No comments about Dressed to Rule: Royal and Court Costume from Louis XIV to Elizabeth II.(Book review): An article from: The Historian.

3 comments about Samplers: From the Victoria & Albert Museum (1st Edition).

1. Having gotten back into embroidery after a lapse of more years than I care to admit I borrowed this book from the Libary and immediately purchased the book from Amazon. The very clear pictures and the detailed close ups are exactly what you need and after a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum has inspiried me to start a personal sampler.



2. Filled with large color plates, most with a detail added to show stitching on a particularly lovely band. These are remarkable samplers, mostly English, all very old and THE GOOD STUFF. The examples of whitework, especially, just don't seem like anything human hands could do. What a great book to dream through!



3. If you have an interest in samplers this book is a MUST! The photography is incredible. There are over 100 color plates of a wide range of samplers from the museum. Every plate has a picture of the sampler in its entirety and many have a close-up of a section of the work which allows you to see the individual stitches in great detail.

   There are samplers from a wide range of techniques and subject matter. Techniques include cross stitch, blackwork, drawn thread, cutwork, crewel, specialty stitches, and Berlin work. There are band samplers, spot samplers, and darning samplers. There are samplers depicting maps, almanacks, and the solar system. There are samplers from England, Germany, Turkey, Morocco, America, Scandinavia, and West Africa.

   This is a book you will come back to again and again.

No comments about Decorated Skin: A World Survey of Body Art.

1 comments about The Art of Arabian Costume: A Saudi Arabian Profile.

1. This book would be a useful resource for middle eastern dancers looking for costume ideas, but is not as helpful for those looking for exact information about how the garments are made. Many of the poses used by the models are very dramatic (or even high fashion) and attractive, but make it difficult to make out the details of the garments. Historical information is sketchy. However, the wide variety of garments shown and the fact that they are shown in color, together with the extensive commentary in the text, makes this a useful book. There are few books covering Bedouin dress this extensively.

4 comments about Haute Couture.

1. I could not agree more with the review by "Reader from Spain". I buy a LOT of costume/fashion books and hardly ever review them, but felt moved to do so for this book because the text is so dreadful. The photographs are stunning, as are the garments pictured, but the words are really quite atrocious (to steal a line from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!). The text is utterly pretentious and so badly written that I (an editor) checked several times to see whether it had been translated from a language other than English - it is that stilted. Obviously a book like this is bought mostly for the pictures, but the text is so disappointing.



2. Another gorgeous book--I love the photography and the details you are shown. I love the fact that they cover the era from the 1890's right up to today and don't favor one era over another. An equally fabulous book by Richard Martin and Harold Koda is "Dior". They are both among my favorites.



3. It contains beautiful color photos of the couture garments design by the following houses: Balenciaga, Chanell, Dior, Jacques Fath, Gianfranco Fere, Hubert de Givenchy, Aliz Gres, Jacques Griffe, Christian Lacroix, Carl Lagerfeld, Jeanne Lanvin, Patou, Poiret, Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli, Ungaro, Versace, Madeleine Vionnet & the House of Worth.

   The table of contents lists "History, Atelier, Dressmaking, Tailoring, Technique, Embroidery, Lace and Tulle and Featherwork.

   I strongly recommend this book because it contains the works of many designers, and the photos of these beautiful creations are taken "up close".




4. The clothes are superb and are very nicely photographed. In many cases, there are photos of fascinating details as well as a shot of the entire dress. But the prose is just as awful as the gowns are lovely. Not since Rex Reed got laughed off the pages of American periodicals have I encountered such pretentious and ignorant use of my native language. I would think that a major museum could afford a real writer.

5 comments about Cosplay Girls: Japan's Live Animation Heroines.

1. Outside of the page after page of cute cosplay girls, and some guys, this book also has chapters on cosplay design, hairstyles, lingo, information about both cosplayers and camekos - those people behind the cameras, how to pick a pose, and survival tips for going to events, such as rules of conduct. If you don't have a book on cosplay or are just started it, this WILL help you as it world also work with American Anime Conventions I go to.



2. This is a great reference guide for beginner and advanced costume makers. I highly recomend this book.



3. Ever since I was a little boy, I have dressed up as my favorite anime character. For the last eight years, I have lived my life in costume - Chun Li from Street Fighter. This book helped me realize that not only am I alone, but I could actually be popular. Thank you Jennifer Cahill!



4. WHAT A GREAT BOOK AND THE GIRLS ARE HOT TOO. HA HA



5. Another DH Publishing success! That's if you're into wacky Japanese pop culture! This book is full of cute J-girls dressed in every Anime and Manga character costume you can think of (and a lot you can't). Why do they do it? Well, it's all explained, plus bits and pieces about making costumes, doing your hair, posing, etc. There's also interviews with Cosplayers (who all seem a bit crazed) and the Cameko ... who follow them around with cameras (really are crazed) . It's a colorful, fun book, that you can look thru again and again and always find something strange and new. A great gift for somebody. And Amazon are offering 30%!

