LibGuides: Fashion/Costume Design Resources: Books

Finding Books
General History
Reference Books
Children's Fashion
Drag
Eras in Western Fashion
Fashion Designers
Fashion of a Country or Place
Hairstyles
Make-up
Men's Fashion
Patterns & Draping How To
Specific Types of Clothing & Accessories
Street Fashion

Finding Books

To find books on fashion and fashion history, browse these call number ranges:

GT 510 - GT 1741 = Costumes and Fashion (2nd floor)
TT 490 - TT 854.3 = Clothing Manufacture & Textile Arts (2nd floor)
TRs = Photography (for inspirational images) (2nd floor)

Don't forget to check out the oversize books in the area on the second floor between the central stairs and the restrooms.

Search terms to try in the online catalog (below):

Clothing and dress
Costume
Costume design
Costume in art
Fashion
Fashion design
Fashion designer
Fashion in art
Fashion photography
Men's clothing
Sewing
Style

Cosmetics
Hairdressing
Hairstyles
Wigs
Hats
Millinery
Handbags
Jewelry
Lingerie
Underwear
Scarves
Gloves
Shawls
Shoes
Footwear
Footwear industry
Boots and shoes

Designer names (Chanel, Dior, McQueen, etc.)
Era or Time Period (Art Deco, Edwardian, 1970s, Forties, Roman, etc.)

Millikin Library Discovery Search

Reference Books

Shelved on the second floor of the library, near the central stairs (Reference Stacks):

100 ideas that changed fashion by Harriet Worsley
Call Number: Online
ISBN: ‎1856697339
Publication Date: 2011
100 Ideas that Changed Fashion chronicles the most influential fashion ideas through which womenswear has evolved, offering a unique and engaging perspective on the subject.
Clothing Through American History: the federal era through Antebellum, 1786-1860 by Michelle Webb Fandrich; Susan W. Greene; Ann Buermann Wass
Call Number: REF. GT607 .W37 2010
ISBN: 9780313335334
Publication Date: 2009-10-01
Learn what men, women, and children have worn and why in American history, beginning with the classical styles worn in the early American republic through the hoop skirts and ready-made clothes worn before the Civil War.
Clothing Through American History: the Civil War through the Gilded Age, 1861-1899 by Kimberly C. Campbell; Jill Condra; Joan Severa; Anita Stamper
Call Number: REF. GT607 .S73 2011
ISBN: 9780313335518
Publication Date: 2010-01-01
Covers American fashion history from the Civil War through the Gilded Age, 1861-1899.
Complete Costume History: From Ancient Times to the 19th Century by Auguste Racinet. Françoise Tétart-Vittu
Call Number: REF. GT510 .R3313 2003
ISBN: 3822821934
Publication Date: 2003-12-01
Covering the world history of costume, dress, and style from antiquity through the end of the 19th century, the great work -- "consolidated" in 1888 into 6 volumes containing nearly 500 plates -- remains unique in its scope and detail. Beware, this is a huge (and heavy) volume.
The Dictionary of Fashion History by C. W. Cunnington; P. E. Cunnington; Valerie Cumming
Call Number: REF. GT507 .C86 2010 / Online
ISBN: 9781847885340
Publication Date: 2010-11-15
Featuring additional terms and revised definitions, this new edition represents an essential reference for costume historians, students of fashion history, or anyone involved in creating period costume for the theatre, film or television.
Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion by Valerie Steele
Call Number: REF. GT507 .E53 2005
ISBN: 0684313944
Publication Date: 2004-09-22
Tracing the stylistic and functional threads that unite clothing across time and cultures, this A-to-Z encyclopedia explores the relationship between culture and couture. The 3 volume set examines the origins of clothing, the development of fabrics and technologies and the social meanings of dress. It also presents information on representative costumes from a wide variety of historical eras.
Fashions of a Decade by Jacqueline Herald
Call Number: REF. GT596 .F374 2007
ISBN: 081606718X
Publication Date: 2006-12-01
An 8 volume set, starting with the 1920s and ending with the 1990s. Brings to life the fashion trends of each decade through photos and drawings.
Feet and Footwear by Margo DeMello
Call Number: REF. GT2130 .D45 2009
ISBN: 9780313357145
Publication Date: 2009-09-01
A-Z cultural encyclopedia covers all aspects of the human foot: worldwide contemporary culture; socio-historical traditions, customs and beliefs; health and medical issues; and popular culture surrounding feet and footwear throughout the ages.
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History, 1900 to the Present by Amy T. Peterson (Editor); Ann T. Kellogg (Editor); José Blanco F.; Valerie Hewitt; Scott Leff; Lynn W. Payne; Heather Vaughan
Call Number: REF. GT615 .G74 2008
ISBN: 9780313358555
Publication Date: 2008-10-30
Provides two levels of information: descriptions of styles of clothes that Americans have worn and why they wore those types of clothes. With volume one covering 1900-1949 and volume two covering 1950 to the present, the first half of each volume provides four chapters that each examine the impact that political and cultural events, arts and entertainment, daily life, and family structures have on fashion. The second half of each volume describes the important and everyday fashion and styles of the period, decade by decade, for women, men, and children.
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through World History by Jill Condra (Editor)
Call Number: REF. GT507 .G74 2008
ISBN: 9780313336621
Publication Date: 2007-12-01
A comprehensive analysis of clothing through time and place. Volume 1: Prehistory - 1500. Volume 2: 1501 - 1800. Volume 3: 1801 - present.
A History of Costume and Fashion by Jane Bingham
Call Number: REF. GT521 H57 2005
ISBN: 0816059446
Publication Date: 2005-09-01
Volume I: Ancient world. Volume II: Medieval world. Volume III: Elizabethan England. Volume IV: Early America. Volume V: 18th century. Volume VI: Victorian age. Volume VII: 19th century. Volume VIII: 20th century.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Costume and Fashion by Jack Cassin-Scott
Call Number: REF. GT580 .C31 1994
ISBN: 0289800935
Publication Date: 1994-12-31
“180 color illustrations, which depict in rich detail figures representing varied social classes of European (and later American) society from 1066 to 1990. A glossary and a one-page introduction provide complementary text to the parade of the ‘great years of fashions’."
The Magic Garment by Rebecca Cunningham
Call Number: TT507 .C92 2009
ISBN: 9781577666134
Publication Date: 2009-03-01
1. Understanding stage costumes -- 2. Understanding the play -- 3. Doing research -- 4. The designer's tools : the elements and principles of design -- 5. Developing the costume -- 6. Rendering the sketch -- 7. Choosing fabrics -- 8. Getting the show together -- 9. Designing for film -- 10. Preparing for a costume design career.
The Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Fashion and Designers by Georgina O'Hare Callan
Call Number: REF. GT507 .O53 1998
ISBN: 050020313X
Publication Date: 1998-07-01
Provides in more than 1,200 entries detailed information on the life and work of every important designer from 1840 up to the late 1990s, including not only couturiers but also shoe, hat and knitwear specialists, costume designers, jewelers and hairdressers. It also covers the fashion media, photographers and illustrators, influential art movements, fashion terms, garment and accessory styles, technical processes, and every kind of fabric, as well as personalities who have influenced fashion or promoted a style.

Hairstyles

Women's headdress and hairstyles in England from AD 600 to the present day by Georgine De Courtais
Call Number: GT2110 .D42
ISBN: 978-0486448503
Publication Date: 1973
More than 400 of the author's own drawings provide an authentic record of over 1,300 years of changing fashions in women's hairstyles and headwear in England.
Haircults: fifty years of styles and cuts by Dylan Jones
Call Number: GT2290 .J65
ISBN: 0500275688
Publication Date: 1990-08-01
An illustrated history and celebration of the haircut and styles.
Historical Wig Styling: Ancient Egypt to The 1830s by Allison Lowery
Call Number: TT975 .L832 2013 v.1
ISBN: 9780240821238
Publication Date: 2013-04-11
This volume covers hairstyles from Ancient Egypt through Biedermeier styles of the 1820s and 30s.
Historical Wig Styling: Victorian to the Present by Allison Lowery
Call Number: TT975 .L832 2013 v.2
ISBN: 9780240821245
Publication Date: 2013-04-24
Covers hairstyles from the Victorian era through the current day.

