No comments about Ready-to-Wear Apparel Analysis (3rd Edition).

5 comments about Designing Knitwear.

1. I had read that in order to effectively design knitwear, you need this book. That article was 100% correct. This is a fantastic reference for the knitwear designer because Deborah Newton has been in the field for decades, and has a solid grasp on how to design regular garments. This translates for very informed discussions on why you'd choose to construct the garment of choice and the designer touches you would add for polish. If you are a serious knitter who has always wanted to create your own designs, then this book is for you!!



2. If you are feeling a little 'tied in knots', or limited, after following everyone else's patterns, and want to branch out a bit, this is the book for you. It is an embarassment of riches in inspiration and options. Designing Knitwear will give you much information, and the boost you need, to get those creative juices flowing. It's got a lot of suggestions for looking in some unlikely places for knitting design inspiration. It also has patterns for some high fashion sweaters, suits, and jackets. As such, this book will never go out of style, as you simply select the elements you want, and plug them into your project design.
   
   The sections on garment construction, and the effect of patterned stitches are detailed, clearly written, and easy to understand.
   
   The basics are all there for planning the construction of a project. The patterns included also provide ample opportunity to take the suggested pattern, and modify it to make it truly your own. The information is solid, sensible, and you can find lots of ways to integrate the suggestions into adjustments, or a whole new design. New yarns seem to arrive in shops every season, and this book gives you clear directions for evaluating any yarn for any project.
   
   Deborah Newton also includes much explanation and detail regarding various types of construction, from smocks to sweaters, to dressmakers designs. Some of the patterns given might not appeal to everyone, but everyone can use the information to make a smashing design of their very own. There is lots of information on stitch selection, and the effects that can be obtained with varying stitches.
   
   The details given are really helpful, particularly for elements of garment design that you see in fashion magazines, but rarely in knitting books. This is one of the very best collections of information about a wide variety of design options, and done in detail I've never encountered before. I've knitted for decades, and if I'd only had this book when I was wanting to 'improve' on some sweater patterns, I'd have avoided hours of ripping and starting over.
   
   Ms. Newton has me thinking of projects for next winter's knitted presents. And, I may just find a use for those oddments of yarn that could be combined into a wild and wonderful jacket, incorporating stitch designs that I'd have never considered prior to reading this book.
   
   Knitting allows you to control every aspect of garment construction, from texture, to size, to sleeve design, to collar...the options are endless. This is a book that will give any knitter inspiration and confidence to really be creative.
   
   I'd recommend this book for every knitter who is seeking perfect fit, perfect design, and ways to select new yarns for any project. The only limitation is your imagination. Designing Knitwear is encyclopedic in its scope and very well done indeed. The only problem you might have is figuring out which, of the endless options, will be right for your next project.



3. I wanted to learn how to design, and I tend to need plenty of visuals when I'm learning something, so this book is wonderful to have. Tons of pictures and the text is clear and informative of course.



4. First, the good: there is a lot of information here about different fibers, explanations of silhouettes, ease, and different styles that is very helpful. There are tips on sketching and charting your own designs, as well as structural details of different styles, e.g. set-in sleeves, saddle shoulders. Much of the information is opinionated, but the author usually explains her reasoning.

   The bad: I found many of her technical explanations incomplete and/or difficult to follow (and I've been knitting for about 10 years). I also found the many (many, many) self-gratulating personal references a bit tiresome. 'This is how I do this,' 'I like to do that,' 'Let me tell you all about a perfectly brilliant design idea I had one day while waiting for the bus,' etc. Somehow I got the impression the author has an air of superiority, as if to say her way is NATURALLY the best way, if not the only way. Maybe this irritated me more because I disliked most of her designs and thought them all but unwearable. If you're into 'haute couture' or 'wearable art,' you might enjoy them more; I prefer to design garments which are more subtle.... or, as she might say, 'bland and pedestrian.' (If that means saying "No" to big bulky coats knitted of fuzzy chartreuse mohair, complete with giant buttons, then color me bland and pedestrian.)

   Bottom line: For the technical and structural elements of design, this book is worth looking into, but I'm still looking for a better knitting design book.




