No comments about Linen Crafts: 40 Projects for Home & Body.

4 comments about The Kimono Inspiration: Art and Art-To-Wear in America.

1. This book takes the beauty of the traditional kimono and turns it into an abomination as "art to wear". The kimono already IS art to wear. It doesn't need to be dragged down by modernization.

   But that is not my only problem with this book. In the history section, written by Toshiki Wada, the editing is so bad that spelling mistakes are made and repeated. Also, Miss Wada needs to pick up a history book sometime very soon. Her grasp on the history of Japanese clothing is tenuous at best and the more bad history sections she writes (like this one and the one in "Shibori"), the more misinformation she disseminates to the English-speaking public.

   Ignore any historical information on the kimono written or "edited" by Wada. Go out and buy Dalby instead.




2. This book is about the American interpretation of the Kimono. It is a beautifully illustrated book that will appeal to anyone interested in fashion design or Japanese culture.

   The first section shows the Kimono in American art, including paintings by Whistler and others. A number of old photos and postcards chronicle the Kimono as a fashion element in the early 20th Century.

   Next is a beautiful section on Kimonos by American designers. The variety is stunning with traditional motifs, modern art designs and unusual materials.

   There is also a history of the Kimono in Japan showing the development of style with some nice earlier examples. This is a wonderful view of the article of clothing that is an art form in itself.




3. This book is an art book, like the kind you can buy at art galleries. It reviews the inspiration the kimono had to modern American art. I wasted $50 canadian on this book because I thought it would be an invaluable reference for Kimono making. It's not. If you're an art teacher or student who is absolutely IN NEED of an art book on kimono art, then by all means purchase this book. If you aren't, then don't.



4. It's the BEST BOOK out there for learning how to make Kimono and Yukata for men and women.... It has everything from how to make the pattern and how to tie an obi....even how to make the sleeper. I am so HAPPY to have found this book..

No comments about Fiber Expressions: The Contemporary Quilt.

1 comments about Crafty Bags for Stylish Girls: Uniquely Chic Purses, Pouches & Pocketbooks.

1. Crafty Bags for Stylish Girls has some great close up pictures of some VERY cute and unique bags, that the author created using a glue gun or craft glue! Personally, when you look at the bags you won't believe it.

2 comments about Norman Parkinson: Portraits in Fashion.

1. Norman Parkinson was one of the most amazing photographers. His career spanned from the 1930s through the 1980s and he worked with many of the biggest celebrities of each decade and some of the most prominent magazines. His photos were artistic, clear, symmetrical, and showed a mastery of light. This book is an exhibition of his talents in fashion photography. It is forewarded by model Iman. The book overviews each decade and proceeds with amazing photographs from each era.
   
   There are photos of major stars like Iman, Noel Coward, Audrey Hepburn, Ava Gardner, Raquel Welch, Jerry Hall, Appollonia, and Bianca Jagger. There are advertisements from major magazines like Harpers Bazaar, Vogue, Life, Queen, and Town and Country.



2. Beginning his career in the 1930s, the British photographer Norman Parkinson practically invented the genre of fashion photography with his bold, elegant, and imaginative photographs in the magazines Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Town and Country, and others. Robin Muir, former picture edition of the British "Vogue," follows Parkinson's career with an introduction and with an essay and gallery of representative photographs from each decade from the 1930s to the '80s. Parkinson died in 1990 while on location for a photo shoot. Parkinson managed to remain at the center of the highly-competitive field of fashion photography for the most demanding fashion magazines because his photographic genius was such that he adapted to the styles, celebrities, imagination, and interests of each decade without loosing his exceptional, uncompromising gift. His buoyant, mannerly personality going with his self-evident professionalism played a part in this. A Parkinson photograph from the 1980s stands out as clearly as one from the beginning of his career in the 1930s, as does one from any other decade. This finely-produced art book with informative and knowledgeable text and over 100 full-page photos, most in color, is a fitting commemoration of this incomparable fashion photographer who left an indelible mark on the field.

