Derivation of the Elements
Zeng (1999) explored the application of several metadata standards to a collection of historic costume, and found that the VRA core was the most appropriate standard for costume. Indeed, many elements in the Costume Core are taken directly from the existing element sets of the Visual Resources Association (VRA Core 4.0), the Getty Foundation’s Categories for the Description of Works of Art (CDWALite), and the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DC). Yet, many new elements were created to provide richer metadata that is specific to the description of clothing artifacts (shown in bold below). Some of the new elements could have been covered by existing elements with sophisticated cataloging, but by making them discrete new elements it hopefully will be easier for catalogers to include all such elements. For example, many specific measurements are new elements: they could have been covered by multiple repeats of the element, using different and attributes, but by indicating them separately it makes it easier for the catalog to cover all such measurements.
Element Definitions (listed alphabetically) – Full details and examples for each element are presented in alphabetical order in this user guide. Similarly, the XML schema document lists the elements in alphabetical order, and includes annotations with a brief definition for each element or set of elements.
Blank Cataloging Worksheet
for hands-on examination of costume objects