Costumes Books

Nancy is sweet, cute, fun and fancy!! This book is perfect for any girly girl- big or small! It's also a great way to teach your little ones BIG words!
Mommy's High Heel Shoes

This book is adorable especially for little girls who like to dress up and look fancy. The story is heart warming and funny but in the end, it teaches about love and family. Nancy's search for way to sound fancier also teaches children wonderful new vocabulary words(sometime in French as well).

The pictures inside and the story may be uber-cute but doesn't anyone find the cover picture a little bit JonBenet Ramsey creepy? It's basically what makes me reluctant to give this to any little girl.

What a wonderful book! Well, I admit, mostly I like looking at the pictures. But even for someone who's completely grown out of pink and purple, I often read this book wishing I could have the self-confidence to dress just like Nancy. I've read things about this book saying that there is no deep message, but I think there are several. I love that Nancy's parents make room for her to be herself even though they don't act like she does. And I love that Nancy has the desire even at such a young age to see beauty and elegance in everything around her. Her parents don't let her do everything she wants (think of the time she goes to her grandparents' anniversary party) but they let her do enough to let her personality shine through. And as for being too dramatic - I believe that the only people who believe that over-the-top clothing and attitudes are wrong are the people who need to take a deep breath and figure out why they spend that much time thinking about stuff like that.
Keep being Fancy, Nancy!!

How will this book make children who don't have fancy things at home feel? I think materialism is a vice that doesn't need to be taught in a children's book. Enough people learn this on their own, why try to instill it in a 3 year old? If you want a book about a cute silly girly-girl, buy Madeline.

I decided I was going to make aprons for my female family and friends for Christmas and ordered this book hoping it would give me lots of different ideas. It is actually more of a history lesson on aprons but did have lots of pictures and patterns and instructions. There does not seem to be a glut of books on Aprons so this was a good choice. If you are the least bit creative you can go with some of their general ideas and expand on them. Makes a nice coffee table book too.

Love this book!
I am always recommending it to others who love Aprons and apron stories.
It even has a user friendly pattern in the back of the book.
A must have as well as a great gift to send to friends who are apronistas!

I love this book - it brings back great memories. Very interesting information, photos, patterns, a great book to add to one's library.

Saw this in my book club at twice the money. I really identify with these, the good old days. Days when aprons were a part of getting dressed each day. I still am an apron person. Love those pockets.

I had to make an apron in Home Ec class many (many) years ago. I didn't enjoy it at all. I didn't care for the fabric, didn't really get the hang of using a sewing machine, just felt it was a waste of time. Nobody in my family wore an apron, anyway, somehow they miraclously stayed clean during food prep.
Flash forward a few decades. I like to cook and bake and I did not inherit the miracle of not getting messy while I cooked. Most aprons you can buy in a store are servicable - but not exactly flashy or pretty. One of my supervisors whipped up aprons as Christmas presents one year. I was amazed because I knew she was a very busy woman. Slowly, I began to gather fabric to make aprons. And when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. That's how I feel about this book. I recommend it highly.

Fabulous. Love all the pictures and the artists description of her process in creating her work.

Everyone else who has reviewed this book say is great. Maybe it is, but because I haven't received anything I guess the only thing that I could say is "don't buy anything here, you'll get nothing".

For anyone in art quilting or wanting to be, this book gives an in depth look into the thoughts and creations of Nancy Crow. The color in the book is excellent and there is an abundance of pictures. This is a "Must have" for anyone who loves color and fabric and original art.

Nancy Crow is the ultimate quilter's quilter. Her advice, thoughts and pictures of her work and projects are more than any quilter could hope for. This book will enhance any quilter's library.
It was one of the best b-day presents I've ever received.
Diane

Amazing book. great information, stories. Lots of pictures of striking quilts show-casing the progress of this wonderful artist. Also shows pictures of Nancy Crow's studio and timber frame barn - must be an amazing place to create. This book is a wonderful value and very inspiring to any artist regardless of preferred media.

Es lo mejor que he tenido , el libro de un diseñador donde estan patrones, diseños y fotos...que mas se puede pedir!
Ojala se hicieran mas libros como este .
España,profesion: patronista

This is an outstanding book on a revolutionary designer. Wonderful photos, and "patterns" from the clothing. the only problem is Kirke never bothers to tell you what the scale is, so making these patterns is almost impossible. Her directions for making the patterns are laughable. The patterns are white lines on black. Why include patterns if you aren't going to put them in a usable form? There are people out there who can and have made clothing from this book. You will have to be very smart and well trained to do so. that said it is still one of the best books on a fashion designer I have seen.

