Skip to Main Content

Costume and Fashion History

Image Databases

Ad Access (Duke University Libraries)

Costume Collection at the Museum of the Fashion Institute of America
Garments and accessories from the the 18th century to the present.

The Costume Gallery

The Costume Page: Costuming Resources Online

Digital Dress Collection, 1715-1992
This collection contains images of clothing worn in Michigan during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, offering insight into Michigan life and society..

The Fashion Era

Fashion History Timeline

Fashion Plates (Los Angeles Public Library)
Over 6,2000 fashion illustrations produced between  1780-1880 for British and American fashion magazines. .

Fashion Plate Collection (University of Washington Libraries)
Many of these plates are from some of the leading French, British, American, and other continental fashion journals of the 19th century and early 20th century: Belle Assemblée; Le Bon Ton; Le Follet, Courrier des Salons; Journal des Dames and des Modes; Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine, and others.

Fashion Plates Digital Collection (Iowa State University library)
The collection contains plates of fashion dating back to the 18th century to the 20th century.

Life Magazine Photo Archive

Smithsonian Museum American History Costume Collection

Vogue Archive
From the first issue in 1892 to the current month, reproduced in high-resolution color page images.

ARTstor

Artstor Search Guide
This handout highlights Artstor content related to fashion and costume, including images of historical fashion, costumes, designers and search terms.

ARTstor across the Disciplines