Costumes Books

All the glamour.
Great photography.
Great shots.
Rich.
Beautiful colors.
Stars!
The whole nine yards!
I love it!!!

If fashion is your addiction, meet your quick fix. This book is beautiful, accessible and comprehensive. For all students, followers, trend-setters of fashion design and style, it would make a wonderful addition to your library.
It must be stated that the book is more a look into American fashion designers, from the end of the 1920's to 2007, than American fashion itself. After all, the book is published by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The best way to analogize how this fact affects the book is to compare it to a history of American Cinema, published by the American Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscar-awarding organization.) This absolutely colors, biases and focuses the approach the book follows into what is by definition a vast subject. Throughout, it places the designer as the determining and dictating factor of style within the culture. Whether it makes a good argument for this is up to you to decide... Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that this helps keep the book focused, yet detailed.
The photography included in the book is exquisite and sharp. Especially true of the mid-century photography, it far exceeds the quality of that available in vintage fashion magazines.
Whether you are a novice/hobbyist or an established member of the industry, this is a delightful, insightful and thorough look at the subject. Even if its true title should be "American Fashion Designers: An Illustrated History."

This is a beautiful book, with stunning pictures and the text no doubt forms an authoritative picture of the evolution of American fashion from the 30's to the present. I was disappointed, however, that there weren't more "nostalgia" pictures, for lack of a better term. Everything was so artistic that there weren't the pictures of, say, Cybill Shepard in classic 60's mod taken from Glamour, that I would have liked to see and that would have made things more accessible. This is more a book for fashion professionals or students than the casual reader which still makes it an excellent buy and great book, but just not for me.

What a lush, lovely, can't help-looking-at volume! If you like fashion, you'll find something to oooh and ahhh over on all 318 pages of this coffee table gem, an opulent history of fashion in America.

We begin with 1930s Hollywood and New York at a time when there was much to celebrate - the end of Prohibition. Nylon stockings were first introduced, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who supported the fashions of the times, was First Lady.

Moving ahead to the 1940s our country is at war, and Rosie the Riveter is the iconic image of American womanhood, while 1946 Paris saw the first modern style bikini. The 1950s were a showcase of opposite modes from Audrey Hepburn with her model figure and dancer's grace to the eye-popping Marilyn Monroe, both influenced what women wore.

TV's Charlie's Angels set the standard for glamour in 1976, and Diane Keaton gave us Annie Hall complete with trousers, tie, and vest. Donna Karan introduced her first women's collection in 1985; about the same time that one more bombshell made a sometimes outrageous fashion statement of her own - Madonna, of course.

Enriched with some 250 illustrations American Fashion reminds us of the truly glamorous and the unparalleled debonair - a young Katharine Hepburn in a black Hawes gown posed for Harper's Bazaar, the unforgettable Marlene Dietrich smolders in a black velvet coat embroidered with white. And, of course, even now Fred Astaire remains the epitome of the well-dressed American man.

This volume celebrates the work of over 100 American designers with photographs and illustrations by the finest artists of our century. Our country is a proud melange of colors and ideas as is our fashion.

Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

American Fashion....finally a fashion book based on American fashion trends and beauty. This book really illustrates the ever changing trends of the past beautifully. I encourage anyone who is in love with reading about fashion to get this book. It is a great add to your fashion library collection.

Tom Arma's Animal Time is my son's all time favorite book. It has adorable photographs of babies in different animal costumes. My 19 months old especially loves the pictures of the elephant and skunk. He makes elephant sounds and swings his arm and plugs his nose when I turn the page to the skunk. I can not express enough how much fun we have had with this book!

Tom Arma's Animal Time is my son's all time favorite book. It has adorable photographs of babies in different animal costumes. He (19 months old) loves the picture of the elephant and skunk. He makes elephant sounds and plugs his nose when I turn the page to the skunk. I can not express enough how much fun we have had with this book!

