1 comments about Fashion Images.

1. I picked this one up used, for nearly nothing. Written for Fashion Students, this text is clear and simple, and teaches the reader how to translate their fashion imaginings into coherent drawings. Excellent for experienced sewers interested in learning to design their own fashions for the ground up, and any student/afficionado of fashion not already comfortable representing the human figure.

1 comments about Opportunities in Beauty and Modeling Careers (Opportunities in).

1. This book would be a good reference for high school aged young women and men who are trying to consider what career to go into. As for an adult who wants to know other career options available in the beauty or fashion industry, outside of "wig stylist", "manicurist" or "shampoo girl" this book is not for you.
   
   I was expecting more of an inside view of various careers in the beauty and fashion industry. Careers outside of the norm, like maybe "Jewelry Buyer", "Fashion Consultant" or something. This book was really of no help to me at all.

No comments about Kabuki Costume.

1 comments about It's a Matter of Illustration.

1. I got this book last summer while over in Germany. It is full of cool illustrations in a variety of different styles. This book and the first "Illusive" book are my favorite design books, and I keep coming back to them when searching for inspiration.

4 comments about Shibori: The Art of Fabric Tying, Folding, Pleating and Dyeing.

1. I recieved this book for Christmas, and was truly sorry I had placed it on my wish list....I found this book very simplistic,poorly researched and most of all it presented terrible examples of finished projects. A real "Faux pas" No mention ot the long Japanese history for this technique, or examples of the many exquisite traditional pieces.........This is not even good enough for the library.......They should have saved the trees@



2. Surely there are better, more detailed books on shibori. I paid more than the current Amazon price, and I wish I had spent my money on one of the other (more expensive) books. I suspect I will donate my copy to the public library for those who have no prior knowlege of resist dyeing, or those who would like to see what they are getting before they buy.



3. Someone who wanted a strong and exhaustive overview of ofshibori told me that he was disappointed by this book, as it is fairlylimited in scope. However, I enjoyed the book very much for what it is. It includes a number of lovely examples of things that are possible with shibori. You will need another book to tell you about the dyes themselves, but most people interested in this book will already have at least one such dyers' book already. This book is well worth its relatively modest price.



4. A very nice, well illustrated book, though not specifically what I was looking for. I wanted a book that addressed supplemental weft (weaving) and subsequent dyeing to produce Shibori.

   This books strictly addresses the different techniques(folding, twisting, dyeing) used to achieve a certain look. More advanced than tie-dye, but similar in approach. Would be a good reference for someone getting involved in Surface Design and Fabric manipulation. Worth the price.

5 comments about The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Costume & Fashion: From 1066 to the Present Day.

1. I don't regret getting this book, but I have seen better. The illustrations are a good source but not an ideal one. I did notice, and maybe it's just me, that the drawings were not proportional and a little too cartoony (it's definately a personal preference). However the garments themselves are nicely drawn and will be helpful to me in the future.



2. a book with just illustrations and some helpful notes on the garment details. it doesn't dig deep into history and all that, but visually, it's awsome...it's essential for your studies...



3. I just recommended this book to a friend who wanted depictions of clothes from 1650-1700. It really is a very good timeline of fashion. Also,the drawings are very colorful and full of detail. A worthwhile investment for anyone who's interested in costuming or European history.



4. This is an absolutely pathetic book. The illustrator/author merely copied famous works of art from the Reniassance period. Wait, I shouldn't say copied: He made weak attempts at the imitation of these masterpieces. Could he not come up with something slightly original in text and drawing? Please save your money.



5. This book has really nice pictures at all but after learning so much about the history of costume at university I was really unsatisfied with this book. It could have been more structure in it, too.

1 comments about Fairchild's Designer, Stylist Handbook.

1. These books are inspiring, and help to ideate garments basedon the details shown inside. Debbie Gioello has really outdone herself with these books, chock full of images (some thumbnails, some a bit larger) showing everything from collar variations, to pocket detailing and different cowl drapes as applied to various parts of the garment.
   If you get stumped sometimes, or even are like me and can imagine what you want a design to look like but not always picture how to draw out details, or need a guide to use when drawing a collar (just can't always think with that side of my brain), this is a great book. Come to think of it, this is the perfect book for everyone!
   Though it is a bit dated in some of the images shown, the sketches aren't intended to be your design, only to inspire you and give you ideas on different ways to use design elements. Hope you love it as much as I do!
   (There are two parts to this set, so make sure you can get both)

3 comments about Textiles.

