Do museum people "dress for success"? That was the question on my mind as I travelled to Liverpool last month for the Museums Association's conference, with an assignment to find some stylish museum people. Before you conclude that Museums Journal has become hopelessly trivial, there are reasons for taking this question seriously.
People who work in museums believe that the objects in our collections are full of coded messages that tell us about society. We know that the clothes in our collections tell us about their owners' status and state of mind, as well as providing a record of their physical measurements. The Fashion Museum in Bath even has a display of 24 shirts and ties worn by museum director Roy Strong in the 1970s and 1980s.
But while museum people might believe in general terms that clothes are important, you wouldn't necessarily guess it from what we wear. Strong himself is convinced that we have entered a duller age since his peacock heyday at the National Portrait Gallery in the 1960s. "I can't think of any truly stylish museum director of today," he says. "They are all clones of anonymity."
Paulette Francis-Green, a Diversify management trainee at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, is more pragmatic. She says the reason museum people dress down is to "let the collections do the talking" - and she rightly points out that you can't hunt pests in kitten heels.
But it seems you can't turn on the television these days without coming across a makeover show, and this obsession with image can seem narcissistic and materialistic. Laura Gray, a curatorial assistant from Preston, believes there is more to it than vanity.
"When you put your clothes on in the morning, you are creating a complex system of signs," she says. "Whether you believe that or not, they are there to be read by people in the know."
Many of us have an official uniform for work, and some situations, such as job interviews, call for smart clothes. Simon Cane, head of museum operations at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, says that you should "dress for your next job" too. But no one could accuse him of being a soulless corporate drone: his Clash T-shirt is on display in the punk section of the Community Stories display at Birmingham Museum.
But dressing "to impress" isn't straightforward. Jenni Waugh, access and social policy officer at Museums, Libraries and Archives West Midlands, says it is the last thing she wants to do. "In my job, I am challenging people's assumptions all the time, so I don't want to challenge people with my appearance as well. I want to make people feel comfortable."
Like everything to do with museums, it comes down to understanding your audience, says Matt Stephens of Lincolnshire County Council: "Sometimes you need to set an agenda with what you're wearing. That's quite difficult because you need to know what you want to say."
Stevens thinks the sector would look more professional if we dressed more casually, but more confidently. "I think museums are highly creative and dynamic places," he adds. "That has got to be your approach the whole way through."
Clearly, it is hard to get right. Imagine the challenge, then, for those who are most closely concerned with clothes: the curators of fashion collections.
"The most pressure is undoubtedly on our modern and contemporary curators who are dealing with the creative industries," says Lesley Miller, senior curator in the department of furniture, textiles and fashion at the V&A. Meeting their own expectations is difficult because of their low salaries and physically demanding jobs.
Overall, this is a tricky subject. But ultimately, I agree with Nichola Johnson, director of the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia. She says she doesn't want to judge or condemn, but she does want to encourage museum people to demonstrate more confidence through their clothes.
"For some reason, we seem to be a sector that doesn't have much sense of joy," she says, showing me her yellow boots. "We are afraid to risk looking mildly ridiculous and that is sad. It's joy that sends you out in yellow."
Lucy Worsley is the chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces
People who work in museums believe that the objects in our collections are full of coded messages that tell us about society. We know that the clothes in our collections tell us about their owners' status and state of mind, as well as providing a record of their physical measurements. The Fashion Museum in Bath even has a display of 24 shirts and ties worn by museum director Roy Strong in the 1970s and 1980s.
But while museum people might believe in general terms that clothes are important, you wouldn't necessarily guess it from what we wear. Strong himself is convinced that we have entered a duller age since his peacock heyday at the National Portrait Gallery in the 1960s. "I can't think of any truly stylish museum director of today," he says. "They are all clones of anonymity."
Paulette Francis-Green, a Diversify management trainee at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, is more pragmatic. She says the reason museum people dress down is to "let the collections do the talking" - and she rightly points out that you can't hunt pests in kitten heels.
But it seems you can't turn on the television these days without coming across a makeover show, and this obsession with image can seem narcissistic and materialistic. Laura Gray, a curatorial assistant from Preston, believes there is more to it than vanity.
"When you put your clothes on in the morning, you are creating a complex system of signs," she says. "Whether you believe that or not, they are there to be read by people in the know."
Many of us have an official uniform for work, and some situations, such as job interviews, call for smart clothes. Simon Cane, head of museum operations at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, says that you should "dress for your next job" too. But no one could accuse him of being a soulless corporate drone: his Clash T-shirt is on display in the punk section of the Community Stories display at Birmingham Museum.
But dressing "to impress" isn't straightforward. Jenni Waugh, access and social policy officer at Museums, Libraries and Archives West Midlands, says it is the last thing she wants to do. "In my job, I am challenging people's assumptions all the time, so I don't want to challenge people with my appearance as well. I want to make people feel comfortable."
