Fashion Resource Guide
Introduction
This guide provides an overview of tools and basic strategies for conducting library research in Fashion, including fashion merchandising and fashion history. For fashion company research see also the Company Research Resource Guide. Included is information on finding circulating books and reference sources, journals (both in print and online), databases, and major Internet resources. All collections marked VCU are available on both campuses OR off-campus with EZProxy.
Check the Catalog
Search the Library Catalog to determine what books, journals and audiovisual materials the Libraries own and where they are located.
- General searching: When you are looking for books on a topic do a Words Anywhere search first. example: fashion
- Exhibition Catalogs: To locate exhibition catalogs in Cabell, simply use an Art Exhibition Catalog Search. (From the catalog, click "Advanced Search" then choose "Exhibition Catalog" in the "Format" box.)
- E-Books: VCU Libraries provides access to a collection of electronic books through NetLibrary
. (From the home page, click "Quick Links," and choose "E-Books.") NetLibrary is a collection of over 45,000 electronic books from leading university, trade and professional publishers available via the Internet 24 hours a day. For full access, VCU faculty, students and staff must first create free individual user accounts. More about NetLibrary - Browsing the shelves: Books are filed using the Library of Congress system which group books into subject areas. Some of the broad Fashion categories begin with the following letters:
- GT - Costume and Fashion; pattern books, history, terminology
- NK - Textiles and Designers
- TS - Textile: industry, fibers, machinery
- TT - Fashion: designers, dictionaries, directories, handbooks, patterns, textile painting and printing
- Where do I find things? Check out where things are in the Cabell Library.
Do other libraries have what you need?
Interlibrary Loan: VCU Libraries will get the items that you need if they are not in the collections. You do not need to identify which library has the required item - we'll do that for you. See what you need to do. To search for materials in other libraries, use the Worldcat VCU database or check the catalogs of other Virginia Libraries.
Dictionaries
- Essential Terms of Fashion: A Collection of Definitions. Cabell Library Reference TT 494 .C35 1986
- The Fairchild Dictionary of Fashion. Cabell Library Reference TT 503 .C34 2003
Designers and Designs
- Contemporary Fashion. Cabell Library Reference TT 505 .A1 C66
- St. James Fashion Encyclopedia: A Survey of Style from 1945 to the Present. Cabell Library Reference TT 505 .A1 S7
- The Fashion Guide. Cabell Library Reference TT 495 .F37
- Who's Who in Fashion. Cabell Library Reference TT 505 .A1 W5
- The Fashion Book. Cabell Library Reference TT 503. F37
History of Fashion/Costume
- Encyclopaedia of Fashion from 1840 to 1980s. Cabell Library Reference GT 507 .O53 1986
- Fashion Foundations: Early Writings on Fashion and Dress. VCU
- Historical Encyclopedia of Costumes. Cabell Library Reference GT 510 .R3313
- Pictorial Encyclopedia of Fashion. Cabell Library Reference GT 513 .K813
- 20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment. Cabell Library Reference GT 510 .B6713
- The Guide to Historic Costume. Cabell Library Reference TT 503. B33
Retail/Merchandising
- Sheldon's Major Stores and Chains and Resident Buying Offices. Cabell Library Reference HF 5429.3 .S52
- Fairchild's retail stores financial directory. Cabell Library Reference HG4961 .F3 1997
- Directory of Discount and General Merchandise Stores. Cabell Library Reference HF 5429.215 .U6 D58
- Retail Trade International. Cabell Library Reference HF 5429 .R452
- FOR/MOR: The Combined Financial, Merchandising & Operating Results of Retail Stores. Cabell Library Reference HF5465.U5F67
- Manufacturers: The Directory of Brand Name Apparel Manufacturers. Cabell Library Reference TT 495. M26
- Contractors: the apparel production sourcebook. Cabell Library Reference TT 495. C66
- Fabrics Services Trims. Cabell Library Reference TT 495. A66
Textiles
- Fairchild's Textile and Apparel Financial Directory. Cabell Library Reference TS 1312. F25
- Encyclopedia of Textiles. Cabell Library Reference TX 1309.J47
- Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles. Cabell Library Reference TS 1309. F34
- Warp and Weft: A Dictionary of Textile Terms. Cabell Library Reference TS1309.B87
- Garment and Textile Dictionary. Cabell Library Reference TT 494. C66
Journal Searches
E-Journal Search
This will let you know whether an electronic version of a journal is available from VCU. Links to journals are provided. Note: the search box only searches for the names of journals, not the subject content - use one of the research databases for this.
Alternative: Go to the VCU Libraries Catalog, select journal title search, type in the title of the journal.