Make-up

Fashions in Makeup by Richard Corson
Call Number: GT2340 .C67 1972
ISBN: 0720604311
Publication Date: 1972-12-01
Chronicles the pursuit of beauty from Ancient Egypt to the present day. Concentrating mainly on makeup traditions of the Western world, with some examples from other countries included for comparison, describes the cosmetics with which men and women have decorated their faces, how they have applied them, and what they looked like as a result.

Patterns & Draping How To

Adaptable stage costume for women : a hundred-in-one costumes designed by Elizabeth Russell by Elizabeth Russell
Call Number: TT560 .R87
ISBN: 0878300074
The Art and Practice of Costume Design by Melissa Merz (Editor)
Call Number: PN2067 .A75 2017
ISBN: 9781138828414
Publication Date: 2016-09-01
Beginning with an exploration of the role of a Costume Designer, the subsequent chapters analyze and explore the psychology of dress, the principles and elements of design, how to create costume renderings, and collaboration within the production. The book also takes a look at the costume design careers within the theatrical and fashion industries. The chapters are illustrated with numerous instructive designs, renderings, and photographs.
Casual Cosplay by Krystal Everdeen
Call Number: LEISURE GV1201.8 .E94 2020
ISBN: 9781982150594
Publication Date: 2021-06-08
Channel your favorite movie character and add a little magic to your everyday wardrobe with this enchanting and illuminating guide to casual cosplay
The Colette Sewing Handbook by Sarai Mitnick
Call Number: TT515.M58 C65 2011
ISBN: 9781440215452
Publication Date: 2011-11-16
Provides five patterns, and all the sewing knowledge you need to make them into reality. Develop your skills, sew a lovely wardrobe, and enjoy the results!
The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing by Creative Publishing International Editors (Created by)
Call Number: TT713 .S57 1999
ISBN: 9780865731738
Publication Date: 1999-07-01
A guide to machine sewing covers patterns, seams, darts, gathers, hems, tailoring, and fabric selection.
Costume Construction by Katherine Strand-Evans
Call Number: TT507 .H593 2015
ISBN: 9781478611295
Publication Date: 2014-09-01
Constructing costumes requires a diverse set of skills to successfully create magic on the stage. Knowledge of sewing is vital, but Katherine Strand-Evans shows how much more is involved. She walks readers step by step through setting up and supplying a costume workshop; choosing fabrics; draping, drafting, and manipulating patterns; dyeing and fabric modification; and constructing accessories such as historical undergarments, hats and headdresses, shoes and footwear, masks and armor, jewelry and crowns, and, new to this edition, wigs (written by James McGough). Throughout, the author considers not only the creative aspects of executing costume designs, but also the limitations of budgets and time. Costume Construction opens doors for each reader to find his or her own path to becoming an effective costume technician.
Costume design : techniques of modern masters by Lynn Pecktal
Call Number: TT507 .P391993
ISBN: 9780823088126
Publication Date: 1999-03-01
The Costumer's Handbook by Rosemary Ingham; Elizabeth Covey
Call Number: TT633 .C67 1980
ISBN: 9780131812635
Publication Date: 1980-01-01
The costume shop: Machines, equipment, supplies -- Fabrics -- Pattern development -- Theatrical sewing techniques -- Alterations -- Fabric dyeing and painting -- Footwear, hosiery, and tights -- Hats and hair -- Costume accessories -- Men's formal wear -- Costume properties.
Creating Historical Clothes by Elizabeth Friendship
Call Number: TT520 .F854 2015
ISBN: 9780896762855
Publication Date: 2013-11-01
Basic patterns -- 16th-century costume -- 17th-century costume -- 18th-century costume -- 19th-century costume.
Draping Period Costumes by Sharon Sobel
Call Number: TT520 .S726 2013
ISBN: 9780240821337
Publication Date: 2013-03-08
Offering the skill set needed to break away from two dimensional patterns to drape three dimensional costumes, the basics of draping are explained in precise detail, followed by step-by-step draping projects from multiple historical periods. Packed with photographs that illustrate every seam, pleat, and tuck, it includes information on measurements, necessary tools, and basic rules of draping, covers costumes for both men and women, and discusses appropriate period undergarments and fabric choices.
Dress and cloak cutter : women's costume 1877-1882 by Charles Hecklinger; R. L. Shep
Call Number: TT520 .H4551987
ISBN: 0914046063
Publication Date: 1987-11-01
First Time Sewing by Editors of Creative Publishing international
Call Number: TT705 .F474 2014
ISBN: 9781589238046
Publication Date: 2014-06-01
Learning to sew can be a challenge, but the experts at Creative Publishing guide you from your first nervous stitches to confident sewing. Each project in the book will introduce you to new concepts and skills.
Garment Patterns for the Edwardian lady by F. E. Thompson; Jules Kliot (Introduction by); Kaethe Kliot (Editor)
Call Number: TT520.G3 T45
ISBN: 0916896358
Publication Date: 1991-06-01
The Hero's Closet by Gillian Conahan
Call Number: TT633 .C648 2017
ISBN: 9781419723964
Publication Date: 2017-04-18
This essential handbook offers detailed, step-by-step instructions that cover the basics of sewing costumes (which often require skills not found in standard sewing guides) to help even the most novice sewists create the costumes of their dreams. A skilled crafter and avid cosplayer, Gillian Conahan walks readers through finding inspiration online and through their fandom; shares insight into translating character art into real-world garments; and offers advice on pattern selection, alterations, fabrics, and embellishment techniques. The book also features 11 original step-by-step basic patterns--such as jumpsuits, jackets, and pants. It then suggests ideas for mixing and matching these basics to create costumes of all styles, including superheroes, pirates, elves, school girls, and adventurers
Historic Costumes and How to Make Them by Mary Fernald; Eileen Shenton
Call Number: PN2067 .F4 2006
ISBN: 0486449068
Publication Date: 2006-06-23
From short tunics worn by Saxon men in the fifth century to a lady's bustle dress of the late 1800s, this profusely illustrated text contains a wealth of authentic patterns.
Late Victorian Women's Tailoring by T. H. Holding; R. L. Shep (Editor)
Call Number: TT520 .H635 1997
ISBN: 9780914046233
Publication Date: 1997-02-01
Make: Props and Costume Armor by Shawn Thorsson
Call Number: TT507 .T469 2016
ISBN: 9781680450064
Publication Date: 2016-10-25
Props and costume armor : create realistic science fiction and fantasy weapons, armor, and accessories
Men's garments, 1830-1900 : a guide to pattern cutting and tailoring by R. I. Davis
Call Number: TT590 .D381994
ISBN: 0887346480
Publication Date: 2003-01-01
Mend It, Wear It, Love It! by Zoe Edwards
Call Number: LEISURE TT720 .E393 2021
ISBN: 9780744026801
Publication Date: 2021-02-09
Have you ever thrown good clothes away simply because you didn't know how to mend them? Have you got clothes that you can't bear to part with, but need a fresher look? Then this book is for you. With fast fixes and complete makeovers, Mend It, Wear It, Love It! has everything you need to mend and care for your clothes, and stitch your way to a more sustainable wardrobe
Patternless Fashions by Diehl Lewis; May Loh
Call Number: TT520 .L661973
ISBN: 9780874911428
Publication Date: 1973-01-01
Patterns for Theatrical Costumes by Katherine S. Holkeboer
Call Number: TT633 .H65 1993
ISBN: 0896761258
Publication Date: 1993-02-01
Trims, garments and accessories from ancient Egypt to 1915.
Period Costume for Stage and Screen by Jean Hunnisett
Call Number: TT507 .H86
ISBN: 0044400861
Publication Date: 1989-01-01

Children's Clothing

Children's Costume by John Peacock
Call Number: REF. GT1730 .P43 2009
ISBN: 9780500514887
Publication Date: 2009-09-16
Charts the development of every kind and style of apparel from earliest times to the present day, for both boys and girls. Illustrations Include: the fringed and tasseled outerwear of Eastern antiquity, medieval tunics and fur-trimmed hats, exquisite seventeenth-century miniature gowns, delicate nineteenth-century printed cotton dresses and slippers, and the denim sportswear of our own time.
The way we wore : fashion illustrations of children's wear, 1870-1970 by Linda Martin
Call Number: GT1730 .W39
ISBN: 9780684156552
Publication Date: 1978-09-01
This pictorial reference work contains more than a thousand illustrations selected from pattern and ready-to-wear catalogs and reproduced with their original descriptive material.

