Costume Society of America

**Our Mission** The Costume Society of America fosters an understanding of appearance and dress practices of people across the globe through research, education, preservation, and design. Our network of members studies the past, examines the present, and anticipates the future of clothing and fashion. **About** The Costume Society of America (CSA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded on March 23, 1973, and incorporated in the state of New York on September 12, 1973. CSA serves it members, and promotes its goals with national symposia and publications including the journal Dress and its monthly electronic newsletter CSA e-News. The organization began forming regional groups in 1978. There are six regional groups in the United States and Canada, and one international group. Individual regions hold annual meetings, sponsor programs and publish newsletters. **Overview** CSA serves 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. Our current strategic goals include: Increase diversity in subject matter and research, including hidden, overlooked, and marginalized topics Be the go-to place for the field and the lay community for questions related to clothing history Increase diversity in our membership and attract younger scholars, students, and early career professionals Establish partnerships to reach out to a global audience of people from museums, archives, libraries, theaters, academia, fashion industry, private collections, and re-enactment organizations