# Dress of the Year

The Dress of the Year is an annual fashion award run by the Fashion Museum, Bath since 1963. Each year since 1963, the Museum has asked a fashion journalist to select a dress or outfit that best represents the most important new ideas in contemporary fashion. For 2010 the Museum broke with tradition by asking the milliner Stephen Jones, rather than a journalist, to choose an outfit; and again in 2014 when the fashion blogger, Susanna Lau of Style Bubble, was asked to choose an outfit for 2013. The outfit is then donated to the Fashion Museum along with an Adel Rootstein mannequin to represent that year's total look.

## Selections in chronological order

| Year | Designer(s) | Brief description | Selected by: | Associated publication |
| 1963 | Mary Quant Reed Crawford (hat) Anello & Davide (boots) | Grey wool 'Rex Harrison' pinafore dress & cream blouse. | Members of The Fashion Writers' Association | |
| 1964 | Jean Muir for Jane & Jane Charles Jourdan for Dior (shoes) | Dress in printed Liberty silk. | Members of The Fashion Writers' Association | |
| 1965 | John Bates for Jean Varon Anello & Davide (shoes) | Printed linen dress with mesh midriff. | Members of The Fashion Writers' Association | |
| 1966 | Michèle Rosier of V de V (coat) Young Jaeger (dress) Simone Mirman (hat) Elliott (boots) John Bates for Echo (tights) | Clear plastic raincoat and boots worn with black & white rayon linen dress, white tights and white hat with red plastic visor. | Ernestine Carter | The Sunday Times |
| 1967 | David Bond for Slimma Edward Mann (hat) Saxone (shoes) | Woman's trouser suit, hat & blouse in striped cotton. | Felicity Green | The Daily Mirror |
| 1968 | Jean Muir Bally (shoes) | Black-spotted white cotton voile dress. | Ailsa Garland | Fashion |
| 1969 | Ossie Clark for Quorum Rayne (shoes) | Woman's silk chiffon and satin trouser suit in Celia Birtwell print. | Prudence Glynn | The Times |
| 1970 | Bill Gibb for Baccarat Kaffe Fassett (knitwear) The Chelsea Cobbler (boots) | Plaid wool skirt and blue and white blouse, knitted waistcoat, blue suede boots. | Beatrix Miller | British Vogue |
| 1971 | Female: Graziella Fontana for Judith Hornby Ravel (sandals) Male: Rupert Lycett Green for Blades | Female: Hot pants suit in checked Liberty cotton. Male: Black velvet evening suit & boots. | Serena Sinclair and Patrick Lichfield | The Daily Telegraph |
| 1972 | Teenage girl:Biba Young girl: Bobby Hillson Young boy: Orange Hand for Montague Burton | Teenage girl: Dress, hat & boots, red & white spotted cotton. Young girl: Checked cotton dress & pinafore. Young boy: Trousers, jumper and tank top. | Moira Keenan | The Sunday Times |
| 1973 | Female: Marc Bohan for Christian Dior London Male: Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche | Female: White wool coat & hat. Male: Wool jacket, trousers & sweater. | Alison Adburgham | The Guardian |
| 1974 | Ottavio and Rosita Missoni Pasquali (shoes) | Male & female ensembles in knitted wool & rayon. | Jennifer Hocking | Harper's Bazaar and Queen |
| 1975 | Female: Gina Fratini Male: Tommy Nutter The Chelsea Cobbler (shoes) | Female: Wedding dress, veil & posy basket, cream silk organza with mimosa print. Male: Bridegroom's frock coat suit, eau de nil wool. | Anna Harvey | Brides |
| 1976 | Female: Kenzo Takada of Jungle Jap Male: Fiorucci | Female: Two printed cotton ensembles with wooden jewellery. Male: Hand-knitted sweater, two shirts and jeans. | Helena Matheopoulos | The Daily Express |
| 1977 | Kenzo Takada of Jungle Jap | Shirt-dress in khaki cotton, straw hat & plimsolls. | Ann Boyd | The Observer |
| 1978 | Female: Gordon Luke Clarke Male: Cerruti | Female: Printed cotton & polyester jersey tunic, skirt and trousers worn with black leather skirt and coat. Male: Coat, jacket, waistcoat & trousers, knitted wool and wool tweed. | Barbara Griggs | The Daily Mail |
| 1979 | Jean Muir Manolo Blahnik for Zapata (shoes) | Black rayon jersey dress & beret with black leather jacket. | Geraldine Ranson | The Sunday Telegraph |
| 1980 | Calvin Klein Diego della Valle (sandals) | Red & brown striped silk dress with leather belt & wooden jewellery. | Michael Roberts | The Sunday Times |