Drag

The Art of Drag by Jake Hall; Sofie Birkin (Illustrator); Helen Li (Illustrator); Jasjyot Singh Hans (Illustrator)
Call Number: PN1969.D73 H35 2020
ISBN: 9781910620717
Publication Date: 2020-09-01
The history of drag has been formed by many intersections: fashion, theatre, sexuality and politics--all coming together to create the show stopping entertainment millions witness today. In this extensive work, Jake Hall delves deep into the ancient beginnings of drag, to present day and beyond. Vibrant illustrations enhance the rich history from Kabuki theatre to Shakespearean, the revolutionary Stonewall riots to the still thriving New York ballroom scene. Nothing will go undocumented in this must-have documentation of all things drag.
Drag by Simon Doonan
Call Number: HQ77 .D66 2019
ISBN: 9781786274236
Publication Date: 2019-09-17
Drag is transformation, communication and, above all, exaggeration, where gender non-conformity is the plat du jour. Drag: The Complete Story observes this increasingly complex world by exploring drag's journey through the twentieth century. Corralled into thematic chapters, including glamour drag, art drag, butch drag, black drag, historical drag, comedy drag and popstar drag, this book is the first flamboyant and poignant survey of drag culture. Drag: The Complete Story is not just for fabulous queens and drag enthusiasts, but for anyone interested in gender fluidity and the culture surrounding it.

Fashion & Gender

Androgyne by Patrick Mauriès
Call Number: TT506 .M38 2017
ISBN: 9780500519356
Publication Date: 2017-11-14
Patrick Mauries presents a cultural history of androgyny--accompanied by a striking selection of more than 120 images, from nineteenth-century painting to contemporary fashion photography--drawing on the worlds of art and literature to give us a deeper understanding of the strange but timeless human drive to escape from defined categories.
Crossing Gender Boundaries by Andrew Reilly (Editor); Ben Barry (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9781789381535
Publication Date: 2020-03-12
This volume presents a collection of the most recent knowledge on the relationship between gender and fashion in historical and contemporary contexts. Through fourteen essays divided into three segments - how dress creates, disrupts and transcends gender - the chapters investigate gender issues through the lens of fashion. Crossing Gender Boundaries first examines how clothing has been, and continues to be, used to create and maintain the binary gender division that has come to permeate Western and westernized cultures. Next, it explores how dress can be used to contest and subvert binary gender expectations, before a final section that considers the meaning of gender and how dress can transcend it, focusing on unisex and genderless clothing. The essays consider how fashion can both constrict and free gender expression, explore the ways dress and gender are products of one other and illuminate the construction of gender through social norms. Readers will find that through analysis of the relationship between gender and fashion, they gain a better understanding of the world around them.

General History

A resource list to get you started researching fashion history (not a complete list of library holdings):

The clothed body in the ancient world by Cleland, Liza, editor.; Harlow, Mary, 1956- editor.; Llewellyn-Jones, Lloyd, editor.
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 1782978852
Publication Date: 2010
The Complete History of Costume and Fashion by Bronwyn Cosgrave
Call Number: GT511 .C668 2001
ISBN: 0816045747
Publication Date: 2001-02-01
From the first fashion style of the Egyptians to the emergence of "haute couture in the 20th century.
Dressing the Past by Margarita Gleba; Cherine Munkholt; Marie-Louise Nosch
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 1782974741
Publication Date: 2008-03-10
Minoan ladies, Scythian warriors, Roman and Sarmatian merchants, prehistoric weavers, gold sheet figures, Vikings, Medieval saints and sinners, Renaissance noblemen, Danish peasants, dressmakers and Hollywood stars appear in the pages of this anthology. This is not necessarily how they dressed in the past, but how the authors of this book think they dressed in the past, and why they think so. No reader of this book will ever look at a reconstructed costume in a museum or at a historical festival, or watch a film with a historic theme again without a heightened awareness of how, why, and from what sources, the costumes were reconstructed. The seventeen contributors come from a variety of disciplines: archaeologists, historians, curators with ethnological and anthropological backgrounds, designers, a weaver, a conservator and a scholar of fashion in cinema, are all specialists interested in ancient or historical dress who wish to share their knowledge and expertise with students, hobby enthusiasts and the general reader.
Fashion Design, Referenced by Alicia Kennedy; Emily Banis Stoehrer; Jay Calderin
Call Number: TT515 .K45 2013
ISBN: 9781592536771
Publication Date: 2013-02-01
A comprehensive guide through the art and industry of fashion design, richly illustrated with over 1,000 photographs and drawings.
Fashion History by Akiko Fukai; Kyoto Fukushoku Bunka Kenkyu Zaidan Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: OVERSIZE GT580 .F35 2011
ISBN: 9783822827635
Publication Date: 2007-08-30
Fashion History is a fascinating excursion through the last three centuries of clothing trends.
Fashion: The Whole Story by Marnie Fogg
Call Number: TT504 .F36 2013
ISBN: 9783791347615
Publication Date: 2013-08-22
The second volume in Prestel's Whole story series is a lavish, nicely priced, and authoritative book tracing the complete evolution of fashion, from togas to Tory Burch.This enthralling book takes readers through every major era of fashion history: classical Greece and Rome; the court dress of the Tang Dynasty; the emergence of the Japanese kimono; early Native American and Pre-Colombian textiles; the Ottoman and Mughal Empires; Renaissance, Restoration, and Romantic costume; the Belle Epoque and Art Deco; sportswear, ready-to-wear, and haute couture; the British menswear revolution; Tokyo street fashion--and much, much more.
History of Design by Pat Kirkham (Editor); Susan Weber (Editor); Bard Graduate Center Staff (Other Primary Creator)
Call Number: NK600 .H57 2013
ISBN: 9780300196146
Publication Date: 2013-12-10
Spanning six centuries of global design, this far-reaching survey is the first to offer an account of the vast history of decorative arts and design produced in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and the Islamic world, from 1400 to the present.
History of International Fashion by Didier Grumbach
Call Number: TT504.6.F7 G7813 2014
ISBN: 9781566569767
Publication Date: 2014-08-06
From haute couture to the boom in ready-to-wear, the clothing industry, creators and designers, we witness the evolution in techniques, the shifting trends in the market, how an art matures and a culture changes. We also discover how the French ventured out of Paris to meet New York, London, Tokyo and Beijing. This book is a must for fashion lovers, professionals, and students who will find a thousand references never before presented. It will also enlighten the curious reader who wishes to go behind the scenes of this most seductive of theatres.
Smithsonian Fashion by Dorling Kindersley Publishing Staff
Call Number: GT511 .F365 2012
ISBN: 9780756698355
Publication Date: 2012-10-01
"Visual guide to everything ever worn. From the extravagance of Ancient Egypt, through the legendary fashion houses of Chanel and Dior, to the latest cutting-edge labels, this gorgeous collection of costume and dress shows how fashion reflects people and places, and captures the times in which they lived."
A Survey of Historic Costume by Keith Eubank; Phyllis G. Tortora
Call Number: GT580 .T67
ISBN: 9780870056321
Publication Date: 1988-11-01
The ancient world (c. 3000 B.C.-300 A.D.) -- The middle ages (c.300-1500) -- The renaissance (c. 1400-1600) -- Baroque and rococo (c.1600-1800) -- Color in costume/costume in color -- The nineteenth century (1800-1900) -- The twentieth century (1900-1970).
Understanding Fashion History by Valerie Cumming
Call Number: GT511 .C855 2004
ISBN: 089676253X
Publication Date: 2004-10-01
A much needed overview of fashion history and how to understand it with clear, jargon-free text for lay readers, collectors, as well as students of fashion history.
What People Wore When by Melissa Leventon
Call Number: GT511 .L474 2008
ISBN: 9780312383213
Publication Date: 2008-07-08
A history of costume and fashion spanning the civilizations of ancient Greece and Egypt through nineteenth-century Europe, including the clothing, footwear, accessories, and hairstyles of individuals from all levels of society.
World Dress by Rosemary Crill; Jennifer Wearden; Verity Wilson
Call Number: GT2050 .C75 2009
ISBN: 9781851775682
Publication Date: 2009-04-01
Illustrates the Victoria and Albert Museum's magnificent collection of dress from around the world.

