No comments about Agent Provocateur Exhibitionist.

No comments about Symbols of Power: Napoleon and the Art of the Empire Style, 1800-1815.

No comments about Extravagant Italian Jewelry: The Great Works of Coppola and Toppo (Extravagant Italian Jewelry).

No comments about Creative Careers in Fashion.

5 comments about Geisha: A Unique World of Tradition, Elegance and Art.

1. great transaction.recommend seller.I have studied Japanese culture and music.I keep it out for company to enjoy. It is one of my favs.



2. As a child I always been fascinated by Japan. I always loved Japanese culture from its rich history to its tapestry of fashion,pop culture, and its people including geishas. My interest in geishas really didn't hit its peak until I read Arthur Golden's novel "Memoirs of a Geisha". After the novel, I went out and bought or checked out any and every book about geishas.
   
   I finally got around to checking out the John Gallagher coffee table book on geishas "Geisha: A Unique World of Tradition, Elegance, and Art". I personally enjoyed reading this book and looking at the gorgeous pictures. I loved the illustrations that dissected the geisha's wardrobe and makeup. I found the book pretty informative but there were times when I felt like the author was straying away from the topic of geishas and more into Japanese history. Was it really that necessary to go into the Heian and Edo periods? The author also does a bit of name checking but never get the people he name checks to say anything in his book. Liza Dalby gets a brief mention and that is about it. If anything Liza is the go to expert on geishas, not John Gallagher who I suspect is more familiar with Japanese history than with geishas. If John really knew a lot about geishas, why on earth did he use a lot photos of tourists dressed up as maikos? Think about it.
   
   For a reference book on geishas, John Gallagher's book sure as heck isn't it. Go read Liza Dalby's "Geisha". For beautiful color photos, "Geisha: a Unique World of Tradition, Elegance, and Art" is the book for you.



3. My daughter loved the book. It is filled with remarkable photographs, drawings and excellent information about the world of Geisha. Would recommend.



4. Memoirs of a Geisha is a poorly written and pathetic work that somehow became a Best Seller and is now an equally pathetic film which only goes to show that anyone with the right connections gets things published and can make a movie.
   
   However it has shown people something about the orient and has caused interest in the subject of these women.
   
   This book is certainly a good result. It is extremely well written and very well illustrated. Quite a bargain in matters of content and price.
   
   A must have for anyone interested in these women or merely Japanese history.



5. This book is extremely inexpensive for the number of pages and high quality photos. I found the captions and photos to express much meaning about the lives of geishas and it gave a look into the japanese culture, as well. I highly recommend this book as one for enjoyment and relaxation, as well as for research and such studies. Everyone of all tastes will enjoy this.
   
   *To those who stated that this book doesn't give a look into the dark, seedy world of geishas -- geishas are different from prostitutes...geishas express art, dance, and culture and aren't trained to be prostitutes...several geishas have innocently entertained famous, powerful people such as Prince Charles, and other dignitaries in the past...*

5 comments about Zapotec Weavers of Teotitlan.

1. .... informative, educational and very interesting - especially when you have purchased some of these beautiful works of art.



2. This book is well-written as well as thoughtfully and lavishly illustrated, giving one a true insight into the famous Zapotec weavers of this lovely and traditional Oaxacan community. Zapotec precolumbian traditions are mentioned, and the illustrations show many steps in creating dies, yarns and weavings ranging from the traditionally inspired to the most avant garde, from natural dies to the use of anilines and naturally colored churro wools.

   As one who has spent time learning to appreciate the arts of weaving and embroidery from weavers through Mexico and Guatemala, including a hospitable and skilled family in Teotitlán, I heartily recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the topic covered.




3. This is an excellent book with gorgeous photos of Zapotec rugs and weavings. I recently returned from a trip to Oaxaca where I had the opportunity to visit the village of Teotitlan and purchase some rugs from one of the families featured in the book. I just wish I had read the book before I went so that I could appreciate the beautiful examples that I saw even more. Besides the information on the laborious process of making the rugs, the book tells the differences and qualities that make some "works of art" and some imitations. And in telling the story of the weavings, the friendliness and pride of the weaving families must be told. I will treasure the book as well as my memories of the village of Teotitlan and her people.



4. I enjoyed this book a great deal, and will no doubt go back to it again and again. The photos of both historic and modern weavings are gorgeous, and I especially appreciated the detailed description (and photos) of the laborious process of washing, carding, spinning, and dyeing the wool before weaving can begin. The photo of a man rinsing cochineal-dyed skeins in a stream is especially evocative, showing clouds of the red dye blooming in blue water. My only complaint is that the author occassionally seems as if she's selling the town and its inhabitants in the same way she sells their crafts. I think we need to ban the word "magical" from all descriptions of indigenous/low tech comunities until we acknowledge the "magic" of our voodoo market economy and the hard materialism present in even idyllic-seeming villages. But that's a relatively minor flaw in a very good book.



5. I have lived and worked in Oaxaca, Mexico for over 30 years. My parents and I went there for the first time in 1965. They stayed and built a life there. Over the years I financed my many trips to see them with import and export between the two countires. During those times of importing rugs from Teotitlan, woven goods from Mitla, pottery and wooden animals from various villages, I built strong relationships with the Zapotec Indians. I still visit and see them several time per year. Imagine my delight when I opened up Ms. Stanton's fine book and saw familiar faces, patterns of tapestries and rugs that I had been a part of, and an in depth exploration of the Zapotec reality in a changing world. This is a well written book, with a deep cultural understanding, and a fine display and history of those wonderful rugs that the Zapotecs of Teotitlan del Valle continue to produce. If you are going to buy one book that is high in quality and gives a real glimpse into the lives of the Oaxacan Indians....this it it.

