Costume Design: Search Strategies

Keyword searching is a strategy that you can use in a lot of different places - in catalogs, in databases, on the web, etc. Often we start with certain keywords in mind, and are disappointed when those keywords don't immediately return exactly what we need. It's useful to develop alternative keywords so that when you hit roadblocks, you have something else to try, and you can find related results that may be described in slightly different ways.

Keywords to think about for costume design:

• What play am I doing? Searching for the title of the play may yield some images of other productions or literature.
• What characters are in my play? What do they do and what might they wear? Consider:
  • Gender
  • Age
  • Occupation
  • Social class
• Where and when do my characters live? Consider:
  • The names of different time periods
  • Different countries
  • Cities or rural settings
  • Social class
• What was popular during the time my play is set?
  • If you know words describing trends in fashion or design for your time, like 'mod' or 'art nouveau,' those might be useful in some contexts

Binoculars will not usually help you find costume design resources, but much like the man with the binoculars, you will have better luck if you prepare yourself for your search.