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.

No comments about Fashion Advertising and Promotion.

5 comments about Chronicle of Western Fashion.

1. The reader can immediately appreciate the layout of the book, with its full-color renditions filling each page (about 8 figures per page). There are, however, a few problems. While the colors and textile patterns are decent, the shapes are consistently off. All the figures have, more or less, the same shape, which is inaccurate. Corsets and varying understructures affect the shape of costumes in real life, but in this book it is unclear. The men and women look about the same, with the same bulky waistlines, wide necks, and longish boxy torsos.
   
   While decently researched, the illustrator's talents fall short, and the costumes are, ultimately, inaccurate. The waistlines are fairly consistently off (often too low), the skirts have the same basic shape: a roundish lumpy farthingale, regardless of period, so that the 18th century panniers or the odd Elizabethan wheel farthingale, or the many mid-19th century dresses ALL look the same.
   
   If you are looking for colorful drawings your average semi-pro costume designer might make, regardless of accuracy, then this book is for you. It is, after all, fun to flip through and is somewhat close to styles it represents, but its many inaccuracies (generous) because I do like flipping through colorful pictures and enjoy playing "find the historical error" with the figures, but if you are new to historical costume and want to know what things really looked like in the past, this book is not for you.
   
   Moral of the story: Beware the many inaccuracies--this book is full of them!



2. As a member of a Middle Ages recreation group, I found some fantastic images that inspire me to create the garb they're showing. Unfortunately, Mr. Peacock doesn't provide a full bibliography of his sources so it is difficult to get a true feel for the context of the clothes. I emailed the publisher for more information, and they have yet to return my email...2 months later.
   
   I would definately recommend this book for anyone trying to get a good overview of garb and costume, but only if they do not care about being able to document exactly where the pattern and pieces come from.



3. I agree with one reviewer that you don't get a sense of fashion for one prolonged period. For example, you get several pictures of what a Russian lady would wear in 1876, but not the men, and sometimes not what they would wear in other time periods. However, I still reccommend this book because of its color pictures, the way the fashion starts as far back as the 11th century up through the 21st, and how the garmet details are explained.
   I'm writing a book where vampires are prominent and they all still wear clothes from their time frame, so this book was a huge help. At least I was able to write the correct names of the garments, especially the women and know what they would be wearing over the centuries. I reccommend this book if what you need is simple, like just a general sense of what a woman and man was wearing in the 1730's etc., and what the clothes were called. It's not that in depth, but is still very useful. If you can find it cheap (used) it's worth it and check you library for it too, that's where I first saw this, in my local library.



4. I BORROWED THIS BOOK FROM A COWORKER AND NEARLY CRIED WHEN I GAVE IT BACK. THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE SUPERMAGNIFICENT, AS WELL AS THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE HISTORY OF EACH INDIVIDUAL STYLE. SO METICULOUS WERE THE ILLUSTRATIONS, THAT I WAS ABLE TO SKETCH SEVERAL OF THE RENDERINGS, MYSELF. THIS BOOK... TRULY AWE-INSPIRING AND MOST DEFINATELY PRICELESS!!!



5. Like it's been said, a good book to refer back to from time to time... if nothing else

2 comments about Red Carpet: 20 Years of Fame and Fashion.

1. the book is very well done in photography but the pages began ripping after first looking through it. also the cover was partly damaged.
   good pictures.
   bad product.



2. This is a fun book, with beautiful pictures. Just wish it had gone further back to the sixties and seventies.

4 comments about Serge Normant/Metamorphosis.

1. I've been trying to build a small library of Photography Books especially of celebrities. This book is one of my favorites, almost every page had a very famous face and the photographs are fantastic. I thought that Serge Norman was a photographer, he is a hair dresser though. I actually think thats much nicer because the photos are a collection from many different eyes. Well worth the price! Photos range from black and white to color and have many famous celebs in photos I hadn't seen before, and then some I had. The quality as well is great. It's a lot of studio head, and mostly upper body shots.



