1 comments about The Denim Bible Jeans Encyclopedia II - by Sportswear International.

1. This is a great reference of current and past brands. Possibly a little too Euro-centric, but that's to be expected from SI. Great to read good summary biographies of the people involved in the industry, the names behind the brands, and those that work on jeans and have made their work felt globally. Thorough work, and I would expect this to be an essential for anyone in the industry or interested in where denim has come from and more particularly, how large the industry is today.

1 comments about Easy to Crochet Cute Clothes For Kids (Easy to Crochet).

1. I have poured over this book and love all the designs.This is the best book on Childrens clothes that I have seen in ages in either knit or crochet.And I collect books. I can't decide which one to make first. They are modern designs that discerning young Mums would want to purchase at exclusive clothing stores so I believe that they would be very well received as gifts. The boys garment are very masculine and the girls garments range from practical to absolutely deightful. I have just ordered more from my shop as I know they will walk out the door. All the designs come with clear written instructions, a schematic( drawing of the finished shape) and international symbols for the stitch diagram.

1 comments about Altered Style: Sewing & Embellishing Wearable Fashions.

1. Ms. Kimura is on my must have book buy list. She always offers unique ideas which spark more unique ideas. Thanks for another great addition to my collection.

5 comments about Costuming from the Hip.

1. This is a really good book for all dancers to read. Understanding costume basics is important even if you are not making your own. I keep this in the classroom for students to look through. I put each page in a page protector and inserted them all in a notebook. The girls love using it as a reference and I recommend they get their own copies and start building their bellydance libraries.



2. a very good scource/reference book[let],more of it would have been good,as was bit thin on pages, but still an exellent ideas book with drawings & explanations easy to understand, i liked it.



3. I'm a beginning bellydancer but an experienced seamstress.My specialty is in proms/bridesmaid/formal wear.Love that this book is spiral bound for laying flat. Lots of good quick ideas, with variations & samples to enhance & create more ornate costumes. Some of the projects will be easier with some sewing experience(some of the instructions might be a little unclear at first reading) but most can be created with minimal sewing skills. It is a good starting point.I consider this book a definite plus in my sewing library for branching out into costuming.The ideas presented go beyond just bellydance and can be used in other areas of dance and/or costuming. I have several of Devine's books on my wish list.



4. The first in a series of these types of books, which are aimed at the amateur sewer as well as the professional designer. Just because it is a belly dancing costuming manual should not limit those interested in sewing and making costumes in general. This is a comprehensive guide to allow you to create your own designs, and not slaveishly following someone elses pattern and creation, and is a must in anyones personal library who are interested in fashion/costuming and theatre. This book also touches on the tradional costumes of the Middle and Far East throughout the ages, as well as theatrical costuming tips and design for every body type. Plus it includes patterns and design ideas, as well as dozens of graphics to illustrate the author's information.



5. i buy this book for my girlfriend...its not a book, its a stapled pile of paper at the price of a hardcover book

No comments about Fashion Photography Course: Principles, Practice, and Techniques: An Essential Guide.

5 comments about Hatless Jack: The President, the Fedora, and the History of American Style.

1. I'm of two minds about this book. Neil Steinberg has produced a great history of the form and content of hat-wearing, and the decline of the behatted male in the United States. I learned a great deal about the industry, the importance of hats to the idea of the well-dressed man, and the many forces that came together to send the noble fedora and its cousins into their long decline. And also about John F. Kennedy.
   
   But while the author has done a fine job with the facts, I'm still not sure I buy all his interpretation of them. He strikes me as far too willing to buy into the cliché -- true in its most basic form, perhaps, but far too exaggerated in the popular mind -- of the dull, conformist, gray 1950s and the lively, individualist, color-saturated '60s.
   
   Perhaps he should, as the Randians would say, check his premises -- particularly his evident assumption that informality equals authenticity and self-expression. But if it is "conformist" for a man to wear a hat at a time when all men wear hats, why is it a sign of rebellious nonconformity to abandon hats when all men are abandoning them? Are we really any more individualist today, when forty-something men go to the mall dressed in the same long t-shirts, baggy shorts, and giant sneakers worn by their twelve year old sons? If you want to demonstrate individuality and self-expression through your dress today, gentlemen, the best way to do so is with suit, tie, and a well-maintained snap-brim. But, check out this book first to make sure you know when to tip the fedora, and to whom.



2. I can't distinguish between Trilby's and Fedoras, I'm not sure I want to. They may even be the same thing. I was born in the same year that President Kennedy was assassinated, and I didn't know that there was a generally held belief that, because he didn't wear a hat at his inauguration, that he was responsible for the worldwide decline in hat wearing. Steinberg's book shows that this proposition is untrue on two counts - that hat wearing was declining throughout the Twentieth Century, and that, in fact, President Kennedy did wear a hat during his inauguration - in the procession up to it, tipping it to his father, and in the parade after it - but not in the memorable portions of it.
   Steinberg's book accumulates a significant amount of information that might be classified as social history or even incidental detail - the change in fashion for hats from top hats to less formal attire; the expense of owning a hat - hat check stalls were leased out by hotels and restaurants, and the leasees were accused of keeping both the fees and the tips; the vain, though valiant efforts, of hat companies to fight the tide of hatless-ness.
   He counters the view that hatless-ness was inevitable, pointing out that tie-wearing could be seen as equally obsolete and yet continued through the twentieth century. I think he's on thin ice with this argument, given the increasing popularity of `smart-casual' tieless-ness and `dress down Friday's'.
   The book also paints a picture of how Kennedy represented youth, vigour and change in 1960. His bareheadedness was part of this, so, apparently were the two-button suits which he favoured. His patrician-cool style was also apparent in his dislike of the usual hoopla of politics, he vowed never to raise both of his arms together, and politely refused to don almost all headgear - hats, Indian feathers- which he was offered on the campaign trail. There is a quite effective description of the impression left by Kennedy, especially his inauguration. Steinberg poses, but does not answer, the question as to why we remember him as hatless, when in fact he had a hat, and wore it for some of the occasion.
   
