Fashion Books

What a great book!
If you like sea food, it's a must!!

Ive never seen such wonderful photos. The bully-net pix were really neat. Those guys are hot!

For an avid diver, its the best book ever.
The photos are really great - they give a lot of direction in how to prepare fish. They could have been the hands of a surgeon.

Great book! Gives good detail on what to expect from different procedures and a ballpark figure as far as cost is concerned. The book gives the up side and down side to procedures and provides very accurate information on which to make an informed decision. I would highly recommend anyone thinking about a cosmetic fix to read this book first!

Easy to read book on all you need to know about cosmetic surgery as well as all the lastest in quick fixes from botox and making your skin look fabulous to tatoo and hair removal, with before and after photos, charts, patient testimonials and costs

Enjoyed it and very helpful and informative

This book has the simple to read feel that a non-clinician needs but with all the detail you would ever want to make an informed decision about plastic surgery. The drawings and pictures make it more accessible to those of us without MDs after our names. It is clear that lots of people are unhappy with their bodies, and Dr. Copeland makes no bones about legitimizing those complaints. It's refreshing to finally read that it's OK to take that extra step in order to feel good about yourself.

Christian Dior: The Early Years 1947-1957 by Esmeralda de Rethy (daughter of Princess Liliane of Belgium who was one of Christian Dior's very first clients) and fashion historian Jean-Louis Perreau is an incredible, superbly illustrated and informative coffee table book providing a vivid fashion record perfectly capturing the founding of an empire of style in the post-World War II decade. Full-page photographs, some color, some black and white, many nearly half a century old, adorn the pages along with Dior's original sketches and commentary. The text traces the travails, efforts, and world-class achievements in clothing, style, and love of life in this high society treasury. Christian Dior is very highly recommended reading for students of 20th Century fashion history in general, and the influential contributions of Christian Dior in particular.

Born in a small village in Normandy, Christian Dior did not hesitate to disobey a parental injunction to undertake a "serious occupation." He knew what he wanted and fled to Paris where he became a designer at Robert Piguet.

The City of Lights was gray in 1946; there had been the war, German occupation, and rationing. But, luck was with Dior. He met the country's richest and most powerful industrialist, Marcel Boussac, who offered to back the young designer. Space became available at 28-30 Avenue Montaigne, an address well known to fashion aficionados today.

In 1947 Dior introduced his first collection, and the world was ready for his innovative return to the feminine figure with narrow waists, long skirts, and an attractive bustline. The rest, as they say, is history.

All interested in the world of fashion will delight in this detailed history of the workings of Dior's fashion house, and the remarkable people who worked for him in developing a boutique and perfume which would enjoy worldwide acclaim. Also included are stories of his famous clients, such as Marlene Dietrich, Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth, Ingrid Bergman, and the Duchess of Windsor.

Enriched with some 100 illustrations this keepsake volume concludes with "Monsieur Dior's Fashion Vocabulary" and a timeline noting events after Dior's death in 1957 to the present day.

- Gail Cooke

Christian Dior: The Early Years provides the inside story at the House of Dior, from its introduction of the 'New Look' to 1957, upon Dior's sudden death. When Christian Dior presented his first collection, the young designer presented clothing which featured narrow waists and beautiful evening dresses: a new look for the fashion world of the mid1940s. He drew each dress himself and his designs would change the fashion world of his times. The oversized presentation of this volume allows for fullpage displays of his works accompanying a biography of his life and achievements.

Jennifer Robin encourages us to consider our clothes as a means of expressing who we are. She also reminds us to consider what types of clothing we really need -- buying something just because it fits, just because it's a good price, or just because it's pretty are all bad practices, because we won't be happy in the garment, won't wear it, and therefore will have wasted our money, despite our good intentions!

As a larger-sized woman, Jennifer Robin gave me hope that I, too, can have great clothes that fit, as well as the determination to settle for nothing less. _Clothe Your Spirit_ is on my short list of life-changing books!

I really enjoyed this book. I have a large collection of style books, and Clothe Your Spirit is among the very best. The author's approach zeroes in on what is truly unique about each one of us in a way that invites real self-discovery. The process is exciting and satisfying. Although this is an older book and the photos are now dated, the concepts remain fresh and easy to apply to one's own wardrobe. I found the book well-written, sensitive, and honest, all of which are unusual among style books. I wish this author would write more books on this subject!