2. This is a beautiful book to have on your coffee table. The size is nice a big, and the photographs are gorgeous, and wonderful to look at.
   
   All my house guests immediately pick up this book and start thumbing through it right away. The portraits are inspiring, and a joy to look at. It's a great conversation piece.



3. This is a Great book. Good size, hardcover, well desinged in and out. this book has tons of great photographs. Many famous models and actresses inside. If you love art, photography and beautyful women get this. The work is by top-notch photographers.



4. Any one interested in esthetic matters would love this book , are you in to beauty ?,Photography?,glamour?,graphic arts ???... even if your not, it would make an excelente coffe table book , not only because the great work of "Serge Normant" but because the work of some of the best Photographers and the words of Isabela Rosselini and Julia roberts.
   I truly enjoy it !!!

5 comments about Kate Moss: Model of Imperfection.

1. of this book is one of the greatest authors ever for unauthorized biographies of super models who used to be famous.
   
   I read the book, it was very informative, I liked it.



2. This book should be called "Johnny Depp" because it is more about her relationship with him than about herself. I expected a biography on her life but it's about how this super-waif got famous and then those who made her famous turned against her. Then the rest of the book was about her unhappy relationship with Johnny Depp. I really like Kate Moss and would like to have read a book about her...not her ex-boyfriend.



3. my friends all just read this and we're all disappointed in it, maybe someone who knows less about kate moss would get more from it. it IS articulate and factual, and it's not that it's BAD writing, it just didn't give us anything new to talk about. i wish there were other biographies - even if totally sensationalized! - about kate moss out there!
   
   my recommendation? maybe a good beach-time or bus-ride read, but don't expect anything revealing.



4. My friends and I just read this as part of our new "Fashion-Group Book Club"...I didn't dislike it as much as they did, but it does give one reason to marvel at how much completely unspectacular writing and recycled bollocks make it to publication. It even came to us recommended so I'm surprised at how just-not-good it is. Even the pictures, the best part, are all ones I swear I've seen a million times before. So, if you're looking for photos of Kate, I remember a book that came out on her in the nineties, a lot more expensive of course, but that one was excellent. "Model of Imperfection": not recommended!



5. my friends and i just chose this for our monthly fashion-oriented book club (we've previously enjoyed easily appropriate selections like "the devil wears prada", etc.) and were unanimously disapointed (they all are about to write their own reviews here, though). maybe this could be good for someone who isn't already a Kate fan, or has never heard such things about models doing drugs or being too skinny - like people who live in a bio-sphere or something. i guess i just expected more indepth info - like, how about a FREAKIN' INTERVIEW WITH KATE HERSELF! - from an author who ran "the web's most popular Kate Moss site" for like 5 years. some "fan"!

2 comments about Christian Dior and Germany 1947-1957.

1. Visual treat. Christian Dior legacy in all its glamour and la belle epoque. Superbe. C'est magnifique.



2. This huge, high-quality softbound volume is, in brief, a most fitting tribute to the great Christian Dior on the fiftieth anniversary of his death. The book is filled with superb full-page photography, mostly in black and white, of everything Dior, from his gowns to his accessories to his atelier in Paris and his fashion shows. As the book's title implies, the focus is on Dior's connections with Germany in his great years, 1947-1957. Several of the photographs feature the immortal Berliner Marlene Dietrich in Dior creations. Altogether a wonderful book!

4 comments about Vecellio's Renaissance Costume Book (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. Despite what some may tell you, this is actually a VERY good source for late 16th century Venetian, and to a lesser extent Italian, costume, especially if studied in conjuction with a study of the portraits of the period. Vecellio was a Venetian born and bred, and also had first hand knowledge of Italian fashions outside of Venice. However, any costume depiction in this book that is of costume outside of Venice or Italy should be taken with a grain of salt.



