No comments about Art to wear with rubber stamps (Can do crafts).

3 comments about 20th Century Jewelry: The Complete Sourcebook.

1. If you want to learn how to paint jewelry in watercolor or ink, this is an excellent book because the illustrations look like they were done in that medium. The jewelry looks realistic. For the first 2 pages, the jewelry is in monochrome (black & white) and the rest of the jewelry is in color. If you want to learn how to paint diamonds, get this book! The diamond jewelry looks beautiful! There is jewelry from 1900 to 1999. Illustrations include novelty brooches, brooches, clips, pins, earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, bangles, rings, buckles, clasps, hair ornaments, combs, pins, sautoirs, miscellaneous jewelry, jewelled pieces, men's jewelry, dress ornaments and novelty jewelry.



2. This can only be a reference book, flip it over once and you'll get bored. Also, don't expect to find good pictures. I bought it at it's original cost, it's not even worth at that cost.



3. "20th Century Jewelry: The Complete Sourcebook," by John Peacock, covers many different types of jewelry: brooches, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, finger rings, buckles, men's cufflinks, etc. The cover boasts that the book contains over 1,500 color illustrations. These illustrations are drawings (not photographs, as is the case in many other books on jewelry). These drawings are very well done; they are lively with color and intricate detail.

   The illustrated pieces reflect a rich variety of motifs and stylistic approaches: bold geometric forms, floral designs, whimsical characters, religious iconography, etc. The book also includes a section with short biographies of designers and companies; among those profiled are Boucher & Cie, Hattie Carnegie, Faberge, Rene Lalique, Paloma Picasso, Swarovski, and more.

   Yes, the contents of this book are truly beautiful to look at. But I found the book's arrangement to be somewhat cumbersome. The captions to the pictures are on separate pages, often several pages away, so I found myself constantly flipping back and forth in the book just to identify the pieces. To identify a piece, you have to go to the separate page which contains small black-and-white numbered outlines of the pieces on the page you were initially looking at. These numbers are tied to a set of captions next to the key diagram. It struck me as an excessively complicated system; I have seen other jewelry overview books which keep the captions and illustrations on the same page in a more user-friendly system. Still, the beauty and variety within this book make it worthwhile.

2 comments about Hedi Slimane: Intermission.

1. This is not to be mistaken for a book on Slimane's collections. It is, rather, a glimpse into what Slimane sees in his own environment. That he can take something as mundane as hotel curtains and Venetian blinds and render them in a seductive and physically palpable manner in a book is a reflection of his talent for design. The glamour of Slimane's collections and his life is captured in the production of the book itself, in the reflective, almost luscious materiality of the mylar pages coupled with the luxurious coloring of the photographs.
   
   It is not for every individual, but perhaps those with the vision to "see."



2. Alright, so I just bought this book by my all time idol, Hedi Slimane. Granted I didn't know a whole lot about it, but I love the guy, so I drop the [money] amyway. I just keep telling myself, its by Hedi, its going ot be excellent.

   Imagine, then, my chagrin when I find that this is a book of curtains. CURTAINS. Not curtains designed by Mr. Slimane mind you, oh no. Curtains from hotel rooms that Hedi presumably stayed in. Curtains. The book is printed on heavy mylar/laminate, reaks of vinyl, and is bisected by slighlty unnerving pictures of the model on the cover, that is, they are the same picture that is featured on the cover, just reflected on each page as if by a fun house mirror.

   And of course there are the curtains. Two Hundred and Eight pages of Just Curtains. Er, wait, there was one full page spread of Venetian Blinds, I stand corrected. Every now and then there's just a blank page, sometimes just a completely reflective one. I dunno, if you think its worth it, go a ahead and buy it.

   Personal Opinion, this would have been slighlty more entertaining, and a little less pretentiously preposterous if it were called "Through a Whore's Eyes: Curtains from Hotel Rooms Around the World" At least then there's some intrigue implied, and not, "Hedi needed to get rid of a roll of film on the double." or if it should come with a shirt "Hedi Stayed in fancy hotel rooms with an instamatic and all I got was this 70 Dollar Smelly Coffee Table Accoutrement".

1 comments about California Fashion: From the Old West to New Hollywood.

1. Who Knew?!
   California really IS where distinctive American Fashion style got its start!
   Too far away from New York, and light years from Paris, what we wear today got its start in California.
   The authors have made what is really a history book fun reading, and hey, you can actually learn something too.
   
