Editorial desk · Practical notes

Describe a garment before assigning a date

Begin with visible features: silhouette, fastening, seams, trim and fabric appearance. Write what the image or object actually shows.

Record the source and any date supplied with it. Distinguish the date of a photograph from the possible age of the garment being worn.

Use several reliable references before proposing a period. Reproductions, alterations and clothing worn for many years can complicate a first impression.