5 comments about High Fashion Sewing Secrets from the World's Best Designers: A Step-By-Step Guide to Sewing Stylish Seams, Buttonholes, Pockets, Collars, Hems, And More (Rodale Sewing Book).

1. This book is filled with information and great sewing techniques so that no matter what you make, it will fit... but it won't just fit, it will fit as if you had it custom made by Chanel. There are lots of secrets that make sewing seem like a snap.
   
   I've been sewing for years, and I love the book.



2. I admit I haven't read much of it. Just skimmed through it. It's just quite hard to read...too technical (good for those who like things technical ..I"m a more visual person) and too much information in one seating. But it's worthwhile to take time to study it once I've got more time on my hand.



3. It does have some great tips, and instructions on copying clothes etc. but one cannot deny that many of the "secrets" are indeed dated. For example, I can promise you that you will never need to know how to make a Double Flounce collar (page 79). Many of the designers highlighted here hit their popularity in the 80s and much of couture sewing in general (but especially couture of 20+ years ago) is just not relevent to every day style. Definitely use the "Search Inside" feature to see what I mean. Still, it is not very expensive and I believe that overall there is enough in here to warrant having it in my library.



4. The book is good. The service fast. -just not exactly what I had expected for the type of book.



5. There's a lot of books out thee - but if you're still learning a lot of the more advanced tricks - BUY THIS BOOK. Seriosuly - I am usually happy to get half a dozen new ideas out of a book - usually makes up for what I spend - but that is all this book is about. New Tips and Tricks.
   
   I was estatic to see some of the coat lining techniques used in one of my Amrmani coats broken down and described so well. Its like "OH Ok - thats how its down" Its full of stuff like that.
   
   Maybe if you've been sewing for 30+ years and have a college degree in fashion - you might know everything from cover to cover already - but if your a still new or an intermediate still learning - this book is an ideal find.

3 comments about The Complete Pirelli Calendars: 1964-2007.

1. i'd always heard of the mythos of the Pirelli callender.
   it was a tad overhyped/overrated



2. I had always been fascinated with the mystique that surrounded the Pirelli Calenders. So of course when this book became available I immediately jumped at the opportunity to buy it. If you want to see the evolution of cheesecake photography - and I do mean cheesecake at its absolute best - then this is the tome (its a BIG book) for you.
   
   I would have given it five stars but one of my favourite images was reproduced at half the size of the page. And while I understand that it was part of the artistic layout I was hoping for that one to be bigger.
   
   Aside from that minor issue I am very pleased with this purchase and highly recommend it



3. The Complete Pirelli Calendars: 1964-2007
   This book is large, heavy, and full of great images illustrating the history of the Pirelli Calendar. It not only shows evolution with regards to photographic style through the years, but provides a very diverse showcase of individual (and respected) photographer's work.
   I highly recommend it.
   Greg Gerla

2 comments about Adrian: Silver Screen to Custom Label.

1. adrian, a/k/a gilbert adrian, was one of the few designers for the classic hollywood films that did not blow his own horn during his time in the fashion industry as both costume designer and couturier.
   
   in his somewhat short life, he worked hard, played hard and draped some of the film industry's most glamourous bodies in uniquely beautiful designs. his creativity was unstoppable. yet, in a weird twist of fate, he was never to compete for an academy award.
   
   it is a wonderful thing to see another book published about this genius/workhorse! there are some of his gowns that defy description, such as his 'letty lynton' dress with its wildly ruffled sleeves. or, his showgirl get-ups that were featured in 'the great ziegfeld' and re-used time and again for mgm's less lavish musicals. and his period designs for the films of garbo and jeanette macdonald (to name a few), while not painstakingly researched, supply great amounts of aura for these actresses and the films.
   
   it would be nice for the academy to pay tribute to him, travis banton and many others one year. but as it won't get more people to watch, it probably won't happen.
   
   but that's fine. let the books keep coming and let the reinvestigations of the makings of glamour, hollywood style, spark many a scholarly discussion as they should.



2. I love this book soooo much i remember all the old movies that Adrian desigend for .. so happy with this book thanks Robert

5 comments about Style Rx: Dressing the Body You Have to Create the Body You Want.

