3 comments about Folk Costumes Of The World.

1. I'm very interested in folk costumes and found this book informative with beautiful illustrations, BUT...it's not, as it claims, a book of folk costumes of the world.
   Europe (where I live) is shown thoroughly, with examples of costumes even from islands like Sicily, Madeira and Tenerife, while there are not very many costumes from Asia. Africa is represented only by some costumes from North Africa and Ethiopia, Oceania only by Maori costumes. Just four-five of the many gorgeous Amerindian costumes are shown and although Cuba is described in the text, no costumes are shown in the book. I would say the book is eurocentric. If you want to learn more about costumes from Europe, do buy this book, but NOT if you want to look at costumes from all over the world.



2. This book is very helpful for getting basic details of folk and dance costumes from throughout the world. There are colored sketches of most costumes, but a few more would be helpful. They describe many things that are not illustrated, yet sometimes illustrate items for which there are scant descriptions. Unfortunately, however, there are no costumes from most of Africa. This is a serious omission for a book claiming to cover world costume.



3. This book is very helpful for getting basic details of folk and dance costumes from throughout the world. There are colored sketches of most costumes, but a few more would be helpful. They describe many things that are not illustrated, yet sometimes illustrate items for which there are scant descriptions. Unfortunamtely, however, there are no costumes from most of Africa. This is a serious omission for a book claiming to cover world costume.

1 comments about Quilts, Coverlets, and Counterpanes: Bedcoverings from the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts and Old Salem Collections.

1. although this is not a huge book, it contains a wonderful collection of late 18th through 19th century bdecoverings, from woven to embroidered to quilted. the examples are generally beautiful as well as historically interesting.
   
   the introduction is brief but informative, defining the various terms used for bedcovers over time and including fascinating evidence of the value owners put on their textiles. there are also short biographies for the makers of some of the bedcovers, and even portraits in whatever medium was contemporary. also included are a few photos of textile tools, some handwritten weavers' draughts (and cloth woven from them), and a handwritten notebook for embroidery stitches.
   
   the only drawback for me is the book's brevity--i wanted more, more history and biography, and details of the bedcovers, more of the collection.
   
   quilters, weavers, those interested in textile and social history will find this book informative, enjoyable and inspiring.

5 comments about All About Silk: A Fabric Dictionary & Swatchbook (Fabric Reference Series, Volume 1).

1. I cannot say enough good things about this book (or for that matter the entire series!).
   The author has an entertaining, easy to read writing style. She presents a great deal of information, and rather than feeling overwhelmed, the reader is able to learn a great deal.
   The very best thing about this book is the fabric samples. If you have ever wondered about what a specific type of silk feels like, then you will have your answer. You just cannot get this information from a written description. This book is indespensible for fashionistas, designers, sewers and anyone else interested in clothing or fabric.



2. When identifying fabric, texture is more important than appearance. Even though I don't sew, I do purchase vintage items for my prop company and I have to label the outfit in the description. If you want to learn about fabric, this is the way to go.



3. This book was love-at-first-sight. It doesn't blab unnecessarily about the fabric, just lets you touch and see it for yourself. While being very visual and tactile, it also devotes a page with all the relevant information about each particular kind of silk (and who would have thought there would be so many?!): how to care for it, how difficult it is to sew, the ideal projects for each fabric, its characteristics, its approximate price per yard, hints/tips for working with the fabric, etc. I wish there was a reference book like this for everything! It has really inspired me and given me the confidence and knowledge that I need to both shop for silk and start some projects.



4. This is the perfect book if your local fabric store doesn't carry any (or enough) silk to learn on your own. Words just can't replace running the fabric through your fingers to see if it will work for your project, and this book lets you do that and more. The information collected here is worth twice the asking price. Now you can order what you need off the internet sites and have a better idea what to expect.



5. I got this book through the Crafter's Choice bookclub, but I had to come here to recommend it. It is ideal literally for anyone. Someone who wants to know more about the fabrics they wear, or as a book for someone like myself who knows a good deal about fabrics to refer to, which I often do. I'm a student at Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, so I've taken textile classes before and know my fair share. I even have a swatchbook with many fabrics but this books is just exceptional. I will definitely buy the wool and cotton versions of this book eventually. Silk is my favorite fabric to sew in so it was a priority. The book has a really great layout also, making it not too much reading and easy to find the information you are looking for. You can find in the book what to expect from each fabric when you're sewing it, how to take care of it, all its variations, suggestions on fitting, really anything important that you'd need to know about a fabric.... and then more, making you knowledgable on the subject.

5 comments about Fetish: Fashion, Sex & Power.

1. overall this book is very good, however it leaves out some important elements of fetishism and fetish culture. It pin points important elements of fetish and fashion, while skimming over the importance of emotions, trust, childhood,sex, power. When Steele addresses sex and power she uses a freudian approach. this is simply because steele's educational backround is limited to maintinly fasion history.

