Online Newspaper Databases
See Online Newspapers for a list of databases that offer full-text current and historical newspapers.
Sears Catalogs
- Ancestry Library Edition This link opens in a new windowWhen entering the Ancestry Library Edition database, click the link labeled All Databases. This is the last link under More Collections. Type Sears. Choose Historic Catalogs of Sears, Roebuck and Co., 1896-1993.
Godey's Lady's Book
- Godey's Ladys Book This link opens in a new windowGodey’s Lady’s Book was first published in 1830 and quickly became the first successful American journal for women. This digitized and searchable database of the magazine allows full-text retrieval and includes hand-colored fashion plates and illustrations. Coverage: 1830-1898.
What is a NAICS code?
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), pronounced Nakes, was developed by federal agencies to use when classifying business establishments for the collection, analysis, and publication of statistical data.
Use the NAICS Search box to find NAICS codes by keyword (left-hand side) and further information.
Example of NAICS for Apparel Industries are:
448120, Women's Clothing Stores
448150, Clothing Accessories Stores
448140, Family Clothing Stores
448190, Specialized Apparel Stores (bridal gowns, raincoats, leather coats, fur apparel, and swimwear)
General Fashion Resources
- Berg Fashion Library This link opens in a new windowThe Berg Fashion Library provides journal articles, an encyclopedia, color images from museum costume collections, and e-books on world dress and fashion throughout history.
- Black Beauty ArchivesPreserves and documents the history of black beauty culture. Black Beauty Archives acquires and preserves physical materials including beauty tools, cosmetics, advertisements, photographs, memorabilia, apparel and more.
- Bloomsbury Fashion Business Cases This link opens in a new windowReal-world cases on challenges facing the business of fashion, tackling issues such as sustainability, technology, ethics, and leadership.
- EDITED This link opens in a new windowEDITED is a market analysis tool that allows users to access a wide range of reports related to fashion marketing and merchandising. Log in with UDelNet ID and password to access the database.
- FIT Fashion History TimelineAn open-access source for fashion history knowledge, featuring objects and artworks from over a hundred museums and libraries that span the globe, created by FIT.
- Vogue ArchiveThe Vogue Archive doubles as a database and e-journal, but is only accessible from the UD Library E-Journals page. The colorful collection of issues (1892-) is great resource for fashion researchers.
- The Fashion and Race DatabaseCollection of resources focused on amplifying BIPOC perspectives and voices in the study of fashion.
Resources for Design
- WGSN Fashion This link opens in a new windowWGSN provides fashion industry forecasting and analysis. The database includes facts, figures and photos from around the world including creative inspiration, real-time retail coverage, seasonal trend analysis, consumer research and business information.
- CoolorsColor schemes generator which includes web version and Adobe and Chrome extensions.
- Fashion Snoops - newsletter sign upSign up to receive free excerpts from site content (please note - the rest of the site is not free)
- The Fitting RoomThis augmented reality resource combines the digital collections of the Fashion Institute of Technology Library’s Special Collections and College Archives (SPARC Digital) and the Zappar augmented reality platform. Users can “try on” fashion accessories from original fashion sketches that are part of the SPARC Digital collections.
- Pattern BankA blog with inspirational images focused on patterns.
- Pattern CuratorVisual concept boards collecting color, prints and patterns for inspiration.
- TinEye LabsImage search and recognition tools.
Find Articles on Fashion Merchandising
- General OneFile: Business This link opens in a new windowProvides indexing and abstracting of more than 900 periodicals and full text for 460 titles
- Business Source Premier This link opens in a new windowBusiness Source Premier provides full text for more than 2,300 business journals.
- ABI/INFORM This link opens in a new windowSearch for articles related to business and finance. This is a good source of information on the apparel industry.
- Academic OneFile This link opens in a new windowThis popular database contains hundreds of full-text articles on a wide variety of subjects, including fashion merchandising. Includes WWD from Jan 3, 1983 to the present.
- Expanded Academic ASAP This link opens in a new windowCitations, with abstracts, to articles in scholarly and general interest periodicals, with some full text
- Nexis Uni This link opens in a new windowAccess full-text articles from newspapers from around the world.
Find Company and Industry Information
- Business Insights: Global This link opens in a new windowBusiness Insights: Essentials provides company and industry intelligence on thousands of global companies. It includes periodical articles, news articles, and press releases; investment reports; corporate chronologies and company histories; brands and product information; industry and company rankings; financial overviews; industry overviews; and HR law case digests.Search by company name or ticker symbol, industry code/description (SIC or NAICS), subjects in article, geographic search, or personal name. Searches can be limited by journal name, date range, or content area.
- EDGAR Database of Corporate Information This link opens in a new windowA free site that offers company annual reports, 10Ks, and 10Qs filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Euromonitor Passport This link opens in a new windowA global market research database providing statistics, analysis, reports, surveys and breaking news on industries, countries and consumers worldwide.
