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Theatre Research Guide: Costumes

Subject guide for Theatre

Recommended Websites

Did You Know?
To search education Web sites, please type:  site:.edu [skipping a space and then entering your search term(s)]
For a search of organization Web sites, please type:  site:.org [skipping a space and then entering your search term(s)]

Examples:

https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/ 

metmuseum.org

Images:

Recommended Databases

Theatrical Costume Collections

Search Tips

You can find books on costume and fashion under the following call numbers:
•    GT 500 - GT 2346 – Fashion; social aspects of clothing
•    PN 2067 - PN 2068 &  PN 2085 - PN 2091 – Costumes for performance, stage design & lighting
•    TT 490 - TT 820 – Dressmaking; tailoring; technical considerations, needlework

Useful subject headings:
•    Clothing and dress 
•    Costume
•    Costume design
•    Fashion
•    Fashion -- History
•    Fashion design

Specific items of clothing

•    Hats
•    Hair -- see Hair styles or Hair dressing
•    Stockings -- see Hoisery

2. Be as specific as you can. For example if you're reseaching veils, try just the word veils first - either as a Word or Phrase, Title, or Subject.

3. For broader searches consider using some of the keywords below. Avoid using too many search words at a time. It may limit your search to the point of little or no results. The Library Catalog has a more narrowly defined search syntax and structure than the open web.

  • costume
  • fashion 
  • clothing
  • dress