   The book is complete with fetish photos, and describes the history and evoltion of the fetish well. Steele, describes one fetish party that she has attended and makes assumptions about fetishes, however i find it difficult to fully accept her conclusions due to her limited exposure. She does not accuratly address the role of fetishism in the gay and lesbian and bisexual community, but rather sticks to trannies and crossdressers. Futhermore, much of the evidence that she uses to explain fetishes is based on biological sex and gender roles. Both of which i would argue are downplayed among those who are open minded enough to participate in fetish culture.

   This book is very well written and hard to put down. The book is well edited and well sectioned to keep you entertained and statisfied. It great book for someone who wants a brief and PG 13 explaination of fetishism-- for someone who knows little about the history of fetishims--or for your slightly kinky friend. Please keep in mind that Steele looks at fetishes from a fashion perspective--if you are looking for a more indept explaination of fetish culture you wil left, without it




2. Steele's book is thoroughly researched and does an excellent job of placing fetish fashion in a historical context. What the author fails to do, however, is make a clear argument. When she states that she cannot claim to be for or against a particular piece of clothing (in this case, the corset), her well-crafted "neutral" stance weakens the very course of her history. As Steele demonstrates, each article of clothing featured in her book has a complex cultural and intellectual history imbedded with meaning. By refusing to go beyond, "feminists believe..." or "Freud argued...," the purpose of Steele's glossy work remains obscured. Moreover, the author's overuse of quotations further confuses the argument. I was lost between Steele's words and those of her sources and find that her failure to truly engage with her research rings of a forced objectivity.

   My second objection is perhaps not a new criticism. I tend to cringe when I hear that the combination of being sexy and powerful rescues woman from the bad old days of obligatory femininity. Steele implies this by refusing to take a stance. The strong, yet sexy, woman remains a male fantasy. After all, the corset-clad, high-heel wearing dominatrix acts out the role to please her slave. She is there to help him live out his fantasies. Her pleasure (and this is generally the case whether the woman is dominant or submissive) tends to remain secondary. Steele's modern fetish woman gains pleasure from being pleasing to men and power from being sexually desirable. I would have liked the author to examine this issue further and even to deconstruct it.




3. this book was boring because it demeans fetishes. fetishes can be healthy outpourings of one's soul, not something that needs to be hidden away in the proverbial closet. i have a foot fetish, and this book gave me the impression that fetishes are to be spurned: i disagree and disagree strongly. my fetish is something integral to my being; i live for feet.



4. A very well-written and -researched essay whose clarity and wit is all the more remarkable for its breadth of subject matter (fetish and fashion, along with all the psychology, sociology, sexuality, feminism, etc. that they entail) and the high degree of subjectivity authors usually bring to that subject matter. Steele's writing is observant, engaging, stylish and piercingly critical--she gains much credibility in my mind by debunking the corset myth, for example. One flaw is that the wide implications of the subject matter often lead her off on tangents. It often takes her some time--in some cases, the entire book--to fully elucidate her points. You have to trust her to explain everything in the end--a trust which is largely well-placed.

   Oddly, the largest overarching theory about the connection between obscure fetish gear and high fashion is left implicit in a "perhaps. . ." phrase at the end. That theory is that most behaviors and interests previously thought perverse are being accepted into the mainstream as our society becomes ever more leisure-oriented and pleasure-based. Also unresolved is why fetishism seems to be largely Western and modern--is this a function of social organization, the definition of "fetishism", new sex research, sexual liberation, mass-media communication, all of these? There's an interesting correlation here with the equally culture-specific and modern outbursts of schizophrenia and serial killing (killers who are of course sexually motivated, highly perverse and often fetishistic). This is a query of high social concern, and I'm now more convinced of the role of the mass media--fetishism requires visual stimulation, Steele says, and there's more of that in a wider variety of subject matter than ever before. Not to simply psychology, but it's an interesting factor.

   The notion that males rather than females are prone to fetishism is almost borne out by this book itself, as though it took a woman to write sensibly and objectively about fetish/fantasy issues. Conversely, she trips up in fashion, her academic field, which she's too close to for that degree of objectivity. In dicussing whether fetish-inspired fashions empower or degrade women (a discussion wisely complicated with reader-response and intentionalist critiques), she doesn't realize the question she's begging: Why are fetish fashions almost exclusively produced for and worn by women? You could argue that fetishism is almost exclusively male activity projected onto female items. But many fetishists are just as satisfied wearing the fetish items themselves. And as Steele distinguishes, fashion is about "normal" fetishizing, not fetishism, and works by far looser rules. All she really says to this question is that men's fashions are "slower to develop" and suggests a psychoanalytic theory (interesting, though far from convincing) about why women like dressing up more than men do. I think the obvious answer she misses is that whether women feel empowered or degraded, the very reason they're allowed (or required) to dress up at all is because they have a subservient social position to men. When men are required to dress up, it's a relatively simple and standardized uniforming, whereas women are required to puff up a la a court jester or similar colorful figure of subservient/entertainment social standing. Whatever a women chooses to wear, there's no choice about dressing up, and that's where real power lies.