   Having read it, I am not sure why I did so, I have no interest in fashion or social history. However I would recommend it as a good, off-beat read. I think the book (I read the paperback version) would have benefited from pictures, which might have helped identify the various types of hat being referred to. One effect of this book however, is that I have started to watch black and white movies with renewed awareness of the hats, I recently watched a Jimmy Stewart movie, and was quite taken with the fact that he kept his hat on in the car.



3. Imagine if all of a sudden men starting going outside without pants on. (Let's for the moment ignore the teenagers who wear them so low they are essentially pantless, wearing tall socks rather than trousers.) We would be startled, shocked, confused, and wonder what had happened. Well, this is what occurred during the 20th Century with hats. Look at old photos of busy New York streets and you'll see every head covered. Rich, poor, young, old. No difference. Yet this essential piece of attire virtually disappeared within a generation. And no one really noticed.
   
   The traditional tale is that Kennedy's inauguration did it in. But this book clearly establishes that is not true. No, it was a gradual slide that picked up steam, and in my father's generation (born in 1930) completely vanished. For him a hat was what old men wore, and though he had one for the rare occasion when he wanted to look more mature, after about 1960 he never wore it again. Look at the famous photo of Ruby shooting Oswald. The old guys in authority, and Ruby himself, are all wearing their hats; the younger guys are not. A fedora today is an affectation, an attempt to stand out. Whereas, as Steinberg so vividly points out, NOT wearing a hat, or wearing the out of season hat, could bring anything from insults to assaults.
   
   I was fascinated by the entire book. Well written, well organized, well constructed. I only wish there had been illustrations to show me what all these various headpieces were. But as social history, this is one of the most illuminating and insightful looks at cultural change I've ever read.



4. I started wearing these kinds of hats just under a year ago. Having no background with such hats (my parents didn't either, I don't think), I was able to pick up quite a bit of "proper" hat etiquette from this book. Mostly, though, it was very interesting to see how JFK's dislike of hats was perceived as a catalyst for the "mandatory" hat-wearing of 50 years ago to fade.



5. In our business there is an awful lot of hand-wringing about the good old days when all well-dressed men wore hats. Hatters opine and whine about President Kennedy's refusal to wear hats resulting in a devastating effect on the industry. Neil Steinberg in Hatless JACK sets the record straight and debunks the assumption that JFK ruined the hat business. Instead, Steinberg places Kennedy's aversion to hats in the context of a trend in hatlessness that had been gaining momentum since the turn of the previous century. This is a well-researched and entertaining book, full of information and anecdotes pertaining to the historical importance of hats in American culture. Hatless JACK: The President, the Fedora, and the History of an American Style gives ever-more credence to what hat people understand - a hat is not just another article of apparel.

1 comments about Row upon Row: Sea Grass Baskets of the South Carolina Lowcountry.

1. Tells the story of how a culture survived and adapted to new surroundings. The story of its basketry is the central vehicle. Of interest to those who like basketweaving and those who like stories of different peoples cultures.

2 comments about Ancient Greek Costumes Paper Dolls (History of Costume).

1. The drawings and costumes are exquisite, like most of Tom Tierny books are. The explanation of each type of costume is well-done and easy to understand. My only exception to the product is the near nudity--tastefully done and, I'm sure, just done to show authenticity, but it may be something to consider if you are buying this for a child.



2. This is a well done book which shows illustrations of typical clothing of the ancient Greeks throughout several historical periods. The drawings are clear and accurate as are all of Tom Tierney's similar works. This was an invaluable aid to designing an historically accurate costume for my 6th grader's "Greek Festival".

1 comments about Sources of The Making of the West, Volume I: To 1740: Peoples and Cultures.

1. This little text is a good accompaniment to the main book, "Making of the West". Here, Lualdi takes the student in a tour of excerpts from original source documents. Translated where necessary from other languages.
   
   So you can see a lengthy essay written on the eve of the French Revolution. Asking, "What is the Third Estate?" This Estate was the impotent assembly that represented the French people, as contrasted to the other Estates that drew from the aristocracy. The essay neatly encapsulates the rising demands of the majority of the people; suggesting why the Revolution occurred.
   
   The book has many other examples. All fitting to give depth to your appreciation of modern history.

3 comments about Chucks!: The Phenomenon of Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars.

1. actually i'm expecting catalogue for All Star product ,
   can't find too many items here



2. Converse made and continues to make the best and coolest sneakers ever. This book tells the story of Chucks in words and lots of color pictures. A must have for every Converse fan.



3. Chucks are an American staple, and Chucks is a great guide to the world of Chucks. Why are people so loyal to their Chucks? What are some special Chuck designs? This is a book for anyone who has every owned a pair.