Selected Journals
All collections marked VCU available on both campuses OR off-campus with EZProxy
- Apparel VCU Cabell Library Bound Journals (2nd floor)
- DNR VCU
- Fashion Theory VCUCabell Library Current Periodicals (1st floor) and Bound Journals (2nd floor)
- Harper's Baazar VCU Cabell Library Current Periodicals (1st floor) and Bound Journals (2nd floor)
- The Journal of Consumer Marketing VCU Cabell Library Current Periodicals (1st floor) and Bound Journals (2nd floor)
- Textile World VCU
- Vogue VCU Cabell Library Bound Journals (2nd floor); Current issues at Circulation Desk
- Women's Wear Daily (WWD) VCU
Most of these databases feature the "Get it @VCU" tab - 
. This service provides hyperlinks to a variety of options such as the electronic full-text (if available), the VCU library catalog, ILLiad, and Ask-a-Librarian.
ABI/Inform VCU
Includes indexing and some full text, although images are limited. Fashion titles include Vogue, Glamour, Elle, Mademoiselle, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, Allure, etc.
AP Images VCU (1860- present)
Searchable collection of about 700,000 news photos with captions. International Photo Archive, focused on North America; Euro/Asia Photo Archive, regional photos; and Graphics-PDF, maps, diagrams, and other graphics.
ARTbibliographies Modern VCU (1974 - present)
bstracts of journal articles, books, essays, exhibition catalogs, PhD dissertations, and exhibition reviews on all forms of modern and contemporary art.
Art Full Text VCU (1984 - present) AND Art Index Retrospective VCU (1929 - 1984)
Citations and some full text to articles from periodicals published throughout the world including yearbooks and museum bulletins. Also indexes reproductions of works of art that appear in indexed periodicals. Retrospective is an electronic version of Art Index, volumes 1-32, and contains all citations found in the print version.
ARTstor VCU
Curated collections of digital art images and associated data for noncommercial and scholarly, non-profit educational use. Select "Search and Browse for Images" to enter. Uses cookies and pop-ups.
Business & Company Resource Center VCU
Company profiles, histories, business rankings, market share, associations, market research, and brand information. Also contains articles from magazines, journals, and newsletters, as well as some financial, litigation, and industry information.
Design and Applied Arts Index VCU (1973 - present)
International index to articles in more than 450 design and craft
journals. Also contains data on designers, craftspeople, studios,
schools, workshops, and firms.
Factiva VCU
Company information including a list of competitors, key ratios, balance sheets, cash flow, and income statements, as well as news from over 9,000 publications including the Wall Street Journal.
Complete list of Arts databases
Complete list of Business databases
- Apparel Search.com (http://www.apparelsearch.com)
Information and news on apparel, fashion and textile industries. - Buttericks/McCalls/Vogue Patterns (http://www.mccall.com/)
Visit this site for a sneak preview of the newest styles, designer patterns, accessories, craft and home decorating ideas as well as vintage clothing. Click on ‘Related Sites’ for sewing organizations, supplies and more. - Fashion Guide (http://www.fashionguide.com)
Fashion Guide provides fashion world news from global sources, a division of World News.com. - Fashion Industry Business Information (http://www.infomat.com/)
This site provides the fashion community with an additional source for company, industry, and market intelligence. Visit the Information Desk, Marketplace, or Community to explore guides, news, runway reports, trends, collections, fashion industry how-to’s, catalogs, events calendar, catwalks by fashion capital, designer biographies and more. Looking for a job? Check out what opportunities are available under the career link. Subscribers gain access to even more inside information. - Fashion Net (http://fashion.net)
This site sponsors a work section for job listings, info on how to get a job in fashion, designer bios, shopping, art and more. - firstVIEW: Collections Online
The world's largest fashion database and photo archive with fashion show photos from around the world. See the top designer fashions and models from the runways of the world. - London College of Fashion Paper Patterns (http://www.vads.ahds.ac.uk/collections/LCFPP.html)
A collection of home dressmaking patterns from the London College of Fashion. This resource shows the changing fashions of the past century, from flapper fashions of the roaring twenties, to 1950s Dior-inspired dresses, with that famous hourglass shape and cinched-in waist, to funky flares from the era of disco. The collection includes designs by leading fashion designers such as Laroche, Givenchy, and Christian Dior, and includes patterns published by Vogue, Butterick and Woman’s Weekly, amongst others. - The Office of Textiles and Apparel (http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/)
From the U.S. Department of Commerce. - Style.com (http://www.style.com/)
Photo galleries of recent couture by designers worldwide. Fee required to view current season’s collections; archives are free. A great source for runway images and industry news. - Textiles.com (http://www.textiles.com/)
Textile news from Worldnews.com. - The Textile Museum (http://www.textilemuseum.org/)
A museum of textile arts, with links to educational resources and current exhibitions.