   These lacunae aside, it's an honest, thoughtful and meaningful examination of the unspoken--and often misunderstood--meanings lurking within our clothes, and a timely, necessary study of what's going on in the 20th century sexual mind.

   Also wanted to add that today's radical forms of bodybuilding should be considered as body modification in the corseting/tattooing/piercing vein. It's been a rapid movement from Schwarzenegger's Greco-Roman classical perfection to today's insanely bulging, wildly exaggerated look.--J.Ruch




5. You would not think that a book concerning Fetish trends etc would put you to sleep but this book will. You may nod awake for the photos but the text is a mish-mosh of psycho-drivel, unrelated and uninteresting facts and sketchy history.

1 comments about Dolly Mama Beads.

1. This is a wonderful, colorful, idea book. The designs are amazing, and easy to follow. If I was not a crafter I would still buy this book just to have it for the amazing, whimsical, and clever material. Easy to follow, and I am now starting on my next project from the book. I would love to meet the author; she must be a hoot.

4 comments about Hollywood Costume Design by Travilla (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This item was purchased as a gift and as such I will never read it but it was a book that the recepient really wanted.



2. This is another well-designed, well-presented book from Schiffer, known for its volumes appealing to collectors of various types of memorabilia. (I also own _Harrison Fisher: Defining The American Beauty_ and Kristina Harris' _Victorian and Edwardian Fashion for Women_ from the same publisher, both high-quality paperbacks.) Travilla may not be as instantly recognizable a name as Edith Head, Adrian or Helen Rose in the field of movie costume design, but his costumes are very definitely ones the viewer will remember. That sexy white dress Marilyn Monroe wore in her most iconic scene, in "The Seven Year Itch"? That's a Travilla design, and his sketch for the outfit graces the dust jacket of the book. The book is full of artwork, much of it in full-page format; photographs, both color and black-and-white, and sketches of notable designs. Travilla's most famous (and, judging from his remarks, his favorite) client, was Marilyn Monroe, but he designed outfits for many other actresses - and a few actors - from the 1940's through the 1980's, starting with Ann Sheridan (whom he became so close to that he nicknamed her "Aunt Annie") and going on to Emma Samms. This book isn't cheap new or used, but take that as a sign of its quality and desirability and do make the investment if you're interested in this field!



3. This book is so well written! Very entertaining info on the man, the industry & the personalities. Tons & tons of great photos & sketches!



4. Travilla became a Hollywood star thanks in large part to his client Marilyn Monroe, gaining fame for his design of her costumes - but his art graced many familiar forms, and Hollywood Costume Design By Travilla provides an excellent display of his original sketches and creations. Monroe fans and Hollywood fans alike will relish this display, lavish with color reproductions of Travilla's art.

1 comments about Conversational Prints: Decorative Fabrics of the 1950s (Schiffer Design Book).

1. I really like the book a lot . I am currently a textil design student. The book helps a lot to look
   at the styles of the 50th.
   I also purchased . " Fabulous Fabrics of the 50s and Forties Fabrics. I can recomend all three books.

1 comments about A.L.T. 365+.

1. My style guru, and one of my biggest inspirations, Andre Leon Talley is the epitome of style. He is the best dressed man in the world, and everyone in the fashion world knows it. This book is great! The book show's us how he came to be such an amazing person, not just a style icon. His biggest supporters his grandma, and Mrs. Vreenland(A once Vogue's Editor and Cheif) were suh amazing people as he describes them in such vivid detail. I hope to meet him one day as i aspire to be the next Editor And Cheif of Vogue. LOVE YOU ANDRE, for your amazing kindness and also because your a person that is real and not lost into the world of Fashion in which we all love, but sometimes can be crazy and fake and misguid people.
   Your Biggest fan,
   Mohammed Imtyiaz Shariff

1 comments about Visionaire: 27 movement.

1. I always buy Visioanire due to its original packaging and themes, being infactuated with fashion, photography and film its the only collectors item that satisfies all these areas by binding them together and featuring the cream of each area aswell as up and comming new talent. This edition of the multi format Visionaire publication is let's say very "Moving". It's hardcover 10 layer plus hologram features Kate Moss swinging back and forth in over 10 different positions hence once moved you have a full 3D 10 image hologram giving it extra movement than traditional 2 layer holograms. There are many contributors as usual providing their own insight to the movement theme. (e.g. Steven Klein, Steven Miesel & Mario Testino to name a few) Each editorial is at least 4 pages long and uses transparent pages which layer upon each other to help aid the movements portayed in each editorial. (e.g. one editorial is of a discoball, each page with a different position but once turned in sequence you get a moving discoball which somehow brings the editorial to life through movement.)