This book once again showcases Tom Arma's talents as a photographer. The animals are not animals a kid would see or hear about every day so it's a great learning tool. Our daughter loves the babies and marvels at the costumes! :)

I am a first time mother of a one year old and I cannot say enough about these books. I purchased two of them from a school book sale when my daughter was 4 months and she loved them. Since then, I have purchased more at each book sale and this morning am searching on Amazon for the rest of the series. My daughter cannot get enough of the cute babies and silly rhymes. She is walking now and most of the time has a Tom Arma book in her hand. I have even started buying extras to give to my friends when they have babies. I usually don't write reviews but wanted to give KUDOS and my thanks to Tom Arma. If you are considering buying these books, don't even give it a second thought...just buy. Your baby/toddler will love them!!!

We have all ten of the Arma books - they are all VERY well read! The pictures of the babies are wonderful, but when you add in the costumes, it makes for a double pleasure. Also, the rhymes that go with each scenario are just right for a toddler's attention span. The complete set has become my standard baby shower gift!

Barbie is looking good in all my favorite LA hot spots. Cant wait to see her in Paris!

A friend had the book and we all loved it. I can't wait to get my own copy. The book is fun, creative, well done and brings back many memories of hours of fun and the joys of youth.

This book is just TOOOO CUTE! It is so well done from the text to the photographs. I still have my #6 Barbie with many of the clothes featured in the book and the photographs of my favourite hot spots in L.A. The book makes this such a special souvenir (it was a birthday gift)uniting my childhood with the present. Barbie, I'm 2 years older than you and look just as great!!!

Barbie loves L.A. is by far the cutest book I have ever seen. I postitvely love it! My favorite picture would have to be Barbie at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Barbie's outfits are so rad and she goes to a bunch of my favorite places in L.A.! I wish some of those outfits were mine!

Fabulous! Fabulous! Fabulous! If you love Barbie or love L.A. you will love this book. If you hate L.A. and love Barbie you will love this book. If you hate Barbie and love L.A. you will love this book and if you hate both you will still love this book.

It's really great.

I had no idea what to anticipate when I ordered this book, having heard only of the Billy Boy-designed 80's "Feelin' Groovy" Barbie (a lovely doll, by the way). I was quite pleasantly surprised to see the glorious photos in this book, which included, as others have said, clips from Barbie comic books and stories, which you rarely hear about, in addition to fantastic photos of Barbie in her 59-60's, 70's and 80's fashions. The text is interesting and informative (tho I found a couple small errors - the American Girl Barbie of the mid-60's didn't have a "flip" Marlo Thomas hairdo as Billy Boy conjectures, but a "page boy" style, which wasn't nearly as popular at her release as the doll later became, hence her rarity & desirability on today's reseller market), and I absolutely adored the many photos of fashion icons/real-life models from the 50's and 60's and their stylish clothing, from which Barbie's earliest outfits were clearly derivative. As a minor collector, I am always intrigued that Mattel went to such lengths to design and create these early doll outfits, out of luxe fabrics like silk, brocade & real fur that you wouldn't expect today's (or yesterday's) small child to play with carefully. But Mattel did go to these lengths, most wonderfully, and Billy Bob is able to capture that exact sense of amazement. He does an excellent job of featuring and providing history for some of Barbie's family, friends and later incarnations, and does a particularly great job defining Midge (and later Barbie BFFs as well). This is a book for Barbie-lovers and collectors, or for those nostalgic for that simpler, yet elegant era of haute couture. I wouldn't use it as a reference guide to clothing or dolls for the collector, however. It isn't complete in that sense - not all outfits are featured, nor are all accessories used perfectly accurate. But as an addendum to your collection of "everything there is to know about Barbie", it's suberb, riveting, and the photos are remarkable.

Having met the author in Paris in the early nineties I can sincerely say that Billy Boy knows his subject well.He is an expert not only on Barbie but on Bleuette and various other fashion dolls.This book gives a fascinating account of Barbie's itineraries as fashion icon and pop phenomenon.It contains some very interesting photos of Barbie's best outfits from the late 50ies to the late 80ies as well as a great gallery of Barbie portraits dressed by every well known designer.Also,lots of information on Barbie family members.A must.

Although more than a decade old, this book continues to fascinate me. Mattel owes a debt of gratitute to Billy Boy*, whose landmark coffee-table book inspired many, including myself, to start their own Barbie collections. I own three copies of this book, whose narrative is as fascinating as its photos (Twiggy and Malibu Christie are two of my favorite Barbie friends, and are given prominence in this book). The photography also captures the "fun" of Barbie, and are not merely dolls posed in a wire stand. "Great" says it all ...

