2 comments about Dressing Renaissance Florence: Families, Fortunes, and Fine Clothing (The Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science).

1. It's surprising to note that professor Carole Collier Frick's DRESSING RENAISSANCE FLORENCE: FAMILIES, FORTUNES AND FINE CLOTHING is the first in-depth study of the Renaissance fashion industry. Here are insights into the social and political meaning of clothing in Florence, with black and white photos throughout displaying changing styles and fashion innovations, visual impressions and how family fortunes were invested in wardrobes. A fascinating college-level study, recommended for any collection strong in fashion or Renaissance history.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. I'm extremely impressed. I think this book would make an outstanding addition to any Renaissance-lover's, or garbaholic's, bookshelf.

   It is not about how to make Italian-persona clothing. Instead, it focuses on how Florentines of the Renaissance used clothing to make social statements. Along the way, it examines some things that garbmakers would like hearing about (one table lists various color combinations found in gowns and linings), but mostly, it's about the sociology of fashion.

   Chapters:

   * Craftspeople and tailors (including how clothes-making guilds were organized and the role women played in these guilds)
   * Tailoring Family Honor (how Florentines viewed honor and how they thought honor was expressed through clothing)
   * Family Fortunes in Clothes (how much they spent, and a bit about the secondhand clothes market)
   * The making of wedding gowns (you'll love learning how many opinions went into one and how totally political it all was)
   * Trousseaux for Marriage and Convent (how they differed, and lists of what went into each)

   And stuff about sumptuary law, information about layers of clothing, types of dyes (and an examination of mourning clothes), types of fabric, and clothes as depicted in art -- and how art might have distorted how people really wore clothes. Embroidery is also covered.

   Needless to say, the painter Ghirlandaio features pretty prominently here. There are also b/w repros of portraits, unfortunately not super well detailed, but there are a few here I haven't seen before. There are also appendices that are very useful -- lists of currency and measures, categories of clothiers, yardage required for various garments, glossaries of what yardage terms meant, and a HUGE bibliography and glossary of terms.

   It isn't a physically large book, clocking in at around 300pp, but it's very rich in detail, and the writing is pleasant to read. I'd definitely recommend this book to anybody wanting to immerse in the period -- and DEFINITELY for any Renaissance costumers out there. It might not be a bad idea to have some basic grounding in the period before reading this, but it's written well enough that if any is required, it isn't much.

5 comments about Hip Handbags: Creating & Embellishing 40 Great-Looking Bags.

1. I've been making handbags for myself for a couple of years now, and this is one of my go-to books for instruction and inspiration. There are seven basic bag instructions (Messenger, Clutch, Tote, Tuck, Flirt, Vessel, and Travel), each with between three and five variations. There are decent instructions for the basic bag, and the variations tell you what's different, but it does not provide detailed, step-by-step instructions for each project. That's fine - I don't want to make the exact bag they show. I use this book for inspiration and basic construction methods.
   
   The first section of the book talks about the basics - designing, embellishing, and sewing. It talks about material choices, how to make linings and pockets, use interfacing, install zippers, add straps and flaps, and close the bag. It explains decorative techniques like piping, grommets, handles, feet, frames, and fabric panels. There is a brief section of embellishing with beads, buttons, trims, jewelry, flowers, applique, embroidery, ruffles, and topstitching. The next section shows the effect that embellishments can have on a plain bag. They show several different before and after photos of purchased bags with embellishments. This is a great section for inspiration. There's a sewing section that explains the tools you'll need, basic sewing terms, and pattern making. The patterns are very simple line drawings on a grid. That makes perfect sense - you can make your bag as large or as small as you'd like or change the shape. Many of the pattern pieces are composed of straight lines, and it's easier to cut them with a rotary cutter anyway.
   
   The last section of the book is pure inspiration. It's called the Gallery of Totally Hip Handbags, and it's full of "art" bags. It's interesting to see the color, material, and shapes, although I can't imagine I'd ever carry a ceramic bag. I tend to make my bags freestyle - no pattern, just an idea that I play with until it turns into a bag. This book helps with both the construction techniques and the inspiration for new ideas.
   
   If you're looking for a detailed pattern book so you can make exactly what they show in the photo, this may not be the book for you. If you prefer to work a little less structured, and are comfortable making some things up as you go along, this is a great place to start.



2. This book is really good because instead of giving exact patterns, it gives patterns for about eight different styles of bags. Then it shows variations on those eight styles. The instructions are good but I would not recommend this book unless you have at least a small knowledge of sewing. It also tell about many different materials for purse making. Overall, a book with endless possibilities and good instructions to accomplish a variety of ideas.



