Academic Works (Free Downloads/Accessible)
18th c.
- “The Fruits of Nimble Finger: Garment Construction and the Working Lives of Eighteenth-Century English Needlewomen” by Carolyn Dowdell (includes section on 18th c. stitches)
- “Rockin the Rococo” by Carolyn Dowdell. The hands on component of the thesis listed above, is a detailed account on her blog of her recreation of a late 18th c. middle class English woman’s wardrobe.
- “The Multiple Lives of Clothes: Alteration and Reuse of Women’s Eighteenth-Century Apparel in England” by Carolyn Dowdell (includes section on mending and maintenance)
- “Martha’s Mob Cap? A Milliner’s Hand-Sewn Inquiry into Eighteenth-Century Caps ca.1770 to 1800” by Sarah E. Woodyard (academic research by recreating 18th c. caps)
Sewing Manuals, Etc.
- The Workwoman’s Guide (1840, 2nd. ed., English)
- Sewn Company’s Hand-Sewing Tutorials
- Hope Greenburg’s Guide to Details in Regency Gown Construction
Fashion Plates
All Eras
U. of Washington Fashion Plate Collection, 1806-1915
The Met Costume Institute Fashion and Dress Plates, 18th c.-1949
1790s
The Gallery of Fashion Vol. 1 by Nikolaus von Heideloff (1794, English)
The Gallery of Fashion Vol. 2 by von Heideloff (1795, English)
The Gallery of Fashion Vol. 3 by von Heideloff (1796, English)
The Gallery of Fashion Vol. 1-8 by von Heideloff (1794-1802, English, The Met)
Descriptions to the Plates of The Gallery of Fashion by von Heideloff (1794-1800, English)
Regency
Journal des Dames et des Modes (1798-1839, full scans of the magazine, some issues missing)
Journal des Dames et des Modes (1797-1804, plates only with “exhibits” analyzing different aspects of the plates)
The Fashions of London & Paris During the Years 1804, 1805 & 1806
19th c.
Fashioning Philadelphia (American fashion plates!)
Fashion Plates URI HTCC (1799-1890)
La Mode Artistique by Gustave Janet, later 19th c.
Free Patterns
La Mode Illustree PDF Digital Scans, 1860-1920
Single Digitized Historical Documents
Barbara Johnson’s Dress Fabric Album (1746-1823) V&A
Groups, Archives, Virtual Museums and Databases
- The Department Store Museum
- The Fashion and Race Database Project
- Visual Reference Databases for Costumers
- Duke Library Ad Archive, 1911-1955
- Vandamm Theatrical Photographs Archive, 1900-1957
- Photoplay Archive Listings, 1914-1963
- Esquire Archive
- 20th c. Department Store Catalogs 1940-2017 Sears, Montgomery Ward, JC Penney
- 20th c. Dept. Store Christmas Catalogs 1937-1996 Sears, Simpson-Sears, Wards, Eaton’s, Speigel, FAO Schwartz and JC Penney
- Dupont Magazine 1913-1940
- DuPont’s Better Living Magazine 1946-1972
- Larsdatter’s 18th C. Notebook A trove of links to 18th c. primary source images, categorized by garment type.
Fiber/Fabric/Finish Identification
- 1977 EPA Report on the Synthetic Fiber Industry – lists chemical processes, the products that resulted, and the companies involved. Searchable.
- MFA CAMEO Database – This is a textile conservation database, plenty of information on different fiber types.
The Sartorial Sleuth 