This book about one of the world's greatest doll really emphisises the fasion of Barbie. The photos are absolutly stunning; with shots of the original doll to the French, Italian, Brittish, and American designers to Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Chanel, etc! He covers all the fasions of the time periods, which starts from when she was first debuted to middle 80s, and especially mentions the Haute Couture. The history of Barbie is very good; I think out of all the books I read about her history, this one has the most, and also the most facts about things that you never really knew. It shows alot of things that weren't coresponded to Barbie and her fasions mainly; It has the Bild Lilli and Twiggy dolls (a brief page or two), old comics or books on her, and on a lot of pages, you will see someone who was famous back then, who he thinks the doll had some connection to (i.e., Brigette Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Marilyn Monroe, Bettina, etc.). It covers the Barbies and accsessories, like Flirting Miss Barbie, the twist and turn era, Color Magic Barbie, Talking Barbie, and many of Barbie's pets. A very good book if you are intrested in knowing what actually made barbie famous and knowing her history and fasions.

Most fans know Billy Boy as one of the "original" fashion designers who lent their skills to Barbie couture. Billy Boy was perhaps the most ardent admirer of the 11-1/2" fashion doll, and while his association with Mattel lasted for only two doll releases (1985's Le Nouveau Theatre de la Mode and her followup Feelin' Groovy), his tribute to the Fashion Queen Extraordinaire lives on in this book. If you are looking for a guide to identifying dolls or viewing a complete history of the most popular toy in the world, you'll be disappointed, but if you want a true tribute from one of her biggest fans loaded with pictures of one-of-a-kind dolls from the world's most well-known designers, then this is the book for you.

I purchased this book after having received the Bohemian Cat Tarot Deck as a gift from a good friend.
Any catlover will enjoy this one. The details in the costumes are amazing, as are the beautiful Bohemian backdrops. Truly unusual.

"Not too long ago, but most definitely before you were born, the world was quite a different place. In a distant land called Bohemia, Cats ruled over all: good King Furr governed with a firm but kind paw, Court Scientist Sir Walter Whisker wrote papers on `The Human--myth or reality?' Prince Scratch strolled the lush gardens dreaming of his future reign, and of course, Lady Purrla though herself the most beautiful kitty at the ball." - From the book

Courtyards and libraries, ballrooms and gardens, lavishly costumed felines parade about in the enchanted world of Bohemian Cats. In this Catdom, The Human inspires whispers and speculation, for the hairless, tailless ones are mostly the stuff of legend (and puppets!).

King Furr's favorite bird has gone missing. Believing it to be stolen, King Furr charges Sir Walter Whisker--Court Scientist and occasional alchemist--to find the household pet. While housecats also scurry to find the missing bird, King Furr throws a costume ball to catch the bird thief red-pawed. "I haven't seen you in seven lives!" one feline exclaims. "Who did your fur?" asks another.

Gilded chariots and majestic steeds, ornate sitting rooms and exquisite architecture--these and cats of various color and temperament exist in the magical world of Bohemian Cats.

Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov, founders of baba studio in Prague, spin a fanciful tale of absurdity, intrigue, and romance. A hardcover book featuring panoramic pullouts, a gold ribbon bookmark, and beautiful photography, Bohemian Cats will satisfy the cravings of collectors of all things feline, as well as cat lovers of all ages. Enthusiasts of the Baroque Bohemian Cats' Tarot will no doubt enjoy this book, for many cats that grace that deck also make an appearance in Bohemian Cats! Interestingly a few of the cards from the deck also make an appearance in this book, lying strewn on the floor while Prince Scratch, resident party animal, sleeps late.

My only misgiving about this book--and it is only a slight one--is that the story seemed a bit forced, as if the tale was constructed around existing images (perhaps already created for the Tarot deck?). I don't know which came first--the deck or the book--but since I reviewed the deck before the book, this was my impression as I read this whimsical Bohemian Cats.

