Professor of Design History and Theory Deborah Sugg Ryan to judge best dressed at this year’s Goodwood Revival

I’m honoured to have been asked to be a scouting judge for Best Dressed at this year’s Goodwood Revival on Saturday 9 September. I’ve worn vintage clothes since I was a teenager in the 1980s, when I picked up clothing dating from the 1920s to the 1960s from jumble sales and charity shops. When I look back, I can see that this is where my interest in becoming a design historian came from and led to my career as a V&A curator and academic. 

I wear true vintage or reproduction clothing every day at work and in my appearances on TV. I buy my vintage clothes through online auctions sites, Facebook groups, vintage and charity shops and vintage events and reproduction clothes secondhand. I’m influenced by photos of my nan, old movies and tv dramas. The vintage early 1960s matching dress and coat I wore at last year’s Goodwood Revival (pictured) was inspired by The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. I especially love full-skirted shirtwaisters in bold prints and bright colours, leading to a colleague to describe my style as 1950s housewife on acid. 

My top tip on wearing vintage is to alter it to fit you and don’t be afraid of doing something drastic like lowering a neckline to make it more flattering. I can sew but don’t have much time, so I use local company Portsmouth Costumiers to do alterations and make vintage style dresses from scratch. And always carry a sewing kit as you never know when you may need to do an emergency repair!

Through my teaching, and involvement with the Fashion Revolution campaign, I have become increasingly concerned about sustainability. We need to think about the environmental impact of not just fast fashion but also how we discard clothes; we are creating problems with landfill and exports to the Global South. It’s good to see Goodwood Revival addressing this in their new Revive and Thrive area, which has a series of talks and workshops. It’s also great to see them adopting the mantra Vintage Style Not Vintage Values to advocate for diversity and inclusivity, spearheaded by American vintage style activist Dandy Wellington who is a champion at the event.

As a scouting judge, I will be at Goodwood Revival inviting people to participate in the Best Dressed competition. I won’t just be looking for an authentic interpretation of a period style, which shouldn’t be dependent on spending the most money on the best vintage or reproduction. I’ll also be looking for creativity and style, which could be striking colour combinations, wonderful accessories or adapting or upcycling existing items. I love clothes that tell a story; a look could incorporate a family heirloom or be inspired by an ancestor. 

I’m excited to be teaching our University of Portsmouth Fashion students this year. It’s interesting to see Gen Z rediscover 1990s and Y2K fashion. Our students’ commitment to sustainability is an inspiration and I’m sure I’ll learn as much, if not more, from them as they will from me.