3. The purses in this book are all variations on a set of basic patterns. The color pictures are great and show a lot of great ideas. The text is written in an entertaining and humorous style that is fun to read. Where this book starts to fall apart is when you go to actually make one of these purses. Vague instructions and errors abound. One one page, the instructions list the size of one pattern piece as different than what the pattern piece is drawn for. The author glosses over how to insert anything but a fabric handle. There are no instructions on how to put in a magnetic clasp or bag feet. And the measly section on how to put in a zippered pocket was so vague that I had to rip out the pocket three times. I finally went to another source to get clear instructions. The book also doesn't give guidance on when to add the extras. Should trim go on before sewing the lining together? Handsewn on afterwards? If the author knows, she's not tellling.



4. I first got this book out of my local library and was very impressed with the majority of the patterns (not all but then that's to be expected!), good instructions and the range of alterations to the basic patterns they explored in more detail. Impressed to the extent that I had to buy it. I'm in the middle of making one of the bags and the instructions have been good and to the point. The only downside is that the patterns aren't as exact as I would like and there's a bit of figuring out to do before you can cut into your fabric.



5. I start sewing a year ago and I started with bags. So this book really appeal to me. Let me say that I was really disappointed when it arrives from amazon. Actually I didn't even bother to keep it and return it a couple of days later. They're better books on the subject (Make Your Own Handbags)
   
   There's seven different patterns in this book and a few variations on each pattern and embellished bags. For my taste, the bags didn't look great and some of the were overdone (too embellished)
   You can have a look at some of them if you google the book on google books.

4 comments about Beauty in Exile: The Artists, Models, and Nobility Who Fled the Russian Revolution and Influenced the World of Fashion.

1. I thought there would be more value in this book than what there was. I would not recommend at that price.



2. I loved Beauty in Exile. A friend told me about it. I was researching my aunt, who was a model in Paris. I discovered her world through the information this book contains. I had no idea to what extent fashion was dominated by Russian emigres in the 20s and 30s. I knew they were seamstresses and models, but had no idea they started fashion houses as well. Anyone interested in the history of fashion should own Beauty in Exile. The photos are sensational. I bring the book out to show friends who come over. I tell them to get their own, rather than borrow it. This book is too precious to risk lending. I might not get it back!



3. This book covers the now vanished world of Russian exiles from the Revolution till the 1950-60's. It covers such areas as the influence of the Ballets Russies in Paris prior to the revolution, the clothes the exiles bought with themselves, and the importance of the Kokoshnik to Russian fashion design.

   We are also given the history of the now vanished Russian émigré communities in Constantinople in Turkey, Berlin in Germany and Harbin in China, with a smaller amount of discussion of the communities in Paris and London.

   London and Paris mostly get discussed in context with fashion, as many émigrés, both noble and poor made a living in the various parts of the fashion industry in exile. There is a whole chapter devoted to the house of Kitmr with its exquisite embroideries and beading, which was run by Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna the younger in the 1920's.

   The author has also unearthed other Russian émigré fashion houses which were well known and respected in the 1920's but are mostly forgotten now, houses such as Anely, Mode, Paul Caret, Tao, Yteb and Irfe which was run by the Youssoupoff family.

   The majority of the book concentrates on fashion, but there is also discussion of the theatre, cafe's and other craft oriented activities which the Russian communities produced, especially in the 1920's. Many years of painstaking research as been conducted by the author to reconstruct this lost world. The book is full of black and white photos, which I imagine would not have been easy to find. However, if you are looking for nice colour photos of Russian costume, you will not find it here, but if you are trying to find something out on the background on émigré communities or the Russian fashion industry in the 1920's this book will be the standard work for many years to come.




4. An appraisal of European culture from an old maid somewhere in Western Kentucky knits a ludicrously inappropriate Horatio Algerish review to satisfy her puritan work ethos, that went out of date with the blue collar culture of 50's America, Honeymooners, Flintstones etc. She could be Pat Buchanans speech writer.

2 comments about Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women's Dresses.

1. This was a good choice for Native American clothing. It helped with ideas on creating new outfits.



2. I am a traditional dance dress artist, although not as prolific (or even as expert) as some of those featured in this book. If I could have given more than 5 stars it would receive them. The photos were beautifully clear, although there only one or two photos of some of the featured dresses, they showed the splendor and detail of artistry from the past. I hope this doesn't spawn more artifakes, especially those coming to the US from overseas. This book is a long-awaited dream come true.