2. I had heard of the Vecellio book and had even seen excerpts from it here and there. As a member of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), with a persona in the Italian Renaissance, I was most anxious to see this book. It was all I expected! The first third of the book is Italian fashions from most ancient times to Vecellio's own period, which is the period of my persona. In no time at all, I'd found several costumes I want to recreate. The only drawback is the lack of color, but the drawings show considerable details.



3. While this book is fascinating as a means of seeing how dress was perceived, and as a primary resource (as the woodcuts are not modern), the costumer should keep in mind that these drawings are not always accurate, esp. regarding details. Many of the woodcuts have minor mistakes, some are gross misrepresentations of costumes Vecellio had no knowledge of. An interesting resource for the historian, but don't use this for costuming ideas unless you either don't care for accuracy or know enough to sift the false from the true.



4. I bought this book with the expectation that it would cover all of Renaissance Europe and not just the usual area of focus for this subject (i.e. Elizabethan England). However, to my disappointment at least half the book concentrated on Italian costuming, which in retrospect is to be expected, since the author was Italian! The author definitely focuses on middle to upper-class clothing and will not be helpful to someone who may be looking for lower class clothing.

   However, in general, the woodcuts are exquisite and the organization is very easy to use. It is certainly a 'must have' for anyone looking for historical pictures of Renaissance period clothing, written by someone who was a contemporary of the time.

No comments about The Meanings of Dress.

5 comments about Dressing the Man You Love: A Woman's Guide to Purchasing, Coordinating, and Caring for His Classic Wardrobe.

1. The title and odd graphic on the cover might scare away male readers, but the book is equally useful to a wife and for the man himself. I'd recommend it as a gift to any male graduating and entering the world of work.
   It's excellent in explaining the options, what to wear with what, and when to wear certain types of clothing. I like the chapter explaining what casual Friday attire really should be.
   Some of the tips for wives (or girlfriends) include care of the clothing and not to project your color preferences onto him. The author advises having your man try on everything in his closet. Good luck. I wouldn't ever try on all the things in my closet, so it's hard for me to imagine a man being willing to do this.
   The book is packed with information on the classic male wardrobe from shoes and socks up to the tie around his neck. The sketches nicely complement the text. Quite a useful book for anyone wanting to dress appropriately in the world of work as well as casually.
   I do wish the print was larger in the book, but it packs a lot into 275 pages.



2. If, like me, your husband is the kind of guy whose attitude is, "I'll wear if it a) fits and b) doesn't stink," this book will be a huge help to you.
   
   Of course we all want our husbands or gentleman friends to look halfway decent. But if he doesn't particularly care to extend much effort in that direction himself, Betsy Durkin Matthes' "Dressing the Man You Love" will be your boon companion in understanding the ins-and-outs of men's clothing (a little more complicated than it looks!) and in caring for that clothing.
   
   In addition to an excellent, thorough overview of men's clothing from types of tweed to types of tie patterns, Matthes covers body types; alterations; figuring out what colors best suit his skin tone; dealing with store salespeople; and more.
   
   The book is sensitively designed, graphically attractive, and sprinkled liberally with funny quotations about fashion, style and clothing. Daniel Cooney's black-and-white illustrations suit the text and tone of the book, and are detailed enough that they're not there just for decoration; you can actually learn from them.
   
   I'm thrilled to have this book on our bookshelves, and consult it when shopping for my husband. Thank you, Betsy Durkin Matthes, for a much-needed basic guide!



3. .
   Beginning with the basics size & shape of your man, Betsy Durkin Matthes asks questions that are easy to answer, but very important in picking the right kind and color of clothes for your man... or men, for yourself.
   
   Chapter 1: Classifications include: the perfect (and not so perfect) man; the string-bean - or lanky; the short challenge; the larger man and his needs; ironclad men (those with the 6-pack belly and muscles like The Rock. Additionally a chart with suggestions for the body types helps pick out the right items.
   
   Chapter 2: What colors are best? Years ago I was classified as an Autumn, and found that the fall colors enhance my appearance; I also buy clothes in the other seasons such as bright yellow (spring), black (winter), sky blue (summer). With the colors outside my season I change the way I do my make up. Since most men do not wear makeup, the choices are more important. Keeping the seasons in mind is helpful in buying the right color clothing and accessories to bring out the best in your guy.
   