   The chapters are:
   1--Intro, 2--Denim(Levis), 3--Swimwear, 4--Sportswear,
   5--Hollywood, 6--Male Designers of fame, 7--San Francisco style, 8--Surfing, 9--New Hollywood, Biographies (lists the big hitters), Bibliography
   
   After reading this great little book, you can nod knowingly when Paris fashion couture carts a surfboard down the runway!

2 comments about Kiki's Memoirs.

1. Being a veritable Kiki virgin before I read this book, I found Kiki's Memoirs more than helpful in showing the atmosphere of 1920's Paris. I did, however, agree with Ernest Hemingway's sentiments from his introdution-it is impossible to translate Kiki's words very well. It seems like Samuel Putnam was unable to get more than four sentences out without putting in an exclamation mark. This breaks the narrative up considerably. I would have given this book three stars, but I loved the Man Ray photos in it. The real strength of this book lies in the artwork.



2. This is Kiki in Kiki's own voice, no one could say it better.This is a wonderful book for those who love Bohemian Paris, and even those who don't.

No comments about Pantaloons and Power: A Nineteenth-Century Dress Reform in the United States.

1 comments about Lagerfeld's Sketchbook: Karl Lagerfeld's Illustrated Fashion Journal of Anna Piaggi.

1. Karl scetches the legendary Italian fashion icon Anna Piaggi and her fantastic wardrobe. Many photograghs of anna in her younger days

1 comments about The Best in Swimwear Design (The Best in Design).

1. This is a wonderfull book with lots of pictures of beautiful models

5 comments about Hillbilly Hollywood.

1. The swoon-inducing, jaw-dropping photo of young Johnny Cash at the Hollywood Bowl alone is worth the price of this book. But don't just look at the beautiful pictures (and there are many) - read the words. Well-written, insightful, and often funny, the stories from the mouths of the stars sparkle brighter than the rhinestones on the cover. Hillbilly Hollywood motivated me to search out and find the music of artists unfamiliar to me before, and I will forever be grateful to the author for introducing me to the wild brilliance of the almost-forgotten Maddox Bros. & Rose, and others like them. This is the perfect book for anyone who loves music, whether it be country-western, punk rock, or anything in between.



2. Debby Bulls book "Hillbilly Hollywood" gives us a great look at the almost-forgotten flashy country and western artists of radio and early western movies. We get a thorough insiders look at the glitz and the true 'ART' of rhinestone cowboy and cowgirl wear by the country artists of the '40's and 50's. There are wonderful color images and historical photos of my favorite country legends. The book itself would be at home on Elvis's coffee table. Yum! Yum! This book is a "Five Star" ten course feast for the eyes and soul for us wannabe cowboy and cowgirl types. A true collectors item.



3. I'm a very hard girl to buy for (and a music snob to boot)but my sweetheart did a very good thing when he purchased Hillbilly Hollywood for me as an early Valentine's Day gift!
   It's just GORGEOUS,well-written,and chock-full of stunning color images of several historic pieces of country couture including rare photos of artists that I just adore like Johnny Cash,The Flying Burritto Bros.,and (gasp!) Rockabilly Goddess CHARLENE ARTHUR!!!
   It's very difficult these days to find any information on the designers Nudie and Manuel but this book covers it ALL!!!
   SO SATISFYING!!!
   Always,
   Grey DeLisle (wife of Murry Hammond:)



4. Who are into western wear.
   I'm a cowgirl living in The Netherlands and books about westernwear are hard to find. 100 years of western wear by Tyler Beard was the one I found in Holland. Also a great book!!
   Tyler send Hillbilly Hollywood to me, and I love every page of it! It's about stars and their love for the garb.



5. Debby Bull's HILLBILLY HOLLYWOOD is an astonishing book. Her writing is never tainted by nostalgia. It's fresh, original and cleverly surmised. The physical book is about as extravagant as Nudie's glorious Western regalia--complete with rhinestones on the cover. It's a tribute to a strange phenomenon--the gone, but not forgotten completely, country-western artists of the '40s who were (regrettably) bumped from the spotlight by rock 'n roll and leftist politics. It's great to see the spirit of this era so well communicated. As a native born hillbilly and the author of THE BEAUTIFUL AND ENDURING OZARKS and co-author with my wife Crystal of 3 books on Branson (often dubbed "the hillbilly Las Vegas") I feel credentialed to endorse this book. I'm going to order a six-pack later in the year for Christmas presents. I suspect there is a bunch of closet hillbillies out there that will get a real kick from this neat book.

No comments about Tigersprung: Fashion in Modernity.