No comments about Clothing: Fashion, Fabrics & Construction, Student Text.

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 Jackie: The Clothes of Camelot.

1. While this book features some interesting facts and pictures, I was very disappointed to find that the author almost completely disregards Jackie's use of accessories. I had hoped to learn about the handbags Jackie used, but despite brief references to her clutches, the only time he talked about them was to wrongly call the Gucci 'Jackie' bag - named after the woman herself - a Hermes tote. He also craftily avoids the subject of her shoes. Disappointing.



2. Having grown up in the 60's, and being a Fashion Major as well as a big fan of Jackie Kennedy I was excited to read this book, and pleasantly surprised with Mulvaney's perspective on Mrs. Kennedy's wardrobe. I own many books on Jackie Kennedy and was particularly impressed with the photos and information presented in this book on this fashion icon. I read this book from cover to cover in one day. The photos are stunning, and images of Mrs. Kennedy through her husband's White House years as well as post years are presented in black and white along with color. If you are a Jackie Kennedy admirer, or a Fashion History buff; this is a phenomenal book to add to your collection...well worth the hardback price anywhere!



3. I absolutely loved this book. Jackie just looks so beautiful. Her fashion sense is remarkable. And she looks so elegant and beautiful. She was simply the greatest.



4. I am not a die-hard Jackie O fan, but I love fashion in general. I have always thought of Jackie O as a fashion icon, and wanted to learn more about her. Until now, I have never seen a book that pictorally does her sense of style justice. However, in this book there are enough photographs both in black and white and in color to satisfy any fashion junkie or Jackie O fan. No matter what the situation, Jackie O was always appropriately and fashionably attired. This book does an excellent job of showing this by portraying her clothing choices through the years and in a variety of categories. This book does not go into great detail about Jackie O as a person or historical figure, I don't think it was written with those objectives in mind, but it should satisfy the fashion cravings of most people. I highly recommend it.



5. Who else, in all the other First Ladies, could have worn all those beautiful clothes with the chic and style Jackie had! Not many I guess. In this beautiful book, there are some never seen before pictures, that demonstrates what elegance in fashion is all about. It will take a long time before we can see that again in the White House. I treasure that book that makes me relive that unique period of refinement and class that once was in the White House, thanks to Jackie!

5 comments about Everyday Fashions of the Sixties as Pictured in Sears Catalogs.

1. Vibrant color was one of the most important aspects of fashions of the 1960's. Sadly, the color is a missing aspect of this otherwise wonderful volume.
   
   However, if you are looking for a trip down memory lane, Everyday Fashions of the Sixties as Pictured in Sears Catalogs is a great way to recapture the era. It brought back fond memories of my school days.
   
   If you are not a Baby Boomer, you might be very surprised to realize that many of the styles we wore were much more conservative and flattering than the media's reinterpretation of 60's style. (Oh! How I want those shoes!)
   
   Highly recommended for fashion research or pure entertainment! I'd give it another star if there was more color!



2. This book has great pictures. It is not as comprehensive as I would have liked, but is still a very helpful guide to 60's fashion.



3. Great book for those interested in sities fashion. No interpretive text or historical context-- this book is purely an assemblage of some of Sear's catalog most enduring and representative patterns of sixties attire. Ripped straight from the catalogue pages, this book is just filled from cover to cover of catalogue models and accessory displays. My main criticism is that I would have liked to see a book representing not only Sear's catalogue, but other popular stores of the day. In addition, the book could have been longer and more colorful. While I like the idea of black and white photos on the semi-gloss pages, most of the photos are more fuzzy and gray than crisp black and white. Only two pages are actually in color... which is a disappointment and not what you'd want from this time period. Half of fashion interest in the sixties is the bold use of color and pattern never seen before the period.



