Fashion Research Resources

Please feel free to Contact Us with any sources you'd like us to add to this list.

Vintage Publications (a.k.a. Actual Books)

We have found that it really is helpful to have a little library (physical and/or digital) of vintage fashion and sewing books from a range of eras - even if that means you have a couple of repeat titles, but from different editions - because sewing techniques have changed (sometimes a lot) over time and sometimes just being able to identify a type of seam can help to date a garment. Also, you can often find easier ways of achieving certain things than are described in other eras of similar texts and even discover some wonderful design ideas and embroidery patterns. Not to mention insight you'll gain into the differences in period-correct fit and idea figures! And if you intend to reproduce a vintage garment, what better way than to follow the methods used to create the original?

List Coming Soom

Web Resources (blogs, scholarly papers, videos, online archives, etc.)

Sometimes you can't find physical copies of things and not all books have been digitised, and sometimes it's nice when someone else has done the hard part and compiled the research for you.