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The focus of the special exhibition at the Museum of Costume for 1999 and 2000, will be the women who wore the clothes featured in the display rather than simply the garments.

Curators have carefully chosen more than 60 outfits and accessories from the museum collection which belonged to six women for this show. This exhibition will emphasise the personal - from the shocking pink and lime green day dress worn by Mary Endicott in 1888 (and recently acquired at auction for the museum collection) to the stark cream shift dress, from Yves Saint Laurentﾒs Mondriaan collection, worn by Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias.

The Museum of Costume has a substantial collection of both men and womenﾒs fashionable dress from the 18th century. The womenﾒs collections include some 80 gowns and many accessories to dress. The menﾒs collections are less numerous, but include suits and coats from the later 18th century and approximately 70 waistcoats dating from the 1720s to the 1790s.

While a selection of objects is always on display in the museum, the remaining pieces are carefully stored and can be viewed by appointment.

The Assembley Rooms were designed in 1769-1771 by John Wood the Younger and is owned by the National Trust. The Ball Room, Octagon and Tea Room were used for dancing, music, card playing, and tea drinking. Although damaged in the war in 1942, the Rooms have been restored to their 18th century appearance. The original set of nine chandeliers made of Whitefriars crystal still survives, as does the portrait of Captain Wade, Master of Ceremonies painted by Thomas Gainsborough in 1771 as a gift to the new rooms.

Attractions near Museum Of Costume And Assembly Rooms include Bath, Bath Industrial Heritage Centre at Bath, Frank Dux Antiques near Bath, Patterson Liddle at Brock Street, Shires Yard Shopping Centre near Bath, Podium Shopping Centre at Bath, Victoria Art Gallery near Bath.