5 comments about Hoorah for the Bra: A Perky Peek at the History of the Brassiere.

1. This is adequate as an amusing, silly book...but that's it. Given the subject however, one would expect more fun and relevant pop-ups. One pop-up is of eggs and coffee, near where the word 'breakfast' was worked into the text. Other pop-ups are similarily unrelated, unimaginative and unimpressive.
   
   If you don't care about this as a pop-up book, and simply want a light and amusing book on bras, it may be alright. If you are looking at it because you think it would make a really fun pop-up...you will likely be highly disappointed.



2. Bought it for a gift exchange for a Red Hat group, and they all loved it! Unfortunately only one could take it home.



3. There isn't much amusing about this book, other than the concept. The book could have been 'fleshed out' with a lot more information. It's obvious the creators of the book didn't do a lot of research. The pop-ups are unimaginative and uninspired. Who was this book written for? Nine-years-olds?



4. This book was thorough and to the point. I truly enjoyed it and it left me with food for thought!



5. It's fun and informative.

5 comments about Blahnik by Boman: Shoes, Photographs, Conversation.

1. My wife absolutely loved this!!!!! This has earned me so many points!! LOL Thank you.



2. I just happened to be in Selfridges/London last year, coinciding with Eric Boman and Manolo Blahnik's book launch. There were queues and queues of eager fans lining up to get their newly purchased books autographed by the fashionable duo. It was all very civilised, even though security guards were holding back the frenzied mob, while Boman and Blahnik relentlessly signed with tireless good humour and charm.
   
   Blahnik has been the ultimate cobbler to the stars since the Seventies, and Boman is a veteran, top photographer who's been photographing beautiful women for years (his most recent book, "Dames" show-cases his portrait-photogaphy). It's fortunate for Manolo that Eric came up with the novel idea of photographing his old friend's shoes. It was also conducive for the book that he supplied the witty 'photographic conversation,' for although Manolo's shoes are the most exquisite in the world, a book would have been pretty one dimensional with pedestrian sole snap-shots of his pumps without Eric's creative input.
   
   Boman has not only managed to produce imaginative photographs of the beautiful shoes, but has elevated Manolo's footwear to museum status. Thanks to his original and highly imaginative photographic compositions, the elegant pumps have been transformed into classical portraits.
   
   Boman and Blahnik's old friend Paloma Picasso has supplied the foreword, helping make this beautifully produced book a must have gift, especially for people with tasteful shoe fetishes and aficionados of superior glossy art books, the kind which are too exquisite to grace coffee tables.



3. The genius design combined with amazing photography and styling make for a journey of beauty.A must have for the collector of fashion and photgraphy books.



4. I am a photographer and also a high heels collector. There is a project in my mind since one year ago, I want to creat a book to present the art of high heel design, just like this book. I have many ideals. However when I saw this book, I think I need new ideals, or my friend will think that my work is just a copy.
   I will rate 4 to 4.5 stars to this book.



5. like shoes? photos of shoes? buy this book!

5 comments about The Corset: A Cultural History.

1. Steele's books all feature informative text and beautiful pictures. In "The Corset", she discusses this mysterious undergarment and dispels myths, explains sociological and feminist aspects of it, and looks at controversies surrounding it throughout time.
   
   Steele discusses fashion from so many perspectives: class, gender, art, sexuality, medical, historical, and anthropological, and she does so with insight and clarity. Tracing its antecedents and moving to contemporary times, Steele outlines its influences on fashion and society.
   
   For anyone interested in deeply understanding this beautiful and controversial garment, Steele is the author to read. She merges the world of fashion with academia. This book is fascinating and insightful!



2. A great history of the corset, for both men and women. A must read for anyone interested in the history of costume.



3. Theonly problem with this book I would have to say is that the dress on the cover is amazing so amazing I can't find anyone anywhere! If you can in some way help me to get a dress like that one or find that on. I have prom coming up and that dress is amazing I would do anything to get that dress, thanks for reading this and your book is great!



