5 comments about Glamour, Interrupted: How I Became the Best-Dressed Patient in Hollywood.

1. Although the subject was serious, Steven Cojokaru dealt with his potential life ending illness just as he does most of his star reviews - like so much fluff and stuff. He is a divia and that is what came through
   here, not all the sacrifices made by a dear friend and then his mother. The book was barely average in quality.



2. This book was incredible. I couldn't put it down. I could relate to his anger, depression, and finally happiness. He really made me open my eyes to the issues I have at hand. I recently had major back surgery, and I went through all the emotions he did. (all though my wasn't life threating) I do not normally read these kind of books, but a friend told me to read it, due the fact that I was in a deep depression myself. He really made great light of a bad situation. I would recommend this to book to everyone.(which I already have)
   
   Thank you Cojo you really made me feel that things can get better no matter what the situation.
   
   Y. Schuck
   Pennsylvania



3. I have enjoyed watching Cojo on TV for years. His sharp wit always makes me smile. Since as he says he can't do anything without a television camera recording, it was a natural for him to write this book. What impressed me most is the honesty and personal experiences he shares with the reader. Sometimes I felt too much humor took away from his incredible story, but in the end it all came together. I already have an organ donor sticker on my driver's license, but I hope this book inspires many to become donors. Great job Cojo!



4. Only Cojo could turn his personal tragedy of being diagnosed with PKD into an entertaining, witty, and creative story! After picking up this book, I was a little curious about what the story would contain, considering that Cojo has already given us his biography in a previous book. I was also afraid that the story would be entirely too depressing.
   
   Boy was I wrong! I loved this book and wasn't the least bit disappointed. Cojo delivers in true Cojo fashion as he bares his soul and still keeps you laughing out loud, all while take you along on the journey of his own personal hell.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of the Entertainment Tonight fashion guru. This is definitley Cojo at his best! What an amazing and talented man!



5. I picked this book up looking for a light read. I've always loved Cojo's energy and humor on the red carpet. The book flew by - I couldn't put it down - but I didn't expect to be moved and educated along the way. Cojo made it through a horrific, life-threatening ordeal with wit and grace. He doesn't sugarcoat his experience, but is able to poke fun at himself and maintain his signature style throughout. This is a great book that will help put your own problems in perspective.

2 comments about Godey's Fashions Coloring Book (Dover Pictorial Archives).

1. This book is wonderful. The fashions depicted are truly lovely. I'm enjoying it already. Definately a keeper!



2. I just purchased these Dover COloring Books for my mother and she loves them. The detail is out of this world and the variety of colors you can use are only limited by your inagination. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

5 comments about Draping for Apparel Design.

1. it's required txet book for our college.
   it's readable and understandable easily.
   if you are a serious learner in this field, it's the one for you.



2. Excellent book about drapping and worth to buy especially for the beginner who learn how to modify your basic pattern, it would be better if in the next edition shown how to modify the pattern more specifically, with measurement sample.



3. I wanted to wean myself off dependency on commercial patterns and having invested in a dress form, I came across this book. It's a bit pricey but it turns out that it's a fashion school text book, hence the price tag. The text is very well-written and illustrated. The author has the reader analyze a fashion drawing, and identify the structural components of a particular garment as most embellishments can be broken down to basic components (i.e. dart excesses).
   
   My only peeve was that some definitions for terms I wasn't familiar with (e.g. Princess Line) couldn't be found in the back of the book. Also, not all the formats seen in fashion are portrayed in this book. Most, if not all, garment examples have a waist or empire seam, and designed for woven fabrics (no knits); and as far as I can tell, the author doesn't direct the reader/student on how to accomodate for that. However, I am happy that there is a section on bias-cut gowns (the info. is very hard to come by on the Net) As a self-taught sewer and wanna-be designer, this book will definitely help me to go to further.



4. A detailed, step by step guide for designing using the drape method. Easy to understand and also inspiriing. I wanted a way to create the designs I had in my head. This makes it so much clearer. A great resource to have.