1. First, I will admit that I am a style book junkie. I believe in learning as much as you can about style rules, style tips, fashion ideas, etc, and then creating your own style. Therefore, I already have a lot of style knowledge, but I am always looking for something new, some tip that makes a big difference, some real life stories that help me.
   This book offers a couple small things that I have not learned elsewhere, but not much. The positives- it does cover from neck to feet. It has real-life pictures, which may help you get the idea. The subjects are real-life people, not models (one I believe is a part-time model). The negative about the pictures- often the subject has her body or head positioned somewhat differently from one picture to the other, which makes as much difference to how she looks as the change in her clothing does (Oprah is the queen of this trick). Also, there are several pictures where I don't think the subject looks any better after using the style tip.
   I went through this book quickly, and don't feel I learned enough to have made it worth ordering. If this is one of your first style books, you will learn something. However, there are many other books I would recommend over this one.



2. Big butt? Little butt? Short legs? Long waist? You, yes, YOU can find the solutions to your style problems. And they're all right here, in one volume.
   
   There are many books on the market that offer advise on what to wear/what not to wear in order to camouflage one or more body "flaws". This book is head and shoulders above the rest. What sets this compendium apart is that each figure challenge is given its own chapter, thoroughly illustrated with before and after photos, and filled with pointers and tips for visually altering your appearance.
   
   But wait, there's more! Ms. Raes includes a section of case studies, so you can see how to put all the advice to good use. This section is especially helpful for those who may feel overwhelmed by too much information.
   
   My favorite part of the book, however, is the section on Balance and Harmony. Here you'll find information that is rarely discussed in other style books, or discussed in a way that is too complicated to put to use. Topics include necklines, movement, texture, and intensity. The photos illustrate these topics with clarity, so that anyone can easily understand and implement the ideas. The photos also show just how much of a difference just a slight change can make in one's appearance.
   
   So, if you are looking for the one-stop-shop for figure enhancement wisdom, look no more. Style Rx will fix what ails you.
   
   Jennifer Skinner
   Author of The Very Small Closet



3. i love this book!! gives me great ideas on how to pick my clothes which look best on me!!



4. I was hoping for a book that addressed building a basic wardrobe as well as dressing to fit your body "flaws". Instead this book did exactly what it said it would -- it gives you advice on how to dress to mask your body "flaws". It is very good if that's all you want this book for, but don't expect anything else out of it.



5. This is a great book for all women today! Who doesn't want to look their best and Bridget knows just how to help you do that.

5 comments about The Apron Book: Making, Wearing, and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort.

1. I had to make an apron in Home Ec class many (many) years ago. I didn't enjoy it at all. I didn't care for the fabric, didn't really get the hang of using a sewing machine, just felt it was a waste of time. Nobody in my family wore an apron, anyway, somehow they miraclously stayed clean during food prep.
   Flash forward a few decades. I like to cook and bake and I did not inherit the miracle of not getting messy while I cooked. Most aprons you can buy in a store are servicable - but not exactly flashy or pretty. One of my supervisors whipped up aprons as Christmas presents one year. I was amazed because I knew she was a very busy woman. Slowly, I began to gather fabric to make aprons. And when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. That's how I feel about this book. I recommend it highly.



2. Saw this in my book club at twice the money. I really identify with these, the good old days. Days when aprons were a part of getting dressed each day. I still am an apron person. Love those pockets.



3. I looked at this book for the first time at the bookstore yesterday. It has a few how-tos, many neat interviews, stories of all kinds, history. . . it really has something for everyone. Great inspiration.



4. I remember my grandmother and my mother wearing aprons especially when they cooked. They bring a warm memory like my father's pipe. There is something secure and safe in those memories of family gatherings and large dinners. This book brought those special times back to the surface with wit and whimsy. The short story format makes it easy to reread. I actually bought this for a friend, she loved it too.



5. If you like aprons, or have a thing for them like I do, then you'll enjoy this book. the pictures are fun and the projects pretty doable if you know the basics of sewing. I've got a couple good ideas from it.

5 comments about Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, & Everything Glamour.

1. The book is mostly common sense when it comes to fashion advice, although there are a few interesting tidbits. I enjoyed the book mainly for the "aspirational" value; it allows you to live vicariously through the lovely Ms. Zoe, and come on, who wouldn't want her life?
   
   I'm probably going to use the book as a decorative coffee table piece for my guests to enjoy. It's the worth the buy if you like to look at pictures of famous and beautiful people, and get a little advice along the way.



2. I bought this as a gift for a girlfriend after finding it on the coffee table of a rented vacation home... I read it cover to cover in a few days. I am a fashion designer and found this to be a good reminder of how much fun it is to indulge in some personal glamour. I get what the other reviews are saying about it being a "Me, glorious me" book for Rachel, but I didn't care... she does live a unique life and her insights are helpful and inspiring.



3. Hate yourself in the morning, but enjoy the night before with the faux-tanned glam princess and Jersey girl with cool style, deep pockets, and shallow everything else.



