‘Dressed For Duty: Fashion, Function and the British Army, 1800 – 2026’
17 October 2026 – 13 December 2026
‘Dressed For Duty: Fashion, Function and the British Army, 1800 – 2026’, is the latest temporary exhibition from The Keep Military Museum, Dorchester. The exhibition looks at the ever-changing style of uniform, from red coats to camouflage jackets and cotton to Kevlar. Between Saturday 17 October and Sunday 13 December, visit us to discover how military uniform has influenced high fashion and everyday clothing, to the pomp and ceremony of the parade ground. Follow the journey from conception to the battlefield through prototypes, tailoring and the quartermasters’ stores, with original uniforms from the outrageous to the mundane. Bringing together items from the Keep Military Museum, as well as other public and private collections, this exhibition immerses you in over 200 years of eye-catching history.
The ‘Dressed For Duty’ exhibition is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to curate and present the exhibition at Dorset Museum and Art Gallery.
Elliot Metcalfe, Director of The Keep Military Museum said: “We are delighted to be working with Dorset Museum and Art Gallery to showcase the Dressed For Duty Exhibition. Military uniform has always been deeply entwined in fashion and everyday functionality of our clothing, and this is an exciting opportunity to share the story in such a visibly impactful way. We are incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for allowing this to be a reality.”
Claire Dixon, Executive Director at Dorset Museum & Art Gallery said: “We are excited to work with The Keep Military Museum and host this special exhibition. This project has provided us with an important opportunity to support another museum in Dorset, providing public access to their collections and highlighting the military connections of the County. Exhibitions are a really important way to encourage our visitors to keep coming back and working with partners ensures our programme is sustainable, vibrant and diverse.”
A press viewing day will be held on 16 October, and will include a tour by Elliot Metcalfe, (Director) and Dr Jacinta Mallon (Collections Manager). The event will run between 11am and 1pm.
For further information, images and interviews please contact Josh Hookins, Visitor Experience Manager at The Keep Military Museum, via email: info@keepmilitarymuseum.org.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
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About The Keep Military Museum:
The Keep Military Museum in Dorchester, Dorset, houses a unique collection and archives, telling the stories of the people and regiments of Devon and Dorset in war and peace. The museum holds the regimental collections for The Devonshire Regiment, The Dorsetshire Regiment, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and The Queen’s Own Dorset Yeomanry.
The museum collection consists of over 100,000 items, and is normally displayed on four floors of the Keep, the former entrance to the Depot Barracks, built in 1879 and styled on a Norman Castle design. Highlights of the museum collection include the last remaining sealed ration pack from D-Day, the Marabout Gun captured at Alexandria in 1801 and Hitler’s desk.
The Keep Military Museum is operated by a registered charity called “The Dorchester Keep Military Museum Trust” (1200607).
Follow @KeepMilitaryMuseum on linktr.ee for links to all our social media accounts.
About Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
Dorset Museum & Art Gallery is the only museum in Dorset that tells the story of the county in its entirety, showing the relationship between the land and its inhabitants, and how this relationship inspired ingenuity, exploration and creativity. Covering 250 million years of history, their collections are of international significance and demonstrate the breadth of Dorset’s story and its relevance to all.
The Museum boasts four permanent galleries and typically offers three major temporary exhibitions a year in their designated Special Exhibitions Gallery.
For more information, visit: www.dorsetmuseum.org