The Chern-Weil homomorphism gives a geometric method for calculating characteristic classes for principal bundles. In infinite dimensions, however, the standard theory fails due to analytical problems. In this talk I shall give a geometric method for calculating characteristic classes for principal bundle with structure group the loop group of a compact group which side-steps these complications. This theory is inspired in some sense by results on the string class (a certain cohomology class on the base of a loop group bundle) which I shall outline.