Begin with observation
Describe fibre, seams, wear, mending, alterations and replacement parts before interpreting them. Physical traces can show what happened, but not motive on their own.
Add photographs and dates
Cross-check wear photographs, venue records, newspapers, letters and donor testimony. Identify the same garment through several details—motif placement, fastenings, length or damage.
Separate fact from reading
‘There is a repair’ is observation; ‘it was cherished’ is interpretation. This index labels confirmed observation, period context and editorial reading separately.
Sources behind this article
External sites open in a new tab as evidence, not as a substitute for this article.
V&A — Fashion collection (opens in a new tab)Museum at FIT — Fashion Unraveled (opens in a new tab)Museum at FIT — Fashion & Politics (opens in a new tab)