Scholarly Writing: Primary Sources

Sketch by Madame Gres for Bergdorff Goodman, from FIT Special Collections

In light of my recent Midterm assignments and spring break hiatus, I think it's appropriate to dedicate this post to scholarly writing for fashion studies. It's also a personal reminder that I have two research papers due at the end of May...oops.

Once you've developed your thesis, finding evidence to support your claims is necessary. You may have a brief list of titles or inspirations used to define your topic, but most research papers typically benefit from bibliographies of five pages or more. Seem like a lot? You'd be surprised how much you can find.

PRIMARY SOURCES
The easiest way to define a primary source is to figure out the context from which it was written. Is it in first person? Does its words or construction define a time period? Is it a commentary or written from a modern viewpoint?

Examples pertinent to the field of fashion studies include:

• Tangible objects - fashion scholars have the advantage of studying surviving objects in order to support their research in a way that, say, a war historian or a medical anthropologist can not. Looking closely at the cut and construction of an object, analyzing its materials, and researching any distinguishing stamps or labels provides excellent evidence for our field.
  
• Photographs - these provide pictorial evidence of garments and accessories as they were meant to be worn. We visually see how a dress falls on the body, the kind of event it would have been worn at, and what types of people it was worn by. They can also be helpful with dating - other objects featured provide clues. Photograph technology - daguerreotypes, Polaroids, glossy, etc. - help narrow down time-frames as well.
  
• Sketches and Fashion Plates - A sketch or fashion plate can reveal oodles of information. If you are lucky, you'll find a signature of the illustrator, a date, the name of the object, technical notes, etc. Fashion plates, the precursor of fashion magazines, are abundant in many collections. Although human features are often exaggerated, they provide insight as to what was fashionable at the time.
  
• Newspaper and Magazine Articles - these usually have dates attached to them. Useful for charting the progress of designers, style changes and important events in fashion history.
  
• Advertisements - ads are great for placing research contextually. Trends, constructions and designs can be dated if they are found within newspapers, magazines, even commercials. You can tell by an ad what kind of audience it is trying to reach, what companies were producing certain styles and who endorsed them.
  
• Historic Documents - these are most useful for scholars interested in pre-modern dress (when actual objects are scarce and photographic evidence does not exist). Many personal accounts, such as Antoine Furetière's descriptions of 17th century court dress in Dictionnaire Universel, help historians and theorists "visualize" clothing and accessories. (Click to expand post)
  

BE WARY OF THESE PRIMARY SOURCES:

• Paintings - although they are the "photographs of the past," paintings are not always historically accurate. This is especially true for commissioned paintings, where the artist was at the mercy of the patron's requests. Many portraits, for example, depict elaborately rendered textile patterns that may have never existed (ie: the portrait of Eleonara di Toledo and her son, painted by Bronzino, features a dress fabric that was probably inspired by a panel or curtain).
• Diaries/Autobiographies - while these provide wonderful personal insights into the minds of, say, fashion designers and enthusiasts, they have the problem of being biased and/or exaggerated. Personal quotations are better sought out from newspapers or magazines to ensure accuracy of statements and opinions.
  
• Film - some people use movies to study costume, but documentaries because feature real-life representations of how clothing sits on a body, and how it is used in action. Films can be tricky; costumes can be exaggerated or designed with an artistic "vision" in mind. Some costumes are also used based upon what will work for the film, as opposed to what is actually fashionable or regularly worn. Also keep in mind, a film released in 1961 does not necessarily represent 1961 fashions - larger gaps may exist between film production and when it's released to the public.
• Novels, poems and songs - although generally fictional, inspiration for these works are can be drawn from feelings for or during a certain time period. However, the way in which an author, poet or song writer uses aesthetic imagery may be allegorical or used to emphasize character qualities, not illustrating what might have actually be worn in the time and place of the literary work. Some descriptions of dress and fashion are sensory and help readers visualize how a garment or accessory would sound, feel, smell, but scholars should always proceed with caution when using them to support a thesis.

PRIMARY SOURCE LOCATIONS:

• Museums - most (if not all) museums have some kind of costume or textile collection. If you'd like to look at a garment or accessory up-close, make an appointment. Most museum staff members are happy to accommodate these requests and provide any other information you may need.
  
• Archives - Photographs, documents, sketches and advertisements (basically anything paper-based) can be found within the archives of a museum, company or private collection. These too are usually appointment-based, however more and more institutions are willing to scan items and send them via email if you know exactly what you are looking for.
• Libraries - many museum, university and local library collections can be accessed by the public. Places like the Library of Congress or the New York Public Library have facsimiles of rare books, manuscripts and scholarly publications that may aid in your research.
  
• Historic/Personal interest societies - members of these are knowledgeable about their specific topics. You'd be surprised how willing they are to help out! For example, a film society may point you in the right direction when in search of documentaries featuring daywear from the 1950s. An easy internet search will bring up this information.

The Ohio State University's History program has compiled a list of institutions with significant costume and textile collections. I suggest bookmarking it for future reference!