| 1981 | Karl Lagerfeld for Chloé Walter Steiger (shoes) Ugo Correani (necklace) | Printed white silk dress. | Vanessa de Lisle | Harper's & Queen |
| 1982 | Margaret Howell Nigel Preston of Maxfield Parrish (leather wear) Mulberry (belt) Manolo Blahnik for Zapata (shoes) | Two women's ensembles, a linen skirt, shirt and waistcoat and a blue suede and fawn chamois leather skirt & jacket with cotton shirt. | Grace Coddington | British Vogue |
| 1983 | Sheridan Barnett Manolo Blahnik (shoes) | Linen dress and coat. | Sally Brampton | The Observer |
| 1984 | Female: BodyMap Female: Betty Jackson Brian Bolger: (scarf) Male: Katharine Hamnett | Female: Ensemble comprising skirt, jumper, stockings, hat, waxed jacket & earrings (BodyMap). Female: Dress, cardigan & hat and scarf (Jackson & Bolger). Male: T-shirt, shirt and cotton trousers. | Brenda Polan | The Guardian |
| 1985 | Female: Bruce Oldfield Charles Jourdan (shoes) Maria Buck (jewellery) Male: Scott Crolla | Female: Black silk & gold lamé evening dress. Male: Shirt, crushed velvet trousers and ikat mules. | Suzy Menkes | The Times |
| 1986 | Giorgio Armani | Female: Checked wool jacket, skirt, and black suede shoes. Male: Jacket, trousers, shirt and brogues. | Colin McDowell | Country Life |
| 1987 | John Galliano Patrick Cox (shoes) | Checked cotton coat, skirt, shirt & hat. | Debbi Mason | Elle |
| 1988 | Jean-Paul Gaultier for Junior Gaultier | Black denim dress, mesh T-shirt, hat, tights & shoes. | Jeff Banks | The Clothes Show (BBC) |
| 1989 | Rifat Ozbek | Woman's embroidered velvet evening ensemble. | Kathryn Samuel | The Daily Telegraph |
| 1990 | Romeo Gigli | Woman's dark blue velvet trouser suit with organza blouse. | Joan Burstein | Browns |
| 1991 | Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel | Pink lurex & wool tweed jacket & shoes, denim skirt & hat, belt & costume jewellery. | Elizabeth Tilberis | Vogue |
| 1992 | Ralph Lauren | Woman's black and white pinstripe trouser suit & shirt. | Liz Smith | The Times |
| 1993 | Donna Karan | Purple wool & stretch velvet dress, hat & boots. | Glenda Bailey | Marie Claire |
| 1994 | John Galliano | Black silk strapless evening dress. | Meredith Etherington-Smith | Harper's & Queen |
| 1995 | Female: Catherine Rayner Emma Hope (shoes) Male: Tom Gilbey | Female: Beaded ivory silk satin wedding dress. Male: Ivory silk frock coat, cream wool trousers and embroidered waistcoat. | Sandra Boler | Brides |
| 1996 | Female: Alexander McQueen Male: Paul Smith | Female: Floral brocade top with red 'bumster' trousers. Male: Bright blue two-piece suit and shirt | Tamsin Blanchard | The Independent |
| 1997 | Female: Hussein Chalayan Female: Julien MacDonald Female: Lainey Keogh Female: Deborah Milner Philip Treacy (bonnet) Mr Pearl (corset) Shaun Leane (mouthpiece) | Female: Purple evening dress with sunburst bead embroidery (Chalayan). Female: 'Mermaid' evening dress, gold knitted rayon & horsehair (MacDonald). Female: Evening dress and coat, black knit with beading (Keogh). Female: Evening coat, purple velvet, with fur collar (Milner). Sculptural black bonnet Black satin corset Silver sculptural mouthpiece | Isabella Blow | The Sunday Times |
| 1998 | Female: Sonia Rykiel Male: Chris Bailey for Jigsaw Menswear | Female: Black knitted sweater & combat trousers, with pink marabou stole. Male: Silver-grey suit, white T-shirt and ankle-length puffa jacket. | Iain R. Webb | Elle |
| 1999 | Alexander McQueen | Cream lace dress with brown leather collar and sandals. | Susannah Frankel | The Independent |
| 2000 | Donatella Versace for Versace | Bamboo-print silk chiffon evening dress and jeweled mules. | Lisa Armstrong | The Times |
| 2001 | Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche | 'Peasant' ensemble of gauze top and velvet & satin skirt, with boots and velvet scarf. | Alexandra Shulman | Vogue |
| 2002 | Junya Watanabe | Dress, pieced together knit & jersey fabrics, with distressed cow-hide shoes. | Hilary Alexander | The Daily Telegraph |
| 2003 | Marni | Colorful printed dress. | Lucinda Chambers | Vogue |
| 2004 | Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche | Evening dress in Chinese dragon print satin. | Sarajane Hoare | Vanity Fair |