4. Too many people like to attack Rachel, but I'm a fan. I approve her taste, save for the skinny/anorexic thing, but that's another story.
   
   This said, I enjoyed the book TREMENDOUSLY. As a fashionista, I find it was very generous of her to share her access (and advice!) to the top fashion industry people (Diane von Furstenberg, Jimmy Choo's Tamara Mellon, Azzaro's Vanessa Seward, Donatella Versace, Margherita Missoni, Decades's Cameron Silver, etc). There's plenty of priceless advice, from choosing the right kind of jeans for your figure to organizing your closet, how to choose vintage clothing right, etc.
   
   I personnally loved the chapter on accessories organizing- where her sister Pamela shares her method.
   
   Despite accusations of "narcissism", I found the tone of her book very gracious, together and smart. She is good at what she does, is a very successful woman and she is, yes, nice.
   
   I recommend it to any fan of glamour and high fashion.



5. This book is perfect if you love celebs fashion and life.
   the only minus is that she talks a little too much about her self and her fab friends. but if you are a truly sucker for celebs fashion you will love this book!!!

5 comments about Harper's Bazaar Great Style: Best Ways to Update Your Look.

1. I was really disappointed in this book. If your desire is to look like your favorite celebrity, then this is the book for you. It is more of a photo spread on how to copy a look like rather than creating your own style. There are other fashion 'how-to' books out there that are much better than this. 'In Style Secrets of Style' is a much better place to start. Try this book instead!



2. What a fantastic book! I refer to it frequently for various fashion tips whenever I am having a blank moment! Being a mum of 3 I often dont have time to think too much about my wardrobe so this book has been really useful.



3. I would suggest getting this from the library---it isn't a keeper. It does have some good general advice on building a work wardrobe. But it is mostly filled with pictures of celebrities (think People magazine). Many of the photos look like they are more the "worst" than "best" and yet they are discussed as a great look to emulate (for example, suits and coats that add pounds to otherwise in-shape celebrities---I can't believe they would include these photos). In parts of the book that show specific accessories and pieces, they don't tell you who the manufacturer is.



4. Agree with reviewer Ginny, this book is a waste of time, which is surprising since I think the magazine has some good information. Pictures of celebs which will quickly become dated and frankly a lot of them don't look very good, at least not something I would want to emulate. The new book "How not to look old" or the "Budget Fashionista" are far superior with useful, practical information that a real person could use to update their look. Glad I got this from the library instead of buying it.



5. If you prefer Harpers Bazaar the magazine over the other fashion magazines out there, then you will probably like this book as well. The advice given in it is straight forward and filled with photos. I liked it because it doesn't take a super trendy approach but more of dressing to fit your own style/preferences with looks from casual to formal/age appropriate/lifestyle/accessories and range of body types. The advice in this book won't have you buying "The" it item that will be "out" in a matter of a season. It advises on what you probably already have in your closet as well as what to buy to enhance your overall wardrobe for different occasions and lifesyles. It also gives breakdowns on individual pieces (boots, jeans, jackets, dresses, bags etc). The layout is simply and straight forward, not complicated. Its a book you can reference for those times when you feel there's nothing to wear. You can pick this up and get ideas that will work for any occasion.

No comments about A Is for Apron: 25 Fresh & Flirty Designs.

5 comments about Fabulosity: What It Is & How to Get It.

1. Not much to say, but "fabulosity" is what it is! Kimora, thank you for contributing to society in many positive ways! Readers: Buy it and review it for yourself.



2. This book definitely reminds us of some good advices we typically tend to forget. It can in fact help you gain some confidence. It's also pleasant and easy to read.
   Nevertheless, I think that it would have been much nicer in a more concise form as, right now, it's really a "girly girly" book, which rather promotes its author, more than anything else.