2 comments about Oro Plata: Embroidered Costumes Of The Bullfight.

1. One of the most beautiful books I have ever seen on this passionate and dramatic ballet sans blood and bulls. Rich, gorgeous photos show the intricacies and details of the costumes and provide a view most people are unaware of. Highly recommended. Stunning!



2. This book is breathtakingly beautiful. It is exceedingly difficult to find any information on the bullfighter's costume. This book doesn't just tell about the work that goes into the design and construction like most other references on the shelf. The photos are so rich in detail and color that just to study one picture leaves one as satisfied as if having read an entire novel on the art. I have spent countless hours just gaping in awe at the remarkable craftsmanship of these objets d'arte. For anyone who has the least bit of appreciation for the clothes we create and the traditions we honor I promise, this book will not only inspire but impassion. As a student of couture, I'd have to say it's one of the best books you'll ever find. Totally worth the price!!!

No comments about Brioni (Universe of Fashion).

No comments about Ralli Quilts: Traditional Textiles from Pakistan and India.

1 comments about Ohio Is My Dwelling Place: Schoolgirl Embroideries, 1800-1850.

1. Better than I expected, the coloration and samplers pictured are truly remarkable. A lot of good basic Ohio history, with maps by county and description of how the state was divided. It is one of my favorite things, and I never get tired of picking it up and reading more about their simple lives.

4 comments about Ancient European Costume and Fashion.

1. Now dated, this 1926 publication is still worth using in conjunction with other texts. Granted some of this work has since been shown to be inaccurate by more recent scholarship. Furthermore his attitudes and observations are not only dated and politically incorrect, in the context of the 21st Century could also be considered racist. That said, Norris' body of work deserves our respect as being equaled by few of his generation (and surpassed by none). He has also proved to be a stepping-stone for future costumes historians - just check out the bibliographies of some important costume history texts and see how many reference Norris.

   Many of Norris' statements are a little questionable. The stone-age chapter is almost charming in its dated naiveté, and is by no means a reliable reference. The Greek chapter is also filled with questionable statements, and in other places one gets the impression that Norris is putting forth conjecture as truth. However, many of his observations are of great use. For instance, the account of the evolution of the pallium - its journey from the voluminous philosophers cloak in Greece, through Roman and Byzantine usage, to a finally a narrow band of fabric used as a Christian vestment even today - is clearer than in any other publication I have ever seen.

   As with all his books, all the illustrations are redrawn by Norris himself and no primary source material is illustrated. This is typical of most costume texts published prior to the 1960s and is not a further reflection on Norris' scholarship.




2. Too many costume books seem to skip from Byzantium straight to the Renaissance. This book is a reasonably good source for the Dark Ages -- not just Celts and Normans, either; it has info on Goths, Saxons (continental and British), Vandals, and a whole bunch of tribes that usually get either forgotten or lumped together as "barbarians." Another reviewer has noted that it's somewhat outdated, but it's a good idea book for an experienced costumer, especially for accessories (boots, jewelry & the like.)



3. Of all the Herbert Norris books I have read, this one suffers the most from his preconceptions and inaccuracies. It is also the one that has suffered most from the passage of time, as subsequent archaeological research has revealed errors in what was, in Norris's day, "factual" information about costume. The best thing about his book, in my opinion, is the meticulous line drawings of brooches and other items of period jewelry, but again, more recently published works contain excellent, full-color photographs of the same or similar specimens. Read this book if you enjoy Norris's style, but do not accept anything in it blindly as much of it is plain wrong.



4. There are hundreds of books on Costume history, ranging from the Egyptians through to this century. Almost all of them ignore the period known of as the Dark Ages. Not only does this book go into detail on the costumes worn by the Celts, the Gauls, and the Goths, it also tells some of their history. The book is mostly text supported by mainly black and white illustrations. I personally found it very informative.