Eras in Western Fashion

If you are researching a specific time-period in American or European fashion, these books may be helpful:

Fashion Fads Through American History by Jennifer Grayer Moore
Call Number: GT605 .M66 2016
ISBN: 9781610699013
Publication Date: 2015-12-01
The primary purpose of this book is to document fashions that are typically overlooked by sources that survey the broad historical record of dress practices. Surveys of historical fashion purposely and rightfully document and explain the long-lasting fashion trends that may be said to define the visual landscape of dress in a given period. Fads, in contrast to trends, are shorter-lived, potentially not as widespread across demographics of age and income, and may be viewed as oddities or outliers once their period of popularity has passed. Therefore, this book fills a gap in the existing literature by documenting and highlighting important but overlooked fashion phenomena.
50s Fashion by Jim Heimann (Editor); Laura Schooling (Introduction by)
Call Number: HF6161.C44 F54 2007
ISBN: 9783822849330
Publication Date: 2007-07-01
A compendium of clothing advertisements from the decade that brought us hoop skirts, sweater sets, cuff jeans, cat's eye glasses, and the classic James Dean jeans-and-T-shirt look.
60s Fashion by Jim Heiman; Laura Schooling (Introduction by)
Call Number: HF6161.C44 S59 2007
ISBN: 9783822849354
Publication Date: 2007-01-01
This compendium of clothing advertisements brings back the most prevalent looks from the Swinging Sixties. The ubiquitous miniskirt is here in all its glory, along with mod fashions, Gidget/Beach Boys surfer looks, Correges space age clothing and such iconic items as the Rudi Gernreich topless bathing suit and Yves Saint-Laurent's Mondrian dress.
70s Fashion by Jim Heimann
Call Number: HF6161.C44 S48 2006
ISBN: 9783822849378
Publication Date: 2006-07-01
From hippie to disco to punk, this book looks at 1970s fashion via clothing advertisements from the decade.
Art Deco Fashion by Suzanne Lussier
Call Number: GT615 .L87 2003
ISBN: 0821228323
Publication Date: 2003-06-11
Images of beaded evening dresses for dancing the Charleston; sporty outfits for golf, tennis, and swimming; and clothes designed for traveling in luxury liners, trains, or in streamlined cars. Accented with posters, photographs, and images from fashion magazines of the era.
Art Nouveau Fashion by Clare Rose
Call Number: TT504 .R67 2014
ISBN: 9781851778027
Publication Date: 2014-09-16
Art Nouveau movement overlapped with late Arts and Crafts in the 1890s and early modernism in the 1910s, combining the exquisite workmanship and natural forms of the former with the innovative materials, forms and practices associated with the latter. This book provides a fascinating introduction to the style, defining it, and placing it in design history by focusing on a number of important designers - Worth, Lucile, Paquin, Poiret - and key topics, such as clients and artists, jewellery and accessories, and advertising.
Boutique : a '60s cultural phenomenon by Marnie Fogg
Call Number: TT504.6.E7 F64 2003
ISBN: 9781840006216
Publication Date: 2003-03-04
Classic Fashion Patterns of the 20th Century by Anne V. Tyrrell
Call Number: TT520 .T966 2010
ISBN: 0896762637
Publication Date: 2010
Packed with historical and vintage patterns from 1900 to 1970, this title is a practical and inspiring pattern book of 20th-century costume. Working from surviving garments and contemporary tailoring books and patterns, each decade is considered separately, with a short introduction that reveals the fascinating relationship between dress and social trends throughout the century.
The Complete Fashion Sourcebook by John Peacock
Call Number: GT596 .P393 2005
ISBN: 0500285721
Publication Date: 2006-02-17
A history of twentieth-century fashion.
Couture culture : a study in modern art and fashion by Nancy J. Troy
Call Number: TT507 .T845 2003
ISBN: 0262201402
Publication Date: 2002-11-01
Decades by Cameron Silver; Rebecca DiLiberto
Call Number: OVERSIZE GT596 .S55 2012
ISBN: 9781596916630
Publication Date: 2012-10-16
Ten chapters, each devoted to the iconic looks of a decade of the twentieth century.
Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900 by Joan L. Severa
Call Number: GT610 .S42 1995
ISBN: 0873385128
Publication Date: 1995-01-01
Arranged by decades, the 272 photographs presented here show the clothing and hair-style details introduced during the last half of the 19th century for men, women, and children.
Everyday Fashions of the Twenties As Pictured in Sears and Other Catalogs by Stella Blum (Editor)
Call Number: GT615 .E93 1981
ISBN: 0486241343
Publication Date: 1981-12-01
Accurate record of actual dress of the Roaring Twenties in over 150 pages of mail-order catalogs, selected and with text by Stella Blum. Over 750 illustrations, captions.
Everyday Fashions of the 30s as Pictured in Sears Catalogs by Stella Blum (Editor)
Call Number: GT615 .E92 1986
ISBN: 048625108X
Publication Date: 1986-08-01
Over 130 fully illustrated pages from Sears catalogs offer historically accurate images of what men, women, and children wore throughout 1930s.
Fashion by Charlotte Seeling
Call Number: OVERSIZE GT596 .S4413 2012
ISBN: 9783848001217
Publication Date: 2012-08-15
Devoted to the legendary world of fashion from its origins in the nineteenth century until our own time. Which social, historical and cultural developments coalesced to allow fashion to become what it is today? Which designers had especially significant impact on their fashion eras, and what did their creations look like?
Fashion: Photography of the Nineties by Camilla Nickerson (Editor); Neville Wakefield (Editor)
Call Number: TR679 .F35 1996
ISBN: 3931141268
Publication Date: 1996-11-01
A compilation of over two hundred images culled from the worlds of art and fashion. A chronicle of the fashion iconography of the Nineties, it places images familiar from magazines and style journals alongside their wilder, darker counterparts, many of which are published here for the first time. In these photographs the body and its gestures report on the defining characteristics of a decade.
Fashion Today by Colin McDowell
Call Number: GT596 .M33 2000
ISBN: 0714838977
Publication Date: 2000-01-09
Survey of the Twentieth Century fashion world from the introduction of Dior's New Look in 1947 to the present day.
Forties Fashion by Jonathan Walford
Call Number: GT596 .W35 2005
ISBN: 9780500514290
Publication Date: 2008-11-27
A comprehensive look at the fashions and styles that emerged around the world during the 1940s from practical and smart-looking attire for air raids (hooded capes with large pockets and zippered jumpsuits) to street fashion and the creation of Christian Dior's "New Look" collection in 1947.
Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity by Gloria Groom (Editor)
Call Number: N8217.F33 I47 2012
ISBN: 9780300184518
Publication Date: 2012-11-27
This volume is the first to explore fashion as a critical aspect of modernity, one that paralleled and many times converged with the development of Impressionism, starting in the 1860s and continuing through the next two decades, when fashion attracted the foremost writers and artists of the day. Although fashionable subjects have been depicted throughout history, for many artists and writers, including Charles Baudelaire, Sté́phane Mallarmé, Émile Zola, Gustave Caillebotte, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, fashion became integral to the search for new literary and visual expression.
Late Georgian Costume by J. Wyatt; H. Le Blanc; R. L. Shep (Editor)
Call Number: GT737 .L29 1991
ISBN: 9780914046127
Publication Date: 1991-08-01
Dandyism and English tailoring -- George IV -- Glossary of terms -- Tailor's friendly instructor -- Preface -- Definitions of geometrical terms -- measuring a coat for a man -- Forming the back -- Forming the forepart -- Forming the sleeve -- Frock coat -- Coat for a large man -- Box coat -- Coat for a stooping man -- Remarks on Mr. Hearn -- Waistcoats -- Dress coats for minister read hearn -- Proportional tables -- Forming breeches -- Forming pantaloons -- Forming angelsea trowsers -- Forming gaiters -- Children's clothes : skeleton dress -- Women's clothes : measuring, a pelise, a habit, a spencer, a pelisse skirt -- Military walking cloaks -- General observations -- Art of trying the cravat.
Medieval Dress and Textiles in England by Louise M. Sylvester (Editor); Mark C. Chambers (Editor); Gale R. Owen-Crocker (Editor)
Call Number: GT732 .M43 2014
ISBN: 9781843839323
Publication Date: 2014-10-16
Texts (with modern English translation) offering insights into the place of cloth and clothing in everyday life are presented here. Covering a wide range of genres, they include documents from the royal wardrobe accounts and petitions to king and Parliament, previously available only in manuscript form. The accounts detail royal expenditure on fabrics and garments, while the petitions demand the restoration of livery, for example, or protest about the need for winter clothing for children who are wards of the king. In addition, the volume includes extracts from wills, inventories and rolls of livery, sumptuary laws, moral and satirical works condemning contemporary fashions, an Old English epic, and English and French romances. The texts themselves are in Old and Middle English, Latin and Anglo-Norman French, with some of the documents switching between more than one of these languages. They are presented with introduction, glossary and detailed notes.
Modern fashion in detail by Valerie D. Mendes; Claire Wilcox
Call Number: NK4702.5.G7 L68 2007
ISBN: 9781851770328
Publication Date: 2007
This volume explores the creative genius of couturiers, from Balenciaga and Balmain to Vivienne Westwood and Yuki through the details of their work. Over 80 entries arranged in seven sections: seams; gathers; tucks and pleats; collars, cuffs and pockets; buttons; bows; beads and sequins and applied decoration. Each contains a close-up photograph, a line drawing and a commentary.
Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail by Lucy Johnston; Leonie Davis (Illustrator); Marion Kite (As told to); Helen Persson (As told to)
Call Number: GT595 .J64 2005
ISBN: 1851774408
Publication Date: 2005-11-01
Some 150 pieces capture the opulence and variety of this era, from delicate embroidery on neoclassical gowns to the vibrant colors of crinolines and the elegant tailoring of men's coats.
Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Fashion in Detail by Avril Hart; Susan North
Call Number: GT585 .H37 2009
ISBN: 9781851775675
Publication Date: 2009-04-01
Offers a close-up look at the exquisite, labor-intensive details seen in fine historical clothing. Perfect decorative seams, minute stitching, knife-sharp pleats, and voluptuous drapery-all are here, alongside more unusual techniques such as stamping, pinking, and slashing.
Twentieth-Century Fashion in Detail by Valerie D. Mendes; Claire Wilcox
Call Number: TT507 .W553 2009
ISBN: 9781851775712
Publication Date: 2009-10-01
Illustrates the intricate details of twentieth-century fashion. Photographs, accompanied by expert commentaries and specially commissioned line drawings, focus on fanciful Dior bows, Chanel button-holes and metal sprinfs on a Schiaparelli jacket. This unique study provides an insight into the techniques and craft practices used by couturiers and the construction of these garments.
Victorian and Edwardian Fashion by Alison Gernsheim
Call Number: GT511 .G47 1981
ISBN: 0486242056
Publication Date: 1982-01-01
A noted photohistorian documents bonnets, capes, frock coats, caps, shawls, bodices, and crinolines as people actually wore them from 1840 through 1914. More than 200 photos depict aristocrats and the middle class as well as Oscar Wilde, Lillie Langtry, Winston Churchill, Queen Victoria, and others.
Working Dress in Colonial and Revolutionary America by Peter F. Copeland
Call Number: GT607 .C66
ISBN: 0837190339
Publication Date: 1977-04-27