2 comments about Eighteenth-Century Clothing at Williamsburg (Williamsburg Decorative Arts Series) (Williamsburg Decorative Arts Series).

1. I bought this with Costume Close-up by Baumgarten, and while it has pretty pictures and some interesting information, the brochure (and it really is just a bigger, prettier, brochure for the Williamsburg collection) just isn't as thick and full of the structural goodness that I appreciate in my costume literature. Worth getting, of course, but not one of those books I will end up relying on again, and again, like others I could mention (but will refrain from doing so in the interests of brevity).



2. This is a carefully researched, beautifully photographed monograph on everyday clothing and high style fashions worn by early Americans during this important century in our history. A valuable resource for costume designers, writers, re-enactors, and historians, it also provides documentation and suggestions for further study.

No comments about William Morris: Patterns & Designs (International Design Library).

5 comments about Effortless Style.

1. June Ambrose jumps off the page in this straightforward how-to book. I hate books and magazines that make me feel like I need a while new wardrobe to look great. After reading her book, I felt like I could shop my own closet for a more flattering look.



2. Boring, Boring, Boring!! As much as I love June, I could not get into this book. Lloyd Boston's fashion book is so much better.



3. June Ambrose puts together a good book on how to dress well. While this book isn't a complete authority on style, it does give much basic information. I liked that she starts out in an early chapter what essentials you really need to have, and then suggestions for what to build around this basic wardrobe. This basic wardrobe isn't one that you will have to toss out every season, but rather one that will transition you through all seasons.
   
   She gives many tips based on body shape, which is helpful. Now there aren't tons and tons of these suggestions, but there are many there. I also like that she gives tips on things like how to hide panty lines, and other basic issues that all women have. She also spends a good amount of time on the subjects of shoes, purses, and other accessories. In fact, she emphasizes the importance of accessorizing what you wear for maximum impact.
   
   Effortless Style is a good book that does provide you with basic information on how to look better. She gives tips on a basic wardrobe that will carry you though multiple seasons. Tips are given on what to wear with certain body styles, as well as tips on basic problems we all have. Accessories are given attention, and advice is given on what to look for in purses, what types of shoes are essential, and much more is addressed in this book. While this may not be a comprehensive guide on personal style, you can definitely upgrade your look after reading this book.



4. This book is horrible. I was expecting a lot, having heard wonderful things about June Ambrose. As I read, I was sorely disappointed. "Effortless Style" does nothing more than brag about Ambrose's many celebrity clients, and advocate for the adoption of every last awful fashion trend. Style is not about following every fashion fad. It's about figuring out what styles work for your body, investing in standout pieces that really fit, and picking and choosing trends as the come along so that you only wear what is truly flattering for YOU. Ms. Ambrose spends very little time discussing how to discern what shapes and cuts work for certain body types. I think the only tip worthy of note was that short women should not wear jeans tucked into knee high boots, because doing so only makes your legs appear shorter. If you really want to learn more about style, I suggest Kendall Farr's "The Pocket Stylist." It is far superior to this trash. I'm sorry I wasted my money on it.



5. It's great!! I'm one of those people who wears very traditional clothes, though I do love getting fancy. I don't get too fancy because, honestly, morning and night I'm out running or at the gym teaching or training. This has helped me redesign how I do things and get in shape out of the gym.

2 comments about Fabric Reference (4th Edition).

1. My spouse is an avid quilt enthusiast that has for some time wanted to delve more into fabrics, their manufacture and individual characteristics. My gift to her of this standard reference work gives her the long awaited opportunity to really understand the materials before she designs a new quilt. She can now also select new and different fabrics for their inherent characteristics rather than only select "off the shelf" fabrics usually found at most fabric shops.



2. The Fabric Reference, along with the Fabric Glossary provides the best comprehensive reference of basic textiles that you can obtain anywhere in today's market. To make it a perfect reference set, you can purchase the Fabric Glossary Swatch Set directly from Ms. Humphries, which provides fabric samples to be taped into the Fabric Glossary while giving the history, manufacturing (weave, knit, lace, etc.) description and fabric content for each swatch allowing for a realistic study of fabrics. This Fabric Glossary can be continually added to as you find new fibers and fabrics - keeping an updated reference at your finger tips.
   These boks are a must for fabric designers, interior designers, pattern drafters and anyone interested in fabrics or textiles, this is a three part set, which when purchased becomes all inclusive. It is rare to find any books on textiles where you can actually touch the fabrics, providing a realistic knowledge of specific make-up and texture of the fabrics. I searched for years to find a book which I could use to give a compressive overview of the textile industry, before I found Ms. Humphries set of books, and I have been using it for the past three years as the foundation of my college course. Please note that in the fall of 2003, the third revision came out and it provides a wealth of information about the new micro-fibers that are found in today's market.
   This three part set (2 parts you can purchase from this company and the swatch set you need to purchase separately - information to do this, is in each book) is the best reference of textiles available.