| 2005 | Female: Alber Elbaz for Lanvin Male: Thom Browne | Female: Blue silk faille dress with full skirt. Male: Suit with covered buttons and seersucker lining. | Charlie Porter | GQ; The Guardian |
| 2006 | Prada | Woman's olive green coat with fur patch pockets. | Sarah Mower | |
| 2007 | Giles Deacon at GILES | Orange 'Troubadour' dress with accompanying orange scarf. | Hywel Davies | |
| 2008 | Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel (trouser ensemble) Kate Moss for Topshop (dress) | Gold star and navy blue trouser ensemble. Long sleeved black dress with heart-print. | Paula Reed | Grazia |
| 2009 | Antonio Berardi | White and black trompe l'oeil corset dress. | Lucy Yeomans | Harper's Bazaar |
| 2010 | Vivienne Westwood | Green ribbed shot-silk deconstructed dress. | Stephen Jones | |
| 2011 | Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen | White embroidered ivory tulle and organza ballgown. | Hamish Bowles | Vogue |
| 2012 | Raf Simons for Christian Dior | Embroidered and appliquéd silk cut-off ballgown and black cigarette pants. | Vanessa Friedman | Financial Times |
| 2013 | Christopher Kane (dress) Nasir Mazhar (hat) Sophia Webster (shoes) | Sugar-pink silk organza dress trimmed with white lace, diamanté and black duct tape. Pink canvas cap with cartoon character motif. Pink and black sandals with striped stiletto heel. | Susanna Lau | Style Bubble |
| 2014 | Gareth Pugh | 'Look 41' ensemble in plastic sheeting and calico. | Katie Grand | LOVE |
| 2015 | Craig Green | Two menswear/gender-neutral ensembles shown on male and female mannequins. | Gordon Richardson, design director of Topman. | |
| 2016 | Female: JW Anderson for LOEWE Male: JW Anderson | Female: Cream mohair tweed dress with gilded Nappa leather bustier, tan leather bag and wire and coin jewellery. Male: Cream oversized cardigan, trousers, white shirt and red trainer-boots. Perspex choker. | Kate Phelan | British Vogue |
| 2017 | Maria Grazia Chiuri for Christian Dior | "We Should All be Feminists" T-shirt. | Sarah Bailey | Red |
| 2018 | Female: Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton Male: Kim Jones for Dior Homme | Female: Ensemble comprising an embroidered pink silk coat, white silk cropped long-sleeve blouse and blue jersey shorts, with 'Archlight' sneakers. Male: "Look 27," a pink cashmere double-breasted suit, canvas and calfskin duffle bag, pink calfskin and mesh sneakers, and chunky metal and rhodonite necklace. | Alexander Fury | Another Magazine and Financial Times |
| 2019 | Giambattista Valli for H&M | Evening dress in pink pleated tulle. | Donna Wallace | British Vogue |
| 2020 | Female: Riccardo Tisci for Burberry & PPE Neutral: Ian Jeffries for Marine GARMENT Neutral: Black Lives Matter T-shirt Male: Francesco Colucci Female: Daisy Robbins for Daisy Sunshine Female: Gareth Wrighton & Ib Kamara Female: Iain R. Webb Documentary film: Nick Knight | Female: "Apocalypse Outfit" as worn by Naomi Campbell: Burberry cashmere cape with Tyvek overall; latex gloves, face mask. Neutral: Gender-neutral khaki T-shirt and trousers with fishing cap, mask, and cotton bag inscribed "BLACK LIVES MATTER". Neutral: Unisex T-shirt with Black Lives Matter slogan. Male: Ensemble from Colucci's "Isolation Portraits" series, assembled from an orange down jacket, PVC trousers, a jumpsuit and a sculptural mask. Female: Patchwork cotton and cashmere kimono, embroidered sweater and painted cotton shorts. Female: "A Dress of Hope" designed by Wrighton & styled by Kamara, using found table linens. Female: Dress from Iain R. Webb's graduate collection of 1980. Documentary film: "SWALK", about John Galliano at Martin Margiela. | Iain R. Webb | |
| 2021 | Armani | Black silk georgette dress with lotus flower embroidery. | Ib Kamara and Gareth Wrighton | Dazed |
| 2022 | Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu | Brown cotton twill micro-miniskirt, blue slashed cotton shirt and grey cashmere cable knit cropped sweater. | Kenya Hunt | Elle |
| 2023 | Simone Rocha and Bianca Saunders | pink and green silk, tulle and sequin gown by Simone Rocha, and printed cotton menswear outfit by Bianca Saunders | Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council | |