Dorset Council for the Culture and Community Project Fund we were able to initiate Stage 1 of our digitisation project, which has enabled us to digitally record all of the paperwork and photography associated with the Cavalcade of Costume. We are looking at a way at making this available through our website but for now, if you are interested in studying this wealth of information please email collections@blandfordfashionmuseum.co.uk . The Arts Council gave the museum accredited status in 2010, and renewed it in 2015. We receive a small grant from the Town Council, but no other public funding. As a result, we have a few paid members of staff and an invaluable team of volunteers. We have a reputation locally for our friendly atmosphere. We have thirteen display spaces over two floors, and there is a rolling programme of exhibition changes. Our exhibitions showcase historic dress and textiles and the connection between fashion and social history. Additional facilities include a Resources Room for use by students studying fashion & textiles and a Lecture Room for study days.

Historical fashion museum set in a beautiful Georgian townhouse in Dorset LATEST NEWS 'Youthquake:1960s' Exhibition' 14th February 2026 Blandford Fashion Museum is excited to announce that we are now open and we have many new exhibitions to explore including the colourful 'Youthquake:1960s'. This is presented as part of the Fashioning Our Future project with The Salisbury Museum. Thanks to funding received from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Fashioning Our Future project, students from Arts University Bournemouth and local Sixth Forms have been working with the museum team to bring to life this dynamic exhibition. Find out more here ... VOLUNTEER WITH US BECOME A TRUSTEE Come and be a part of this friendly and unique museum and tea room by volunteering with us. Sign up here... We are currently seeking to appoint new Trustees to join our voluntary Board of Directors. We need those willing to take leading roles at Board level in developing sponsorship and donation income streams. For an informal conversation or to express interest, please contact Deputy Chair of Trustees, Associate Professor Rebecca Pride - rebeccapride19@gmail.com. GROUP VISITS Would you like a tailored experience and the chance to see our collection up close and amongst colleagues or friends? We have a variety of packages available! Please visit our 'Group Visit' page here ....

Workshops Step out in Style this Spring! Monday 30th March 2026 10:30 - 12:00 pm Read More

'20th Century Brides : A Hundred Years of Wedding Dress' 16th February 2026 Through the 1910s to the 1990s explore how fashion trends and personal choice saw the development of wedding dresses, from fairytale gowns to floral suits and everything in-between.

Calling all Fashion Designers! Be inspired by our 'Youthquake:1960s' exhibition to design your own garments. We will use our Youthquake:1960s exhibition as a starting point to spark creativity in designing some exciting and innovative garments. Students from Arts University Bournemouth and local 6th forms worked with the staff from the Fashion Museum to bring this dynamic exhibition to life. We will also examine the the sketches, paintings and collage work of Heidy and Isabelle Becks. All materials will be supplied but feel free to bring your own pens, pencils and colouring materials with you. Under 16s must be accompanied by a parent/carer https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/calling-all-fashion-designers-tickets-1984958686866?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

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Events Pants - a Brief History Tuesday 24th March 2026 2:00 to 3:30 pm Read More