Approaches to Studying Clothing
There are many different ways to study clothing, but the two major frameworks are object-based inquiry and theory-based inquiry.
Object-based approaches to studying clothing always begin with the object itself. A researcher will describe the object in question, attempt to glean information about the relationship between the object and those it came in contact with, and then speculate about the best interpretive methods by which to analyze this relationship. This is a primarily inductive approach, in which the researcher uses specific facts about the object to make broader claims.
A theory-first approach to studying clothing begins with broader sociological, historic, and cultural questions about why certain clothing looks the way it does. Using a deductive approach, a researcher takes a broad, existing interpretive framework or theory and then applies it to specific test cases, such as texts about the clothing in question.
Though these books are not held in the Research Center, they are excellent sources for anyone interested in learning more about theory/object-based approaches to researching clothing and fashion history, or the academic fields of dress studies/fashion studies/material culture.
From a robust database of clothing labels to care instructions, this website is a treasure trove of information on vintage fashion and is an essential tool for dating clothing.
This handy tool allows you to input the RN number from a garment and find out the earliest date it could possibly have been manufactured.
See also Dressed for the photographer : ordinary Americans and fashion, 1840-1900. 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 the mid- to late-19th century. This book is available in the Research Center (Call # GT610 .S42 1995 REFERENCE).