5. I am only a beginning knitter but I've checked this book out of the library several times in the past couple of years. The photos are gorgeous; even the pictures of swatches are eye-candy. This is not a book of patterns, rather, it is a sort of 'how-to' book for design inspiration using various sources; old photographs, coutour fashion, sewing patterns, and of course beautiful yarns and fibers. Don't pass this up if you are not ready to design your own knits. It will inspire you to keep knitting and treat yourself to some gorgeous yarns even if it is only one skein to make swatches from. This book is as much about the process, or journey as it is about the finished product. I was tickled the first time I checked out the book and discovered the author was from Rhode Island. Since then, I've wondered if she still lives here and holds workshops.

5 comments about Tiffany Pearls.

1. A great reference book for those who love vintage jewelry and for those who make jewelry. I think this is the best pearl book and book on Tiffany jewelry there is.



2. We saw the Martha Stewart TV show when John Loring was a guest and immediately ordered his book.It is a wonderful addition to our library of precious gems. We highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in knowing more about pearls. [...]



3. Gorgeously illustrated, in-depth history of the spherical nacre form. It's a must read for anyone who has even entertained the idea of owning pearls, or for anyone who has inherited grandma's necklace.



4. Gorgeous photos! Enjoyed this beautiful survey,documentation of tiffany pearl jewelry designs very much.



5. THE most wonderful gift for that special woman in your life that loves pearls! Seduces you with breathtaking photos of collectable pieces & educates you about the history of pearls & how to care for them. Also stirs the imagination to create similar...
   I consult in an exclusive jewelry boutique, (The Jewelry Doctor/Vienna, VA) and am ordering my SECOND copy as one of our clients loved the book so much that I gave her my copy; mournfully, yet happily to see her love for it...
   You simply will not believe the high quality photos and the depth of the historical information provided by this author...a wonderful gift idea for the holidays! ~Shannon @ THE JEWELRY DOCTOR, Platinum & Diamond Boutique, 703.255.1330

2 comments about Custom Kicks.

1. Good book. awesome design & layout. sweet sneakers customized by the routiest of souls. features fouled footwear by Damion Silver, Jeremyville, SKWAK, Kelly D. Williams, Koa, Maki and more. yesss



2. The artist value of the book holds its own weight. Contains an ample supply of rich graphics and designs using footwear as the canvas. A book that should rather be found in the art section opposed to the fashion section. Not as much information on the actual hobby of custom sneakers an its imprint on the fashion and sneaker industrial world. Great array of artists, but would much prefer a mini manifesto opposed to a picture description. You will definitely find a photo that will strike your taste in footwear.

4 comments about AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications).

1. Apart from the STUNNING arrangement, I was first struck by the shear QUALITY of the paper it is printed on. Not something that I am in the habit of noticing or raving about.....but the pages are THICK, HEAVY, nearly card-stock quality!
   The fashion shots are BREATHTAKING!!! There was veritable torrent of wicked cool juxtaposition on EVERY page! The background is staged by very fine, English interior design and architecture. The scenes that are staged remind me of a REALLY yummy high fashion, photo shoot or edgy rock music video. Delicate 18th century gowns, appropriately displayed on featureless white mannequins, with straggly, windswept hot pink or purple wigs. Gutter punk, hard core, street freaks with mowhawks made out of cigarettes, barbed wire, tampons, newspaper or severed barbie doll legs....posed out in a proper looking gentlemans' room. Complete with white mannequin dog wearing torn black fishnets. Couture designer representations of period fashion, paired with wigs that would give Detroit Motor City's "Hair Wars" a run for it's money. A poignant scene with a plaid clad punk, a skulls jaw the only visible thing on his face, dying in a gothic bed. A woman at his side wearing a skinny black dress and a silver 3-D spinal cord and rib cage. And a nursemaid in prim black and gray, civil war era fashion attending to the right of his deathbed.....
   A FEAST for the artistic senses! This would have been a FANTABULOUS exhibit to visit! I'm just glad I get to own the book as a consolation prize!
   The only downside, was the lack of page to page description of what is featured in each picture. There seems to be an index of descriptions in the back, but it's a bit hard to follow. Or my attention span keeps getting too distracted with looking back and forth, from description to picture plate.



