Costume Society of America

CSA Introduction

CSA History

Founders,
Past Leaders

Fellows

Annual Meetings
and Symposia

CSA Leadership

Elections

Officers,
Executive
Committee,
Appointed Positions

Board of Directors

Administration /
Governance
Committees

National Office,
Regional
Leadership

Message From The President

Are you passionate about costume, fashion, dress or appearance? The Costume Society of America (CSA) offers you the opportunity to network with others who share your passion. Our members have an overall interest in clothing education, research, preservation and design. They work in museums, libraries and theaters. Some work in the academic world or the apparel industry, and others are private collectors or independent scholars. Founded in 1973, CSA promotes the study of clothing as a significant way to understand the aesthetics, history and culture of a society.

CSA organizes an annual national symposium incorporating juried papers; research exhibits; professional workshops; on-site and virtual tours of theatres, galleries and museums; fashion presentations; silent auctions; a marketplace; and networking and social events. More frequent regional meetings occur in six geographic regions throughout the U.S. and Canada. Our International Region includes members from the rest of the globe. Members receive regional and national newsletters, our annual juried research journal, a membership directory and the monthly e-newsletter. Access to the CSA Members Only website page enables communication with individuals in electronic costume communities worldwide.

The CSA Series is co-sponsored with Texas Tech University Press. Clothing and Textile Collections in the United States: A CSA Guide, lists information on more than 2600 public collections. This and other CSA Series publications are available at a discount to our members.

CSA grants and awards facilitate our members' research and recognize scholars, authors, publications, museum exhibitions, collections and members' outstanding contributions to the field. "CSA Angels" (conservators) volunteer to help save clothing collections. Study tours include behind-the-scenes access to costume venues at national and international sites. We also sponsor conferences with such prestigious institutions as Winterthur and The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.

Please let us welcome you to our membership and to our leadership and professional development opportunities.

Kay King
President 2006-2008

The Costume Society of America advances the global understanding of all aspects of dress and appearance. We work to stimulate scholarship and encourage study in the rich and diverse field of costume.

Copyright © 2001-2004 by the Costume Society of America.
World rights reserved.
No part of this website or its content may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including, but not limited to photocopy, photograph, magnetic or other record, without prior agreement and written permission from the publisher.