Fashion and Costume in American Popular Culture: A Reference Guide

(Hardback)

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Description

Providing a convenient and unique look at fashion and costume literature and how it has developed historically, this volume discusses monographic and reference literature and provides information on periodicals, research centers, and costume museums and collections. It also provides a new way of looking at the literature through a database of 58 Library of Congress subject headings. It covers topics from jeans to wedding dresses and features popular examples of how clothing is used and reflected in our culture through the literature discussed. Of interest to scholars, students, and anyone curious about the unique power clothing holds in our lives. Various types of reference sources are discussed including other guides to the literature, encyclopedia, dictionaries, biographical dictionaries, specialized bibliographies, and indexing and abstracting services. Electronic CD-ROM and online databases equivalents are included in the presentation of indexing and abstracting services with major networks such as OCLC, RLIN, Lexis/Nexis, and Dialog mentioned as well. In addition a list of 123 research centers, mainly libraries, is provided and arranged geographically by state, some 176 costume museums and collections of costumes located at colleges and universities are listed alphabetically, and a list of 278 periodicals on fashion, costume, clothing and related topics is provided. A database of some 58 clothing and accessory subject headings is analyzed in the Worldcat database with the literature of the top ten specific clothing and accessory subject terms limited to media publication format are covered. Additionally, histories of costume and fashion in the U.S. and works which concentrate on psychological, sociological or cultural aspects are outlined. An appendix, including the clothing and accessory database, and author and subject indexes conclude the volume.

Reviews

"I strongly recommend Fashion and Costume in American Popular Culture: A Reference Guide for use in the academic settings by faculty in guiding undergraduate and graduate research projects....The overall organization of the reference book insures a comprehensive documentation of a research topic."-Catherine A. Cerny Assistant Professor, Department of Clothing and Textiles Virginia Tech
.,."Oliver's book is recommended for costume and fashion collections in a genre that has a dearth of substantial bibliographies."-Choice
...Oliver's book is recommended for costume and fashion collections in a genre that has a dearth of substantial bibliographies.-Choice
[The] range of sources is enormous and varies from the scholarly to the mudane....The depth of sources is also impressive....With the increasing scholarly interest in history from the bottom up and in women's issues, this bibliography...is a significant contribution to an important field.- College & Research Libraries
The study of costume can present a challenge due to its interdisciplinary nature and the lack of adequate, current bibliographies. Any new entry in this area is certain to be welcomed. This guide consists of a series of bibliographic essays, with a list of complete citations for the items discussed at the end of each section. Chapters are primarily organized about a type of resource...There are valuable lists of research centers (primarily libraries), museums, and fashion periodicals (current and historical)...much material of value is assembled here. We are reminded of the wide range of materials useful for costumes research, from specialized monographs to Tony Lama cowboy-boot catalogs and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Material here documents many aspects of popular culture, from the vintage-clothing craze to the recent trend of underwear becoming outerwear.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"The range of sources is enormous and varies from the scholarly to the mudane....The depth of sources is also impressive....With the increasing scholarly interest in history from the bottom up and in women's issues, this bibliography...is a significant contribution to an important field."- College & Research Libraries
..."Oliver's book is recommended for costume and fashion collections in a genre that has a dearth of substantial bibliographies."-Choice
"[The] range of sources is enormous and varies from the scholarly to the mudane....The depth of sources is also impressive....With the increasing scholarly interest in history from the bottom up and in women's issues, this bibliography...is a significant contribution to an important field."- College & Research Libraries
"The study of costume can present a challenge due to its interdisciplinary nature and the lack of adequate, current bibliographies. Any new entry in this area is certain to be welcomed. This guide consists of a series of bibliographic essays, with a list of complete citations for the items discussed at the end of each section. Chapters are primarily organized about a type of resource...There are valuable lists of research centers (primarily libraries), museums, and fashion periodicals (current and historical)...much material of value is assembled here. We are reminded of the wide range of materials useful for costumes research, from specialized monographs to Tony Lama cowboy-boot catalogs and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Material here documents many aspects of popular culture, from the vintage-clothing craze to the recent trend of underwear becoming outerwear."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

Author Bio

VALERIE BURNHAM OLIVER is a Reference Librarian and Liaison to the School of Engineering and Mathematical Department at the Homer Babbidge Library, The University of Connecticut. She developed a special interest in both costume and textile literature and is a long-time member of the Costume Society of America. Her background in mathematics influenced the analytical approach she brings to the compilation of this work.