Fashion Technology: Reference Books

While there are costume and fashion dictionaries tied to specific countries or periods, none have been comprehensive. In The Complete Costume Dictionary, Elizabeth Lewandowski has collected from a variety of sources including costume history texts, journal articles, historical publications, autobiographies, biographies, foreign language dictionaries, and contemporary publications to create a resource that spans the globe, from the earliest record of fashion to the 21st century.

- What is an earthquake gown? - Who wore eelskin masher trousers? - What did the word "dudes" mean in the 16th century? A Dictionary of English Costume by C. Willett Cunnington, Phillis Cunnington and Charles Beard was originally published in 1960. A monumental achievement and encyclopaedic in scope, it was a comprehensive catalogue of fashion terms from the mid-medieval period up to 1900.

Published in the summer of 2010 in both print and online, the 10-volume Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion is the first comprehensive reference work to explore all aspects of dress and fashion globally - from pre-history to the present day. Arranged geographically and written by an international team of experts, the Encyclopedia will serve as the go-to source for all issues relating the art and anthropology of costume, dress, and fashion the world over for students, scholars, members of the design and fashion industries, and fashion aficionados for years to come.

The St. James Fashion Encyclopedia is sure to please students and fashion devotees with well-organized and information-intensive essays (complete with biographical facts) on more than 200 designers, providing a more reliable critical measure and a larger perspective than previously available.

This indispensable revised edition captures the energy, drama, and excitement of the luminaries who make up the world of fashion.

This handsomely illustrated volume examines fifty of the most influential fashion designers of the past 100 years. Each designer's most significant creations are illustrated and discussed in light of how they survived the test of time, and then went on to influence fashion to the present day.