We have always had a small but interesting collection of books about clothes, costume and body adornment.
Books you can check out:
391 COSGRAV The complete history of costume & fashion : from ancient Egypt to the present day by Bronwyn Cosgrave - A popular book, this was just returned. Mostly illustrations, a picture book for adults.
391 LEE Fashion victim : our love-hate relationship with dressing, shopping, and the cost of style, Michelle Lee
391.008 THOMAS Soulstyle : black women redefining the color of fashion, Duane Thomas
391.1 HOLLAND Sex and suits, Anne Hollander
391.5 SIMON Hair : public, political, extremely personal, Diane Simon
391.6 WEINBER Henna from head to toe Norma Pasekoff Weinberg, illustrated by Catherine Cartwright-Jones.
391.5 ILYIN Blonde like me : the roots of the blonde myth in our culture Natalia Ilyin
391 FUSSELL Uniforms : why we are what we wear Paul Fussell.
This is just a sample. Come in and browse through the Dewey 391s for more, looking through some of the older gems that are in dull covers.
Reference:
Our major resource is the three volume, and recent (2005) Encyclopedia of clothing and fashion. This is worth an hour or two of sampling in the relatively quiet reference room.
And take a look at:
R 391.009 PEACOCK 20th-century fashion : the complete sourcebook / John Peacock ; with a preface by Christian Lacroix ; 1100 detailed original drawings in color. Great name for the author, no?
R 391.09 G674 What people wore; a visual history of dress from ancient times to twentieth-century America, written and illustrated by Douglas Gorsline.
R 391.509 SHERROW Encyclopedia of hair : a cultural history by Victoria Sherrow.
R 391 N972 Fashion in costume, 1200-1980 by Joan Nunn