4. Love the book!! Its a must have for any corset lover! Detailed history and pictures.



5. I found this book to not only be informative about the origin of corsets, but beautifully illustrated with period photographs and poetry concerning corsets throughout the centuries.
   I am very pleased with this book!
   Melissa Hawes.

No comments about Yves Saint Laurent: Style.

No comments about The World of Fashion.

5 comments about Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel.

1. I bought this book after reading an excerpt, I believe it was in Vogue (or possibly Elle?) Anyways it's a really captivating but not long read. Might be good for a plane trip, etc. Despite her trying experiences of being a refugee and having psoriasis, she has a really refreshing, upbeat outlook and attitude.



2. I bought this book for my mom and she loves it! She is from Panama and has a dark skin complexion. She saw a lot of herself in Alek esepcially in her stories about familiy life. It's amazing how things stay the same even though years have passed, technology improved and continents separate you.



3. I'm not a fan of reading. I really only picked up Alek Wek's book because she came to a book singing at my school, Howard University. She impressed me as a down to earth, humble, kindly demeanored woman. She personally autographed it and took a picture with me. I sat the book down for several months, but, when I did pick it up over the Christmas break it gripped me. It is both entertaining and informing. She speaks about her life as child growing up in war torn Sudan, and the atrocities which occurred there, her move to New York and London, her subsequent conquering the fashion industry, and her eventual return to her birthplace. Throughout the book I literally laughed at times, and was on the verge of tears at others. It not a difficult read. It's simply a really good read. Pick it up!



4. Alek Wek shared a story with me, through this book, that helped me to appreciate the mind of child growing up in poverty, in a family, in a culture, in a world of others who are not alike. Alek's story helped me to make connections to the old ways of my mother's mother and my mother and the very old ways that perhaps originated back in Africa; ways that were somewhat preserved from modern "civilized" ways. Alek's story helped me to appreciate the story I am leaving and hope to leave with my own children. Alek's words encourage me to be careful with my own (to say that Alek is "well-spoken" would be an understatement. As an aspiring author, myself, I would say about Alek's writing: it would seem she truly appreciates the gift of language and the power of thought behind it). Alek's book is appropriately titled in my opinion, she is not the girl of an impoverished African village or primitive tribe, she is not the rags to riches to story. She is Alek, a unique life force that has been affected and infected by the life around her.
   This was a special treat for me for many reasons but mainly because it reinforced my hope that our kids are listening; not only to our words but to their environment. It was again a special treat for me...to be infected with the spirit of Africa, to feel the power of her words and her love for herself...who she truly is.



5. this book is amazing, touching, i cried my eyes out. its very inspiring and motivational. it made my everyday problems seems so little compared to what she went through. i will definitely recommend this book to everyone.

4 comments about Autobiography of a Wardrobe.

1. I bought this because it was "recommended for me." Does anyone really care about a communicating wardrobe? No insight, just criticism. Save your money.



2. If your wardrobe could talk, what would it say about you? Author Elizabeth Kendall tells the story of B., her evolving self, by creating a delightful narrator--Wardrobe.
   
   In the first chapter, "How I Was Born," Wardrobe says: "I came into being in the last moments of that two-centuries-old institution called Childhood, in which everything was ironed: collars, sashes, sailor suits. Nowadays it's different."
   
   Elizabeth Kendall rebelled against the Country Club look her parents loved. At twelve, she saw in a store window a new kind of dress. It was sleeveless red coral with a dropped waist and white piping, just like the dress she'd seen in Mouseketeer Magazine!
   
   Wardrobe's report of the incident: "The only problem: the mother recoiled from the red coral dress. 'It's brassy,' she said. 'It's not,' said B. 'It's...modern. And if I don't get it, I can't be myself.'"
   
   And so the story goes. Kendall gives us vivid descriptions of her various careers--fashion designer, dancer, writer, Parisian bohemian--and the way they were reflected in her clothing, all through the voice of Wardrobe. It is clever writing, and for someone like me who spends far too much time searching for "the right look" for every occasion, it was a delightful read that made me laugh at myself.
   