2. Since I saw the Anglomania show at the Met last spring, I anxiously awaited the publication of this book! It gives a good overview explaining the role of the fashions shown in the exhibit and is filled with photographs highlighting some of the most interesting aspects of the designers' work. I really enjoyed being able to see some of the accessories in greater detail than was possible in person. One caveat is that the photos are a bit dark, as would be expected to those who viewed the works in the dim gallery spaces, perhaps setting a somber tone to a show that was full of life. I really wish that Anglomania would have been available during the run of the exhibit!



3. If you were lucky enough to see this show you know what a wonderful, edgy but beautiful exhibit it was. I was so happy there would be a book and anticipated it for many many months. I know that no book can recreate the actual expereince of being there so just having the visual representations in the photographs, which by the way I found to be very good, it looked just the way it looked when you were there more or less. Of course I felt there could have been more, but it does cover the entire exhibit. The quality if the book is great. I love the cover and under the dust jacket is nice too. Very glad I purchased this after waiting so long after the show. If you loved AngloMania, or just fashion and costume you need this book.



4. This was one of the most beautiful and innovative special exhibitions I have ever seen at the Met in the 25 years I've been going there. I bought the book on Amazon, sight unseen, because it was published after the show closed. What a shame - the book doesn't approach the quality of the show, simply because the Met obviously did not hire a photographer up to this level of aesthetic. It is not a book of photography depicting the show so much as a _catlogue_ of the show, a reference book using technically able but sterile lighting. Oddly too harsh and too flat at the same time. Disappointing.

1 comments about FutureFashion White Papers.

1. I loved this book. Each essay inside has a great perspective on what fashion of the future could be. It's a great read and very informative if you're in the business and it's a must read for everyone who's not in the business! Some of the damage we have done to our planet in the name of fashion is astounding.

2 comments about Sewing for the Apparel Industry.

1. Claire Shaeffer writes informative books about sewing and fabrics for the home sewer. Claire Shaeffer should have either stayed in the sewing industry or gained real experience in the garment industry before she dare charge $71 for a vacuous outsider's perspective of this so-called "apparel industry". The book has a generic text book tome and the corny needle and thread clip art screams "home sewer". There is nothing wrong with home sewing. I've been sewing since I was 10. Making clothes has been my quiet hobby and a source of unending fascination. The truth is: the garment industry doesn't want to deal with home sewers. "Fashion" designers and home sewers both share ignorance and arrogance as annoying, unappealing traits. Anyone can doodle on a napkin, but who can construct it from a sketch, fit it right, and sew it up professionally, within your cost structure? Not a "fashion" designer or a home sewer can do that, yet they think that they are greater than the process for they are completely unaware of the process. The goal is to work well with the fashion and garment industries. If you are looking for this kind of information in this book, you won't find it.

   This book is expensive, inaccurate, and underwhelming. The "sewing on paper project" (page 50) is laughable. How will sewing on a piece of paper get me any closer to dealing with "the apparel industry"? Claire Shaeffer's terms are off. Apparel is nebulous - it's either the fashion or garment industry. The fashion industry sells the clothes while the garment industry makes the clothes. It's "block" rather than "sloper". Good blocks are everything, so learn how to make them and alter them yourself - for everything revolves around your blocks! It is your block that you take to garment manufactures from which they sew a sample. They don't need your pretty little sample. It is good to sew your "first sample" for your benefit, for you will know, in general, how to construct it and the number of steps for costing benefit. What are those 101 steps of garment production? You won't find the answer in this book. It is quite a leap going from home sewer to design entrepreneur and those of us taking that leap need accurate and relative information about the ways of the garment industry. Without accurate information, that leap means you'll never know how to contact garment manufactures; you can't define what you want and they don't know what to deliver; your clothes will never fit and you will have committed tons of money on a "dog"; you won't ever know the language of the garmento and you will sound like an a buffoon; you will sew the long, circuitous route rather than the expedient way like the professionals using industrial machines and practices. For those of you looking for information to facilitate crossing the chasm from home sewer to design entrepreneur, you won't find it here.




