fashion clothes

This guide represents a selection of the many resources in the Library of Congress that may be useful for the study of the business aspects of fashion. It includes all aspects of fashion - clothes, shoes, bags, accessories. It also includes suggested subject headings which interested researchers may select to link directly to our online catalog in order to search for additional materials on this topic.

Also, since keeping up with the fast pace of change is an ongoing process in the "here today, gone tomorrow" fashion industry, we have have included a number of related external resources. Using traditional trade literature and web portals, as well as reports from research groups is essential as a way to find the more general articles and reports but it may be even more important to find reports and articles that look at a particular segment, niche market, situation, or trend so we have included a few links to various web sites that may also be of interest.

winter collection

A Few Things to Consider

The fashion industry encompass many different smaller and more niche industries. Often people think of it as just retail/online stores, design houses and brands, and fashion magazines. However, there are other craftspeople and industries in the manufacturing of clothes. Most obviously, there are those that make and sell fabric and notions, but there are also flower makers, embroiders, seamstresses/tailors, and many others. When it comes to fashion shows and fashion marketing there are models, stylists, hair stylists, make-up artists, model agents, photographers, and a host of other non-fashion business that all make up a larger fashion eco-system.

Like a lot of industries particularly those that are consumer focused, change happens fast and constantly. The industry and the consumer is constantly evolving. Fashion retailing is no longer just large fashion houses, fashion magazines, and retail stores/catalogs but evolved first with TV channels that sold many goods including fashion, and then with the Internet and online retailing.

The rise of the Internet has impacted all parts of the fashion industry, not just the selling end of the industry. It has a role in supply chains, advertising, communications, brand awareness, etc. and blurred the line between business and consumer. Social media channels have not just become important to the selling of fashion but also as part of forecasting and determining future trends. Bloggers and other influencers may help sell products, but can also be used by "Fashion Forecasters" looking for what's next by looking at Instagram, other social media channels, and street-style blogs.