York Castle Museum’s Fashion Gallery has been refreshed, remodelled and enhanced for 2025 with new items and fresh interpretations to show ‘Secrets of Dress’ from the Middle Ages to the opening decades of the 21^st century.  Not just an exhibition about fashion, this is an opportunity to look at dress and textiles from the perspective of social history, exploring what clothes and accessories can reveal about peoples’ lives and experiences. Every object has a secret to tell and ‘Secrets of Dress’ provides insights into ways of life that are very different to today and yet very relatable.  From 400-year-old sequins to Second World War Utility shoes, and from the cottage industry of old Yorkshire to the factory-produced fashions of the industrial age, this is social history brought alive by the story of dress.

This bespoke exhibition has also been brought up to date for the 21^st century with a brand new section focusing on the City of York: York Makers.  Thanks to the diligent research of York Castle Museum volunteers, York Makers presents locally made clothing, textiles and textile-working tools from the Middle Ages to the present day, alongside the stories of the people who made and used them. York Makers celebrates incredible people who lived and worked in York, some of whom contributed nationally as well as regionally to fashion. Displayed are stunning outfits by York-based designers Angela Holmes, the founder of Droopy & Browns, and Vivien Smith, founder of Vivien Smith Simply Clothes. These two successful entrepreneurs created iconic fashion brands offering locally-made distinctive styles on the high street from the 1960s to the early 2000s.

Other York Makers include Victorian shirtmaker Herbert Morris Crouch who ran his own shop on Coney Street, and Mrs Maria Cook, the dressmaker whose ‘made in York’ label sparked the volunteer research project. ‘Secrets of Dress’ showcases 500 years of clothing, accessories and textiles, including items never previously displayed. Every object has something to tell, and many show repairs and adaptations, revealing that practices thought to be modern, like upcycling and remaking, have a very long tradition indeed.

See anything familiar? Some iconic items and textiles from the 1960s and 70s are instantly recognisable. Displayed in an accessible and fun way, visitors can touch, feel and try costumes recreated by local costume designer, Textiles by Gnomes, and enjoy family trails with Little Spotters Trails, which include a colouring page for creative little ones. The ‘Secret of Dress’ is revealed for everyone.