For all my fashion lovers!!!
If you love history & fashion as much as I do, then I know you are always looking for different sources and ways to find out more about different time periods and how people lived & dressed. There are so many websites and books out these days, that give an array of historians' perspectives on fashion and how people use fashion to tell a story in time. So as a self proclaimed costume history junkie, I am going to provide you with my top 5 costume history finds:
1.) If you are a millennial, you know all about the current craze surrounding podcasts. It is the ultimate escape. You can put you headphones on and tune in to just about any subject or genre you can think of. One of my fashion podcast is Dressed: The History of Fashion. The hosts are fashion historians Cassidy Zachary and April Calahan. It is not just a history rundown but an exploration into a garment, culture/ customs, designer, political influence, etc. The episodes are just long enough to pique your interest and give you something to learn or research later.
2.) Next up, BOOKS! There are so many amazing fashion history books. One of the first costume history books I purchased in grad school was for my costume history course. It was a grueling 2 semester course that started from the first historical moment of dress to modern day. The class was terrible but the textbook was a staple. I still refer to it today. It is The Costume History Auguste Racinet It has great costume illustrations that really gives an overview of each time period. If you are looking for pretty pictures this isn't the book for you but it is a great resource for fashion historians and costume designers. Also, you can never have too many books.
3.) Youtube is the new tv. One of my favorite fashion history based channels is- Eternal Goddess. She talks all about current fashion and how it relates to fashion history, costume design in pop culture and film, and fashion in pop culture. She also has a great way of making history entertaining. I really enjoy her channel however I often wonder how accurate it is. So this is one to fact check.
4.) Next up, fashion based group travel trips. This is one of my favorites. It has been so long since I travelled but my last trip was a British Costume Collections Study Trip with Arts University Bournemouth in the UK. We travelled to various private and public collections of 16th-18th century garments throughout southern England. We ended the trip in London at the V & A collection. I got to see a private collection of Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria's gowns. Furthermore, I went to one of my favorite fashion exhibits, Balenciaga. It was breath taking. I also attended the Princess Diana collection at Kensington Palace. This is just a few of the things I did. It was an amazing trip that if I went alone I would not even known many of those opportunities existed. So when we are able to really travel again jump on these study trips.
5.) Last but not least, costume based conferences and lectures. I am always learning and growing in this business. Even when I think I know just about everything, I learn something I did not know. Meeting fashion historians, attending lectures, reading academic fashion journals are all apart of growing and evolving. I love surrounding myself with like minded people, who have something to bring to the table. Also, these events are great for networking and finding more opportunities.