5. This book is so beautifully illustrated, you hardly need to read a line. To me, draping is the most rewarding method of apparel design, in that what you see is what you get -- no sketching, drafting, sewing up a muslin, and then seeing the results. That is why I find this book to be the best of all popular draping texts on the market today. The instructions are clear, the book itself is clean and well laid out. The illustrations are flawless. You can follow the drawings and easily achieve the same results. There is so much clarity in the way the material is presented, it's easy to use, easy to understand, and easy to learn from. The quality of this book is similar to her pattern drafting book. I would recommend any book authored by Helen Joseph-Armstrong, as you will certainly get the best book on the subject. This book is absolutely delightful.

5 comments about Confessions of a Window Dresser.

1. Not really sure how Simon Doonan managed to fail the Eleven Plus; he's (among other geniuses) a Comic Genius. Confessions of a Window Dresser has (surprisingly!) turned out to be an excellent read-aloud.
   Mr. Doonan's life is awfully fascinating even without the window dressing (hehe), but if you're interested in display in general, and window dressing in particular, I recommend this book as a Must Have. The archived photos merit close study.
   I received the paperback version as a gift. Sadly, it's true about the binding, so the copy i bought for my baby brother is hardcover, built to last!



2. This book is a ride for sure, an artistic roller-coaster with a nice beginning, no ending and a meandering middle. I think it would be appropriate to call this book self-absorbed and it is up to you to decide if that is what you want to read. Some of the problems I encountered: First, I really should have bought the hardcover; the [paperback] book literally fell apart in my hands. By page six, the cover was off and soon after that I was picking little bits of glue off my lap. About one third the way through the book, I gave up and tried to stay ahead of the mess by picking the glue off the binding myself. I have read hundreds of books, many of them paperbacks, and I have probably never seen a book so poorly bound; by the end of the book it started to look and feel like a newspaper! Additionally, for what is mostly a color-picture book the quality of paper used is also astonishingly low; the total lack of quality of this book is depressing. Perhaps this is what you get when you manufacture in China and don't have someone watching who speaks Chinese.
   
   Second, I found the text of this book hard to follow. The whole thing should have been arranged better, the captions for the volumnous pictures were all ploped down in paragraph-form and the main text was constantly cut up for random, unpredictable, lengths by the pictures. On the other hand, with careful reading I thought the captions explained the pictures very well.
   
   Third, I would have liked to learned more about his early career in London and L.A. It felt to me that the middle of the "how-I-got-to-where-I-am" story was a soft, like part o the story was missing. Overall, I enjoyed the story.



3. Fashion Marketing is everywhere, especially in Fashion Windows where's the retailer's most economical form of advertising; bring glamour, fun, theatre and art to the streets, while visibly expressing the store's image. Of his approach to visual merchandising, Simon Doonan brings a wealth of personal experince and insight to these window displays. The ones who are interested in Fashion Windows, Fashion Marketing and Fashion Advertising, must have this book. (P.S. I bought this book from Amazon and received it at the right time and with no harm. Thanks Amazon.com )



4. I bought this book for a gift, but was so intrigued by Doonan's windows I had to read it myself. From the minimal and sometimes upsetting displays of his early years to the more recent, gaudy and pop-influenced windows of Barneys, Doonan's book shows and tells the craft, work, and often times controversy that went into his displays. An incredible glimpse of one man's work, and the importance of a store display to grab and interact with the customer. Never bores, never falters.



5. Simon Doonan gives us a gift in this delectable bon-bon of a book! The self-professed "Lucky Leprechaun", Doonan proves it does indeed take more than luck-it takes talent, drive, and vision to become a success. Dispelling the myth that all "window dressers" are poisonous, bitter, queens, this insanely funny, engaging, and gorgeously illustrated biography is the perfect late summer book. A must read!

No comments about The World's Top Photographers Workshops: Fashion & Advertising (World's Top Photographers' Workshops).

5 comments about 4 Inches.

1. I have to say I agree with (most) of the other reviewers that the photos are of excellant quality, the women are beautiful and it's for a good cause. The only slightly disturbing thing is that the amount of skin shown seems to be related to the "accepted" beauty of the model. By that I mean the professional models were all fully naked and obviously quite comfortable being so; while some of the other ladies were photographed covered up (although obviously naked). It would be interesting to know if the model was ill at ease in being naked or the photographers were sub-conciously suggesting a more covered up shot. Either way it's a shame that the likes of Sarah Ferguson was hidden under some sort of blanket rather than uncovered in the true spirit of the book.
   
