Monday, August 9, 2010

Library Books and Costume Research


Last week I had the opportunity to go to the Texas Tech college library. I needed to do some extensive costume research for an upcoming project. I found some of the most amazing books! I wish all of these were in my permanant libraray.

The Tech library is - wow. I could get lost for years in there and be perfectly happy. 5 huge stories of books floor to ceiling, with stairs and elevators - oh. And moving book shelves. You push a button and two bookshelves electonically open up to reveal a new row of books. Sort of creepy, actually.

Anyhow - I've been completely enjoying all these costume research books. I've been going through and making sketches of anything of particular interest.


17 titles in all. That's alot of reading, and sketching. :^) Fun.


Best Dressed by Blum and Hangland
The Cut of Women's Clothes 1600-1930 by Waugh
Costume Close-up, Clothing Construction and Pattern 1750-1790 by Baumgarten and Carr
The Mode in Hats and Headdress by Wilcox
Historical Costumes of England 1066-1968 by Bradfield
Period Costume for Sage and Screen 1500-1800 by Hunnisett
Edwardian Ladies Tailoring by Hopkins
The Mode in Furs by Wilcox
The Voice of Fashion by Grimble
Reconstruction Era Fashions by Grimble
Fashion in Costume 1200-2000 by Nunn
English Costume by Yarwood
Dress Design by Hughes
Historic Costuming by Truman
The History of Haute Couture 1850-1950 by DeMarley
The Fashion Dictionary by Picken
The Guide to Historic Costume by Baclawski

9 comments:

  1. *drool* I wish I had been with you! :(

    can't wait to see your "upcoming project" ;)

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  2. I like that you took out so many books! Usually I feel silly doing that so I just drool over them in the library and write down the titles. :D Maybe it's just evidence of my book addiction.

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  3. Ooh!! That had to be SO fun! People have suggested that I go to the CNM college library to research, but I guess I am scared to! Doubt there is anything to be afraid of, but oh well.. lol!
    I love all the titles, and I can't wait to see if some libraries around here might have them..

    Love ya! S

    PS Can't wait to see the project! Is it your lovely blue dress???

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  4. I have decided I LOVE you blog!

    ~A fellow seamstress and costume maker

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  5. Oh, dear... I wish there was an edit button for comments. That should say "your blog" not "you blog."

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  6. You're lucky to have so many titles at hand, somewhere! I'm afraid I couldn't get them anywhere here in the Czech Republic.

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  7. Hana,

    I have one cosutme book that I was wondering if you have heard of. It's titled "Medieval Costume Armour and Weapons" by Eduard Wagner and Zoroslava Drobna and Jan Durdik. It was originally printed in Czechoslovakia in 1958, though the version I have is a later translation from a London printer. Anyway, just curious if you have heard of it? I have never seen another copy or another book by the author before.

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  8. Oh yes, I have. Some time ago, I even found a website with images from it, so I saved them... Fantastic that you have it! But it's one of the few we have. The number is slowly growing - there's one whole series, for example, but we simply do not have the built-up tradition yet - and most costumers focus on medieval clothes, or military, and I'd like more info on other eras, like what Regency was like in my country...

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