Street Fashion

100 Ideas That Changed Street Style by Josh Sims
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 1780673418
Publication Date: 2014-05-20
The key ideas that changed the way we dress, from the middle of the 20th century to the present day, explaining the most iconic items of clothing and how they were worn, what the look was born of, its cultural background, how it was received, and how it still resonates in fashion today. The modern wardrobe owes its development not just to fashion designers in Paris or Milan but also to gangs and movements brought together by a shared appreciation of music, sport or a particular underground culture, and a certain style that defines membership
Dandy Lion: the Black Dandy and Street Style by Shantrelle P. Lewis
Call Number: GT6720 .L49 2017
ISBN: 9781597113892
Publication Date: 2017-05-30
Black men appropriating, subverting, and reinventing the dress styles of society elites, described as "high-styled rebels" by author Shantrelle P. Lewis--are influencing the language of contemporary fashion. 'Dandy Lion' presents and celebrates the black dandy movement, and its designers and tailors, in photographs and stories from all over the world.
Fashion Tribes by Daniele Tamagni; Els van der Plas (Introduction by); Asanda Sizani (Contribution by); Courrèges Emmanuelle (Contribution by); Antonio Eligio (Contribution by)
Call Number: GT525 .T35 2015
ISBN: 9781419713903
Publication Date: 2015-10-13
In 'Fashion tribes', award-winning photographer Daniele Tamagni has tracked down and recorded some of the most surprising and colorful international fashion subcultures. Through documentary shots and staged portraiture, he's captured heavy metal rockers in Botswana, hipsters in Johannesburg, dandies in the Congo, female wrestlers in Bolivia, "bling bling" youth in Cuba, and Punks in Burma. Often marginalised on the fringes of their own societies or just down on their heels, these people fight back and express their creativity and joy through personal style. With essays by leading experts in fashion, photography, anthropology, and sociology, 'Fashion tribes' offers a broad view of world dress and shows the power that clothing can hold.
This is not fashion : streetwear past, present and future by King Adz; Wilma Stone
Call Number: GT511 .A39 2018
ISBN: 9780500292440
Publication Date: 2018-04-17
This is the story of streetwear. Authors King ADZ and Wilma Stone recount how a long line of subcultural movements have taken over both the high street and high-end fashion, and explore just how a revolutionary sartorial trend has evolved to encompass a vast range of disparate tribes, offering a powerful sense of belonging and identity to all. The story begins in 1972, in Jersey City, USA, with the birth of the first ever streetwear shop, Trash and Vaudeville. The journey then encompasses punk, Ivy League preppies, the hip-hop kings and queens of Harlem, the dresser/casual movement born out of British football culture, the skater scene of California, the Paninari scooter-brats of Milan, and much more. Whether focusing on major brands such as Stüssy, Carhartt, Tommy Hilfiger and SHUT or today's up-and-comers from South African townships or downtown Seoul, this dynamic study surveys the scene. It also takes a look at how the internet era has changed the ways streetwear is sold and consumed, and how the field may evolve in the future. Packed with profiles of industry pioneers, Q&As with key figures and over 300 illustrations, this is the complete history of the fastest-growing and most influential movement in contemporary clothing.
The World Atlas of Street Fashion by Caroline Cox
Call Number: GT513 .C69 2017
ISBN: 9780300224030
Publication Date: 2017-09-26
Since the early 20th century, city sidewalks have become runways where idiosyncratic modes of dressing are presented, consumed, and exported. Their messages include resistance, solidarity, subversion, social transformation, or musical affiliation, and a group of like-minded individuals can create a powerful sartorial force. Organized by continent and with 600 color images, The World Atlas of Street Fashion examines street style in all its global diversity.