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)

A beautiful picture book for cat lovers of all ages, BOHEMIAN CATS is sure to become a classic, not only for its precious design and exquisite illustrations, but for its hilarious, fantastical, often absurd story. Made "on location" using historical settings in the Czech Republic as a backdrop, Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov have written a wonderful new fairy tale that tells of a time when cats ruled the kingdom of Bohemia. As the book jacket promises, after reading BOHEMIAN CATS, your own feline companions will never look the same again!

The collaborative work of Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov, Bohemian Cats is a wondrous storybook, with text simple enough to be accessible to children yet so fantastic that it is sure to appeal to all ages. Every page of this stunningly delightful fairy tale features charming, full-color, photographic illustrations of rambunctuous felines who ruled a distant land called Bohemia. No live cats were harmed or even inconvenienced in the making of Bohemian Cats, which applies digital technology to photographs of cats and environments to create the lustrous, puss-n-boots style images of felines in royal garb. An absolute "must-have" for true ailurophiles, and a dazzling treasure to simply page through.

I can't say enough good things about this book! I have recommended it to everyone who has presents to buy for children or cat-lovers. This sumptuous book combines costume drama with art while having a plot line that is mild enough for children, yet with undertones that adults will enjoy. The art, like many of the subtleties of the text, are probably over the heads of many youngsters, but they will love what they do "get."

This book can be read aloud to pre-schoolers (my 4 year old loved it), or handed to older readers. Unlike many read-aloud books, this one can hold the adult's interest, too.

The art involves taking many pictures, of setting, costume and cats, and then super-imposing them upon each other. The illustrators then adjusted the pictures so that they look more like baroque paintings, and added fillips of whimsy.

I see good books and bad as a reviewer; the bad I reject, but their effects can linger. This one is a gem, and thank goodness for it. It was a joy to read, and it's a treat to be able to recommend it to you.

This book is filled with lovely costumes from different nations, and they serve as a great template for making your own designs. While none of the models look very ethnic, which is a shame, the costumes are beautifully rendered.

This is an absolutely divine collection of wedding costumes from around the world that will delight young and old.

The colors are vibrant, the detail is exquisite -- a beautiful collector's item or hours and hours of paper doll fun!

I enjoyed looking through this paper doll book so that I could see what the brides in other parts of the world might wear. It is a very interesting and learning experience.

Donna Adank

I bought these for my daughter aged 5, but I have found that both my 5 and 7 year are obsessed with these dolls. Its 5 months now since I gave them to her, and still (beyond one very beneficial Christmas!) they return time and time again to hours of play with the paper dolls. Needless to say, playing with the paper dolls then leads to hours of dressing up themselves like the brides...

Yes,I actually collect paper doll books and I especially like the ones by Tom Tierney. He really depicts the clothes beautifully and accurately and he also provides interesting facts to go along with them, This one being no exception. The dresses are beautiful(and surprisingly few of them are white) A fun,informative book for paper doll fans and even for brides-to-be looking for a unique way to celebrate their heritage.

If you are at all interested in Chintz dishes, this is the book to own. I personally want to sell a few pieces and would like to have the author's address. She has a wonderful collection as shown in this colorful book.

For any serious collector of Chintz this book is a must. It is clearlly set out and easy to understand. The passion and love the writer has for Chintz is apparent.

This book is absolutely gorgeous. Of course, it is full of very useful information for chintz collectors. It is very educational for any one interested in learning more about chintz ceramics. However, the best thing about this book is its beauty. I just love to look at it time and time again.

Excellent presentation on chintz pottery and ceramics without making it look like a manual. The type of book you'd want in your collection as a show piece.

This book clearly shows the author's enthusiasm and knowledge of chintz ceramics. Beautifully illustrated and packed with information for both the novice and experienced collector of chintz china. Highly recommended!

I purchased this book along with Christmas Tree Pins/O Christmas Tree and since I rated that book a "5", I am rating this book a strong 4. While the pages are a bit thinner in weight (but still of good quality), the photos are excellent with the pins presented nicely. And, even though the number of pins featured are fewer, this book also includes santas, angels, reindeer, wreaths, and other seasonal pins which makes this a good addition/companion to my library.

Ms. Gallina has done impressive research. Her pictures are well done, in color, and carefully organized by designer and theme. Her captions are descriptive and the values are clear.