2. This is the type of book that should be used in schools for Merchandising OR Fashion Design. I cannot get over it's usefullness. Everything I wanted (and needed) to hear about about clothing manufacture is in this book! Fairchild Pubs could never publish such a USEFUL and INTELLIGENTLY WRITTEN book. Those bastards always make textbooks difficult to understand and fill them with meaningless JABBERWOCKY!! Half the time, they don't even have a decent glossary or INDEX (if there is one at all) whereas Claire it seems, has given us the full tour. Peripheral data you could care less about is not here!! Nothing to waste your time, only a step-by-step layout of what happens when a person or people manufacture clothing for retail purposes. From the design concepts (who and how they're created) to what type of people you would need (including full job descriptions) to what the considerations are for contracting, shipping etc.. There are also tons of other little things including pictures that are laid out in a very intelligible way. The beauty of her writing is that the data is always concious that you may not be a huge entreprenuer, and applies methods for the little guy as well. Just an amazing book. I almost don't want anyone else to know about it...

5 comments about French Chic: How to Dress Like a Frenchwoman.

1. Well, folks, I just got back from two weeks in Paris. Yes, the pictures in this
   book are dated. Yes, some of them are hilarious. Yes, some of them are god-awful
   ugly. But people with style can shop anywhere, or get good ideas from anywhere.
   I have to agree with the reviewers who like the book and point out that the
   though the pictures are dated, much of the advice can be applied or translated to today.
   This is the difference between someone who takes Vogue literally and those
   who read it for inspiration. It's called STYLE. Fashion is about following the trend, and style i
   is about putting your own signature on the trend, if you choose to follow it
   at all. I was charmed by the current trend in Paris.....Converse high tops on
   women and girls of all ages. I felt smug that I have been collecting them
   for years (starting in 1969 with my American Flag pair in first grade, you
   do the math....) I was thrilled that my 15 month old daughter was the only
   baby I saw in Paris with Converse high tops (she has them in red and pink)
   What does this have to do with French Chic? Well, take the "typical Left Bank
   ensemble" on page 48, swap out the jeans and sneakers for skinny Levis and
   Converse high tops, and voila! you are in Avril 2008, madamoiselle! And believe it
   or not, a lot of the pictures in French Chic are not dated. If you use the
   book for inspiration instead of taking it literally, you will be very happy
   with it. I would not, however, be willing to pay more than 15.00 for it.



2. The fashions in the book are dated. However, the advice is excellent and fun to read.
   
   Most of the tips are timeless and that is why this book is good.
   
   It is also a fashion "blast from the 80s past" portfolio.
   
   The reason I am giving the book 4 stars instead of 5 is because so many of the photos show women with cigarettes! I know times have changed, but there is something so utterly "uncharming" about a woman (or a man for that matter) smoking.
   
   All in all, a good book, but not as good as "Italian Chic".
   
   I got my copy for $15, so I figure it was a pretty good value.



3. i ordered this book for a good price thinking i could re-sell it if it was terrible. i was nervous that it was so dated (88) and upon first glance it was. leggings and oversized sweaters were pictured in the photographs but i decided to give the text a chance and i'm glad i did. the first few chapters were my favourites in the book and i think explained things the best. of course, you have to use your smarts to translate some things into modern times (the section on jeans, etc) but the majority of the ideas and concepts outlined are still true today. after finishing the book, i picked up a copy of french vogue, elle, and cosmopolitain and looked at the fashions for frenchwomen today and they were still utilizing the same things: plaint white t shirt, neutral colours, polo shirts, varied textures, black and white, pearls and chains, etc. i haven't read any other books on french fashion but after studying fashion and visiting france i don't know what could be much better than this book. it seems after reading it that any newer books would be too muddled with trends and not as focused on the basics.



4. Well the text IS interesting; but the suggestions are hugely out of date, which makes reading it like sifting thru a junk store box of "treasures" in search of the one jewel or two that might be in there. Maybe.
   
   I have to agree with another reviewer here, I chuckled at the Annie Hall colliding with eighties Madonna. That is EXACTLY what the photos depict. That and the couch smuggling comment. Yes, it really does look like a couch got stuck between her shoulder blades.
   
   Well photos aside, and they were bound to be dated;
   
   ---the text isn't that great. I was hoping it would have something better, something more than the current offering of french chic books have.
   
   I suggest you try to get it thru interlibrary loan FIRST before spending the 100$ plus that copies of this one will set you back on the second hand book market.
   
   It was a good book in it's day, but Leah Feldon's Dressing Rich has worn better thru time than this one in spite of being about the same publication dates.
   