Fashion Designers & Style Icons

Some examples of fashion designer biographies and compilations focusing on various designers around a theme:

African Fashion, Global Style by Victoria L. Rovine
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 0253014093
Publication Date: 2015-01-12
African Fashion, Global Style provides a lively look at fashion, international networks of style, material culture, and the world of African aesthetic expression. Victoria L. Rovine introduces fashion designers whose work reflects African histories and cultures both conceptually and stylistically, and demonstrates that dress styles associated with indigenous cultures may have all the hallmarks of high fashion. Taking readers into the complexities of influence and inspiration manifested through fashion, this book highlights the visually appealing, widely accessible, and highly adaptable styles
Alexander McQueen by Andrew Bolton; Tim Blanks (Contribution by); Susannah Frankel (Contribution by); Harold Koda; Solve Sundsbo (Photographer)
Call Number: OVERSIZE TT505.M37 B65 2011
ISBN: 0300169787
Publication Date: 2011-05-31
Examines the full breadth of the designer’s career, from the start of his fledgling label to the triumphs of his own world-renowned London house. It features his most iconic and radical designs, revealing how McQueen adapted and combined the fundamentals of Savile Row tailoring, the specialized techniques of haute couture, and technological innovation to achieve his distinctive aesthetic.
Black Designers in American Fashion by Elizabeth Way (Editor)
Call Number: TT504.4 .B59 2021
ISBN: 9781350138476
Publication Date: 2021-08-26
Using previously unexplored sources, Black Designers in American Fashion addresses the erased histories of black fashion designers and their integral role in the American fashion industry.
Chanel and Her World by Edmonde Charles-Roux
Call Number: TT505.C45 C4713 2005
ISBN: 0865651590
Publication Date: 2005-03-09
In this beautiful volume, the life of Coco Chanel shines again through hundreds of illustrations and the lively prose of Edmonde Charles-Roux, her official biographer and close friend.
Cristóbal Balenciaga by Miren Arzalluz; Lesley Ellis Miller (Preface by)
Call Number: TT505.B28 A7913 2011
ISBN: 9781851776634
Publication Date: 2011-10-01
Presents the man behind the label, the sophisticated, elegant Basque Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895–1972). Set against photographs of his clothes, Miren Arzalluz’s in-depth study reveals the roots of Balenciaga’s Parisian success, unveiling his formative experiences and achievements in Spain against the backdrop of his social and cultural heritage.
Dior by Alexandra Palmer
Call Number: TT505.D5 P35 2009
ISBN: 9781851775781
Publication Date: 2009-12-01
Examines the seminal years of Christian Dior, 1947 to until his death in 1957, from a international perspective.
How to Slay by C. White
Call Number: TT504.4 .W495 2018
ISBN: 9780847861385
Publication Date: 2018-02-06
One of the few surveys of Black style and fashion ever published, How to Slay offers a lavishly illustrated overview of African American style through the twentieth century, focusing on the last thirty-five years. Through striking images of some of the most celebrated icons of Black style and taste, from Josephine Baker, Michelle Obama, Maya Angelou, and Miles Davis to Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams, this book explores the cultural underpinnings of Black trends that have become so influential in mainstream popular culture and a bedrock of fashion vernacular today. A preponderance of Black musicians, who for decades have inspired trends and transformed global fashion, are featured and discussed, while a diverse array of topics are touched upon and examined--hats, hair, divas, the importance of attitude, the use of color, '60s style, the influence of Africa and the Caribbean, and the beauty of black skin
Icons of Fashion by Gerda Buxbaum (Editor)
Call Number: TT504 .I28 2005
ISBN: 3791333127
Publication Date: 2006-04-25
From Coco Chanel to Christian Dior, Kenzo to Versace, grunge to haute couture, every period & major name in twentieth-century fashion is included in this collection of photographs, drawings, and texts. Organized into sections according to style, it features double-page spreads highlighting every aspect of fashion: designers, models, critics, and fashion photographers.
Madame Grès : sculptural fashion
Call Number: TT507 .M3465 2011
ISBN: 9789491376276
Publication Date: 2011
Formally trained as a sculptress, Gres produced haute couture for women including: the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Dolores del Rio. Her signature was cut-outs on gowns that made exposed skin part of the design. Renowned for being the last of the haute couture houses to establish a ready-to-wear line.
Madeleine Vionnet by Betty Kirke; Issey Miyake (Foreword by)
Call Number: OVERSIZE TT505.V56 K57 2012
ISBN: 9781452110691
Publication Date: 2012-09-12
Madeleine Vionnet introduced the revolutionary bias cut and created free-flowing, modern gowns that earned her an enduring spot in fashion history. This book collects over 400 photographs, sketches, and complete patterns for 30 of her most influential designs.
Native Fashion Now by Karen Kramer; Madeleine M. Kropa; Jessica R. Metcalfe; Jay Calderin
Call Number: TT502 .N37 2015
ISBN: 9783791354699
Publication Date: 2015-11-25
Representing contemporary fashion by Indigenous designers from across the United States and Canada.
Paul Poiret by Alice Mackrell
Call Number: TT507 .M346
ISBN: 0841912793
Publication Date: 1990-07-01
Worth : father of haute couture by Diana De Marly
Call Number: TT505.W58 D421990
ISBN: 9780841912427
Publication Date: 1991-02-01

Men's Fashion

Books in the other categories cover men's fashion as well, but these focus solely on that subject:

American Menswear by Daniel Delis Hill
Call Number: REF. GT605 .H55 2011
ISBN: 9780896727229
Publication Date: 2011-03-15
"A chronology of men's fashion and masculine style in the United States from the Civil War era through the beginning of the twenty-first century."
Art of Cutting and History of English Costume (1887) by Edward B. Giles
Call Number: TT580 .G551987
ISBN: 0914046055
Publication Date: 1987-11-01
History of clothing in England.
The Cut of Men's Clothes by Norah Waugh
Call Number: TT504 .W38
ISBN: 9780878300259
Publication Date: 1987-01-07
Men's fashion from 1600-1900.
Dandy Lion: the Black Dandy and Street Style by Shantrelle P. Lewis
Call Number: GT6720 .L49 2017
ISBN: 9781597113892
Publication Date: 2017-05-30
Black men appropriating, subverting, and reinventing the dress styles of society elites, described as "high-styled rebels" by author Shantrelle P. Lewis--are influencing the language of contemporary fashion. 'Dandy Lion' presents and celebrates the black dandy movement, and its designers and tailors, in photographs and stories from all over the world.
Fashion for Men by Diana DeMarly
Call Number: GT1710 .D3 1985
ISBN: 0841910138
Publication Date: 1985-05-01
A history of men's clothing.
How to Read a Suit by Lydia Edwards
Call Number: GT1710 .E39 2020
ISBN: 9781350071162
Publication Date: 2020-02-06
Fashion is ever-changing, and while some styles mark a dramatic departure from the past, many exhibit subtle differences from year to year that are not always easily identifiable. With overviews of each key period and detailed illustrations for each new style, How to Read a Suit is an authoritative visual guide to the under-explored area of men's fashion across four centuries. Each entry includes annotated color images of historical garments, outlining important features and highlighting how styles have developed over time, whether in shape, fabric choice, trimming, or undergarments. Readers will learn how garments were constructed and where their inspiration stemmed from at key points in history -- as well as how menswear has varied in type, cut, detailing, and popularity according to the occasion and the class, age, and social status of the wearer. This lavishly illustrated book is the ideal tool for anyone who has ever wanted to know their Chesterfield from their Ulster coat. Equipping the reader with all the information they need to "read" menswear, this is the ultimate guide for students, researchers, and anyone interested in historical fashion.
The Male Image: Men's Fashion in Britain, 1300-1970 by Penelope Byrde
Call Number: GT733 .B9
ISBN: 071340860X
Publication Date: 1980-02-01
Covers men's fashion in Britain from 1300-1970.
Material strategies : dress and gender in historical perspective by Barbara Burman (Editor); Carole Turbin (Editor)
Call Number: GT511 .M38 2003
ISBN: 1405109068
Publication Date: 2003-08-22
Material strategies engendered -- Fashion, time and the consumption of a Renaissance man in Germany: the costume book of Matthaus Schwarz of Augsburg, 1496-1564 -- Reflections on gender and status distinctions: an analysis of the liturgical textiles recorded in mid-sixteenth-century London -- Following suit: men, masculinity and gendered practices in the clothing trade in Leeds, England, 1890-1940 -- Pocketing the difference: gender and pockets in nineteenth-century Britain -- Fashioning the American man: the Arrow collar man, 1907-1931 -- Erotic modesty: (ad)dressing female sexuality and propriety in open and closed drawers, USA, 1800-1930 -- 'De-humanised females and Amazonians': British wartime fashion and its representation in Home chat, 1914-1918 -- Fashion, the politics of style and national identity in pre-Fascist and Fascist Italy -- Style and subversion: postwar poses and the neo-Edwardian suit in mid-twentieth-century Britain -- 'Anti-mini militants meet modern misses': urban style, gender and the politics of 'national culture' in 1960s Dar es Salaam, Tanzania -- Dressing for leadership in China: wives and husbands in an age of revolutions (1911-1976)
Men's Fashion Illustrations from the Turn of the Century by Jno. J. Mitchell Co. Staff; Jean L. Druesedow
Call Number: GT610 .M46 1990
ISBN: 0486263533
Publication Date: 1990-07-01
Over 100 full-page, royalty-free illustrations document what well-dressed American men wore in early 1900s: checked and striped business suits, sporty knickers and jackets, elegant formal wear, long fur-trimmed coats, and more. Includes variety of accessories: canes, gloves, spats. Images have been selected from rare issues of The Sartorial Art Journal, published between 1900 and 1910.
Men's Fashion in the Twentieth Century by Maria Costantino
Call Number: GT1710 .C67 1997
ISBN: 0896762254
Publication Date: 1997-09-01