This somewhat small book was extremely helpful to me in identifying the values of some recently purchased Weiss candle Christmas Tree Pins. It has also shown me what pins do not carry such a high value.
I would love to see more books like this one for holiday jewelry.
I would highly reccommend this book to anyone interested in Vintage and New Christmas Jewelry.

This book by Jill is one of my favorite books, and not just because my own jewelry is included. Jill's wonderful photography showcases a wonderous variety of this collecting category. I doubt there are very many collectors who don't have a least one Christmas tree pin in their collection. And truly, it is very likely that every single woman who loves jewelry has at least one tree pin for holiday wear. This beautiful book is a perfect addition to any vintage costume jewelry reference library, for collectors and dealers alike. And it may even convert non-collectors! Thanks Jill!

Very enjoyable book with great history of the designers of today and yesteryear that made Christmas Pins. Good color pictures with a price guide that reflects today's prices. If you are a new pin collector this is a must have at a reasonable price. If you are a seasoned collector you will enjoy reading about the short histories of your favorite designers.

This was a wonderfully informative book with information that dozens of other books on this subject do not cover. Also suggested is the sequel, Costume Jewelry 202.

I am so tickled and honored to have jewelry from my private collection featured in Julia's books. This new Second Edition of the "Collecting Costume Jewelry 101" book features a bright new cover with colorful layouts and 200+ new photographs and additional designers. Julia and I have been jewelry friends for many years and her incredible knowledge in this field has helped me form an extensive collection. So jewelry lovers, it is time to set aside the original edition that is dog-eared & note filled, and add this new second edition which features many new photographs and designers that are not in the first edition! As her other books, it is a great learning tool that will teach you so much about forming a fabulous costume jewelry collection of your own! She is so thorough in her research which you will see with all the updated information and new values. We can only hope there will be a 303 version in the future!

I wish to express my gratitude to so many generous people who helped with this Second Edition of "Collecting Costume Jewelry 101:the basics of starting, building & upgrading".

First, I want to thank my readers. I am warmed by the wonderful feedback I have received from beginning collectors on the first edition of this book. Based on this feedback, I was careful when working on the second edition to leave in place the easy-to-use format. Thank you readers!

A warm thank you must always be reserved for my husband who once again offered me his support and his excellent camera skills. Thank you sweetheart!

Next I want to thank my friends (especially Debi Reece and Dave Mayer) who shared their knowledge and collections with me so I could add over 200 new photographs to this new edition. Thank you dear friends!

Finally, I want to thank the staff at Collector Books for giving me the opportunity to write a Second Edition. With their help this second edition has many beautiful enhancements. For example:

- Collector Books created a hot new cover and vibrant new interior color scheme. I adore the bright colors and I hope you do too. While maintaining the easy-to-use alphabetical arrangement of makers, the interior design is also updated.
- Over 200 new photographs have been added providing additional examples of jewelry designs from many makers.
- The historical information and information about marks is updated.
- eBay selling changes frequently so Chapter 6 - "Upgrading Your Collection" is fully updated.
- A new chapter is added featuring 13 makers not shown in the first edition.
- The popular "Marked by Style" chapter, showing unmarked jewelry attributed by the style to specific makers, is revamped and expanded.
- Of course the values have been updated.
Thank you Collector Books!

I love jewelry, I love collecting, and I love this new edition. I hope you do too. Warm regards, Julia C. Carroll

"Collecting Costume Jewellery 101" is essentially a beginners' guide to the main makers of (American) designer costume jewellery. Other information is also given, such as how to repair and clean costume jewellery and what to do with unwanted jewellery, all of which would be useful to a person starting a costume jewellery collection. However, the vast majority of this book are devoted to summaries of the main jewellery making companies.

For most designers, the summary given is brief, comprising the dates of operation of the company; a brief history of the company; the signature look of the product; and buying recommendations. Nevertheless, this is more than enough for a beginning collector. Greater detail is given about Coro, Kramer, Trifari and Weiss, however, four designers whom Carroll recommends for beginning collectors. Numerous color photographs are also provided for each designer, with values given for each piece of jewellery.

