Library Guides: Costume Design: Online Reference Works

Reference Section

The Reference Collection is housed on the 2nd/Main floor of Malpass Library. Books in this section can't be checked out, but can be used within the building, scanned, copied, etc.

The general section on historical costume and fashion is in the GT500 range of call numbers.

Costume Reference Works

The Complete Costume Dictionary
The Complete Costume Dictionary, Elizabeth Lewandowski has collected from a variety of sources—including costume history texts, journal articles, historical publications, autobiographies, biographies, foreign language dictionaries, and contemporary publications—to create a resource that spans the globe, from the earliest record of fashion to the 21st century.Including more than 20,000 fashion and costume terms, this volume also features more than 300 illustrations.
Contemporary African Fashion
This book puts Africa at the intersection of world cultures and globalized identities, displaying the powerful creative force and impact of newly emerging styles.
Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance
A scholarly reference book examining how people's outer physical characteristics and their inner perceptions and attitudes about their own appearance (body image) affect their lives. Includes entries on clothing, cosmetics, and hair.
Fashion Design, Referenced : A Visual Guide to the History, Language & Practice of Fashion
Fashion Design, Referenced is a comprehensive guide through the art and industry of fashion design, richly illustrated with over 1,000 photographs and drawings.
Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture
Provides an international & interdisciplinary forum for the analysis of cultural phenomena ranging from foot binding to fashion advertising.
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, 2nd ed.
Information about current and historical popular culture. Look in the index for "fashion", "hairstyles", or "footwear" to see the variety of entries on fashion topics.
World clothing and fashion an encyclopedia of history, culture and social influence
Taking a global, multicultural, social, and economic perspective, this work explores the diverse and colorful history of human attire. From prehistoric times to the age of globalization, articles cover the evolution of clothing utility, style, production, and commerce, including accessories (shoes, hats, gloves, handbags, and jewelry) for men, women, and children

Reference Works

Reference works provide authoritative, general information on a topic. They are a good starting place if you don't know a lot about your time period or location. They can also provide clothing vocabulary for you to use when searching elsewhere.