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Costume Design I: THTR 2612

Must Have Books!

The Magic Garment by Rebecca Cunningham
Covers a wide range of topics found in costume design, fabrics, getting jobs, etc. A must read!
Survey of Historic Costume by Phyllis G. Tortora; Keith Eubank
An excellent reference book.
Complete Costume History by Francoise Tetart-Vittu, Auguste Racinet
Great classic resource for history of costume design, particularly for non-European settings.
A Pictorial History of Costume : a Survey of Costume of all Periods and Peoples from Antiquity to Modern Times Including National Costume in Europe and Non-European Countries by Wolfgang Bruhn, Max Tilke
A classic history of costume design.
Everyday Dress 1650-1950 by Elizabeth Ewing
Contains some great primary research on the history of clothing.
How to Read a Dress by Lydia Edwards
Contains terrific color photos with explanatory notes of costume through the ages. Covers women's dress only.
The History of Underclothes by Cecil Willett Cunnington; Phillis Cunnington; A. D. Mansfield (Editor); Valerie Mansfield (Editor)
Covers underclothing from the Medieval period through 1939.
Dress and Undress by Elizabeth Ewing
Covers women's underwear from 3000 BCE to 1978.
The Cut of Men's Clothes: 1600-1900 by Norah Waugh
A must for costume designers.
The Cut of Women's Clothes by Norah Waugh
A must for costume designers.
Corsets and Crinolines by Norah Waugh; Judith Dolan (Editor)
A must for costume designers.
The Evolution of Fashion: Pattern and Cut from 1066 and 1930 by Margot Hamilton and Peter A. Bucknell
Contains large illustrations alongside patterns for each costume.
From the Neck Up by Denise Dreher; Beth Sanders (Illustrator); Randall W. Scholes (Illustrator)
Contains patterns and instructions on making hats from throughout history.
Millinery by House of Leko
A helpful book on millinery techniques.
The Golden Thread by Kassia St. Clair
History of how fabrics were developed over time across the world, and how those fabrics influenced politics and history.
The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair
The unforgettable, unknown history of colors and the vivid stories behind them.
Color by Victoria Finlay
Finlay shows where color comes from (from all over the world) that is used to make paint for watercolors.
Fashion Victims by Alison Matthews David
History of how clothing throughout history has caused injury and death to its wearers.
Jane Austen's Wardrobe by Hilary Davidson
Hilary Davidson delves into the clothing of one of the world's great authors, providing unique and intimate insight into her everyday life and material world.
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Just for fun: an "imagined" story of William Shakespeare's son Hamnet, who inspired Hamlet.

Some useful call numbers

Don't know exactly what book you're looking for? Try browsing the collection using these call numbers:

GT500-2370: Costume, Dress, Fashion
NK7300-7600: Jewelry, Gemstones
PN2067-2068: Theatrical Costume and Makeup Design
TT500-650: Dressmaking and Tailoring, Fashion Designers
TT950-979: Hairdressing, Beauty Culture

Last Updated: Aug 5, 2025 4:58 PM
URL: https://guides.temple.edu/thtr2612
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Subjects: Theater

Tags: clothing, costume, fashion