5 comments about Femme Fatale: Famous Beauties Then and Now.

1. This book presents beautiful pictures of famous and enticing modern women: but to call them "femmes fatales" would be to mischaracterize them.

   By definition, the term "femmes fatales" was coined to gorgeous women whose actions were detrimental or harmful to their men or partners. Thus, in real life a woman could be gorgeous without being fatal, or vice versa, she could be fatal without being exceptionally gorgeous. Cleopatra was one such woman, who although not extraordinarily beautiful, was able to charm two Roman generals and to lead them to their downfall.

   Although hairstyle was an important component of a woman's appearance, it was certainly not the unique feature of a person. Her eyes, smile, demeanor, sleek appearance, and clothing also played important roles. Therefore, to reduce a woman's character to her hairdo, as the hairstylist-author had suggested, was to overly simplify the matter.

   The women photographed in the book were certainly "chic," although not necessarily "fatal."




2. Because of the title The Femme Fatale, Famous Beauties Then and Now, I was expecting a sort of photographic history book. I would be very interested in seeing how the image of a Femme Fatale has changed over the years, from the glamourous pencil browed vixens of the 1920's to the much more volupt modern beauties. (Think pulp fiction novel cover vs. Catherine Zeta Jones) I would have liked to read up on how even though what is considered beautiful (and dangerous) has changed, the character of the Femme Fatale predominates our culture, in literature and film.
   I really got the wrong book. Instead of what I was expecting, this book features celebrities made over to appear like they would in different time periods, and the photos are high quality, oversized and printed on slick glossy paper. Some of the transformations are very well done (the girl on the front cover is Julia Roberts, believe it or not) So the book is not without merit, but they could have done a lot more.
   If I wanted to see pictures of Britney Spears, I'd just read People magazine.



3. I have been a fetish model for almost two years, and a close photographer friend and myself are kicking off a new project which showcases high end fetish photographs. While my husband was searching for a poetry book in a Barnes and Nobles store, I snuck to the photography section to see if I could be inspired for this new peoject. My eye fell on this book immediately. I looked at no other book! The photographs are simply too beautiful for words, and I was heartbroken by the cover price... Reluctantly, I put it back on the shelf. When I came home however, I searched your site immediately and found a used copy in mint condition .... Obviously, I was nothing less than thrilled!

   This book is based on the photography of hair, and showcases original photographs from the 1800's as samples. Serge Normant then re-creates these by using well known models and celebraties of today, dressing them in period clothing, changing their looks dramatically.

   If you are a hairdresser, model, or photographer, you MUST own this book!




4. Much, if not all this material has been published elsewhere, so you may have seen it. However, it has not been presented together organized around the interesting concept that Julia Roberts, Elizabeth Hurley, Susan Sarandon, Britney Spears and a host of beautiful women are paying homage to women of a previous age. (Yes, that Britney Spears).

   In an interview with a French magazine, the photographer described himself as awed or intimidated when Susan Sarandon showed up. He only relaxed when she took charge and he just responded to what he saw. The mutual respect shown by the professionals on both sides of the camera is what makes these images good.

   This is not just a catalog of beatiful pictures of contemporary icons playing dress up. If it is authentic it makes a convincing statement about the power and stature of these famous modern women and a lot of not so famous all around us.

   If you know a young woman who wants to be in the next book like this, show it to her. I have handed it to several young women I've photographed recently. "Oh, my God! Britney Spears is beautiful." "That can't be Claudia Schiffer." "Elizabeth Hurley scares me!" Isabella Rossellini as Betty Page is the show stopper, however.

   The photography is as good as it gets, but the material added to hang it all together weakens the book. Some of it is completely contrived and bogus.

   Next time let the women and the photographer do their work and let the readers draw the conclusions. Meanwhile a lot of wannabe photographers and young models have some catching up to do.




5. Serge Normant may have been the creator of the styles pictured within, but it's the aritisty of the photographer Michael Thompson that's truly responsible for the incredible images in this book. Thompson is, perhaps, the most talented of current fashion photographers, but he's also the most overlooked by all but those "in the industry." He's classic, and contemporary, and as versatile as Meisel or Demarchelier. He may not be as well known as his contemporaries, but that's because he lives a quiet life in Pennsylvania, and stays out of the limelight.

   I'm looking forward to a massive collection of Michael's photographs, a 'Part One' retrospective, but i don't believe it's forthcoming. Doesn't seem to be his style.