   All in all and excellent collection.



2. Not only is this book for a good cause, It is also amazing. The photography is outstanding and I am a photographer. It is all in very good taste. Beautiful Work!!!



3. I was very disappointed in the quality and compositions of the photographs in this book. This book was published for a good cause but one would think the "professional" photographers would be more creative in their props and lighting. Save your money. Don't buy this book.



4. When I recieved this book I was very pleased with the sheer size and over all look of the book. Then as I paged through it I found all but a few pictures to be absolutely beatuiful, I didn't care too much for the toilet photos and maybe one or two others. I love black and white photos, I also have an obsession with choo shoes and of course I love jewerly so this book brought them all together so beautifully and on beauitful women. I am begining a career in photoghraghy and found this book to be very tastful except the above mentioned which were more silly. Above all else proceeds go to a great cause AIDS in women.



5. This is a great conversation piece. Very sexy, yet classy as well. Love it!

4 comments about Medieval Fashions Coloring Book (History of Fashion).

1. I just purchased these Dover COloring Books for my mother and she loves them. The detail is out of this world and the variety of colors you can use are only limited by your inagination. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!



2. This coloring book has some terrific pictures of medieval fashions. SCA and Faire Folk can get some great ideas for garb here. There's no documentation for the clothing, but it's still fun to color!



3. I picked this one up at a local store (sorry amazon) as a gift to a little girl in the medieval group I belong to, and while flippig through at the checkout line, I relized I needed a copy for myself. I only wish that the documentation refrenced some sorses. Paintings or brass rubbings would be cool.
   But still a really neat book.



4. This book is really fun. There are pictures of men and women from various countries and different social and economic backgrounds, and a good amount of detail in each drawing. If you were attempting to reconstruct the costume of a 14th century French baker's wife, for example, you could get many good ideas here! I can't stress enough what a good resource this book would be: the pictures are large and detailed, the captions clearly identify the time,place, and economic status of the persons being depicted. Just a wonderful, gorgeous book!

5 comments about Everyday Fashions of the Fifties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs (Dover Books on Fashion).

1. Whenever I take this book out, people fight over a peek into its glossy pages. It covers everything in fashion from the fifties, though mostly focusing on women. The pictures depict fashions, from dresses to shoes, hats and gloves to maternity wear; the women's hairstyles, makeup, and overall looks give the reader the most authentic possible view of fashion and the aesthetic ideals of the time. The catalogue also shows the prices and features descriptions that include fabric, color, and price. There are some pictures of teenage, male, and children's fashions. This book is thorough and unbelievably beautiful.



2. I was born in early 1953 so many of the fashions still mean something to me. I have to admit that I'm still drawn to the femininity of the period but I have my dreams and you have yours and we'll leave it at that. This is a good book for the money. Not too detailed, the reproductions can get a little bit fuzzy and there is no color; but this what you get for $15 these days. If you like what you see here, there are other resources to persue. It's a pretty good starting point.



3. I truly enjoyed reading the old advertising copy while looking at the old ads. Some of the fashions I remember my grandmother and mother wearing. Lots of fun reading.



4. This is a primary source book that tells the prices and materials, which are very helpful to a costume designer. I also enjoy the book Fifties Forever, which is similar except it's color photos of actual vintage stuff (the color does help, but the Sears catalogue is still great without it).



5. I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was packed from start to finish with pictures. The book gives an excellent overview of what the average woman was wearing in the 1950's, unlike many similar books which focus on important designers.
   While it is very light on text I still feel that it is a must for anyone interested in this period.

5 comments about Fruits.

1. I used to see this book all the time at the nearby music store, and one day I received it as a gift. I'm not going to suggest that everyone should dress like the people in this book, but I will say that I loved how they were able to put together something different and interesting, completely unlike what I've seen here in the U.S. Even the most outrageous outfits I've seen at clubs in LA can't hold a candle to what's in this book. Very creative stuff here.