1 comments about An Illustrated History of Hairstyles 1830-1930.

1. Great Book. If you are looking to see "real" hairstyles on "real" folks this is the book for you. There are great photo's and descriptions. If you are involved in a re-enactment society this book is very helpful as to how folks wore their hair during each period and even afew "how to's".

3 comments about Fashion at the Edge: Spectacle, Modernity, and Deathliness.

1. Caroline Evans deserves some applause for attempting to explain the dark elements of today's fashion. She acknowledges and defines this thread of darkness which weaves itself through fashion. Schizophrenic fashion, if you will. However, I disagree somewhat with her theory of explanation. I would have liked to see a spiritual argument as well. How can anyone discuss death without such a discussion? Today's media is filled with horror and violence, especially in the movies. Even some crimes mimic the sickness portrayed in the media -- that of pornography and violence. This dark element extends to mainstream movies and television, where death and darkness are themes. Many movies and books are criticized by religious groups as being against God. And of course, history if filled with war and violence. Yet the "New Look", created after World War II, was clearly a turn away from the depravities of war. So why is today different? It seems that we live in a spiritually darker world, and it's only natural that designers would be affected by this darkness. Evans also points out that designers tend to revisit the past in creating new designs. My personal opinion is that the designers are only gathering ideas from decades past, and absorbing the culture of today. As history repeats itself, in a lot of ways fashion also repeats itself. Anyways, Caroline Evans makes a good effort to analyze todays' fashion, and puts her argument on the table. It deserves a lot more discussion.



2. The photographs, stories of design history and research in this book are phenonmenal. This is a great book to inspire, shock and mesmerize. It is my most recent favorite in my costume research collection.



3. Caroline Evans has written an important book that explores the work of cutting-edge designers of the 1990s such as Martin Margiela, Hussein Chalayan, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Viktor & Rolf. The book's subtitle - "Spectacle, Modernity and Deathliness" - sums up the author's focus on the underside of fashion. Evans acknowledges that much of the fashion featured in this book was "economically negligible", arguing that its cultural import is of greater significance. She explores how designers of the 90s consciously or unconsciously explored the dark history of the 20th century through their work, with death, trauma, cruelty, and horror as recurring themes.

   Where is this all leading? The conclusions are doom-laden but fascinating. British designers, with their focus on "gothic fashion", may represent the ghost or shadow of rational American designers. Creatively, Evans posits a bleak future for fashion "doomed to ricochet between modernist experimentation and dark despair." In a memorable line, Evans writes: "Now, more than ever, everything new and beautiful seems to arrive already haunted by its own demise." The financial insecurity of many of these designers in their early days may have fuelled their creativity. They were, as designer and teacher Fabio Piras put it, "fashion desperadoes". This book is full of illuminating insights that put fashion design at the core of our culture, expressing our deepest concerns.

   Outstandingly researched, beautifully illustrated, and thrillingly authoritative, Fashion at the Edge may prove to be the definitive book on the generation of designers from London and Antwerp who came to prominence in the 1990s.

2 comments about Masterpieces of Women's Costume of the 18th and 19th Centuries.

1. This is a slightly altered reproduction of a book originally published in 1959. Aline Bernstein, who among other things was a theatrical costume designer, produced the material in 1930 with the aid of a Rockefeller Grant. All are based on actual costumes.
   
   Bernstein has presented drawings of 31 dresses and 3 Regency spencer jackets. There are small, but clear color reproductions, four to each approximately 9" x 12" plate, on eight plates in the center of the book. In addition, there is a full page sized black-and-white reproduction of each costume.
   
   The strength of this book is that each fashion is accompanied by a drawing of a contemporary hair style, shoes, and the undergarments, including corsets, petticoats, etc., which would often have to be pulled from different reference sources. Many are also accompanied by a drawing of the pattern for the main item. The patterns are not scaled to different sizes.
   
   A useful reference book, especially given the price.



2. I found this to be a worthwhile purchase for an individual interested in the details of women's clothing from these periods. I am using this book to get ideas for creating authentic reproductions of Victorian clothing.

1 comments about The Design Process.

1. The term design is too broad, and this book does not get into specific details of different fields of design. It did not have anything specific to my field of design, which is Interior Design. It may be a good book, if you are looking for general design information (whatever that may mean)...

No comments about Juergen Teller: Marc Jacobs 1997-2008.

No comments about The Corset and the Crinoline: An Illustrated History.