A Century of Costume at Scotney Castle

To celebrate the release of new book '100 Things to Wear: Fashion from the Collections of the National Trust' Scotney Castle is launching a new costume exhibition in the house.

Step inside the elegant Victorian Mansion House and discover a rare display of 12 exquisite costumes spanning 1890-1990. This unique exhibition offers a glimpse into the wardrobes of three generations of the Hussey family, who lived at Scotney Castle until 2006.

Among the highlights are two remarkable garments featured in the new book, handpicked from over 30,000 items in the National Trust collection:

• The Black and White Stripe Day Dress worn by Rosamund Hussey in her 1910 portrait by J.J. Shannon. On display alongside the dress are the artist’s original sketch, photographs from the sitting, Rosamund’s hat, and personal letters exchanged with the artist—offering a deeply personal narrative behind this iconic painting on the stairwell to this day.

• The ‘Queen of Hearts’ Fancy Dress Costume, a charming handmade outfit created for a child attending a castle fête in 1951. Recently rediscovered in the attic, it’s a delightful piece of post-war creativity and nostalgia.

The exhibition also features a treasure trove of fashion history with costumes on display, many with photos of who wore them, including a 1920s flapper dress, 1960s Harvey Nichols fashion, historic staff uniforms, The Sherriff of Kent uniform worn by Edward Windsor Hussey in 1907 and more!