Maybe Kirke will redesign the book with the pattern section properly done. Then the book would be worth more then $100.

This book is even better than I hoped. The photographs are stellar and for some designs - a bird's eye view of the pattern peices are included. Try to wrap your head around those non-conventional cutting techniques! I bought this for myself but this would be an excellent gift for someone interested in Fashion History, Fashion Design, Fine / Decorative Arts, etc. Super-Gorgeous book!

A great book on Vionnet's work and life. It has a lot of sewing patterns with instuctions from the WWI era to late 1930's; the patterns include day and evening dresses and frocks, capes and coats, slips and pajamas. Plus there a lot more pictures of Vionnet's clothing. The perfect gift for a fashion student. It is a pity that you do not hear so much about her.

This book is an absolute dream right through from the beautiful hard cover to the wonderful photographs, history and patterns. I am a Designer/Patternmaker and is the most beautiful book I have ever bought on fashion. Betty Kirke has put a lot of love and care into this treasure and any student of fashion, especially patternmaking and draping has to purchase this and learn a whole lot about bias cutting.

I must admit, I'm not as crazy about this book like everyone else seems to be. I gave it four stars for the beautiful photos, and descriptions.
But I think some things could be improved. The index lists everything by page number, which is fine if you're just leisurely looking through the book. But if you're looking for one particular outfit, it would be much more convenient to have an alphebetical listing. I wouldn't mind seeing the price guide broken down to include each individual accessory, since many people put together a complete set, piece by piece. But the thing that REALLY bugs me is that she almost always adds the word 'doll' after their names. For example, 'On weekends, Ken doll liked to take Barbie doll for a drive...', or 'Francie doll was excited about...'. Very annoying, to me, anyway. But, overall, it's a very good book to have.

To say something about this book is so so easy - this is THE Barbie collection book. Great photos, great describtions of all the outfits year by year.
You don't need any other book besides this

Great book - a must for any Barbie collector-great pictures with accessories that originally went with each outfit- easy to look up values-great fun to wander through!!

A great reference book with great photos and descriptions to keep track of your dolls clothes and your investment.

For any serious collector of vintage Barbie doll, this book is the best resource available. I have many other books on early Barbie and her fashions, but this volume is the one that I consistently use. It is an accurate, comprehensive chronology of Barbie doll, her family and friends from 1959 through 1967. The photographs alone are worth purchasing the book. The colors are vibrant and crisp. Each fashion is pictured with all of its original components. This is of great value to the collector in putting together an outfit. I keep this book by my computer for reference when making vintage Barbie doll purchases or bidding on online auctions. I cannot imagine collecting Barbie doll items without it!

If you are seriously into re-enacting and you want to make clothes which not only look right but are historically correct too, this is the book you need. The book is very practical, with a lot of line drawings and some pictures of what the finished clothes should look like (but no pictures from works of art, those you will have to look up for yourself).
Some basic patterns are given on scale, so you need a rather thorough knowledge of pattern-drawing and sewing to make the garments. As far as I can tell (but I'm not a historian, nor a professional seamstress), these patterns are authentic.
You can find clothes for men, women and children, from 3 centuries, ranging from underwear to cloaks and kerchiefs.
Very interesting too, are the little pieces on sewing techniques and acessories.
A must-have for all dedicated re-enactors !

For anybody interested in accurately reproducing clothes of the medieval period, this book is an essential resource. The author does a wonderful job of outlining 1200-1500 century clothing for the modern reenactment enthusiast. And as an SCA resource it is one of the best!

This is a wonderfully prepared book for those just starting out in Medieval European costuming. It covers many of the basics and styles that were present throughout the region during this period and is a great starting place for novice and intermediate costumers to get the feel practice of simple styles.

PLEASE NOTE: This book is NOT out of print and you should not be paying any more than $45 for it. If you look around, you can find it as cheap as $25. Definitely worth adding to the library! Enjoy!

This book is a must-have. It shows how to make the patterns fit and work, and explains the garments well. I used this book to help me figure out the pattern for fitted hose, and Tudor Tailor to help fit the hose... and together I managed to get some nice hose! The braies pattern, like the rest of the explanations is easy to understand on first-read. I recommend it!