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new windowMergent Online is a comprehensive and authoritative suite of information resources that enables in-depth business and financial research. The database includes U.S. and international company data, annual reports and archives; D&B Million Dollar directory information and stock; and up to 30 years of historical stock pricing.
- IBISWorld Industry Reports This link opens in a new windowOver 700 industry reports covering 98% of US economy at 5-digit NAICS code level. Trends, statistics, and analysis on market size, market share of competitors, and industry growth rates.
- Marketscope Advisor This link opens in a new windowProvides investment research and commentary from Standard and Poor's. Click on Industry Surveys and then on Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods for industry trends, industry analysis, comparative company analysis, and more.
- Value Line Research Center This link opens in a new windowValue Line Research Center provides company and industry information for individual investors, portfolio managers, corporate finance professionals and academic institutions.
Textile and Apparel Trade and Sourcing
- EurostatProvides detailed merchandise trade data of EU members based on the HS codes or NACE codes.
- Global and Apparel Trade and Sourcing (FASH455)Provides regular updates of the patterns of U.S. and global apparel trade and sourcing, trade and sourcing related statistics, and apparel trade policy analysis.
- OECD Trade in Value Added DatabaseProvides trade in value added indicators for 64 economies including all OECD, EU28 and G20 countries, most East and South-east Asian economies and a selection of South American countries.
- Office of Textile and ApparelProvides detailed monthly and yearly U.S. textile and apparel import and export trade data and information about the utilization of U.S.-based free trade agreements and trade preference programs.
- Trade MapProvides indicators on export performance, international demand, alternative markets, and competitive markets, as well as a directory of importing and exporting companies for over 5,300 products from 220 countries.
- U.S. International Trade Commission Interactive Trade DatabaseProvides U.S. merchandise trade and tariff data from 1989 to the present. The data are available on a monthly, quarterly, annual, or year-to-date basis.
- UNComtradeProvides United Nations global trade data. Allows users to visualize huge volumes of data and metadata, cutting-edge data extraction tools, and alternative dissemination platforms.
- US Census Retail TradeProvides monthly, quarterly, and annual US retail trade data by NAICS code (including clothing stores) from 1982 to present
- World Trade Organization Tariff DatabaseProvides detailed tariff information (bound, and applied) for all WTO members based on HS codes.
Sustainability in Fashion
- Better BuyingA ratings platform that encourages buyers to adhere to contractual agreements and prevent risk to suppliers therefore encouraging safer factory working conditions.
- Center for Excellence in Universal DesignCEUD was established by Ireland's National Disability Authority with the goal of enabling people to participate in a society that takes into account human difference.
- Conscious ChatterPodcast hosted by Kestrel Jenkins with conversations about clothing, meaning and the impact of what we wear.
- Design for LongevityEU platform created by the Global Fashion Agenda sharing news, information and ideas to drive suitability throughout the life cycle of clothing.
- Ethical Trading InitiativeAlliance of companies, unions and NGOs to promote respect for worker's rights globally. View list of members and find information shared with and by member orgs.
- Fashion RevolutionUK non-profit organized to achieve change in the fashion industry. Includes a blog and links to educational resources.
- Global Goods PartnersAn organization connecting consumers to products handmade by women around the world.
- Higg IndexA suite of tools that enables brands, retailers, and facilities of all sizes to accurately measure and score a company or product’s sustainability performance.
- KnowTheChainResources for buyers and investors to learn the impact of forced labor on each section of the supply chain. Includes company and industry reports.
- UN Sustainable Development GoalsInformation on the 17 goals developed by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Find Articles on Humanities and Social Sciences
- Academic OneFile This link opens in a new windowThis is a database of more than 8,000 journals covering a wide range of subjects. Content includes podcasts and transcripts from NPR, CNN, and the CBC, as well as full-text New York Times articles from 1995 to the present.
- Art Abstracts/Art Index Retrospective This link opens in a new windowTwo art indexes offer citations and abstracts to articles in periodicals, yearbooks and museum bulletins related to art history and design.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowDigital library of more than 2,000 journals and more than 25,000 books in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
- PsycINFO This link opens in a new windowCitations and abstracts of the professional and academic literature in psychology and related disciplines.
- SAGE Research Methods This link opens in a new windowFull access to SAGE books, journal articles, reference works, case studies, sample datasets and videos about designing and conducting a research project, specific research methods, performing a literature review and writing about research results.
- Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new windowSociological Abstracts provides access to the world's literature in sociology and related disciplines.
Find Fashion Designer Biographies
- Biography and Genealogy Master Index This link opens in a new windowBGMI lists sources to consult for biographical information. For best results, type the last name first [last name, first name].
- Biography in Context This link opens in a new windowBiography in Context contains full-text biographical information.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowSimultaneously search a collection of online encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference books that cover a wide range of topics.