Art & Architecture Collection > Costume and Fashion History: A Guide to Resources

Reference Tools

Calasibetta, Charlotte Mankey. Fairchild’s dictionary of fashion. New York: Fairchild Pub., 1988 edition in Art ( MME 89-5314), and 1998 edition at SIBL (JSE 03-977)
This book provides alphabetical listing of terms used in costume, fashion history, and clothing production. Multiple definitions are given when they exist, including brands, products, and informal or slang terms, along with pronunciations for some entries.

Callan, Georgina O’Hara. The Thames and Hudson dictionary of fashion and fashion designers. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1998. (MME 00-4911)
Covers the period from 1840, when the introduction of the sewing machine laid the ground for the forthcoming ready-to-wear industry, until the end of the 1990s. Focuses on major fashion capitals of this time, from Paris to Milan, and dress terms connected with haute couture. Biographies included on designers, illustrators, artists and style icon figures, such as English model Twiggy.

Davies, Stephanie. Costume language: a dictionary of dress terms. Malvern: Cressrelles, 1994. (MMC 96-2857)
This is an academically oriented guide that gives concise definitions and origins for costume and fashion history terms. Particularly good at explaining terms derived from foreign words, e.g. houpplelande, redingote.

Encyclopedia of clothing and fashion. Edited by Valerie Steele. Farmington Hills, MI: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2005. 3 vol. (*R-Art 05-5568)

An important tool because of its accessibility, the dictionary style alphabetical entries cover dress types, modes, materials, specialized garments, social theory and factors, historical topics, geographical dress, and significant individuals. The scope is global, ranging from “academic dress” to “zoot suits.”  The social theory entries provide up-to-date scholarly insights, and the bibliography attached to entries lead readers to the most important publications on that topic.