Working with museum collections as a curator and senior administrator, lecturing to every type of audience, twice as a Visiting Lecturer at the Courtauld Institute of Art; editing and writing texts for books, encyclopaedias and journals; trustee roles and the encouragement of the careers of younger colleagues briefly summarise the range of my activities. 

In addition to books, the first of which – Exploring Costume History 1500 – 1900 (Batsford, 1981) was translated into Japanese, I write articles and review for a range of journals. My knowledge of many aspects of dress history is used by publishers who ask me to read and comment upon texts intended for both academic and popular publications. I also advise on the clothing content of historical novels.

My first degree from Leicester University is in history, my postgraduate qualification is in dress history from the Courtauld Institute of Art and I acquired a professional museum qualification in the late 1970s and became a fellow of my professional body – The Museums Association in the 1990s. Appointments as the first costume assistant at Chertsey Museum, and a little later as the first Research Assistant/Assistant Keeper of Costume at the London Museum/Museum of London and the first Curator of the Court Dress Collection at Kensington Palace provided opportunities to catalogue, develop and interpret what are now considered major collections of dress and textiles not just in the United Kingdom but internationally. I wrote about these collections in Understanding Fashion History (Batsford, 2004, reissued in 2011; ebook 2021). I have been involved, as an expert adviser, with the designation process for collections of outstanding national importance in England and Scotland.

From my first full-time post as a trainee university administrator to my last as a Deputy Director and Chief Curator and, briefly, Acting Director, I was surrounded by colleagues who had a long-term commitment to understanding and interpreting the collections they curated.  In collaboration with them I was able to initiate or encourage a wide range of projects – exhibitions, new galleries, open storage, and publications. Involvement with management training for museum colleagues led towards committee and trustee roles with various professional and charitable organisations.