The Costume Encyclopedia contains hundreds of costumes/fashions descriptions from Ancient times to present day. Our resources are photos of actual costumes from institutional and private collections, antique photos, images/illustrations from magazines, books, newspapers, and catalogs. Some of these sources contain character costumes for plays, international cultures, songs, poems, books, paintings, operas, etc. Each of these character costumes will contain information such as setting and their various creators.

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The Encyclopedia also covers the business side of the industry with business names during specific periods and sometimes antique advertisements for specific retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and designers for the fashion and textile industries. This compilation has been years in the making, and will continue to grow over the years, because of the vast scope of the Encyclopedia. Our primary goal is to cover the entire fashion/costume/textile industries.

There will be a link provided on the entry "details" when there is an article or enlarged image on The Costume Gallery's Research Library. Those webpages can only be accessed by the Library subscribers or The Gallery's Costume Classroom students. To obtain a Library subscription click HERE.

Disclaimer: This website is being presented as an educational resource of the fashion/costume industries during specific time periods. The Costume Gallery, or its owner, Penny E. Dunlap Ladnier, does NOT sell or make sewing patterns or costumes. If you are looking for someone to make a costume or a pattern, please check with our advertisers in the Designer's Hall OR Product Palace.

All contents of the websites associated with The Costume Gallery Website are protected by copyright laws. Questions??? email HERE.