2 comments about The T-Shirt Book.

1. My friend and I are starting a tshirt company and the T-Shirt book has been a terrific reference and resource for us. It's filled with a variety of styles and ideas to get your creative juices going. love it!



2. Very disapointing book, very little in the way of in depth design research. More of a novelty item, coffee table book than a useful referance guide. Like so many design books, a great concept that does not deliver.

No comments about Decades of Fashion.

5 comments about I Do: 100 Years of Wedding Fashion.

1. This beautiful, full color books features stunningly photographed dresses of all shapes, sizes and colors with a well written and extensive history of gowns and related traditions. The photo spreads are lavish, and not at the expense of the text of the book. But as some other reviewers have mentioned, each time period starts out with a few examples of the appropriate vintage gowns and then shifts into photos of modern gowns interpreting or inspired by that period, which is a little disappointing. Unless you're a designer or a collector this book isn't worth the nearly $90 sticker price, but if you can get it used or at the bargain price (as I did), it's a beautiful coffee table book with enough text to keep you reading for quite awhile!



2. this book had all ages of wedding celebrations and some really great pictures of many years and many celebrities as well as us common folk. I loved looking back at all the great fashions and memories. This would make an excellent gift book to a newly engaged person as she begins to plan a wedding. clinta ingraham



3. Some interesting studies for designers



4. I got this book literally two days ago for Christmas. I love it. I had it on my amazon wish list, and somebody bought it for me. I expected the book to be much smaller -I was happily suprised at the size and thickness! As a browser, it has spectacular large photos.
   
   I am am in the wedding industry and I did recognize some of the more recent photographs from designers' advertising campaigns. I love some of the older photographs, and old sketches. I do think there was an excellent representation of gowns from each decade. Most of the photos seem to come from the fashion industry or pop culture archives. There are only a few more photos from real everyday brides' weddings.
   
   I plan to read the text cover to cover this weekend. So far the captions and the layout I notice are straightforward, organized chronologically. It should be a short read like any coffee table book. The book covers the decades of the 20th century. Each decade shows representations from popular culture, from everyday weddings, from marketing campagins, as well as some designers' over-the-top "visions." I did not expect it to read like "history" book like some of the other feedback. What I expected to get out of it was an inspiring visual browse, and overview of wedding fashions of the 20th century, and I was very satisfied in that respect.



5. This book is definitely modern, presenting sofisticated and classy designs. It focuses on how modern designers are inspired by the past. Unfortunately there's not a lot of documentation, 98% of the dresses are modern, but brides looking for ideas will find it very useful. If you're more interested in the past, I suggest you look up Maria McBride-Mellinger.

1 comments about Costumes and Textiles of Royal India.

1. This very lavish book is an wonderful reference for any student of Indian costume and textiles. Many wonderful color photographs show the interaction of textiles and costume in India. The text has a great deal of information about the historical development of sewn clothing across India. A very useful book!

3 comments about Dressed to Kill: James Bond : The Suited Hero.

1. Let's admit it, guys. Buried deep inside each one of us, no matter how bald, how plump, how short, how ugly, or how sartorially tasteless, is a James Bond trying to get out.

   DRESSED TO KILL explores the mystique of Bond in a tasteful coffee-table edition crammed full of rare photographs and enjoyable essays addressing the age old question of just what suits a man.

   It wasn't until I read this book that I realized the profound cultural impact which the Bond movies had and have, and the deep and lasting impact they'd had on me, personally, and how they'd unconsciously formed the basis of my impressions of male style.

   From the suited hero of the 40's, 50's and 60's (witness Cary Grant), to the styleless 70's (Roger Moore's mod Bond looks just a little ridiculous amongst the Jermyn Street of Connery and the Brioni of Brosnan), the suited antihero of the 80's (and his doppleganger the antisuited hero of the "Die Hard" and Indiana Jones ilk), into the 90's and the new millennium, this ultimately enjoyable book is a paean to the way we all want to look. Gentlemen, fold your pocket squares!

   How many steps is it from a boy in a sport jacket pretending to be Bond to an Armani man carrying a slim black briefcase? Not so far as you'd think. Rate this one FIFTY GOLD SOVEREIGNS.




2. Imagine, a hero that can be shot in the ankle and still go slow dancing just moments later. A hero, who goes to The Fort Knox mosh pit and comes out looking crisp & unwrinkled. A dashing self made lover and chauvinist who would never leave a stain on his or anyone elses attire. Of course, James Bond is alive & well - after 35 or so years this wonderful publication documents his style, grace and things that make him oh so Bondian. Chock full of never before seen pics, this is a must for Bond and Cinema fans as well.Travel through the fast paced 60's as Sean Connery takes you on a terrific ride filled with style and substance. Hold tight through the 70's and 80's as the decades that style forgot and thankfully return to Pierce Brosnan and Brioni and the look that is legendary. James Bond is Back, and Mr. McInerney has him. Highest Rating!




3. Analyses of James Bond seem to fall into two categories: analytical or anecdotal. The former is the most common -- generally consisting of a look into such quantitative topics as what kind of cigarettes he smokes, how he prepares his martinis, and other easily categorized trivia. But such an analysis -- while thoroughly enjoyable -- never seems to answer the larger question that looms in everyone's mind: "Just why is this guy so cool?"