   Leah's book is a true classic about classics that wear well. She too discusses minimal capsule wardrobe building to begin with and how to add, what to look for in a quality garment, and what to go cheap with and what you absolutely must spend big money on.
   
   That particular book of Leah's covers all the best points that French Chic makes without the distracting and bizarre fashion photos.
   
   For developing your own version of French Chic Anne Barone wrote Chic and Slim and it's sequels (now 3 books, --if you can't get them at Amazon, try her website) and those three have excellent tips on french chic style as well as one of the best weight loss french method that I've encountered yet,
   
   Check out Entres Nous by Debra Ollivier for a lovely light but intelligent look at the french chic mystique and how to develop it. She covers a bit about clothing, and a lot about manners and developing a bit of reserve.
   
   Frederic Fekkai's A year of Style is wonderful. In a class by itself. It is out of print, and I found that a large Canadian bookstore still had remainders for under 10$ which is terrific as long as it lasts.
   
   I wasn't impressed by The Parisian Woman's Guide to Style by Virginie Morana so do try that one before buying, by taking it out of the library first.
   
   All in all, I'd buy Anne Barone's books, along with Leah Feldon's Dressing Rich book, Frederick Fekkai's book, and Entre Nous. Maybe I'd add Mary Lou Andre's Ready to Wear, and Mme Dariaux's A Guide to Elegance and be much further ahead for less money. The Lucky Shopping Manual if there is money left over for more in the french chic fashionista line up on the bookshelf.
   
   Happy reading!



5. This book is so out of date that it is back in style again. This year, there is a return to 1980s-inspired clothing: leggings, volume over skinny, striped tops, big hair, off-the-shoulder tops, and so on. If you are young and want to recapture 1980s style, this book is for you. I concur with other readers' views that the basic concepts of French style are timeless, if you ignore the outdated pictures. It is an interesting coffee table book if you don't take fashion seriously, but don't pay $50 for it. Instead, buy "The Parisian Woman's Guide To Style," a much more contemporary book. This book is not written by an American in Paris, like Sommers. It was written in 1999 by Virginie and Veronique Morana, two French natives who own a boutique in Paris. Although 6 years old, the pictures still look current in their simplicity. The authors have managed to capture classic French elegance without looking stodgy or outdated. See my review for that book.

4 comments about Cinderella's Sisters: A Revisionist History of Footbinding (Philip A. Lilienthal Asian Studies Imprint).

1. This study is by a Barnard College professor that I heard lecture at the China Institute in New York City. The traditional Chinese cultural custom of deforming women's feet to make them smaller, resulting in pain, deformity, and disability, is no longer practiced. But it is a complex and controversial subject involving, among other things, sex, social status, and feminism. For me the value of this book is the author's focus on the perspectives of women who experienced, continued, and even promoted the practice, highlighting their views on it's costs and benefits. It's a useful counterpoint and a rich resource.



2. Like a typical Westerner, when I first encountered the story of bound feet Chinese women, I was horrified. How could someone actually do something like that? But my initial disgust grew into interest, and I found I wanted to learn more than simply see the results of the practice of binding feet. The world is full of misinformation of this custom.
   
   After reading Beverly Jackson's Splendid Slippers (a beautiful and informative book), I decided to find a more academic text on footbinding, and selected Dorothy Ko's Cinderella's Sisters. This book has provided me with a thorough overview of the historical context of footbinding. It explores the difference in gender perceptions of bound feet, the different definitions of bound feet, and more. Ko's style is very readable, and I appreciated her using Chinese terms (tiangzu, chanzu, fangzu) and their rich interpretations to illustrate her points and describe the historical context.



3. It's a wonderful book for chinese women's history, let you learn about the history of footbinding in feminism perspective.



