Thursday, March 13, 2025

Historical Fashion Online Resource Master List

If you have any links to pages not listed on here or spot any mistakes, please submit them using the message box or ask the Tumblr blog:
https://www.tumblr.com/historic-fashion-resource-guide

If an item has a date range listed, it isn't necessarily how long that item went on for. It just indicates the date range of the parts available online.

Anything in italics are my own comments.

Unless there is any major demand for a larger date range, this list ends at 1930.

    Very minimal search and filtering options.
University of North Texas (UNT)
Vassar College

Non English search functions:
    Exclusively boys clothing. Very short, less like a catalogue and more like an elaborate advertisement.
    Only baby's clothes and women's underwear.
    Dated to 1884 in the metadata, but page 12 says 1897.
    No preview available, you have to download it in order to view it.
    Dated to 1884 in the metadata, despite the front cover saying 1898
H. O'neill and Co (Spring/Summer 1898)
Chicago House Wrecking Company (1899)
T. Eaton Co. (Fall/Winter 1899-1900)
    Incorrectly dated to 1884 in the metadata
    As the title says, it's exclusively menswear.
    Very short, it's only 8 pages long.
    Incorrectly dated to 1888 in the metadata.
    Incorrectly dated to 1884 in the metadata
Montgomery Ward & Co. (Fall/Winter 1926-27)
Montgomery Ward & Co. (Spring/Summer 1927)

Sewing and Pattern Drafting Books

    Uses long s, which looks like an f. 
    Exclusively menswear. 
    From the author of "Keystone Jacket and Dress Cutter".
    Incorrectly dated to 1800 in the metadata. An outside source says it was published in 1886
    From the author of the ever beloved "Keystone Jacket and Dress Cutter". 
The Ladies' Tailor Complete Instructor (1892)
Suggestions for Dressmakers (1896) 
    This was a periodical but I was unable to find any more beyond this one and the winter issue of the same year. I have no clue of how long it ran. Please contact me if you have any more info!
Margaret J. Blair's system of sewing and garment drafting (1904)
    I'll give you this quote from the book so that you know what you're getting into: " Much more necessary is it that our human dwelling be on a sane footing — proper footwear — with carriage such that our organs are correctly poised, that each organ may function as it was created to do; and chest line normal instead of the criminal slouch so commonly adapted by our younger women because it is fashionable, and by more mature women because they have so carelessly neglected posture, while time has been given to dress or accessories."
The New Standard Work on Designing and Pattern-Making of Ladies Tailor-Made Garments (1921)
Designs for Needlework (1910?)
    Includes handwritten note with a date of 1910


Knitting and Crochet Books
 
    Only one page dedicated to knitting and crochet. Still neat though!

Auction Site Archives

Databases, Archives, and Libraries

    This entry may seem odd, but old court records for theft can be surprisingly useful for figuring out the value of goods and what people owned.
    I was unable to access any English version of this page, only French.
    This is under libraries instead of museums because it has no clothing, but it does have many images and manuscripts

Other

Catalogue of E. Butterick & Co's patterns. (1869)
    Guide to beginning a menswear business.
Lord & Taylor Silk Suits (Listed as 1895, looks more like 1880s styles)
    A book of photos of suit styles. Possibly for use by tailors?
    A guide to mid-19th century knitting terminology, needle sizes, and yarns. 


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