Truth Or Consequences

Here’s a scene that plays out in all my “Researching Costume and Fashion History” classes:

PAB: What’s the number one problem with the Internet?
Pause. Finally someone speaks out tentatively…
Student: You can’t trust everything you read on it?
PAB: Yes! Quality Control!

When I first agreed to do a blog on fashion and design history, with special reference to that fact that everything old is new again, I knew I would have a problem right away. While the Internet is full of material, much of it is commercially-related or new in topic. The simple truth is that authoritative reference sources just haven’t made it online yet, and when new ones are made they may or may not get on the Web. Most historical reference tools and resources are still in book format. The reference publishing industry is pushing more and more titles online, but this is a fairly recent development.

But there really aren’t that many really impeccable sources to link you up with for some of the topics I choose to cover. Heather was right to remind me that Wikipedia isn’t terribly reliable or accurate; I tend to use it as a link, however, because it comes up early in the Google search engine optimization. The fact is that I’ll link you somewhere appropriate when I can, but otherwise you’ll find that I just keep on referring you to good old-fashioned books.

My correspondent Heather Vaughan turns out to a fashion historian, at www.fashionhistorian.net and she reports that she usually does a Wednesday post in the blog www.wornthrough.com. Check out her commentaries for another perspective on fashion issues.

And speaking of books, one of the best reference sets we have is found at the Art Reading Room (Room 300) desk: Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Now, if only tools like this would be put online as soon as they’re published. Sigh.