For people seeking a more detailed discussion of designer costume jewellery, I recommend the sequel to this book, "Collecting Costume Jewellery 202", although both books are well worth investing in.

Hang on to your hats, jewelry lovers!!!! This is a book you MUSTN'T MISS!!! Julia C Carroll never disappoints collectors at any level of expertise. Once again, in this visually stunning new book she grabs us with beautiful pages in a logical and practical teaching layout that keeps us turning those pages!! The pictures are generous in volume and so well done you can examine the details in each piece. This new upgrade is a MUST HAVE-beautiful, bright, full of the great educational info of the original "101", but with so many more pictures and facts!! I find other authors' guides nice to thumb through, but you really learn to identify and nail down pieces out in the real world by studying Julia's "101" and "202". My collection is now full of incredible pieces I learned to look for only because of her great books. If you want the pride of knowing what to buy, and how to not overpay, buy and study this wonderfully updated book...even if you have the original "101", ADD THIS TO YOUR LIBRARY!!! Then sign on to buy her "202". Thanks, Julia C!! How about a "303"??????!!!!

This book is simply fabulous in every respect and you will most certainly not be disappointed! The pictures are plentiful, crisp, clear, and full color showing very precise detail of each item featured along with thorough descriptions, references to Ad's, dates and what I consider realistic price guidelines.

There are also additional photos of the inside of some compacts, especially the carryalls, which is extremely helpful in identifying what items should be there in order to maintain value. I have collected compacts and carryall's for years, but often find even though the exteriors are in great shape the interiors lack essential pieces, which can devalue, therefore knowing what you should have inside and out is of paramount importance to your collecting.

Compacts shown in this book are very attainable too, although there are those depicted, which are more difficult to find, rare and more expensive the book gives a wonderful comprehensive overview of VERY accessible compacts the collector can actually find in the market today. Within the first 50 pages I had already easily found and identified 6 compacts I purchased over the last 3 months AND I was able to identify even more within online auctions.

Finally a book that shows compacts, carryall's, etc. in great detail, gives a thorough description, references to Ad's, gives accurate dates and what I consider very accurate price guidelines, plus offers pieces, which can actually be found. This book is a stunning masterpiece both in text and photos and I can't wait to purchase the Second Edition!

I bought this and Volume II. The history! The pictures! You know what you are seeing and reading about in a collectors book, AT LAST! I have been collecting for a number of years, just for the beauty and my own personal thoughts about the people that might have owned these compacts. Now I know so much that I have always wanted to know. Now that I have seen these books, even though some of mine are not listed, I know where to look! I would love to talk to Laura, the author, because she must feel the same.

This book is just as beautiful as Gersons' Vintage ladys compacts with just as many color photographs of compacts. How ever Mueller expands her information on compacts with every chapter and the different compacts are catagorized by type ie, military, novalty etc and she also includes face powder boxes and other related Items in her books. I would recommend getting both volumes of her Encyclopedias as one is meant to compliment the other. There was a wonderful wooden box that she includes in one of the books that was originally meant as a bridal gift that I would love to acquire. Mueller has put keepsakes from her own wedding in it to demonstrate what it could be used for. Plus on the top of many pages of her books are quotes from people who were in the cosmetic and compact business when compacts were originally made that I find fun and unique. I highly recommend these books by Mueller .

From start to finish, this book is loaded with very sharp images of hundreds of vintage compacts ranging from absolutely gorgeous pieces to whimsical and always with great descriptions and current values. All of the photos are in beautiful color and are very sharp & easily recognizable. I've been collecting vintage compacts for years and was still amazed at the variety of styles and manufacturers that are included in this book! It stays on my desk and is a constant source of reference and pleasure! The only thing I would really like to see (maybe in a future publication) is the approximate age of each piece. Whether you're a serious collector or just a lover of the older compact beauties, you just cannot miss with this book....the author knows her stuff!!

This volume, along with volume 2, is the best place to learn about compacts and how to collect them. Gorgeous photos, all in color, covering every possible category of compact imaginable. Mueller covers compact and makeup history, from Egyptian times to the turn of the 20th century to the demise of artistically designed compacts in the 1960s. Any reader will be educated in the world of compacts after going through these two volumes. A quality guide/encyclopedia.