4. This wonderful book provides a nostagic trip back to the 1960's, but more than just invoking fond memories, provides a glimpse of that changing decade through fashion. The early 60's ushered in mink stoles for $500.00, lady-like gowns and proper high heels. Towards the end of the '60's fashion takes on a distinct change, reflecting that turbulent time in the U.S. Gone are the wasp-waist dresses, and in come the "hippie" styles of striped bell-bottom pants for both sexes, mini-dresses and go-go boots modeled by Twiggy look-alikes. And the prices! A gorgeous pair of colorful leather flats were about $6.00, leather boots sold for $14.00. Of course, some of the styles are positively heinous according to current standards, but many have stood the test of time and would not seem out of place today. I love to scour old styles when I design my own clothes, and if you are a fashion designer or just love clothes, this is a wonderful reference guide.



5. purchased to use as a resource for developing a course on 20th century visual (consumer) culture.
   
   a fun quick overview of everyday American fashion in the 1960's. would love it more if it had more color photos, and a larger assortment of men's clothing options (it definitely focuses on women's clothing) , but it's a great quick reference.

1 comments about Renaissance Fashions (Dover Pictorial Archives).

1. I just purchased these Dover COloring Books for my mother and she loves them. The detail is out of this world and the variety of colors you can use are only limited by your inagination. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

5 comments about Servants of Allah: African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas.

1. Very well and detailed written ,this book gives you an insight on the enslaved Muslims in America then no other Book that I have read so far.
   It gives you an insight on the situation in Africa (Political and economical )at the time when slavery started and contiued.Reasons why their own country man where selling each other tribal conflicts and religious differences.
   It is not a book that is written like a tale it will most likely take you some time to finish reading it.



2. This book has brought tears to my eyes as well as joy. This book should be read by all people especially the African American and Caribbean people who have African descent. We must honor our ancestors struggle for freedom. When we honor them we bring honor to ourselves. As African people we will never be free until we free our minds. No one will be free until he knows himself and the history of his ancestors and all those who came before them. Knowledge of self is the key to true freedom. This book is a very courageous book that is full of lost but not forgotten history of the Enslaved Africans in the Americas. May God bless the author, Sylviane A. Diouf and all those who seek wisdom and knowledge for the sake of freedom, Justice and world peace.



3. Diouf's "Servants of Allah" is one of the few highly researched and well written accounts of the West African Muslims history in the context of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
   
   This book, in my opinion is an undeniable truth in the face of the few so called "afrikan-centered scholars" (very well known, btw) who blindly and blatantly bash and reject the religion of Islam and its African adherents, not realizing, or wanting to fully realize the pivotal impact of the Black African Muslims during the enslavement period.
   
   In fact the Muslims of Songhay, Mali, Hausaland, Senegambia, Guinea Coast, etc... who were ripped away from their thriving African homelands and brought to the Americas under the cloak of European Christianity were the valiant masterminds of the major slave revolts including the jihads ("holy wars")waged in Brazil (Bahia), Louisiana, Haiti (yes the infamous Haitian Revolution was lead by Macandal, who was a sufi muslim leader).
   
   However what is most striking are the Diouf's researched writings into some of the Muslims themselves, true Afrikan warriors like Job ben Solomon (A Wolof prince who was proficient in 5 languages including Arabic, and returned to Africa after only 3 years of enslavement in the New World), Ibrihim Abd ar-Rahman, who was able to write an entire autobiography in Arabic of his experience in chattel slavery.
   
   For the sake of brevity, I must conclude by giving a tremendous BRAVO! for sister Diouf's powerhouse book, and I could not recommend this book enough!
   
   Peace brothers and sisters!
   Karamou Alifaa Fatafindou



4. This is an excellent piece of writing and deserves to be read by anyone interested in the history of the Transantlatic Slavery and the implantation of Islam in the Americas.



5. This is a significant study that suffers, however, from insufficient knowledge of Islam.

4 comments about The Practical Guide To Patternmaking For Fashion Designers: Menswear.

1. A serious text book type for aspiring designers. I bought this book simply to make clothes for myself as there is not much out there for men. 99.9% commercial patterns are for women and the 0.1% patterns for men are 80's redux with batwing sleeves and over sized shoulders. So far, I have used the book to make a block pattern for my own body. It's quite easy if you put your mind to it and reread the instructions. I must admit that this book is not suitable for amateurs. Having learned to sew from my mother since I was a preschooler must've helped me understand the term and techniques better as I did not go to fashion school. I am hoping to be the next Ennio Capasa (Costume National) someday, who knows?



