Mary Brooks Picken was an influential American author of numerous books on needlework, sewing, and textile arts. Born in Aug. 6 1886, she founded the Women's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences in Scranton, PA. A fashion expert and author, Picken was an authority on dress, fabric, design, and sewing. She taught "Economics of Fashion" at Columbia University and was one of the five founding directors of the Costume Institute. She was the first woman to be named a trustee of the Fashion Institute of Technology.
She was a member of the National Academy of Sciences National Research Council Advisory Committee on Women's Clothing that selected Hattie Carnegie as the designer of the United States Army's women's uniform and provided advice and assistance on all elements of the women's uniform beginning in 1949.
Picken was a founder of the Fashion Group and served as its Chairman of the Board.
She was Married to G. Lynn Sumner, who was President of the advertising firm of G. Lynn Sumner Co. of N.Y.
Among her ninety-six books on sewing and fashion, Picken is notable for being the first female author of a dictionary in the English language (The Fashion Dictionary, 1957.)
Millinery Stitches, Department of Millinery, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Skeleton Foundations, Parts 1 & 2, No. 102 A & B, Department of Millinery, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Solid Foundations, Parts 1 & 2, No. 103 A & B, Department of Millinery, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Braid Hats, No. 104, Department of Millinery, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Piece-Goods Hats, No. 105, Department of Millinery, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Essential Stitches and Seams, Part 1, No. 1 A-3, Department of Sewing, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Pattern Drafting, No. 2-3, Department of Sewing, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
1916
Millinery Facings
A Glossary of Millinery Terms, Department of Millinery
Developing Hats of Braid, Department of Millinery
Fancy and Draped Crowns, Department of Millinery, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Woolen Materials and Tailored Plackets No. 12, Department of Sewing (First Ed); Department of Tailoring, (1922 Ed), Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Harmony of Dress, 11-2, Department of Sewing, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Fancy aprons and sunbonnets
Underwear and lingerie 10 B; Department of Sewing, later published as Plain Undergarments, No. 202
Tailored Skirts, Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences , Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Embroidery Stitches Parts 1 and 2, No. 7-A & 7-B, Department of Sewing, Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences Inc., Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Remodeling and Renovating, No. 17, Department of Dressmaking, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
1917
Maternity and Infants' Garments - No. 19-2
Miscellaneous garments 22
1918
The Secrets of Distinctive Dress
1919
Millinery Made Easy, 70WI, Department of Millinery, advertising pamphlet for course in millinery, reprinted in 1921, 1922, 1923, & 1924
1920
Drafting And Plain Dressmaking - Part 2 - No. 3 B-2
Patterns For Children And Misses' Garments - No. 18
Pattern Drafting - No. 2-3
Tight Linings And Bonings - No. 5-2
Laces, Silks, And Linen - No. 6
The Dressmaker And Tailor Shop - No. 25-2
1921
Underwear And Lingerie
Harmony of Dress - No. 11-2
Corsets and Close Fitting Patterns
Tailored Skirts - No. 13
Woman's Institute Fashion Service; Instruction Quarterly included "Smart Designs ... With Detailed Instructions for Making"; Woman's Institute Magazine published monthly at least through Spring of 1930
1922
Tailored Pockets, Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences
Tight Linings and Boning, Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences
House Aprons and Caps, No. 405, Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
1923
Woolen Materials and Tailored Plackets, Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences , Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Individualizing Tissue-Paper Patterns, No. 403, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Tailored Seams and Plackets, No. 414, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
1925
The Mary Brooks Picken Method Of Modern Dressmaking
Underwear and Lingerie, Part 1, No 407-A, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
Designing and Planning Clothes, No. 415, Instruction Paper with Examination Questions
1927
How to Make Dresses the Modern Singer Way (Singer Sewing Library No. 2) (reissued 1928, 1929, 1930)
1929
How to make draperies, slip covers, cushions and other home furnishings the modern Singer way (Singer Sewing Library)
1930
Sewing Secrets, Modern Methods of Stitching, Decorating and Finishing, The Spool Cotton Company (reissued 1934)
1931
Laundering and Dry Cleaning, Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences
1933
Principles of Tailoring, Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences
1939
The language of fashion: Dictionary and digest of fabric, sewing and dress, Mary Brooks Picken school, Incorporated
1955
Needlepoint Made Easy
1956
Dressmakers of France: The who, how, and why of the French couture, Harper, 1956.
1957
The Fashion Dictionary, Funk and Wagnalls, 1957. (1973 edition ISBN 0-308-10052-2, 1999 Dover republication ISBN 0-486-40294-0)
1993
Old-Fashioned Ribbon Trimmings and Flowers
ISBN 0-486-27521-3 EAN:978-0486-27521-5 UPC:800759275212
1999
A Dictionary of Costume and Fashion: Historic and Modern (unabridged Dover Books republication of The Fashion Dictionary, 1957). ISBN 0-486-40294-0 EAN:978-0486-40294-9 UPC:800759402946