I bought this book after reading the description. The photos and information on how to recreate medieval clothing are very useful for seamstresses and beginner alike. Full-color photos of people in clothing made helps with the 3-D aspect of what it looks like. Use this book in conjunction with other references and you will not be disappointed.

This book is a beautiful celebration of Calder's gorgeous and playful jewelry. The pictures are lovely and the jewelry itself is simply amazing. It's hard not to feel joyful flipping through these pages. Buy it and enjoy!

This book is an inspiration to anyone who makes jewelry. The use of cold connections is terrific and can show you what can be done without the use of solder.

Merely walking by this book makes my artisan heart tingle. The genius, the simplicity and golden aura of beauty makes this book a "must own." The photographs are gorgeous and the descriptions beautifully written. Get inspired.

Anyone who appreciates well-made, original design in jewelry needs to have and read this book. What an inspiration! Although I was familiar with Calder's mobiles, for which he is most renowned, I was even more impressed with his jewelry designs. All one-of-a-kind. A definite must for the coffee table or even to read and enjoy. As a jewelry designer influenced by other cultures, this has been most helpful in inspiring me to follow my instincts and to design the items I've seen in my dreams. What a book!

Expertly photographed, beautifully styled catalog of A. Calder's jewelry. A great purchase, no regrets.

Wow- that's entertainment. Who knew blankets could be so fun and interesting? Now I do! A unique era in American history is crystalized in this book. If Barry writes it- I'll read it. Laughed out loud- often.

Superb- buy it and will it to your favorite child.

"Chasing Rainbows" is beautiful, profoundly informative and more fun to read than any collecting book you've ever owned...period!

I received this book as an early Christmas gift and now I'm buying a dozen copies to give to friends and family. This is the most beautiful and interesting collecting book I've ever read. The author is remarkably funny while delivering all the information on the subject anyone could possibly absorb. Just a fantastic effort.

Most books about collecting have lovely photos and dull text. This is an exception! Friedman's text is fun and helpful, with photos used as examples.

I own a massive library of books on every imaginable collecting subject and none has given me more joy than "Chasing Rainbows". Barry Friedman has intertwined his vast knowledge of Indian blankets, American history, the antiques business and garnished the result with a unique sense of humor and breathtaking photos to create a book that is an absolute gem. This is a great book from a very gifted man.

It was a book I have always needed but never had.
It's really worth reading not only for those who are really in love with lingerie, but even for more practical readers who want to make their life more comfortable. I've read the book in a couple of days and really enjoyed and wanted to have more. Very concise and to the point. A good investment to return to when it was already once read.

This is a great overview on how to select lingerie best suited for your body. The author, Rebecca Aspan, is wonderfully compassionate towards her readers and understands women from AA to EE... The book celebrates the female form with practical applications, such as helpful ways to measure yourself. She even has a chapter for men!

Something great about the book is Aspan includes an array of body types for her lingerie models from full to thin, from busty to compact. She understands women are created uniquely and really has a firm understanding of female bodies and what fits, flatters, and supports. She offers useful tips on how to properly wear a bra, how underwear should comfortably fit, etc. This is less of an overtly sexual book, if anyone might have misconceptions of the title. Yes, it is a sexy little book, but sexuality simply comes with the territory. It's more of a book for a woman to take better care of her body, personal dress, feel comfortable and confident because she's not pestered by a pinching bra or a horrendous wedgie, and feel great whether someone will enjoy her underwear with her or not.

This is the book to gift to the woman who feels that sexy underwear is for special occassions (weddings), someone else (wear for husbands), or not something that *fill in the blank with moms, older women, etc* do. Buy the book and prepare to change your view and buy some new sexy undies!

I saw a review of the book on the Internet and added it onto my wish list on Amazon.com. I put it there kind as a joke. Leave it to my mother in law to purchase the book that was added on to my wish list as a joke.

I didn't really mind because I was interested in the book so I read it. The author of the book is the owner of the store La Petite Croquette a lingerie store in New York City.

Although the book is really meant for women it was interesting for me as a guy to read. Most of the book is put together in a no nonsense "This is what you need to know when it comes to lingerie"

The first two chapters of the book talk about why owning high quality lingerie is important. It focuses on how lingerie makes a woman feel sexy and attractive.

The nitty gritty portion of the book really starts out with chapter 3 when it starts talking about bras. This is easily the largest single chapter in the book and it simply states what most women should really know. There is a lot of information about finding the right cup size and band size. It also has a short section on important dates in bra history. It includes a little bit about different styles of bras and what different bra types are good for.