   "Dressed to Kill: James Bond, The Suited Hero" does an admirable job of handling this question. Half a collection of essays, and half a picture-laden coffee table book, "Dressed to Kill" purports to examine the way 007 attires himself and how this has both borrowed from the heroes of the past and contributed to the heroes of the present.

   Four essays on Bond are sprinkled throughout the book, written by authors like Jay McIrnery and Nick Sullivan. The essays range from rambling expositions of a boy's love for the hero his parents forbade him to watch, to an almost scholarly look at Bond's dressing habits and how this has contributed to the character.

   But the real stars are the pictures. Compiled within "Dressed to Kill" is perhaps the best collection of Bond pictures this side of Cubby Brocolli's personal photo album. The pictures range from Dr. No to GoldenEye, from publicity stills to advertising copy, from black-and-white to color, and they neatly explain the mystique of 007 at a level that the essays never reach. The pictures have been culled from the EON Picture Archive and other collections, and each includes a knowledgeable quote explaining just what 007 is wearing and why.

   While Bond receives star billing, the book does try to expand the examination to "the suited hero" in general. Non-bond pictures include such figures as James Coburn as Our Man Flint, Alan Ladd (he had his suits tailored to make him look taller), Humprhey Bogart from Casablanca (the predecessor to Bond's "tuxedo in the midst of chaos" look), and such anti-suits as Bruce Willis from Die Hard and Harrison Ford from Indiana Jones. In discussing the latter two, and Hollywood's eschewing of the suit, Neil Norman writes:

   "At the same time, a curious thing happened. The suit wouldn't die. It simply transferred its allegiance from hero to villain. Paul Freeman's villainous Frenchman Belloq, in Raiders, confronted Indy in an immaculate linen suit. And the moment that Alan Rickman strode on to the screen to do battle Bruce Willis's slobbily attired cop hero, villainy meant tailoring sharp enough to slash your wrists on."

   In and around the essays are picture-filled asides devoted to topics like Bond's three-piece suits, his sport coats, his naval style, and his tuxedo bow ties:

   "The width remains fairly constant while the depth rises and falls, beginning with Sean Connery's `Slim Jims' up to Roger Moore's velvet high of 1974, and gradually shrinking back down to Timothy Dalton's restrained 1987 version, before deepening yet again for GoldenEye."

   "Dressed to Kill" is a wonderful celebration of everyone's favorite secret agent. If you can't tell an Armani from a Brioni, or if you can't tell in which film Bond's "lightweight suit, whose cut, along with the curled trilby hat, gives him the look of a traveling businessman," then it's time for you to give up your underwear and T-shirt look just long enough to get to a bookstore.

   (Deane Barker is the forum manager for The World of James Bond on The Microsoft Network

1 comments about Embroidery.

1. I originally saw this book at one of the bookstores in the Louvre. It was all in French and was pricey (95 Euro - or about $135 U.S.dollars). The photographs are beautifully detailed on glossy pages. The close-up shots allow you to see the detail of the embroidery. If you are interested in the type of embroidery that is done in fine houses like the Ecole Lesage, then this is the book for you.

1 comments about Giorgio Armani (Guggenheim Museum Publications).

1. This is not a typical fashion tome. The authors have traced the historical influences of Mr. Armani as well as validlly documenting his contribution to history (both in terms of fashion and in sociological influence). The photographs are well chosen and show the broad scope of his work. The detailed description accompanying the photographs of the actual museum exhibts are informative and succinct. One unfortunate choice was to include blurbs by celebrities. These comments offer nothing in the way of understanding Mr. Armani's work and are unnecessary. That minor annoyance withstanding, this volume is a valuable addition to any library.

5 comments about Button Button, Identification and Price Guide.

1. This was a great book for photos and history, price guide would have been extremly useful, learned a bit about buttons, yet having the prices laid out in front of me would have been a great benefit.



2. I have always been drawn to buttons, but didn't know very much about them. This book has very clear photos and descriptions. There are many "museum quality" buttons that are wonderful to see, but I was especially excited to see everyday buttons that I am more likely to find.



3. For a beginner, who knows nothing of buttons, I'm impressed with the depth of knowledge in this book. It's a must for collectors, or for those wanting to learn more about buttons.



4. I bought this for my mother who started collecting buttons that she was finding at yard sales and flea markets. She absolutely loved the book. It is very complete in terms of providing information on all sorts of materials and subject matters. There are lots of examples, great pictures, so you can compare your buttons with the ones shown to get an idea ofthewir history/origins as well s some pricing info. Definitely the best book I've come across for buttons as I was looking for this gift for my mom and she's gotten great use of it. (Now I get to hear from her about "oh and this button..... and that button..." It's fun :)



5. I needed to price and identify over 100 pounds of vintage buttons with very little background in the subject. This book taught me everything I need to know in a very short time. Excellent photos and examples. Highly recommended.

No comments about Face of the Century: 100 Years of Makeup and Style.

No comments about The Way We Look: Dress and Aesthetics.