Women's Fashion

Books in the other categories cover women's fashion as well, but these focus solely on that subject:

The Cut of Women's Clothes by Norah Waugh
Call Number: TT504 .W385 1968
ISBN: 9780878300266
Publication Date: 1987-01-07
Each period in the history of costume has produced its own characteristic line and silhouette, derived from a cut and construction which varies considerably from age to age. Here are patterns taken from actual dresses, many of them rare museum specimens, illustrated by sketches of the dresses. There are notes on the production of women's dress, with references to early technical books and journals, together with diagrams from some of them. Numerous illustrations show the dresses as worn complete with their hairstyles, jewelry, decorations and accessories.
How to Read a Dress by Lydia Edwards
Call Number: GT1720 .E39 2017
ISBN: 9781472533272
Publication Date: 2017-03-09
Fashion is ever-changing, and while some styles mark a dramatic departure from the past, many exhibit subtle differences from year to year that are not always easily identifiable. With overviews of each key period and detailed illustrations for each new style, How to read a dress is an authoritative visual guide to women's fashion across five centuries. Each entry includes annotated color images of historical garments, outlining important features and highlighting how styles have developed over time, whether in shape, fabric choice, trimming, or undergarments. Readers will learn how garments were constructed and where their inspiration stemmed from at key points in history -- as well as how dresses have varied in type, cut, detailing and popularity according to the occasion and the class, age and social status of the wearer. This lavishly illustrated book is the ideal tool for anyone who has ever wanted to know their cartridge pleats from their Récamier ruffles. Equipping the reader with all the information they need to 'read' a dress, this is the ultimate guide for students, researchers, and anyone interested in historical fashion.
Material strategies : dress and gender in historical perspective by Barbara Burman (Editor); Carole Turbin (Editor)
Call Number: GT511 .M38 2003
ISBN: 1405109068
Publication Date: 2003-08-22
Material strategies engendered -- Fashion, time and the consumption of a Renaissance man in Germany: the costume book of Matthaus Schwarz of Augsburg, 1496-1564 -- Reflections on gender and status distinctions: an analysis of the liturgical textiles recorded in mid-sixteenth-century London -- Following suit: men, masculinity and gendered practices in the clothing trade in Leeds, England, 1890-1940 -- Pocketing the difference: gender and pockets in nineteenth-century Britain -- Fashioning the American man: the Arrow collar man, 1907-1931 -- Erotic modesty: (ad)dressing female sexuality and propriety in open and closed drawers, USA, 1800-1930 -- 'De-humanised females and Amazonians': British wartime fashion and its representation in Home chat, 1914-1918 -- Fashion, the politics of style and national identity in pre-Fascist and Fascist Italy -- Style and subversion: postwar poses and the neo-Edwardian suit in mid-twentieth-century Britain -- 'Anti-mini militants meet modern misses': urban style, gender and the politics of 'national culture' in 1960s Dar es Salaam, Tanzania -- Dressing for leadership in China: wives and husbands in an age of revolutions (1911-1976)
Modesty: a Fashion Paradox by Hafsa Lodi
Call Number: TT507 .L6 2020
ISBN: 9781911107262
Publication Date: 2020-06-17
This book speaks to the various personalities and companies who have helped shape the modest fashion industry into such a significant retail sector, while also exploring the controversies that lie at the heart of the movement, such as one pressing question: even if it covers the skin but is flamboyant, modeled with the purpose of attracting attention, and publicly promoted on social media, can fashion truly be modest?

Specific Types of Clothing & Accessories

Books about shoes, hats, jewelry, underwear, etc.:

100 Shoes by Sarah Jessica Parker (Introduction by); Harold Koda (Editor)
Call Number: GT2130 .C67 2011
ISBN: 0300172400
Publication Date: 2011-10-18
100 pairs of shoes, from the 16th to the 21st century, paint a vivid picture of how styles have changed over the years.
The Complete Book of Shoes by Natalio Martin Arroyo; Marta Morales
Call Number: OVERSIZE GT2130 .M673 2013
ISBN: 9781770851245
Publication Date: 2013-07-25
A practical and inspirational resource for both working and aspiring shoe designers as well as stylists and wardrobe professionals.
Dance and Fashion by Valerie Steele (Editor); Adelheid Rasche (Contribution by); Patricia Mears (Contribution by); Mary Davis (Contribution by); Colleen Hill (Contribution by); Melissa Marra (Contribution by); Masafumi Monden (Contribution by); Elizabeth Way (Contribution by); Anna Winestein (Contribution by); Emma McClendon (Contribution by)
Call Number: GV1595 .D34 2014
ISBN: 9780300208856
Publication Date: 2014-12-02
Lavishly illustrated with both contemporary and historical images, the book features essays by ten fashion experts, who explore various aspects of the reciprocal relationship between dance and fashion, from the liberating effects of the tango to the influence of ballet on Japanese girl culture.
Edwardian Hats by Anna Ben-Yusuf; R. L. Shep (Editor)
Call Number: TT655 .B5 1992
ISBN: 9780914046158
Publication Date: 1992-05-01
Drafting and making buckram frames -- Making wire frames -- Covering of frames -- Cutting materials, making binds and folds -- Shirring and folds -- Sewing straw hats -- Children's millinery -- Mourning millinery -- Plaitings, ruches, lace trimmings -- Simple bow making -- Draping -- Trimming -- The making of ribbon and silk flowers -- Taking stock. Careful packing away. Renovating materials -- Starting a millinery business -- The designer in the workroom -- Making and use of bandeaux -- Glossary of millinery and dry goods terms.
Fans by Helene Alexander
Call Number: NK4870 .A44
ISBN: 071344276X
Publication Date: 1984-11-01
A history of fans.
Feet and Footwear by Margo DeMello
Call Number: REF. GT2130 .D45 2009
ISBN: 9780313357145
Publication Date: 2009-09-01
A-Z cultural encyclopedia covers all aspects of the human foot: worldwide contemporary culture; socio-historical traditions, customs and beliefs; health and medical issues; and popular culture surrounding feet and footwear throughout the ages.
From the Neck Up by Denise Dreher; Beth Sanders (Illustrator); Randall W. Scholes (Illustrator)
Call Number: TT657 .D73
ISBN: 0941082008
Publication Date: 1982-01-01
A guide to hatmaking.
Gloves by Valerie Cumming
Call Number: GT2170 .C8
ISBN: 0713410086
Publication Date: 1982-11-01
A history of gloves.
A History of Jewellry, 1100-1870 by Joan Evans
Call Number: NK7306 .E8 1989
ISBN: 0486261220
Publication Date: 1989-12-01
Sourcebook of extremely rare ornamentation provides history of jewelry styles over 700-year period. Detailed narrative enhances 400 photographs and illustrations.
The Ladies' Guide to Needle Work Being a Complete Guide to All Types of Ladies' Fancy Work, 1877 by S. Annie Frost
Call Number: TT750 .F76
ISBN: 0914046020
Publication Date: 1986-05-01
Shawls, Stoles and Scarves by Alice Mackrell
Call Number: GT2114 .M3
ISBN: 0713448768
Publication Date: 1986-12-01
Shoes by June Swann
Call Number: GT2130 .S9
ISBN: 0713409428
Publication Date: 1982-04-01
A history of shoes, with illustrations.
Stitching Book by Anon
Call Number: TT770 .S787 2012
ISBN: 9781844487196
Publication Date: 2012-06-01
Umbrellas & Parasols by Jeremy Farrell
Call Number: GT2210 .F37
ISBN: 0713448741
Publication Date: 1985
History of umbrellas and parasols.
Underwear by Eleri Lynn
Call Number: GT2073 .L97 2010
ISBN: 9781851776160
Publication Date: 2010-11-01
Chronicles the history of women's and men's underwear from the sixteenth century to the present, with color photographs, sketches, and historical notes for each garment.
Victorian Fashion Accessories by Ariel Beaujot
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 0857853201
Publication Date: 2013-08-15
In Victorian England, women's accessories were always much more than incidental finishing touches to their elaborate dress. Accessories helped women to fashion their identities. Victorian Fashion Accessories explores how women's use of gloves, parasols, fans and vanity sets revealed their class, gender and colonial aspirations.

