Beauty Books

I have many hat books, but this is the BEST hat book that I now own!! Excellent pictures and commentary. Every hat person should own this book!

I cannot speak to the values....but I can speak of the zillions of pics of great hats. Love this book for the many many images.

This is the most complete book of its kind on modern women's hats. A 256 page, hard cover, 11 ½ in. by 8 ½ in. book, it is full of information and photography. It also makes the bold step of attaching values to vintage hats. I say "bold" because in my experience this is a very immature and capricious market. Beware! Our second museum-style show at our Hillcrest, San Diego location was Women's Hats of the 20th Century where we presented a retrospective of vintage hats. Following the show, we had a silent auction and sale that had bids all over the place as compared to expectations.

I have never seen this book in Canada and am delighted to find it at Amazon. Great photos, beautifully presented, interesting reading and very well researched. A must have for anyone with a strong interest in beautiful hats.

A must have for anyone with a collection of pre 1930s shoes; well organized and illustrated; invaluable for analyzing, dating, and describing women's footwear.

This is the book that you want to own if you have a collection of women's shoes to catalog. The front matter of the book includes "Fig 1. Parts of the Shoe" which features 16 illustrations drawn by the author diagramming the terminology for common parts and pieces of shoes, basic types of front-lacing footwear and common heel types. Part Two, Dating Women's Shoes, 1795-1930, offers steps for dating a shoe and five chapters devoted to every aspect of the shoe: upper patterns in shoes, upper patterns in boots, heels and soles, variations in lasts and materials/decorations. Part two alone has over 400 illustrations of individual shoes elegantly drawn by the author with a caption to explain the style/type described. The text of each chapter tells you everything you wanted to know about uppers, heels and decorations in an energetic, meticulous and succinct writing style. Each illustration/shoe is further described in a credit section at the back of the book. Appendixes discuss: "How leather is made" and "How shoes are made", and include a "Partial Listing of Shoe Manufacturers as compiled from Labels and Advertisements," which is particularly valuable when trying to decipher worn labels. The glossary of 15 pages is thoroughly written so that one can feel confident using the correct terminology. Part I, A History of Women's Footwear in America includes the chapters: A Brief Look at the American Shoe Industry, Women's Shoes and Female Stereotypes, a Chronological Overview of Shoe Fashions, The Correct Dress of the Foot, and Shoes Adapted for Sports and Protection. Every aspect of the subject matter is laid out before you so that a beginner can feel confident dating and describing a shoe while those interested in fashion and costume history will treasure the wealth of information and the precision with which the author covers her subject. I can't imagine anyone writing a better book on the subject than this one.

This great book is a very interesting reading and one of the most valuable sources for dating the shoes. If you work with historical shoes or just love shoes you cannot just read it once - you will be always using it! On many occasions this book actually helped to date the shoes correctly.

Since I received my delivery of _Women's Shoes In America, 1795-1930_ from Amazon earlier this week, I have been unable to put down this extraordinary book. Nancy Rexford's work is a magnificent contribution to the field of costume history. I understand that it took Nancy 14 years to research the information for this book. I have no doubt that she will soon be acknowledged as the leading expert on the history of American shoes. Women's Shoes in America is divided into two main sections. The first section is "A History of Women's Footwear...". This section includes chapters on the rise of the American shoe industry (fascinating), cultural stereotyping, sporting shoes, etc. The second section of the book is "Dating Women's Shoes, 1795-1930". This section is a well organized and easy to follow guide on how to date shoes by their various parts; eg. heels, soles, uppers, trimmings, etc. This is a book every museum, dealer and fashion lover will cherish. You will be wowed by the author's breadth of historical knowledge, thorough research, clear organization, easy to follow identification key and her beautiful illustrations. For me, the icing on the cake for this book is that it is also so very literary; simply a delight to read!! I highly recommend it!

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This program really works the thighs. I wish it was available as a video.

I checked this book out of my local library, and used it for the specified time; three times a week for 30 minutes. The exercise directions are clear, and best of all, the exercises themselves do not require much space or equipment; just a chair and a rubber ball. With the help of this program, I was able to fit into my wedding dress!

This program of exercises is definitely not for lazy people.
But if you really follow all the instructions you WILL get perfect results in a couple of weeks. The more you work on it, the more you are inspired by changes in your look.

I'm 26. Now my butts, thighs, legs look better then they looked when I was 15 :) Amazing!
Highly recomended.
(A little secret: You have to be hard on yourself doing the program)
Good luck!

After these exercises my butts, thighs, legs look better then they looked when I was a high school student. Amazing! :)
The more you do the program of exercises the more you are inspired by the changes in your look.

If you want the results you have to follow all the instructions carefully and you have to be hard on yourself. This program does miracles with your legs if you do "work your butts" :)

Good luck!

Sarah Giovinetti has taken the "cloak and daggar" away from the Modeling Business. This book is a clear, concise guide to agencies, photographers, etc internationally to assist you in planning your career. Thank you Mrs Giovinetti!

I found this book to be informative and an all around treasure of facts for the aspiring model. Thank you, Sarah, for compiling all of your research and knowledge of the industry into one source!

I found this book to be informative and an all around treasure of facts for the aspiring model. Thank you, Sarah, for compiling all of your research and knowledge of the industry into one source!

This little book is well worth every penny. The pictures are gorgeous, and the breadth of ideas is incredible. Even if you just need occasional "help" in deciding what to wear or how to spice up an outfit, Chic Simple Accessories will help.

At first glance, this may seem like merely a pretty picture book, but if you take the time to look closer, you will find advice for building a classic, comfortable, versatile wardrobe through the wise use of accessories.