1. This was an easy textbook to follow when I took my textiles class. It is very informative and interesting.



2. I had been searching through all of the sewing books I could find to learn more about the nature of fabric and fibers...and everything I could possibly want to know was here, and more. Absolutely fascinating. It is a textbook, but was written clearly enough that anyone with an interest in the area can easily understand it. I've been teaching classes to costumers and members of the local American Sewing Guild, who are equally impressed with the knowledge we got from this book.



3. I use this book as the text for teaching a basic textiles course for sophmores. This text provides a sound foundation for students understanding the textiles and the science foundations that are the base for predicting textile performance. Every line is packed with information; there is no fluff in this book. If you want to understand WHY textiles and textile products perform in specific ways, this is the book to buy.

1 comments about Fashion and Eroticism: Ideals of Feminine Beauty from the Victorian Era Through the Jazz Age.

1. In this fascinating new study, Valerie Steele shows how eroticism formed the basis of the Victorian ideal of feminine beauty and fashion, indeed, how the very concepts of beauty and fashion are in essence erotic. Far from being passive sex objects, Victorian women, like their modern counterparts, chose to emulate an erotic ideal as an aspect of their own self fulfillment and were not merely presenting themselves as men wanted to see them.

   Fashion And Eroticism is not only a radical revision of our conventional understanding of Victorian fashion; it is also a major contribution to the history of women and sexuality. Steele offers a powerful and convincing new interpretation of the Victorian woman, who has traditionally been presented as strait-laced and prudish, her clothing an outward sign of her sexual repression and exploitation. Steele shows that the Victorians were, in fact, well aware that women had legs. Even the notorious corset was neither fetishistic nor an unhealthy instrument of torture, although its complex and ambivalent sexual symbolism aroused controversy.

   Steele explodes the myth that progress triumphed over fashion. She explains how the twentieth century look of sexy, healthy beauty evolved from within the prewar world of fashion, and not as part of an anti fashion or dress reform movement. Her conclusions are based on prodigious documentary, visual, and material research (including the study of costume collections in the United States, great Britain, Europe, and even Japan), set within a sophisticated interpretive framework. Her use of psychoanalytic theory to explain the connection between fashion and eroticism is both lucid and persuasive, and her discussion of eroticism is sensible and precise, a far cry from the usual prurient and anecdotal histories of sexuality. Fashion And Eroticism approaches its subject from the perspective of the most recent work in womenýs history and concluded that fashion and feminism are by no means irreconcilable.

   Valerie Steele received her Ph.D. in history from Yale University in 1983, and was the 1984 First Ladies Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution.

5 comments about 10 Women by Peter Lindbergh.

1. A really nice collection of photographs of 10 of the worlds most popular models. The book worked well in balck and white, and perhaps added to the feel of each photo. The small amount of text accompanying each of the models, giving a brief description of them, was a great touch and I found it intertesting. The photos are taken very much in a "fashion magazine" style, and work particularly well in that sense. The only thing I really thought was missing from the book as a whole was "something original". I'm not sure exactly what I might have been hoping for, but it left me wanting more. It however, is a book of fantastic photos of some of the best models of this era, taken by a very talented photographer who is obviously very in touch with the fashion industry. It would be a good book to sit back with in the afternoon with a cup of tea or coffee.



2. A great book for learning a few things about shooting women with passion. Some images are off base, but most cut right to the heart. The images are also very diverse, as they cross cultural boundaries with the selection of models represented in the book. I think it is a good one, an eye opener, and for the money a great one!



3. I own hundreds of books on fashion, the nude, glamour, beauty etc. I am myself a fashion photographer and publish a series on digital nude work I do. I found this book to be extremely bland. It was very economical, but believe me, it was too much. Peter has a lot better material out, and I think this book was just published on the merits of the subject matter and the name of the photographer. Don't waste your time with this one.



4. Lindbergh is simply an outstanding photographer. All of the women are interesting subjects. Linda Evangelista is stunning in this book. The cover shot of her is wonderful. Kate Moss looks like she is straight out of the 1960's. Cindy is Cindy. The gem though is Christy Turlington whose personality and grace simply leap off of the page. The photo of her laughing is a revelation. This is a book that anyone who is interested in fashion photography should have. Peter Lindbergh hits the mark with this one by showcasing not only his strengths as a photographer but also his models range as subjects.



5. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I wish it was longer. I didn't know what to expect when I ordered it but I was very pleasantly surprised. There are some truly brilliant shots in this book, including the best pictures of Kate Moss I've ever seen (I don't normally find her that attractive, but Lindbergh works his magic). If you like fashion, photography or supermodels, this is a great place to start. While there is very little writing, the pictures speak for themselves and are very creative. After looking through this, I can't wait to see Lindbergh's upcoming book.