   I also enjoyed the book as a study of a unique way to write about one's life. My own writing may have improved a notch or two from having observed Kendall's skillful style.
   
   by Donna Van Straten Remmert
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



3. Autobiography of a Wardrobe is just that-"a tale told from the point of view of one woman's Wardrobe, as if it were a person (hence the logic of capitalizing the word Wardrobe through out this review). Wardrobe imparts to the reader the story B, of her owner, with all of her hand-me-down and retail mishaps, as well as successes, recorded for posterity.
   
   Most women will easily relate to the confusion in our early fashion lives as we were dressed by those who nurtured and cared for us. From Wardrobe's descriptions, you sense that B was at the hands of well-meaning relatives who wanted to imprint their style onto a young B, without consideration for her desires.
   
   Wardrobe describes B's teen years as a hit-and-miss proposition, although she purchases her first true classic, a raw silk dress and tiny gold earrings. It is a hint of the woman emerging from the cocoon of childhood.
   
   As B matures, Wardrobe describes her life as continuing to be a haphazard fashion free-for-all, but a chance purchase of a sweater-jacket gives B a polished look that gets her a job with Conde Nast. It is the beginning of B's career as a writer, which will take her around the world in both words and fashion. A love of dance brings B to her true passion as a writer, and Wardrobe is soon filled with pieces that reflect a tribute to dancers both past and present.
   
   The book goes quickly but feels a bit rushed at the end, as if Wardrobe suddenly missed the peace and quiet of a dark calm space in which to "hang" out.
   
   For fashionistas, or anyone whose ever searched through the racks at Bloomingdales for the perfect little black dress, this is a must read.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Fun chick lit all will enjoy.



4. Autobiography of a Wardrobe is one of the most creative and original memoirs I have ever read! The reader follows B. (and her wardrobe) through her successes, failures, tragedies, triumphs, loves and life. I laughed, cried, cringed and smiled as B. evolves into her adult self and finds her true calling as a writer. I think Autobiography of a Wardrobe will be a great book for book groups, who will find endless topics for discussion in its pages. Don't miss this wonderful book!!

5 comments about Balenciaga and His Legacy: Haute Couture from the Texas Fashion Collection.

1. The pictures are stunning and cover a range of designs. What surprised me was how much I enjoyed reading about a woman who collected the textile art of Balenciaga and the history of Neiman Marcus. The author included pictures of Balenciaga creations being worn by their owner. Somehow that added a special touch and made this more than a collection of photographs of elegant clothing. I look forward to enjoying this book for many years.



2. M. Balenciaga was a master couturier so lacking today as one considers haute couture, especially, as the French houses of haute couture are virtually gone. At the time of M. Balenciaga's impact from the 1930s through 1968 when he closed his Parisian house, there were many more houses of haute couture. He, like Chanel, Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Mainbocher, Jacques Fath, Schiaparelli, Vionnet, and Gres to name a few, flourished as women from around the globe turned to the tradition and process of the haute couture as the pinnacle of what it meant to being well-dressed. Out of this number, the creations of M. Balenciaga stand-out. There is that certain something about his work which commands and rivets the attention. Yes, unquestionably elegant, imbued with masterful design, quality, and exacting a nobility for the wearer which she may or may not have actually possessed, but still whenever I view his creations I think to myself "more". Unlike today where being anonymous seems to be the rule of what passes for style, M. Balenciaga assured a woman would never be forgotten. This volume pays homage to that certain something and begs the question "where are the contemporary talents?" At the moment, in Paris there are only in my view, Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel and Valentino. These individuals know how to dress their haute couture clients (especially, those not wishing to dress perennially 18 years old) whereas the remaining haute couture houses present nothing but a media circus, for too long lead by that dreadful costumier posing as a couturier at Christian Dior. For the sheer pleasure of pondering something beautiful, I recommend this volume as well as Balenciaga by Marie-Andrée Jouve and Jacqueline Demornex published in 1991.



3. gorgeous pics of gorgeous clothes. this guy is my fav. when it comes to couture and this book won't disappoint. well worth the money. yeah, Dior is great too but this guy really is the 'master'



4. My company produced the mannequins used to exhibit the couture in this fine text, so for me it was a delight, that bias aside, the forward by Givenchy is worth the cover price alone. The text my Myra Walker is insightful and the book is beautifully ilustrated. Seeing Balenciaga's illustrations along side his creations is a joy for any true fashionista. The book is a homage to Balenciaga's work, but not Balenciaga, who was a private and complicated gentleman, and who would like to remembered that way, for his work, not for himself.