Fashion of a Country or Place (Contemporary or Historical)

To find books on fashion in a particular country, city, or region, try searching the catalog for "fashion" and "country name" ("China," for example):

Changing Clothes in China by Antonia Finnane; Michael J. Dwyer (Contribution by)
Call Number: GT1555 .F56 2008
ISBN: 9780231143509
Publication Date: 2008-01-24
Connects China's modernization and global visibility with changes in dress, offering a vivid portrait of the complex, subtle, and sometimes contradictory ways the people of China have worn their nation on their backs.
Contemporary African Fashion by Suzanne Gott (Editor); Kristyne Loughran (Editor)
Call Number: Available Online
ISBN: 0253222567
Publication Date: 2010-10-04
African fashion is as diverse and dynamic as the continent and the people who live there. This book puts Africa at the intersection of world cultures and globalized identities, displaying the powerful creative force and impact of newly emerging styles. Richly illustrated with color photographs, this book showcases haute couture for the African continent.
Costumes of the Greeks and Romans by Thomas Hope
Call Number: GT545 .H6 1962
ISBN: 9780486200217
Publication Date: 1962-06-01
Renderings of authentic costumes from Greek and Roman civilizations copied from ancient vases and statuary. Over 700 illustrations depict all classes and occupations.
Dressing Up by Elizabeth L. Block
Call Number: GT610 .B56 2021
ISBN: 9780262045841
Publication Date: 2021-10-19
A provocative look at late 19th-century French fashion, which discredits the couturier as "genius creator" and makes you think differently about the impact of the American women who influenced the market.
Empire of Style Silk and Fashion in Tang China by BuYun Chen
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 0295745304
Publication Date: 2019-06-01
Tang dynasty (618–907) China hummed with cosmopolitan trends. Its capital at Chang'an was the most populous city in the world and was connected via the Silk Road with the critical markets and thriving cultures of Central Asia and the Middle East. In Empire of Style, BuYun Chen reveals a vibrant fashion system that emerged through the efforts of Tang artisans, wearers, and critics of clothing. Across the empire, elite men and women subverted regulations on dress to acquire majestic silks and au courant designs, as shifts in economic and social structures gave rise to what we now recognize as precursors of a modern fashion system: a new consciousness of time, a game of imitation and emulation, and a shift in modes of production.
Fashion and Orientalism by Adam Geczy
Call Number: Available Online
ISBN: 0857854275
Publication Date: 2013-08-01
This timely and groundbreaking book shows the extent of the influence that the Orient had, and continues to have, on fashion, and reveals the extent of cross-pollination, exchange and multiple translation that has taken place between East and West for the last five hundred years. Orientalism is a central factor within the fashion system, both subtle and overt. In this groundbreaking book, the author shows the extent of the influence that the Orient had, and continues to have, on fashion.Our concept of Western fashion is unthinkable without it, whether in terms of the growth of the cotton industry or of garments we take for granted, such as the dressing gown. From pre-modern to contemporary times, this book demonstrates that, in the realms of fashion, the Orient is not simply a construction or a fascination of the imperial West with its eastern other. Rather, it reveals the extent of cross-pollination, exchange and multiple translation that has taken place between East and West for the last 500 years.Exploring topics including Chinoiserie, masquerade, bohemianism, Japonisme, the "de-Orientalization" of the Orient, perfume and the birth of couture, Fashion and Orientalism is an essential read for students and scholars of fashion, cultural studies and history.
Fashioning Fashion by Sharon Sadako Takeda; Kaye Durland Spilker
Call Number: GT720 .T35 2010
ISBN: 9783791350622
Publication Date: 2010-12-15
Luxurious textiles, exacting tailoring, and lush trimmings abound in this volume that celebrates the evolution of European dress through two centuries.
Japanese Dress in Detail by Josephine Rout; Anna Jackson
Call Number: NK4784.A1 V53 2020
ISBN: 9780500480571
Publication Date: 2020-06-02
An extraordinary exploration of the beauty and complexity of Japanese garments and accessories, 'Japanese Dress in Detail' reveals the elaborate embroidery, intricate pleats and delicate dyes that make up some of the most beautiful garments in the V & A's superlative Japanese dress collection. The reader is granted a unique opportunity to examine historical clothing that is often too fragile to display, from breathtaking Edo-period kimonos, court robes or No theatre costumes, to more rarely preserved pieces such as a 19th-century quilted farmer's coat or fireman's hood, as well as handpicked contemporary designs. Bringing together more than 100 items of clothing, this book reveals the intricacies of Japanese dress from the 18th century to the present. Including garments for women, men and children, the details have been selected both for their exquisite beauty and craftsmanship, and for how much they impart about the wearer's identity, be it age, status or taste.
Paris Fashion by Valerie Steele
Call Number: GT887 .S74 1999
ISBN: 1859739733
Publication Date: 1998-12-01
More than just a history of famous designers and changing styles, the book is about fashion as a cultural ideal and a social phenomenon.
Prehistoric, Ancient near Eastern and Aegean Textiles and Dress by Mary Harlow (Editor); Cécile Michel (Editor); Marie-Louise Nosch (Editor)
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 1782977201
Publication Date: 2014-09-30
Textile and dress production, from raw materials to finished items, has had a significant impact on society from its earliest history. The essays in this volume offer a fresh insight into the emerging interdisciplinary research field of textile and dress studies by discussing archaeological, iconographical and textual evidence within a broad geographical and chronological spectrum.
The Religious Life of Dress by Lynne Hume
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 0857853635
Publication Date: 2013-10-24
The book's global perspective provides wide-ranging, yet detailed, coverage of religious dress, from the history and meaning of the simple 'no-frills' attire of the Anabaptists to the power structure displayed in the elaborate fabrics and colours of the Roman Catholic Church; Hume examines the 2,500 year-old tradition of Buddhist robes, the nudity of India's holy men, and much more. With chapters on Sufism, Vodou, modern Pagans, as well as painted and tattooed indigenous and modern Western bodies, the reader is swept along on a sensual journey of the sight, sound, smell and feel of wearing religion.
Roman Dress and the Fabrics of Roman Culture by Jonathan Edmondson; Alison Keith (Editor)
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 1442610794
Publication Date: 2009-11-21
Roman Dress and the Fabrics of Roman Culture investigates the social symbolism and cultural poetics of dress in the ancient Roman world in the period from 200 BCE-400 CE.
Wearing culture : dress and regalia in early Mesoamerica and Central America by Heather Orr (Editor); Matthew Looper (Editor)
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 160732282X
Publication Date: 2013-03-15