Like everything to do with museums, it comes down to understanding your audience, says Matt Stephens of Lincolnshire County Council: "Sometimes you need to set an agenda with what you're wearing. That's quite difficult because you need to know what you want to say."
Stevens thinks the sector would look more professional if we dressed more casually, but more confidently. "I think museums are highly creative and dynamic places," he adds. "That has got to be your approach the whole way through."
Clearly, it is hard to get right. Imagine the challenge, then, for those who are most closely concerned with clothes: the curators of fashion collections.
"The most pressure is undoubtedly on our modern and contemporary curators who are dealing with the creative industries," says Lesley Miller, senior curator in the department of furniture, textiles and fashion at the V&A. Meeting their own expectations is difficult because of their low salaries and physically demanding jobs.
Overall, this is a tricky subject. But ultimately, I agree with Nichola Johnson, director of the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia. She says she doesn't want to judge or condemn, but she does want to encourage museum people to demonstrate more confidence through their clothes.
"For some reason, we seem to be a sector that doesn't have much sense of joy," she says, showing me her yellow boots. "We are afraid to risk looking mildly ridiculous and that is sad. It's joy that sends you out in yellow."
Lucy Worsley is the chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces
Simon Cane, head of museum operations, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
What he said "I will occasionally wear a pair of jeans, but they're very expensive designer jeans!"
Hadley's verdict "Conservatively suited. But I bet he has a cheeky pair of sunglasses in his pocket. I think this man is an intriguing dark horse."
Laura Gray, curatorial assistant, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston
What she said "I've got six other pairs of specs, including a lilac gem-studded pair for parties."
Hadley's verdict "I do love a gingham dress. But most of all, I love how the splash of colour in this outfit comes from her glasses. Genius."
Matt Stephens, district manager, Museums and Libraries, Lincolnshire County Council
What he said "I guess I like to be the centre of attention."
Hadley's verdict "More coordination. Still, I guess you would expect a museum curator to be so colour aware. Loving the floral shirt, too."
Jenni Waugh, access and social policy officer, MLA Council West Midlands
What she said "Clean clothes are very important. I've worked with some very smelly people."
Hadley's verdict "Everyone at Paris fashion week this year was working the floral dress and blazer look. So this lady would have fitted in perfectly at Christian Dior."
Nichola Johnson, director, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia
What she said "The directors of art galleries are judged by what they wear, but I dress for me."
Hadley's verdict "I love this. You don't see enough people coordinating their jackets with their footwear these days. Well done, Nichola."
Justina Jane Heslop, image researcher, Museum of Liverpool
What she said "Those are police boots with steel toecaps and flame-retardant laces."
Hadley's verdict "I'm not the biggest fan of the goth look. But I salute anyone who is so dedicated that they build their whole wardrobe around it. Is that the Alexander McQueen skull scarf? Respect."
Paulette Francis-Green, Diversify management trainee, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
What she said "I own 120 pairs of shoes!"
Hadley's verdict "This is exactly how I always imagine people who work in museums to dress - a little bit scary, a little bit fabulous and all very, very black. And belting the jacket is so next season, you know."
What he said "I will occasionally wear a pair of jeans, but they're very expensive designer jeans!"
Hadley's verdict "Conservatively suited. But I bet he has a cheeky pair of sunglasses in his pocket. I think this man is an intriguing dark horse."
Laura Gray, curatorial assistant, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston
What she said "I've got six other pairs of specs, including a lilac gem-studded pair for parties."
Hadley's verdict "I do love a gingham dress. But most of all, I love how the splash of colour in this outfit comes from her glasses. Genius."
Matt Stephens, district manager, Museums and Libraries, Lincolnshire County Council
What he said "I guess I like to be the centre of attention."
Hadley's verdict "More coordination. Still, I guess you would expect a museum curator to be so colour aware. Loving the floral shirt, too."
Jenni Waugh, access and social policy officer, MLA Council West Midlands
What she said "Clean clothes are very important. I've worked with some very smelly people."
Hadley's verdict "Everyone at Paris fashion week this year was working the floral dress and blazer look. So this lady would have fitted in perfectly at Christian Dior."
Nichola Johnson, director, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia
What she said "The directors of art galleries are judged by what they wear, but I dress for me."
Hadley's verdict "I love this. You don't see enough people coordinating their jackets with their footwear these days. Well done, Nichola."
Justina Jane Heslop, image researcher, Museum of Liverpool
What she said "Those are police boots with steel toecaps and flame-retardant laces."
Hadley's verdict "I'm not the biggest fan of the goth look. But I salute anyone who is so dedicated that they build their whole wardrobe around it. Is that the Alexander McQueen skull scarf? Respect."
Paulette Francis-Green, Diversify management trainee, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
What she said "I own 120 pairs of shoes!"
Hadley's verdict "This is exactly how I always imagine people who work in museums to dress - a little bit scary, a little bit fabulous and all very, very black. And belting the jacket is so next season, you know."