2. I bought this book by virtue it was for menswear. I am a theatrical tailor and normally drape suits, and use commercial patterns as slopers. At university, I had trouble with flat patterning.
   This book has altered my opinion of flatpattern work. I love it. I recommend it. The instructions are pretty clear; there were only one or two places that I really had to reread, and look more closely at the illustrations. Great, great book.



3. I am so glad I bought this book. I do patternmaking for a living and this book answers questions I have had for a long time and never seen answered anywhere else. It contains standard body measurements for men's sizes from 34 and up for short, regular and tall. Most patternmaking books only deal in drafting misses patterns. This gives the measurements for mens pants, shirt, and jackets. It was worth every cent! I would recommend it for the experienced patternmaker as well as a beginner. A reference book you will want to keep forever.



4. This book has good illustrations and flats, it studies the garments and shows how to go from beginning to end;it shows how to alter and change the designs to your own desire; i have used it and it helped me out creating my senior thesis at parsons school of design; recommended to all of those who want to learn patternmaking or study fashion design

5 comments about Chanel (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications).

1. I am a couturiére to follow my passion and, of course, I already own a bunch of "Mademoiselle Chanel" books. Let's say that I own a couple of meters of fashion monographies and that I love this one.
   If you are interested in feeling the details of the artwork of both, Coco+Karl, you will get a number of details to learn about.
   Even though it is supposed to be a catalogue, what it is, it can be in the handbook shelf of a loving seammistress.
   On Chanel, at this price, you do not get more than the far feeling of her style.
   The forewords cover quite well her meaning and her significancy.
   As a gift it is quite showy also thanks for the transparent chemise.
   it always depends on what you are looking for.



2. This is a beautiful book and one you would love to have in your home. Of course, since I work for the company it is dear to me. I have given this book to three different people and they all have loved it. If you want to give something special to someone-- this is it.



3. I bought this book after seeing the Chanel exhibit at the Met. The pictures are nice, but I wish they showed more pictures of real people wearing clothes as opposed to the eccentric mannequins they used in the exhibit. A couple of blank pages here and there. I wish there was slightly more history behind the clothes. Still not a bad coffee table book on Chanel



4. I couldn't disagree more heartily with those who recommended this book as a "beautiful coffee table book." At this price and with this subject matter this could have been a truly amazing look at the history of the House of Chanel and it's transition from the early years of Coco to the present leadershiop of Karl Lagerfeld. The text is mediocre and the photos are terrible. The general visual quality of the book is absolutely reprehensible.The dresses are all reproduced in a poor quality "Liz Taylor in the White Diamonds commercial" fake fuzzy lens. There is not one really great photo of an actual garment in this entire book. As someone who saw the actual exhibit the book is based on, I feel the Metropolitan really missed on this one. The exhibit itself was magnificent, this poorly concieved book is a complete dud. Save your money for one of the many other books detailing the life and work of Coco Chanel.



5. Well worth your money. Beautifully done. Not only is it a lovely coffee table book, it is a book you will look at many times.

3 comments about The Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Fashion and Fashion Designers (World of Art).

1. I like this dictionary it helps me a lot...i thought it was going to be a larger book like the one i saw on a t.v. show called Made, but this is a good source--thank you!



2. A handy book when you need to know the difference between jacquard and damask, for example, though I wish there were more pictures for visual reference. Succinct definitions and coverage of major fashion and design terms. All in all, a good addition to anyone's collection of fashion reference books.



3. I recently became interested in fashion, and I think that this was a good book to start me off with. It was fairly informative, but not very detailed. Also, there weren't many pictures of the various designs/designers that were mentioned. I think this is a good book for beginners, but perhaps not enough detail for someone with former knowledge of the fashion world. I LOVE the Body Map illustration on page 38 (did anyone actually WEAR that?!?)

No comments about Sustainable Design for Interior Environments.