1 comments about Menswear: Suiting The Customer.

1. I recently used this text during my Menswear Marketing class. Pros: Quick and easy read; most concepts are clearly illustrated in line drawings. Cons: dated material; some concepts (such as personality types) seemed drawn out just to make the book longer. Suggestions: good if you like uncomplicated drawings as opposed to photos; works well if you have a professor to update the text verbally. For self study, check out: Dressing the Man : Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion by Alan Flusser.

No comments about The Button Blanket (Northwest Coast Indian Art Series).

No comments about Gingham Aprons of the '40s & '50s: A Checkered Past (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

No comments about From Rags to Bitches: An Autobiography.

1 comments about Young Fashion Designers Americas (Daab Young Designers).

1. The latest creations from young and new fashion designers from the Americas includes creations from Mexico, New York, Los Angeles - anywhere where young designers are making names for themselves with eye-catching unique fashion lines. Each designer receives full-page color displays of runway models wearing their works, an overview of history and philosophy, and a web site listing. Any college-level library strong in contemporary fashion designers needs this.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

2 comments about Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: Early 1940s (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. I am a theatrical costumer.This book has been very beneficial to me and I think that it would be interesting to anyone who needs to know what the average person wore during the 1940's. It includes images of everything from undergarments and shoes to play clothes and evening attire . Some are in color . You can also get a great idea of hair styles for this period . There are sections for children , teens , women and men .
   I purchased the companion book which illustrates fashion of the mid 40's
   also .
   Because it is compiled from catalog ads, the description of the clothing is under each garment . This was helpful to me in knowing what fabrics were used , and having the little details about the pleating , or what ever else was highlighted about the garment .
   It is worth the money .



2. As a costume designer for theatre, I find this entire series an excellent source of specific research for 20th century real clothing. Because each book is dedicated to only three or four years in history, there is room for a wide variety of products, from lingerie to nursing uniforms to young men's "trendy" sportwear.

5 comments about Let There Be Clothes: 40,000 Years of Fashion.

1. This is it; The Book, the one that made me fall in love with the history of clothing and fashion. You have to take everything with a grain of salt, but the easy-to-approach format with the pages divided into `articles' sort of like a newsletter, the fun graphics, and interesting historical tie-ins make this one of my favorite fashion history books. If you're looking for an in-depth historical study this is NOT for you. However, if you are looking for a fun, irreverent frolic through the togas, doublets, and surplices of times past pick up a copy of this when you find it, it's well worth it.



2. A fun, funky and thoroughly entertaining way to learn about clothes from the past and their role in history. Get your hands on this book!



3. Too many authors of fashion/costume history get really stuffy, even pedantic in their published expertise. This is not that kind of author - she presents in a conversational format historical facts, quotes, a general timeline, and many reprinted photos, drawings and paintings showing fashion or something interesting to do with our favorite topic. Since it's written more like Vogue than any textbook, it's easier to digest and remember, and wholly entertaining at the same time. After all, what is fashion history but a record of the everyday clothes people wore during their lifetime, the same way we look at our bluejeans. This source of endless fashion trivia was a surprise gift from a friend and has become one of my favorite rainy day reads. And there's something for everyone: clothing colors of Egypt - the popular and the magical (p. 50), a medieval recipe for toothpaste (p. 138), a credit for the first owner of black satin sheets in the 1570's (p.177), Madame de Pompadour's deathbed act of cosmetic vanity (p. 227), the origin of men's trouser cuffs (p. 273), several references to fashions inspired by the silver screen (p. 348), the Edwardian revival of the early 1970's (p. 392), and a zillion more bits of tid. You'll find yourself saying "hmmm! never knew that!" pretty darn often. This book provides justification for saying "everything old becomes new again" and a fun perspective on constantly changing fashion through the ages. Especially appropriate for younger readers who couldn't make it through a textbook approach to clothing, or for those of us who like to read in bed without dozing off. Keep an eye out for this volume and snap up as many copies as you ever find.



4. Why do people wear what they wear? This book tells all! Did blondes have more fun in Ancient Rome? In 40 A.D. laws were passed requiring Roman prostitutes to dye their hair blonde. Ever wonder what the Gauls wore into battle? They died their mustaches blue, put on their horned helmets and went off to war stark naked from the neck down! Why did LOuis XIV make high heels and stockings an essential for the well-dressed man? (He wanted to show off his great legs!) This book is a riot... buy it!



5. 40,000 Years of Fashion: Let There Be Clothes is one of the most humorous costuming books it has been my pleasure to read. It is a campy romp through the history of fashion from the prehistoric fur bikini to the hottest and hippest of the retro 90's. 40,000 years is not to be used as a serious research book, but it's fantastic for the vintage fashion enthusiast that is looking for the short take on a long subject. Fashion tips and social quips relevant to each century gives this book its charm

3 comments about Fit to Be Tied: Vintage Ties of the Forties and Early Fifties (Recollectibles).

1. If you are a collector this may interest you. The book is primarily photographs of beautiful collectible ties. There is some history of the tie and labels to look for. All in all is is a pretty book. I had hoped for more information on values but was disappointed in that respect.



2. This is a charming, but ultimately shallow, book. It's something I like to look at when I'm looking for inspiration on vintge style, but there's not much context here. I'd love a bit of socio-history to give it some substance.



3. Well, if you're into ties, this is a great book! Not only it is fun to look at, but it serves as a useful guide for dating and categorizing old ties. This book has quite a bit of good info, as well, especially about labels and designers. Worth a look!

2 comments about Masterpieces of Women's Costume of the 18th and 19th Centuries.

1. This is a slightly altered reproduction of a book originally published in 1959. Aline Bernstein, who among other things was a theatrical costume designer, produced the material in 1930 with the aid of a Rockefeller Grant. All are based on actual costumes.
   
   Bernstein has presented drawings of 31 dresses and 3 Regency spencer jackets. There are small, but clear color reproductions, four to each approximately 9" x 12" plate, on eight plates in the center of the book. In addition, there is a full page sized black-and-white reproduction of each costume.
   
   The strength of this book is that each fashion is accompanied by a drawing of a contemporary hair style, shoes, and the undergarments, including corsets, petticoats, etc., which would often have to be pulled from different reference sources. Many are also accompanied by a drawing of the pattern for the main item. The patterns are not scaled to different sizes.
   
   A useful reference book, especially given the price.



2. I found this to be a worthwhile purchase for an individual interested in the details of women's clothing from these periods. I am using this book to get ideas for creating authentic reproductions of Victorian clothing.

2 comments about T-shirt 360.

1. 500 pages of designs in a nice portable hardcover. A good reference or inspiration book. Also contains many designs from Europe not found in other collections.



2. This book is a decent selection of many of today's interesting t-shirt designs but has its share of shortcomings. For one thing many of the image sources are not very high resolution which is unfortunate considering the focus of the book is to show off these designs. In addition to low-res photos many of the photos are obscured or otherwise hard to get a good look at just the design. Pedro Guitton's design choices for the book itself are regrettable but thankfully do not get in the way too much. Overall it is a good value for the sheer amount and variety of sources included in the book and is good to pick up now and again for inspiration.