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Fashion and Costume in American Popular Culture: A Reference Guide. By Valerie Burnham Oliver. American Popular Culture. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1996. 279p. acid free, $69.50 (ISBN 0-31329412-7; ISSN 0193-6859).
Whether researching blue-jeans construction, the social importance of brand names, or parent clothing preferences for children, this volume will define how to find it. The scope is of a broad nature within American popular culture, and the purpose is to "review the monographic literature with some exceptions, reflecting domestic fashion and costume subjects" (preface). The author is a reference librarian with a "special interest" in costume.
A small and easily handled volume, it is similar in appearance and format to other books in the American Popular Culture series. The volume is arranged into twelve chapters determined by the type of general reference material (i.e., "Dictionaries," "Encyclopedias") or directory covered. Chapters consist of bibliographic essays describing the significance...