Research Links: Historical Clothing

This afternoon I'm doing research to prepare for my first day working with the historical clothing collections at PSU. Here are a few websites that have been inspiring to my professor, Suzie, as she began this project:

1. Univeristy of Virginia Collection of Historic Dress
2. Kent State University Museum: Bissonnette on Costume
3. Shippensburg University Fashion Archives and Museum

Other Collection Examples I've Found:
1. Cornell Costume and Textile Collection
2. Musee McCord Museum



How to Catalog and Care For Textiles:
1. Vintage Textile
2. "The Study of Dress History" by Lou Taylor Google Books
3. Victoria & Albert Museum Care for Textiles
4. Kent State Care of Textiles



Interesting sites I've run across:
1. Ages of Elegance - Repro Clothing
2. CoStar Vintage Clothing and Costume Archive

Notes:
1. Storing Textiles: Costumes that are in Robust condition can be hung on a padded hanger. Do not hang costumes with heavy beading, bias cut, or knitted. Tape loops can be sewn into the sides of a skirt to hang it from the hanger. If a dress is very long, the skirt can be hung over the padded bar of a second hanger, and the entire garment placed into a cotton lawn bag. Space is needed between each garment when hung to keep it from being misshapen. Garments can also be hung in calico bags.

Kent State says: Refrain from washing historical garments. If it is musty smelling, air it out. If it is dusty, vacuum it (using the prescribed technique). Do not wash printed cottons - dyes of the past often have fugitive dyes.

Keep steaming and ironing to a minimum, it accelerates the deterioration of textiles.

Gowns with sheer, lacy, or beaded fabrics, bias cut sections, heavy skirts or trains should be stored horizontally because of gravitational strain if hung vertically.

Hanger padded with polyester padding and covered with unwashed, undyed and unbleached muslin. Cotton muslin can be used for garment covers as well.

When storing in a box. Line the box with undyed and unwashed cotton muslin that can be used as a sling to pick up and transport the garment while examining.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORICAL CLOTHING:::

19th Century Women's Fashion Game