The next section is on panties. It talks about VPL visible panty lines. Different styles of panties are listed and once again a list of what type of outfits each is good for.

The next few sections talk about sleep ware, shape ware, stockings and pantyhose and tights. Each section is organized like the section on bras.

The next section is one of the best section its called tips for women. It basically covers the same topics as the first two chapters but organized in a different way. It even talks about the very racy Perl Thong which sounds like a very interesting outfit to me.

There is also a nicely written section just for men. I think the major two point listed for men was be prepared for sticker shock. (lingerie is expensive) The other hint know the size of the woman that you are trying to buy for.

There are two other section one on caring for lingerie. The author advises washing all lingerie by hand. If you don't have time to wash by had use the gentle cycle. However she advises never drying you lingerie in the dryer always air dry. The heat of the dryer will destroy the elasticity of any lingerie.

The last section talks about the different types of fabric and how a person can build up there own lingerie collection.

This is a really good no nonsense book about what a woman should know about lingerie. I wish that my wife would sit down and read it. I think that women often forget how much simple lingerie can do to flame up passion in a man.

I would advise this book to any woman. I think this book has something most women have not thought of. The section on bras would make this book good for almost any woman. I think the simple fact that 9 out of 10 women are using a bra that does not fit proper is shocking.

This book has lots an lots of pictures. Pictures of yesterday and today's underwear and how thongs and g-strings can be worn comfortable. It also tells how underwire bras are not soppose to poke or hurt. The text is very informational and very undersanding.

I'm a male; I wanted to know more about womens undes. I learned alot from this book. I did not know that most visable panty lines came from wearing the wrong size panties, also how you should not wear white panties with white sheer pants (like a nurse uniform)

I told my wife that she was wearing the wrong size bra and she told me she was not. I measured her and told her she needed to be fitted. I convinced her to be fitted by a pro. She did and she was wearing the wrong size. She bought a couple of underwire bras that day. That same night she throwed away every bra she had (yes every bra she had). The next day we went out bra shopping. I never seen her so happy about bra shopping. She never liked underwire and I told her how your not suppose to feel the underwire. Now that she has the right size bra, underwire is all she looks for and she says underwire helps with lift.

As a man I found out why there's so much womens underwear and how to buy it. I buy her underwear that I like (sexy lingerie, thongs, g-strings and sexy bras;) I'll tell her; I bought me someting knowing how she only wears it for me and for a sort time. Now she wears what I buy as underwear even down to the thongs and g-strings as everyday undes. She feels very sexy now. I think that now I'm married to a diffent women. Her personality has changed for the better. I'm very thinkful for this book.

We want our outterwear to fit right. Why not our underwear. Yes only we know whats under our clothes but whats under our clothes can also effect the way we feel.

I highly recommend this book to any male or female. We all buy or will buy womens underwear. Guy are clueless about this (well maybe I can't say that for all guys) but I was lost, I had no clue???

The two set series is absolutely awesome! They provide detail pics and pics of actual existing garments. I purchased these two books based on other's reviews and was very pleased when I found out what was inside the pages. I return to these again and again for historical reference, inspiration and pleasure.

Purusing these two books is a delightful experience. Anyone with an appreciation for fashion and clothing created in the 17th - 20th centuries will be amazed at the care and keeping the pieces in the Kyoto Museum's collection have received. The close-up photography reveals the marvel of the handwork and creation of each design, and each piece is a wonderful representation of its era. And the price of the set was unbelievable!! All around, a wonderful find and a keeper.

I own the one volume book in paperback.
In comparing the two books side by side they are nearly identical!
But the two volume set is missing 14 pages that appear in the copy that I own! Most of the images are just close-ups of the garments, one set is a period illustration from Diderot, but some are garments completely omitted. The 20th century fashion is all complete though.
So you have a toss up choice, larger photos or more photos. otherwise they are identical!

4 out of 5 stars because of those missing pictures.

This set of books is absolutely stunning. I paid NZ$150 (around US$90)at a bookstore here in New Zealand and volume 1 alone is worth every penny of the sale price.
If you're interested in historical costume, you won't regret this purchase.

Due to the publisher not anticipating the demand for this set of books it took me just over a year to acquire my copy. It was more than worth the wait. The photography is stunning. If you have an interest in costuming
add this book to your collection without delay.