1 comments about Shinde Jewels (Memoirs).

1. A pretty production but lacking depth on a great designer who's life is intertwined with one of the great jewelers.
   Slightly disappointing

1 comments about People.

1. I love Roxanne Lowit's photographs and last night, around dinner, we had a debate about which one of the photos in "People" we would most like hanging on our walls. Every one had a different favorite. Lowit says that when she used to hang out with Andy Warhol he turned to her one evening and said, Roxanne, you taught me something valuable about photography. She was surprised and asked him what she could possibly have taught Warhol? Impishly he pointed to her two cameras. Always have one black and white, and one color camera he replied. That's what she had taught him.
   
   The photos in PEOPLE reflect this ambidextrousness. Some, the more classical Richard Avedon sort of photos, are severe, glamorous, almost austere, like nuns, in their devotion to the image. I think I wound up like the color photos more however, which show a different side to her genius, the Fellini side, the side that believes and partakes in magic ritual. Lowit's best work participates in a Bakhtinian carnival existence, constantly flirting with disaster, always ominously present when the great wheels of existence begin to cantilever sideways. Take a look at her somber portrait of a wasted Norman Mailer--the sage gone mad.
   
   For the record if she were to appear in San Francisco like a fairy godmother and grant me one request, that I could own a print of any of the photos in PEOPLE, I would still be torn. I want the double-page layout of the original Spice Girls from the 1990s. On the other hand there's a wonderful, scarlet tinged double portrait of a youngish Liza Minnelli together with a rough, aged Audrey Hepburn that is just beautiful. Give me one of those two, Miss Lowit!

3 comments about The Folkwear Book of Ethnic Clothing: Easy Ways to Sew & Embellish Fabulous Garments from Around the World.

1. This is a lovely, lovely book, full of wonderful patterns and excellent information. But it's not worth over a hundred dollars unless you plan to use it on a daily basis. It's a good read and the pictures are inspiring but unless it's re-issued at a lower price I don't recommend buying it. (I do encourage the publisher to re-print, however, as I would happily have paid the original price for it.)



2. This is a beautiful book for costumers and fiber artists, packed with pictures and practical project information, but it is not without its flaws. The author does a fine job in describing the appearance and sometimes construction of modern era ethnic clothing, but this is not a history book. Many of her pictures are captioned, but very few are dated, though they all appear to be from the 20th century or perhaps the late 19th. Some of the uncaptioned pictures might be modern reproductions, but it's not clear in several cases. She makes a few comments about the evolution of fitted clothing with which I disagree. Additionally, she comments on the spiritual and talismanic nature of embellishment, which may or may not be her personal religious opinion, which I feel detracts from the presentation of the subject.

   The strong points of the book are the pictures, most of which are clear and in color, except where the original was black and white. There are short embellishment projects which teach the reader methods of decorating the garments which are detailled in the second half of the book. The six clothing projects that are included are worth the price of the book alone, provided you are willing to scale up the diagrams.

   Overall a good practical hands-on kind of book, if you take much of the commentary with a grain of salt.




3. I like this book very much. It offers a nice overview of traditional clothing found throughout many cultures, including brief discussions of common garment types (draped, sleeved shifts and tunics, gathered pants, etc), with plenty of old photographs that show how the garments were worn. I wish this part of the text also included line drawings of the garments for more clarity, such as the book, "Cut My Cote." Next is an overview of some common types of embellishment, such as resist dyeing, embroidery, and applique techniques. Some very interesting project ideas with patterns are offered, rated by skill level needed. The final section of the book offers patterns and detailed sewing instructions for garments: a kimono, a Polish vest, Tibetan panel coat, a Syrian dress and Moroccan burnoose--these will be familiar to owners of Folkwear's patterns. The book concludes with an excellent bibliography. Fiber artists, sewists, and costume makers will find plenty of useful material here. Very few books on ethnic costume provide information slanted toward duplicating and adapting techniques and garments--finally one that does! Note that you'll find this material weak if you need to do serious research on ethnic dress or are an experienced costumer or fiber artist.

4 comments about Star Style: Hollywood Legends As Fashion Icons.

1. This book is so pleasing I made sure I bought two copies. Very
   Beautiful fashion summaries for some very beautiful Hollywood leading ladies. My favorite fashion icons are Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and
   Dolores Del Rio. I wish the author would do another book that highlight current fashion icons such as Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry etc.



2. I bought the hardcover edition -- it was my favorite fashion book. But now, the revised edition with the introduction that involves new stars and their photos (Gwyneth Paltrow, Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Barrymore and Cher) adds a new dimension to the story. I'm really happy and for a paper back, the quality is EXCELLENT. Thanks Patty Fox!



3. This is a lovely book with wonderful photographs of Hollywood fashion icons. Another thing that is great about this book is that it features those who are not as popularly remebered, such as Delores Del Rio, along with more popular icons such as Audrey Hepburn. Great book! Highly recommended!



4. I think this is the best Hollywood fashion book there is! The photos are great and the stories are fun.