4. Dorothy Ko locates the core of interpretation for footbinding lost in so much that has been written on the topic for the last 150 years. Ko has written extensively on the topic, feeling that such a complex phenomenon cannot be adequately explained by a book or two. Not content with prevailing feminist writings which privilege "oppressive patriarchy" as the only worthwhile conclusion, Ko frequently attracts critics who often suggest she glorifies footbinding and undoes strides towards gender equality. It's even been implied she undermines advancements made since the May Fourth events which empowered Chinese women almost 90 years ago.
   Though some readers feel she euphemizes the "crippled feet" by resorting to cultural poetics which justify oppression, she actually advances a much more sophisticated strategy employed by the Han women of late imperial China. Rather than rage conspicuously against patriarchy the path lies in re-appropriating the meaning of footbinding to a custom that subverts the gender inequity; in short, diminishment of the oppression from within its complicity.
   With Cinderella's Sisters Ko addresses the rhetorics called chanzu, tianzu, and fengzu (bound feet, natural feet, and letting out feet, repectively). A conflation of male desires, and a redefined view women had about their own bodies are both at odds with each other yet bound together in a custom whose meaning differs not just across gender and class, but across time and place. Ko produces very original and badly needed insights through new readings of Gu Hongming (1857-1928) and Wang Jingqi (1672-1726) contrasted with (some say) biased western scholars such as R. H. van Gulik (1910-1967) and Howard S. Levy (1920- ).
   By translating women-authored works from anthologies of the Ming and Qing dynasties, Ko delights readers of this latest work who benefit by having the feminine perspective so often missing. When this recovered discourse converges with the new deeper readings of male texts, both anecdotal and scholarly, the subjectivity of a whole society comes together, resulting in unprecedented integrity. Indeed, Dorothy Ko's greatest "fault" is appending the subtitle A Revisionist History of Footbinding to Cinderella's Sisters. This book is not revisionist - this book is vision, belonging on every bookshelf of every library.

5 comments about Edie: Girl on Fire.

1. I loved this book. Edie Sedgwick really is about expression whether it's her clothes or her face. A force to be reckoned with. She was a colorful character and photographed better than most models today and then. Love her and love this book.



2. I just recieved this some days ago, after much expectation on my part, having read the book Edie several times (and watched the movie Ciao Manhattan, though that is subject of another review). The photos on this book are amazing (to say the least), I don't know where they came up with so many and with such good quality. You can see so much of Edie's energy and you can also clearly see why so many people were so enamored and enchanted by her, there is just something she transmits that is very attracting (and tragic, Wuthering Heights-like), even after all these years. However you can also see the dark side in many of the pictures, which is also a well known side if you know even just a little of her story.
   
   The text on the book is only so so (not because of the quality, it's just not much new info here), mainly because the definitive text in my opinion is Jean Stein's, however it is well worth the read.
   
   I find it very interesting that so many years after her death and the Warhol days are over, a book like this can still be published and that so many of us still flock to buy it. Indeed Edie is an icon of the past century.



3. I adored it...full of photo's I'd never seen before of Edie...new quotes, etc. Really gave me insight into her whole vibe & electricity. major fun! and it comes with a great CD with an interview.



4. Edie: Girl On Fire is chalked full of rare pictures and new commentary from the people who knew Edie the best, her husband, friends & family. The co-author of the book, David Weisman, not only shares never-before-seen pictures of Edie but, also marvels at the Edie obsession some 36 years after her death. Weisman & Painter do an excellent job of portraying the real Edie through pictures & stories shared by Edie's family & friends. They don't romanticize Edie as being an victim. In fact, they show that Edie was just like the rest of us. A flawed human being who was trying to find a place in the world during a turbulent time period. Edie's flaws are not glossed over or explained away. Instead, they show what a disturbed and lost young woman she was. Weisman himself knew Edie personally for years. Weisman saw Edie at her zenith and watched her fall apart and ultimately lose her life because of her own addictions & obsessions.
   
   One of the best parts of the book is the pictures. After years of seeing the same Edie pictures over & over, there are finally pages & pages of glorious "new" pictures including scrapped "Life" magazine photoshoots and newspapers covering one of the many fires that Edie started at various hotels due to her speed usage. Another awesome part is the cd of audio interviews Edie conducted towards the end of her life for what would be her last movie "Ciao! Manhattan!" (made by co-author Weisman). Edie talks about her many drug trips and her time at the Factory. She's candid, well spoken and heartbreaking. When listening to this cd of Edie's voice and looking at the pictures, you almost want the ending to change. You want Edie to pull through all this garbage and rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Just like any story, the ending never changes and there's really no happily ever after.



5. The book is filled with many great photos of Edie. Many I've never seen before. The text if fine, mostly quotes from many different people. I think I would have given this book a 5 if it contained more of a narrative type of text vs. many quotes.