The
Costume Society of America advances the global understanding
of all aspects of dress and appearance.
We value five major
purposes:
- To stimulate scholarship and encourage study
in the rich and diverse field of costume.
- To disseminate information
on dress and appearance.
- To raise the profile and credibility
of the field of
costume.
- To network among our members and with other
people and organizations having costume interests.
- To manage and
govern the organization to serve the membership.
We serve individuals,
students, institutions, and libraries.
Our primary membership consists
of individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, both generalist
and specialist,
who share
a passion for the history and serious study of costume.
We seek
members who are involved in the study, education, collection,
and preservation, presentation, and interpretation of dress
and appearance in our PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE societies.
The
Costume Society of America acknowledges that clothing is designed
and created to be worn. However, with age or associations,
clothing takes on particular values and meanings and deserves
special care and consideration. The wearing of articles of
attire inevitably exposes them to dangers of damage and deterioration;
these dangers increase with the age and/ or fragility of such
articles.
Therefore, the Costume Society of America encourages
persons and organizations charged with the preservation of
costume to prohibit the wearing or modeling of articles
INTENDED FOR PRESERVATION.
Further, the Costume Society
of America discourages any action which alters the original
state of such articles. Since any
information related to the provenance, condition, and treatment
of costume
enhances the understanding, meaning, and value of an article
of adornment, the Costume Society of America strongly urges
that all such information should be collected and made
available when
that article is transferred to another party.
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