My favorite part of this book is when the authors take one outfit (say, white blouse and black pants) and show it with different accessories. This tactic really illustrates what a difference accessories can make. It also makes me look at my own wardrobe and think how I can achieve different "looks" with accessories rather than buying different clothes.

The other gem of this book is the accessory checklist at the back of the book, divided into categories: basic gear, ornamentation, work, evening, summer, and winter. These two pages are worth the price of the book alone.

I had been wanting for some time to break out of the dowdy Librarian mode. I decided to start my transformation with a book on the basics on accessories and Accessories (Chic Simple) fit the bill perfectly. It has wonderful pictures which enhance the copy making it more understandable and interesting. It also has information about where to purchase every item in the book and how to maintain the items after purchase. It tries to stay with the classics and tells you how to handle the trends. After reading this book, I feel ready to make accessory purchases that will make me look and feel confident

I am a beautiful black woman.

I have read many hair care books and this one is the best for relaxed hair. It is a text book. It has great pictures and step by step instructions. If you want to know how to wrap, fingerwave, make a basic roll, how to apply a relaxer, color etc, this book is for you. Better than a hair care magazine that shows mostly weaved hair. I'm a natural curly girl but I don't have a problem with healthy relaxed hair.

As we all know, these people who write these books are'nt going to share every secret of the industry, but this book will bring you closer to those well hidden secrets. I have never bought a book that was so detailed in every aspect from hygiene, nails, hair braiding, weaving, cutting, and styling. I was very much so satisfied with the photos, illustrations, and information given in this book. Its is in fact all worth every penny.

I've been collecting shells for many years but i never thought of the complexity and perfection of their patterns! This book describes in a simple way the mechanisms that produce the surface decorations of shells. It takes reader in a fascinating trip in a world of algorithmic shapes and colors!

I came across this book at the Rhode Island School of Design library. As an artist I found it surprising that what I had considered to be just a beautiful pattern was actually an imprint of the pressure and movement of the waves upon the seashell. This insight was very thought provoking for me. Perhaps to biologists this is a normal and natural thing - but for an artist this kind of scientific approach with beautifully illustrated pages is a deeply moving experience. This book will definitely make you think twice about the objects that you take for granted - whether it's visually or scientifically. I strongly recommend this book for those who like intellectual challenges and who like to look at the world with fresh new eyes.

This book describes, using a computer, The geometry involved in the building of seashells and in particular the surface features. It shows the how and why of surface decorations found on several species of Mollusks. This is probably the only book to treat this subject and do so extensively expertly and comprahensively.

I've had this book for about six years and I still consult it at least monthly. Fabric vendors love to use hundred-year-old cryptic terms to describe fabric, most terms referring to the manufacturing method. Having never made my own fabric, I am not familiar with these terms. This book closes the gap and explains how the fabric is made, where it originated from, the predominant use of the fabric and its sewing characteristics. If you have a fabric stash, you need this book.

I also have the Silk and Wool books which are equally good (though I don't sew on wool or silk nearly as much as cotton).

The only fabric book comes with real fabric swatches. A great reference for fabric artists. You know how sometimes you want to achieve certain quality but don't know what material to use. The description of each fabric helps me to choose the right material for the right projects and make sure it stays that way forever. I also learn more materials for my fabric sculpture. I finally found this ideal book after so many years.

I love fabric and love to sew, but don't really know much about the fabrics I use. These books are so well-designed and well-written that it is a joy to learn from them. Be sure to buy the versions with the fabric samples included - that's what makes these books so special!

In this book, Evdokimov poetically meditates on beauty in the Orthodox Christian tradition as epitomized in the art of the icon. His approach is difficult to follow at times, because it is so very dense, but the words eventually flow over and through the reader, leaving him with a sense of having listened to an exquisite concerto of theology. Truly, Evdokimov's "deep knowledge" of the icon comes from his great love and intimate experience in the liturgical arts.

Evdokimov's book illuminates traditional teachings on both Iconography and the spiritual significance of the subject of beauty within the Orthodox East. The rich heritage of Orthodox tradition, liturgy, wisdom and beauty breaks through in Evdokimov's pages and leads the reader into the depth of traditional Christian belief. The book, rooted in the writers personal expertise with Iconography as well as his knowledge of the writings of the Church Fathers, combine in Evdokimov's book and render it both affectively engaging and intellectually stimulating. Further, Evdokimov's critique of contemporary trends in Art provide a wealth of material on which the reader will spend time meditating. This is a book to be read and enjoyed more than once. This book would be a great resource for any who might want to encounter the historical Orthodox Church through her art and wisdom, for those interested in Art history, and for those familiar with Iconography and would appreciate a clear, informative and thoughtful exposition on the topic.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Orthodoxy and its art and philosophy. The book is an absolute pleasure to read - it leads you through the subject matter with a beautiful and poetic voice. You will return to this book again and again.

Thank You Susan Hobbs. You put together a wonderful book. My only regret is I didn't buy this book in hardcover.

A very interesting book, gracefully written by a perceptive author. The descriptions of the many fine reproductions of Dewing works provide numerous insights -- things that you probably missed, but are made clear by Hobbs's text. Hobbs also tackles the subject of the elaborate frames Dewing chose to hold his paintings, most designed by architect Stanford White. Many frames and works are beautifully reproduced. There is also a good narrative describing Dewing's life, his influences, and critical response. Books produced as well as this one greatly increase interest in the artist, and this book has become the standard for Dewing scholarship.

I worked on Dewing for many years before doing this exhibition and catalogue. I am interested in locating further, lost works by Dewing in pastel and oil for my on-going catalogue raisonne. I hope those who love Dewing enjoyed this book.