(A McCalls pattern from 1915. Image from NYPL Digital Gallery.)

A few weeks ago I took one of NYPL’s free research classes on costume and fashion history. I was curious to learn how the library could help me to find ideas for mid-20th century dress patterns, and I was pleased to learn how, and more. Taught by curator Paula Baxter, the class covered how to mine The Library Catalog for this subject, what the best basic references and histories are, and what online tools are the most useful. If this subject interests you but you can’t get to her next class (it’s on Oct. 17th at 12:30pm), take a peek at Paula’s online research guide to this subject. Her class was based upon all that’s contained in it. She’s an expert and has plenty of good advice.

As for me, I learned my research topic falls in the scholarly realm of costume history (a mode of dress of a specific time period and place), not fashion history (a term most often referring to the development of haute couture and specific designers). Home sewing magazines from the fifties and sixties will be the best place for me to begin my search. I’m going to order up copies of Vogue Pattern Book and McCall’s, and start browsing.