Books like A dictionary of costume and fashion by Mary Brooks Picken

Explore eight centuries of western costume with Joan Nunn’s illustrated survey, detailing garments, styles, fabrics, and social context from 1200 to 2000.

In Dressed for the Photographer, Joan Severa gives a visual analysis of the dress of middle-class Americans from the mid-to-late 19th century. Using images and writings, she shows how even economically disadvantaged Americans could wear styles within a year or so of current fashion. This desire for fashion equality demonstrates that the possession of culture was more important than wealth or position in the community. In presenting a broad overview of common fashion, Severa gathers letters and diaries as well as photographs from various sources across the United States. She provides graphic evidence that ordinary Americans, when dressed in their finest attire, appeared very much the same as their wealthier neighbors. But upon closer examination, these photographs often reveal inconsistencies that betray the actual economic status of the sitter. These fascinating photographs coupled with Severa's insights offer an added dimension to our understanding of 19th-century Americans. Intended as an aid in dating costumes and photographs and as a guide for period costume replication, Dressed for the Photographer provides extensive information for understanding the social history and material culture of this period. It will be of interest to general readers as well as to social historians and those interested in fashion, costume, and material culture studies.

An in‑depth exploration of the history of clothing and dress, tracing the evolution of costume and fashion through different eras and cultures.

An accessible guide to the clothing, accessories, and hygiene habits of men, women, and children in eighteenth‑century North America.

An engaging guide to the enduring fashion staples of women's clothing history, featuring ten iconic pieces and their significance.

A concise reference guide tracing the evolution of fashion from the 1840s through the first half of the 1980s, offering key terms, trends, and context for collectors, designers, and students.