3. Well, first off, I had always been captivated by Kimora, and figured if anyone knows about being fabulous and could teach us a thing or two, it would be her. But after a couple chapters into the book, I felt that this was more about her out to clearly promote a certain image of herself, one apart from Russell, that she wants us all to have for some reason.... (grooming us for the ensuing divorce from him?).
   She carefully monitored her words through this,& repeatedly pounded an image she wanted to project of having "already made it big" in her teenage years WAAAY before her marriage to Russell Simmons. Oddly, the only reference of a modeling year that she refers to several times in the book was ..."when she was 13" . She made sure to try and appear to keep it real by injecting some experiences of human vulnerablity, and gave a few small glimpses (detailed descriptions) of her monied world, but spent much time referring back and repeating about this "great and extensive European $50k-a week modeling career" she supposedly had through high school, and how she learned to: live on her own in France, smartly taking control of her finances, conduct herself in business, and handle life's lessons...all at the age of 13! Hardly believable. Then looking at the provided photos in the book, I found it very curious that there was only 1 of her (pre-Russell Simmons) modeling years, a United Colors of Benneton ad, where she looks like an average pug-nosed teenager. So I Googled about 50 pages of Images for her and still found NOTHING of any modeling photos of her in that decade before marrying him. It seemed clear that her real objective for writing the book was to convince everyone that she had "made it" way before Russell Simmons came into her life, which I dont think anyone really cares (nor believes). I'm sure she was beautiful and fabby when they met, and Russell married her and elevated her into his monied life...so what?
   Now, I am interested and intrigued in the opulence of the rich & famous like anyone else, and I love to hear the anecdotes of the successsful, but Kimora just doesnt appear to really have any real depth from life's lessons to offer us, in that she went from being basically a teenager to marrying Russell. Its easier to be beautiful and fabby with lots of money, and obviously any of her hardships were always easily overcome with their money. She didnt present anything that showed real blood sweat and tears about her life, or any profundity. I would have rather have just read the truth from her and been intrigued by the power of money to solve problems, and the fun it can bring to a girl's life. Russell would probably have given us something with much more redeeming value if HE wrote the book!
   With the Baby Phat business, I'm sure she certainly must have gone through the guts of up-starting a business, but once again, the obstacles hurdled and the resolutions implemented took money to get through, (which she had, and which she did successfully), and so nothing inspiring there. Basically after reading completely through the book, I got the impression that she was still rather immature and a still-self absorbed game playing girly-girl for one now in her mid 30's. There ARE some good, inspiring quotes that she includes from other celebrities, like: "The thing women have yet to learn is no one gives you power, you just take it"(Roseanne Barr). These made me want to read books by THOSE people. Overall, I came away feeling that Kimora is highly calculative and probably thinks most of her readers were pretty easy to manipulate. There was some amusing things in there, but she doesnt really give of herself genuinely. If anyone, I think this book is best suited for early 20-somethings, who want to learn how to present a certain image, and possibly maximize their potential opportunities in the business world, or if you just want to become more intrigued by Kimora's self-promotion. Not really for a more matured (not talking 'old' here)audience that is already comfortable in their own skin, but are just looking for some profundity and inspiration for an elevated "image makeover" out of the soccer-mom lifestyle.



4. Since watching her show, 'Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane" on the Style Network, I've become an avid fan of the self-styled, self-proclaimed diva. In the spirit of all things fabulous, I decided to purchase the book thinking it would be as fun and as over-the-top as its spirited author. I was not disappointed. With that said, the book, which the author hopes will serve as a self-help manual-- one that gets you in touch with your inner diva (Be yourself but be a slave to fashion as well.) -- is far too self serving for Simmons, an owner of a clothing/style empire. The message is possibly damaging to her young urban audience who need more lessons on the important of education and the delay of gratification than what shoes go with what purse.



5. This was a wonderfullly written book. It truly teaches women to put themselves first, but still being true to your family.

5 comments about Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail.

1. This big glossy picture book is a big let down because all it shows is parts and pieces of garments. The details are useless without getting to see the effect on the whole garment. Who needs a book filled with collar and cuff close-ups? If you are looking for great pictures of 19th century dress- This is NOT the book for you!



2. This book is a visual feast for the eyes! I have gone through it over and over again, and each time I find something new! The coverage of the detail of each type of design is explicit, right down to the buttons and the thread. The book details things like the innovations in fashion, as well as common reviews of the time. In some cases, it also talks about the people behind the items that are featured, such as when they wore the items or their lifestyle. Beautifully done - exceptional photography!



3. Don't bother ordering this through Amazon - They're out of stock and haven't been able to get more copies since February. My order keeps being delayed the day that it lists that it's supposed to ship. It's more expensive elsewhere, but at least you've got the option of actually getting it. I broke down and paid double the price listed by Amazon just so that I could stop waiting for it to arrive each month.
   
   I've heard this is a fantastic reference. Now if only I could get a copy!



4. I found this book gives so many fine details of the clothing made in this century. It's a great help for ideas in trimming my own costumes, and shows how it was done in line drawings. The examples are awesome.



5. This book is chock full of close-up photographs which show the details of garments that have been well preserved from the period. Laden with eye-candy for costumers, history buffs, and those who appreciate beautiful things. Readers will be amazed at the fine hand-work and examples of needlework shown on each garment. Not just a beautiful "coffee table" book! Well worth the purchase price!!