20th Century Fashion
Research and Shopping Links
20th Century Research
General
101 Objects that made America - collections at the Smithsonian Institute
African Americans in the 1920s to 1940s
More African Americans in the 1920s to 40s
Blue Jeans through the decades
Costume Institute Fashion Plates - fashion images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dynamichrome - colorized historic photos
Immigrant photos - from the Ellis Island Archives
Messy Nessy Chic - Blog of all things 20th century kitsch
New York Fashion - The Cut web magazine, fashion in NYC through the decades
New York Public Library Digital Collection - images in the public domain
The People History - collection of historic information by decade
Retrowaste - online vintage pop culture museum
Vassar College Costume Collection - research projects from students
Vintage Everyday - Blog with photos of life in the 20th Century
Women's Fashion
African American women - 1920s to 1940s
Glass of Fashion - blog covering 20th century fashion
Multiples Modular Clothing - 1980s fashion
The Queen's Fashion - 90 years of Queen Elizabeth I
Suffregist Clothing - a photo history from 1900 to 1920
Menswear
Historical Menswear - blog covering men's clothing through history
Martin Greenfield Suit Factory - custom suits made in Queens
Underwear
Backstage at the Underwear Show, 1940s - photos of 1940s underwear
The Stout Woman - corseting and slimming the larger lady.
Vintage Skivvies - Search pictures and ads in their archives
Research by Decade
1910s
French Street Style 1910 - 1914
1920s
1930s
Beautiful Tomboys of the 1930s - Messy Nessy Chic
1940s
Rurual America in the 1940s - Images from a book of FSA photographs
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
McDonald's Fashions - their 1980s clothing line
New York in the 80s - Images from a book you can purchase
1980s Cheerleaders - catalog images
1990s
1990s Fashion in Photos - Photographer collecting people to compare in fashion groups.
Shopping Links
Clothing
Mod Cloth - vintage and vintage inspired clothes 1920s to 1970s
80s Ts - 1980s T-shirts
Band Ts - Rock n Roll t-shirts back to the 1970s
Doctor Leonard's - Undergarments, shoes, and accessories appropriate for mid-century costume
Vermont Country Store - Carries clothing and accessories from mid-century
Vintage Skivvies - Men's underwear
Accessories
Suspenders Superstore - suspenders!
Eye Buy Direct - carries vintage look glasses with non-prescription lenses.
Fabric
Reproduction Fabrics - cotton prints up to 1950s
Thrift Store
Shop Good Will - a grab bag of second hand clothing available to buy online
Udelco - wholesale vintage clothing store in Hawthorne, NJ
Green Village - vintage store located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
How To
Sewing
Siam Costumes Cutters Guides - download free patterns
1940s Knitting Patterns - from the V&A Museum!
Patterns
Costume Diary - free historical patterns
Curvy Sewing Collective - links to plus size patterns
Knitting Reference Library - free downloadable patterns
Past Patterns - includes 1900 to 1940s
Patterns of Time - includes 1900 to 1950s