   Chapter 3: This is tricky because there are probably a lot of clothes that need to be tossed out -- so you attack his closet...but don't shock him, get him to help you and to understand why his wardrobe needs an update.
   
   Chapter 4: If you don't generally shop in the men's department, just take the plunge and browse. Follow the guide she provides, and fill in the form for your man. Some of these items are jacket size, sleeve length, pants around the waist and to the floor, even tie length because a tall man needs a longer tie. This is filled with good information.
   
   Chapter 5: The salespeople -- if they are on commission, they may try to get you to buy more than you need. That is the value of all the previous questions, answers, and guides. You'll know if they want you to buy everything or the ones that are right for you. You are in charge.
   
   Chapter 6: Now the suits - every man should own at least one suit. This chapter is loaded with pictures that display the cuts of jackets, pockets, lapels, etc. We see the current fads everywhere, but the classics are sharp and can make the man.
   
   Chapter 7: What's the best fabric for a suit? There are a variety of wool types and other fabrics, and some are better for the cut and type of a jacket than others.
   
   Chapter 8: The covers patterned fabrics such as: pinstrip, chalk stripe, window pane, and more. The chart Matthes provides has clear pictures of each type, thus making it easier to discuss with your man and the salesman to find the right one for your man.
   
   Chapter 9: How do you get the right trousers. Suit trousers really don't work as dressy slacks. With a bunch of pant types pictured for you, you'll know cuts, cuffs (yes or no).
   
   Chapter 10: Covers vests -- to wear or not to wear?
   
   Chapter 11: The Tailor is truly the person who can make an off the rack suit look custom. When you find a good one, consider him a jewel.
   
   Matthes' Glossary will answer all of your questions so that if the tailor asks if you want barrel cuffs on a broadcloth pant, you'll know what to say.
   
   With 25 fascinating chapters, you'll find that you are able to choose the best way to dress your man, or for a man to dress himself.



4. Betsy Durkin Matthes' book DRESSING THE MAN YOU LOVE is a tour de force illustrated guide to helping a man dress his best according to classic standards of clothing excellence. The illustrations and tone of DRESSING harken to a more civilized time when people expected men to be gentlemen and consistently look their best, while it presents an up-to-date modern awareness of materials and style.
   
   This is a thrilling book for anyone who's wished to know the secrets of what makes the difference in appearance for a well-dressed man, as it takes the reader into the fascinating world of men's fashion. Matthes sets precisely the right mood for helping anyone dress their favorite man to the nines, regardless how little they may already know. With a friendly tone, DRESSING inspires, educates, and helps to empower and embolden us to offer solid mens fashion assistance in ways that make a huge difference.
   
   DRESSING is relaxing and reassuring to readers of all levels of fashion awareness, as it sets one's mind to correctly prioritizing what areas to focus on in improving your man's wardrobe... from the best places and times to shop, to what to shop for... to how to work most effectively with a tailor. Matthes consistently achieves the perfect balance between providing the "big picture" of fashion planning and a wealth of information on all the little things that together make such a big difference in the overall look. Details such common suit weave patterns, tie patterns, color coordination, sleeve and hem lengths, and proper alterations are covered beautifully with vivid descriptions and ample sketches.
   
   Highly recommended!



5. Being a man, it was not easy for me to sit down and read this book based on its title. I must admit that I did not know what I was going to get out of this book. However, after reading the book I must now admit that I have learned much from Betsy Matthes' book.
   
   The book is just what the title suggests: a book on how to dress for men. It is actually a well written book that moves quickly. The illustrations in the book also were helpful and the pointers that Matthes gives are well worth your time.
   
   Overall, I was happy to have read the book. I have learned that some of my own dressing habits need to change. It's amazing how much you don't realise goes into dressing for success until you see it in this work. Good job Betsy!