5. This is a fabulous book! I love the images and history. I would recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for fashion history and photography.

5 comments about Laces: 100s of Ways to Pimp Your Kicks.

1. I was on the mailing list for the announcement of the publication of this book, but like a number of things on my ToDo list, it got shoved aside and forgotten for a while. Finally having it in my sweaty little hands, I've got to say that this book is just way too cool for words. I wish I'd had this decades ago. Oh yeah, and my kids love it, too. This book could be crappy, but instead it's decidedly sturdy. My imagination conjures images of the author arguing with the publisher to get it done properly. He definitely won, too. It's designed in such a way that you can open it to a page, fold the flap with the laces over and learn by doing. The best way to learn, if you believe neuroscience. It comes with extra laces and a resealable plastic pouch (also sturdy) to keep them in. Altogether brilliant.



2. Ian Fieggen describes and illustrates so many lacing options. He suggests horizontal, vertical, twisted, and even stars. A couple of options relieve toe pressure, a bonus for aching toes! His sketches provide easily understood lace paths. There are plenty of colorful flat and round laces included with the book to encourage practice. The ends of those laces don't go unattended; a whole section on ways to tie them off gets away from the usual bow. Best yet, there is a cure for how to succeed in lacing: get the right length. As an example, for Lug Bar Lacing, compute the following formula:
   ((H+W)x(P+1)+Vx(P-1)+L)x2
   where P is eyelet pairs, H is horizontal distance between eyelets, W is width of lugs, and L is the amount desired to tie the knot. As other formulas include square root and power of two, it's a great time for calculator practice. In case you still have a cord undersized, several lacing options are available for short laces. There are other opportunities for Ian Feiggen's designs, such as new cut T's, side-cut jeans, scrap booking (lots of eyelets there), and maybe even storage tarps (your outdoor grill would look so good).



3. I love this book and so do my two kids, a 7 yo boy and an 9 yo girl. I originally bought the book to help my son learn to tie his shoes. He is left handed (and I am right) and has some fine motor difficulties. We tried my way and a few ways on the internet and just couldn't come up with an easy enough way for him to learn to tie.
   
   The book has the lacing on the outside. It is designed so that the book folds open in order to view the instructions alongside of the lacing. He learned one of the tying methods on a car trip in less than 5 minutes.
   
   The kids take the book in the car and try different lacing patterns. My daughter loves changing the lacing pattern on her shoes. They have both changed their lacing patterns numerous times since we bought this book.
   
   I have learned so many things from the book too. Some of the lacing patterns are to help shorten those long laces that come on kids shoes these days. There are lacings for making shoes fit tighter, looser, for keeping the laces out of bicycle chains, and not to mention making a fashion statement.



4. This book was a surprise ! I picked it up because, as a graphic designer, I was interested in its unusual book design. But, after leafing through it, I found lacing styles for all kinds of shoes -- not just children's shoes and athletic shoes. Want to know how to do a Roman lacing for your dress shoes ? This book has it. How about a useful lacing style for hiking boots or bicycling shoes ? It's here.
   
   Of course, the stars of the book are the neat decorative lacings. Adding a flair to your everyday shoes, a decorative lacing will set you apart from the crowd. My favorites are "starburst" and "checkerboard."
   
   With a little creativity, you can apply the lacing styles to anything with a lace-and-eyelet system. For example, Renaissance faire performers, such as myself, will enjoy this book for new ways to lace up their boots, tunics, bracers, doublets, and corsets.
   
   In short, this is a great book for creative folks all ages.



5. My 11 year old daughter was able to immediately tie some fun laces. She loves this.

1 comments about Rings: Jewelry of Power, Love, and Loyalty.

1. This book has a lot of pictures and gives a brief history of the rings. I can look through this book again and again and never get board. I would recommend this book. Well worth what I paid.