2 comments about Valentino.

1. I absolutely love this. There are tons of fashion books out there, but this one really fits because it is, in and of itself, a remarkable feat of design. A book this beautiful, on a designer this important, is sure to become a collector's item.



2. This boxed set features three items. A book full of photos of Valentino's work. This book is fabulous but it could have more items featured. The next book is just photos of celebrities wearing Valentino, I wish it had text. Then there is a newspaper with photos of celebrities wearing Valentino at different social gatherings. For the amount of money this book does not live up to standards but as for appearance, it is quality. A great amount of detail went in to packaging this boxed set. This is a great conversation piece and is worth a gander.

1 comments about Jane Austen Fashion : Fashion and Needlework in the Works of Jane Austen.

1. This is a lovely little book with numerous color pictures, mostly fashion plates, and decorative chapter headings. The title of the chapter is in red, there is an orange decoration, and then the first letter is enlarged and printed in blue, a very pretty effect. Further, the author, Penelope Byrde, is curator at the fabulous Bath Museum of Costume and an established expert in the field. If one is looking for a good introduction to the era's costumes, especially one that is visually pleasing as well as informative, this is a great choice. I would consider it as particularly suited as a gift to someone just learning about the era.
   
   The discussions are tied into Jane Austen's life and works, with extensive quotations of her novels, letters, and family accounts. These are carefully annotated. The bibliiography deals with sources about Austen, rather than further costume references.
   
   I suppose that this does offer a great deal for people who are truly knowledgeable about the subject, but for those of us who know a bit, but not a lot, it is still useful. It seems that I always learn a bit more than I knew. The pictures alone may make one want the book, even if one does have other sources, and one does have the assurance that Byrde is authoritative.
   
   I am left with one question: is the very different silhouette shown in Niklaus von de Heideloff's plates (late 18th to very early 19th century) entirely due to changes in fashion (i.e., the narrowing of skirts, or did he just like to draw women with more abundant figures?

No comments about North Island Designs 5: A Scrapbook of Sweaters from a Maine Island.

No comments about North Island Designs.

2 comments about Fashioning Socialism: Clothing, Politics and Consumer Culture in East Germany.

1. Some of the styles in this book were obviously western-inspired, with their own twist. Very amusing book, although it could have done with some background info.



2. Judd Stitziel has written a fine book. Well researched and put together. This work is very interesting, informative and revealing.....much like the fashion itself.

No comments about Exits: Living Fashion.

2 comments about Fashioning the Bourgeoisie.

1. 
   Shakespeare said that fashion wears out more apparel than the man. This may well be true and, according to author Perrot, clothing can also reflect a culture's sociology, thus revealing beliefs, values, and hopes.
   
   This delightful and engrossing peek into the closets of the bourgeoisie, those who dressed in opposition to popular clothing worn by workers or peasants, is rich in historic information and charmingly illustrated.
   
   Perrot charts the rise of the ready-made fashion industry in Paris, and traces how the worldwide passion for shopping was born.
   
   The author notes that when department stores opened in the middle of the nineteenth century in Paris, shoppers were offered much more than clothing - they were given the opportunity to adopt a lifestyle. Have we changed so very much?
   
   - Gail Cooke



2. This book presents a unique look at history. It gives wonderful detail about how dress, an often overlooked or glossed over subject, played such an important role in society. The subjects are well chosen and the book flows smoothly.

   This book is perfect for anyone wanting to add to their knowledge of 19th century society.

No comments about Recherches historiques sur les costumes civils et militaires des gildes et des corporations de métiers, leurs drapeaux, leurs armes, leurs blasons, etc.

4 comments about Brooke Book.

1. The facts:
   1. A photogenic baby is pushed into modeling by her controlling, obsessed mother.
   2. She turns into a lovely child who is a regular child model
   3. When she turns 12, she morphs into a teen who can look older than her years and so, based on her looks, she becomes the hot model of the moment.
   4. Great photographers get some great photos of her, but some of them toe the line between sexiness and child porn. Is is "art" or "porn" when a child poses topless in a bathtub, looking seductively at the camera? Is it cute or borderline dangerous to have a young girl play a child prostiture, potentially encouraging the fantasies of pedophiles? These are some of the real and controversial issues surrounding the career of Ms. Shields.
   5. But she never became (yet) a world class actress. She was simply gorgeous.
   And this is enough to form an obsession...and boost up the price of this book? Guess so. People can be so strange.
   Perhaps it is no surprise that her latest book, "DOwn Came the Rain" focuses on her bout with postpartum depression after her child, Rowan, was born. Must be pretty strange to have a daughter of your own and then remember how odd your OWN childhood was....or was she ever allowed to be a normal child? Can't remember a time when she didn't seem to be working, working, working...



2. I bought The Brooke Book 1982 version from Amazon used. I have to say, it's a great book. It's mostly pictures, though. I recommend it to any Brooke Shields fans.



3. The Brooke Book is one of the most popular Brooke Shields memorabilia items. I own one myself. But mine is the (I suppose you could call it the "revised" edition) second edition book. On my edition there is a headshot photo of brooke from around the early 1980's. The 1978 Edition shows her sitting on a floor. The book covers Brooke's home and professional life, from her birth to around 1978. You might think the price is too high for this book, but I have seen them sell for much higher on auction, and I've seen most bookstores sell them for a flat $500.00



4. A charming book with a collection of photo's of the young Brooke Shields (the book was published in 1978, just after filming Pretty Baby) looking delightful. Mostly black and white photo's but also some colour and with text by Brooke. Rather cutsey but the pictures are good (good photographers) and there's enough of Brooke showing in the photos to satisfy most tastes.

   Charming and innocent with a little suggestiveness thrown in to titillate.

No comments about Textiles Through the Ages.