Fashion, Textiles and Clothing

Finding Books in the Library:

The MCC Library collections include a variety of books and reference works on textiles. To locate books on your topic, click on the link below to search the Library Catalog:

MCC Library Catalog

Search tips:

• Try a variety of search terms but don't get too specific on what you are searching.
  • For example: wool or cashmere
• If you are not finding what you need within the MCC Libraries, expand your search to include all libraries within the Maricopa Community Colleges - see below:

You can request books from other colleges and have them sent to MCC. Look for the blue "Place Hold" button within the book record!   

Finding eBooks:

The MCC Libraries subscribe to multiple ebook resources. Ebooks are electronic books that are accessible online 24 hours a day so you don't even have to visit the library to access them! The following eBook resources are two great options for researching textiles:

EBSCO eBook Collection - Over 100,000 books are available covering almost every topic/discipline with thousands of titles that focus on fashion, clothing, and textiles. 

Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) - GVRL is a great resource for gathering background information. Available encyclopedias include specific works by culture, religion, and geographic regions. Included in GVRL is full-text access to the encyclopedia entitled: Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear Through the Ages.

Search tips:

• As with searching the library catalog for books, keep your search terms simple.
  • For example: Islam and clothing 
• Look for the citation tools within these eBook resources - a citation will automatically be generated for you which you can incorporate into your Bibliography!

The following are recommended Library Databases to help you specifically gather information on textiles:

WGSN - search for reports and images on future, current and archived fashion trends. Look for the magnifying glass to perform a specific search on words or phrases or use the menu options for Women, Men, Youth, Kids, or All Markets to browse reports.

Bloomsbury Fashion Central/Berg Fashion Library - this is your one-stop fashion resource! The Berg Fashion Library includes a variety of fashion resources including encyclopedias, books, images, ready reference and journal articles. There are multiple options for searching the Berg Fashion Library: perform a general search using the search box at the top of the page or browse by "Textiles, Materials, and Colors". 

Academic OneFile - access a variety of articles from magazines and journals regarding all areas of fashion, culture, and people. 

Academic Search Premier - access a variety of articles from magazines and journals regarding all areas of fashion, culture and people. 

Business Source Premier - access industry reports on Textiles by geographic region. Also indexes several leading fashion trade publications WWD, Apparel Magazine, and International Journal of Consumer Studies.

History Reference Center - provides full-text access to Textile History, an academic journal concerned with the history of textiles in all their aspects: economic, social and technological. 

To view all Library Databases available through the MCC Libraries, visit MCCs Library eResources

Google is a great resource for locating general information and images. Two things to keep in mind when using Google:

1. Carefully evaluate the sources you encounter for credibility and authority.

2. The better your search strategy, the better results you'll retrieve! Choose your search terms wisely and make use of advanced search strategies. 

For example:   (Hijab or veil or headscarf) and Muslim women

One of the most important parts of the research process is to document where you got your information from by providing a bibliography of the sources you used. Always give credit to the originator whether it is a scholarly journal article you found in a library database or an image you found through a Google search. 

Almost every library database will provide a citation for the resource you are using - look for the citation tool within the document record.

MLA Style is the preferred format to use in humanities, literature and the arts. Here are a few resources that will help you create a bibliography for your Cultural Dress Project:

In Print:

The library has multiple copies of the MLA Handbook at the second floor reference desk:

Online:

You can also use the following online resources for help:

MCC Library MLA Citation Guide

Purdue's OWL MLA Formatting and Style Guide