2. This is an interesting book. The author/photographer documents street fashion in the Harajuku district of Japan. Each page is a photo of an individual and a brief description of their outfit. If you are into this style of fashion, this is a book worth owning. The only short-coming is that the descriptions are printed in colored ink and sometimes get lost in the background color of the photographs.



3. My high school art class, Costume Design, LOVE this book. It's fun to see teenagers in another culture taking western fashion and personalizing it. Every time I pick up the book I see something new. We've only had the book a couple of weeks and it is already dog-eared.



4. Great book, made my girlfriend quite happy. She is very into Japanese street fashion and this book just captivated her, she looked through it about 20 times the day i gave it to her.



5. Even if you aren't particularly interested in Japanese youth culture, this book is just a great example of fashion or humanity and the expansion of western culture into the eastern. The photographs are all high quality and just about every page also has a little questionaire filled out by each subject so you get to know a little more about them then their outrageous fashion sense.

5 comments about Knitting Ganseys.

1. Anxiously awaited arrival of this book, since it was referred to me by the reviews on Amazon.com. It is an exceptional book for someone who loves knitting and wants to learn more about "Ganseys" The sample sweater looks intriguing. Just from reading the book, before jumping in to knit something, I learned a lot. I am enjoying this book immensely. Can't wait to start knitting...Very glad I purchased it. And, the price was right ( I would have paid more)



2. I was thrilled to get this book. It has a wealth of information in it about knitting Guernsey (Gansey) sweaters. I especially like the way you can go along, knitting a sample small Gansey, to get the ideas of what to do and how to do it. It also gives directions for about 6 sweaters, but it encourages you to design your own (or in my case, to complete the sweater that I have half-finished and have lost the directions for). I've knitted about half of the sample sweater in a lovely wool, and I'm hiding it from my granddaughter who will want it for one of her dolls. (I might want to keep it for reference for the next sweater!)



3. This book has great instructions for knitting a sampler gansey. The sampler is small, so it knits up fast, and at the same time, teaches you all the techniques you need to begin knitting your own full size sweater. I'm experienced at knitting all kinds of patterned stitches, but only in flat shapes, eg. rectangles, triangles, circles. Knitting the sampler was easier than I expected, thanks to the clear instructions and pictures. Now I feel completely confident to knit my own sweater!



4. This book is great if you know how to knit, or even if you're just learning. It is an essential for every knitters library. You'll also find many hints that transfer to the creation of any beautiful sweater. Ganseys are magical sweaters, with patterns mostly created from simple knit and purl stitches. But, the trick for these garments is in the details, and you'll find lots of details very well explained. For the price, you cannot go wrong.
   
   The book is chock full of great tips for designing your own sweater. For me, the book arrived just in time, as I was stuck on a sweater I'd designed myself, but couldn't get the neck quite right. I found exactly what I needed, and for that alone, the book was worth it. That sweater is not a gansey, and now I am scouring my 'stash' to select just the right yarn for my next Gansey.
   
   As for what Grandma never told you, if you have questions about just how to best approach a twist, turn, slip, or ornament, you can find the answer here. You can also find enough information to design your own gansey, creating your own masterpiece in wool. Grandma knew Ganseys, but not as well as Beth Brown-Reinsel.
   
   As with all knitting, you must be very careful when knitting Ganseys to get the 7 to 9 stitches per inch correct and consistent. If you can regulate your tension, you may find you're able to use yarns that are a bit heavier than worsted, thus getting a tighter fabric that is virtually windproof. Or, try the 'real thing', using 5 ply Gansey yarn. It is beautiful to knit and really brings out the pattern, no matter what colour you select.
   
   I found Ganseys work especially well in yarns that still have spinning oil, or lanolin, in the yarn. Don't be surprised though if you give one of these away, and the recipient says the sweater is 'too warm'. Ganseys, knitted in warm wool, sometimes are 'outdoor wear only', and that's actually a good thing.



5. I knit the little sample sweater to learn the techniques, and then knit the muted musican's sweater from their pattern. It worked and I have a sweater! I'm a good knitter (hats, socks, gloves) but have a problem with full size sweaters, this is my one and only... so I really hand it to this book that I could complete such a nice one. There are a lot of great ideas for designing your own and after some later failed sweater attempts I think I'll go back and knit another gansey.