I've never seen another wardrobe book like this (and I love wardrobe books). Robin starts with your personality instead of your figure, and helps you find clothes that really suit you. You work out a few adjectives that can describe you and the clothes you want (e.g. Patty is "intense, warm, and rooted" -- Gloria is "classic, gentle, glowing and sunny"). The before-and-afters are great. Some of the afters are a bit, ahh, different, but that's part of the fun. All in all, a real pleasure.

The book is excellent! Drawings are beautiful and step by step instructions detailed and very helpful. I totally agree with Henry Berry and cannot explain better how great this book is.

I received this book and it is on of the MOST comprehensive books on fashion illustration. Truly worth the $$$

"Colors for Modern Fashion" is a thorough, outstanding course on fashion drawing by an author who is a teacher of this commercial art at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and teacher of international design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. Riegelman goes well beyond the typical approach of instruction on general techniques and attention to specifics of clothing such as, say, sleeves or collars. She surely does cover all the basics and all the types of clothing (e. g., women's, children's)--but it is the way she does which distinguishes this manual. The first thing that strikes one is the vibrant colors and the stylish shapes of the garments. Anyone involved in the field of fashion knows how important this is in getting attention for designs. Also, in places the author uses examples of entire outfits and parts of them from top fashion designers as references for discussion and practice. A "full-pleated silk dress with wide lace trim" designed by Christian Lacroix is used as one example and exercise. There's other fashion clothing by Armani, Prada, Issey Miyake, Russell Sage, and many other top designers similarly pictured for other areas of instruction. This is especially instructive and useful. It informs readers about the details of the designs of the masters while teaching the techniques of drawing, so that the book is in some way a course on fashion design as well as drawing. Riegelman knowledgeably and succinctly discusses fabrics and their characteristics, colors, and features of models which would accentuate particular pieces of clothing. The abundance of such touches makes one feel in the know about the field to a certain degree rather than simply learning about fashion drawing from conventional examples and exercises. The many colorful, vibrant, stylish fashion illustrations of clothes and details of them on mannequin-like figures are a treat in themselves, like looking at a classy, engrossing window display of a fine clothing store. And of course such handsome, skilled fashion illustrations are inspiration for aspiring fashion artists.

What a funny book this is. Never thought people would write a whole book on discovering the fashion style through astrology. But in this book Greg Polkosnik has made a real study on sun signs and fashion and it got a very detailed study with astonishing accurate interpretations. For every sign the author gives hints & tips to dress by. His fashion advice is not the only thing you will find in this book. In fact he goes further than entertaining the reader !

I have always been interested in CHIC and in fashion. This book put 2 of my FAV things together in one book. Even if you never read much about Astrology, you would love this book!

I love this book! As a Pisces I was never really sure if I had any style at all. Now I know that not having a particular style is my style. After reading my chapter of Cosmically Chic I wanted to get a new hairstyle, buy a new wardrobe, and then run down the street shouting "Look at me! Look at me!". I read all the other chapters, too, and believe me, I'll never look at the way people dress the same way again. I'll never look at astrology the same way again, either. Not only did learn a lot about all of the zodiac signs, but I also was thoroughly entertained by this book. I'm buying several copies to give away to all of my terribly dressed girlfriends. If astrology can't help them, nothing will!

I was lucky enough to find a 1985 ed. of this beautiful book for $10 at a book clearance store. It is my favorite fashion reference book and I would find it a deal at $65. It is divided into 7 different catagories (ie. The Founders, The Purists, The Entertainers etc.) and covers 61 designers from Worth to Armani. It is full of wonderful B&W and color photographs of models and movie stars wearing designer masterpieces.I would like to see the updated version- does it cover other designers like Mizrahi,Sander,Versace etc. That would be a welcome addition. I will enjoy my book regardless... Have fun reading the bios and looking at the beautiful clothes!!

I found this in the library. Totally great. It has the most beautiful fashion photography. I stood there for about half an hour just flipping through. It was written in 1985 so the 'modern' part has a bit of a retro feel, but that definitely works in the context. Some very gorgeous pictures from the thirties, fifties, etc.

