2025 Spring Speaker Series | What to Wear to the Fancy Dress Ball?

In our modern life, we often link wearing costumes with Halloween celebrations. Dive into the history of fancy dress balls and the creative costumes designed for these often extravagant celebrations. Join Karen DePauw, Executive Director of Sharon Historical Society, to learn more about these fashionable affairs.

About the Speaker

Karen DePauw is a fashion historian, author, educator, and museum professional. She has published two books, The House of Worth, 1916 * 1918 and The Care and Display of Historic Clothing, and worked with a number of fashion collections throughout Connecticut and Indiana. DePauw has also presented numerous webinars and classes on the topic of historic clothing and the basics of textile conservation.

About the 2025 Spring Speaker Series – Dressed to Impress

Join the Fairfield Museum for the Spring 2025 Speaker Series inspired by our new exhibition Dressed to Impress, which will open on May 3, 2025. Throughout the Spring 2025 Speaker Series, costume experts and curators will unveil the fascinating stories behind the fashions of different time periods, exploring how people dressed from high society to presidential looks to extravagant dress balls.

Additional Lectures in the Series:

February 9 | Styles of the First Ladies | Susan J. Jerome

March 2 | Posture, Motion, Poise: Fashion & Appearance | Ned Lazaro

Light refreshments provided. Registration is required. $15 per talk | $45 for the series, $40 for Members