I will try to get my hands on this definitely! A coffee table book that I would definitely read (over&over) :)

Well-written review of the 20th century's great designers, discussing the evolution of style. Very similar to Fashion: The Century of the Designer by Konemann Inc., which is very much a chronological approach, rather than philosophical. Both books use many of the same photos and drawings.

This book is so fun! My passion for cowboy boots started several years ago, but it hasn't been till recently that I started paying for the best. This book is better than bad sex for sure! The craftsmanship that goes into some of those books is amazing. Every page is like a new piece of tantalizing candy. I love it so much that I show it off at my restaurant in Seattle for all to enjoy!

Cowboy Boots picks up where Tyler & Jim's "Art of the Boot" leaves off. This book has more than 51 known makers, and nearly 400 pairs of cowboy boots... all photographed in crisp detail by Jim Arndt. Wow.

Here are just a couple of the very speical pairs:

Page 143. "The Mexican" is a remarkable pair of boots made by the El Paso company called Tres Outlaws. Your eye is naturally drawn to the 22 rare Mexcian coins inlayed across the pair...but what is more astounding is to discover that the tooling pattern on this "matching pair" each completely different on the right and left boot. The difference is difficult to detect because the design is so well balanced. An amazing tribute to the rich history and culture of Mexico.

Page 25. "Ray Jones Boots 1960-1970s with Eagle Inlay." Ray Jones was famous for the "plain" stitched boots he made for working cowboys. These boots show us another side of this maker's skill.

This book's small size lends itself to endless page flipping. After 3 years, I'm still inspired by the boots I find inside.

TYLER AND I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE 'KICKIN' BOOK !!!
A GREAT COMPANION TO OUR OTHER BOOKS, 'THE COWBOY BOOT BOOK', ART OF THE BOOT', AND 'ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF WESTERN WEAR'. ENJOY!
TYLER AND JIM

Sure, this book, written in 1959, is a bit dated - then again, would you really expect a book subtitled What to Wear for Every Occasion to stay in style for over 40 years? If Edith Head could see what people wear today, well...she'd surely be reeling in shock. Her advice, after all, comes from a different generation, a more formal era in fashion.
But fashion tips are really only a small part of the pleasures of this book. What makes it such fun to read is the inimitable style and personality of Edith Head, dressmaker to the stars. She was a true character and thank goodness she lets some of that eccentric genius shine in this book as she discusses her clients, such stars as: Dorothy Lamour...Madeleine Carroll...Mary Martin...Betty Hutton...Veronica Lake...Giner Rogers...Charles Laughton...and more.
The section entitled What to Wear on Every Occasion is both funny and enlightening to read as Edith Head had clear-cut opinions on the Dos and Don'ts of fashion, even advising women what to wear to such diverse events as Prize Fights, Dog Shows and Garden Parties. Don't pass up a chance to grab a copy of this one!

The story of Edith Head, Hollywood's first major fashion designer for Paramount Studios, is both informative and entertaining. The role she played in shaping not only Hollywood's elite, but everyday women, in modern day apparel as well as individual attitude still applies 50 years later. I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy reading of someone who became someone she never intended to be, and yet enjoy and convey enthusiasm throughout her career to all she encountered.

Edith goes into great detail over her trials and tribulations (as well as successes) while working as the Chief Costum Designer at Paramount Pictures and later Universal. Information about Edith's personal life during this time is kept to an extreme minimum, which is unfortunate, but certainly helps to perpetuate the enigmatic personality she worked so hard to create for herself.

Nice and informative book goes into the depths of black fashion. This book is full of stories and nice photos. After reading this book I have questioned myself - is black a history? This book doesn't give you the answer, but we all know, that red is modern black and that's why PPUPPY couture is red.

On my first visit to London, I happened into the Victoria and Albert Museum and saw my first costume exhibition: CECIL BEATON'S ANTHOLOGY OF FASHION. It changed my life. This book will change yours. The photography is fantastic and the text is informative as well as entertaining. This book is almost as wonderful as seeing these dresses in person. . .almost!

No "well heeled" coffee table should be without this little number...also makes an elegant gift. Gorgeoous photos of the black dress spanning the 1900's, lovingly compiled.. Anyone who loves fashion will appreciate this book. A "MUST HAVE" for STYLE BUFFS!