This book was written as an introductory text for those interested in understanding the world of fashion so they may use it more effectively---not only for themselves but for others who may seek their advice. The intention was to present, as simply as possible, basic information about art and fashion to assist the average person as well as the student in home economics and merchandising who is concerned with selecting, making, buying, or selling clothes.---From Preface (p. vii).
"A tribute to a time when style -- and maybe even life -- felt more straightforward, and however arbitrary, there were definitive answers." -- Sadie Stein, Paris Review As a glance down any street in America quickly reveals, American women have forgotten how to dress. We lack the fashion know-how we need to dress professionally and beautifully. In The Lost Art of Dress, historian and dressmaker Linda Przybyszewski reveals that this wasn't always true. In the first half of the twentieth century, a remarkable group of women -- the so-called Dress Doctors -- taught American women that knowledge, not money, was key to a beautiful wardrobe. They empowered women to design, make, and choose clothing for both the workplace and the home. Armed with the Dress Doctors' simple design principles -- harmony, proportion, balance, rhythm, emphasis -- modern American women from all classes learned to dress for all occasions in ways that made them confident, engaged members of society. A captivating and beautifully illustrated look at the world of the Dress Doctors, The Lost Art of Dress introduces a new audience to their timeless rules of fashion and beauty -- rules which, with a little help, we can certainly learn again.
This captivating book reproduces arguably the most extraordinary primary source documents in fashion history. Providing a revealing window onto the Renaissance, they chronicle how style-conscious accountant Matthäus Schwarz and his son Veit Konrad experienced life through clothes, and climbed the social ladder through fastidious management of self-image. These bourgeois dandies' agenda resonates as powerfully today as it did in the sixteenth century: one has to dress to impress, and dress to impress they did. The Schwarzes recorded their sartorial triumphs as well as failures in life in a series of portraits by illuminists over 60 years, which have been comprehensively reproduced in full color for the first time. These exquisite illustrations are accompanied by the Schwarzes' fashion-focussed yet at times deeply personal captions, which render the pair the world's first fashion bloggers and pioneers of everyday portraiture. The First Book of Fashion demonstrates how dress – seemingly both ephemeral and trivial – is a potent tool in the right hands. Beyond this, it colorfully recaptures the experience of Renaissance life and reveals the importance of clothing to the aesthetics and every day culture of the period. Historians Ulinka Rublack's and Maria Hayward's insightful commentaries create an unparalleled portrait of sixteenth-century dress that is both strikingly modern and thorough in its description of a true Renaissance fashionista's wardrobe. This first English translation also includes a bespoke pattern by TONY award-winning costume designer and dress historian Jenny Tiramani, from which readers can recreate one of Schwarz's most elaborate and politically significant outfits.
This acclaimed volume provides a strong, multidisciplinary foundation for individual and family clothing choices as it balances theory with actual applications. The authors present a broad base of knowledge at an introductory level for readers' general education—unlike other books, which focus more narrowly on the needs of fashion professionals. Packed with activities, learning objectives, illustrations, and photographs, this user-friendly book meets the needs of future fashion professionals.The authors address fashion and personal appearance issues such as influences on consumer clothing selection, target market influences, cultural, socio-psychological and physical influences, design elements and principles applied to clothing, and consumer clothing selection issues such as fit, quality, care and planning.For fashion professionals and others interested in the fashion industry.
In this limited edition, Ultimate Collection format linen clamshell and handmade oversized book, Valerie Steele flexes her curatorial muscle by showcasing the most iconic dresses of the twentieth century. From Poiret to Pucci, Doucet to Dior, Vionnet to Valentino, Steele selects one hundred dresses that caused a stir either on the runway or entering a room and ultimately inspired new directions in fashion. Steele’s selections include Paul Poiret's figure-liberating 1907 gown, Madame Grès’s sublimely draped goddess creation from 1938, Jean Paul Gaultier's shockingly exaggerated cone-bust corset dress circa 1984, and Hussein Chalayan’s awe-inspiring remote-control fiberglass Airplane dress from 2000. The compilation, while certainly subjective, is sure to receive nods of recognition along with a gasp or two of surprise.
You'll find answers to these questions in Fashion Through the Ages. This stylish oversized gift book includes twelve lavish full-color interactive spreads that present fashion's highlights. From the Roman Empire to the 1960s, each of the twelve spreads feature: -- A man, a woman, a boy, and a girl dressed in outfits of the era.-- Lift-up flaps revealing all the layers of clothing beneath (each with a tiny caption).-- A gatefold page with a historical overview and a fashion overview of the era.-- NMargin illustrations showing accessories, such as shoes, hats, hairstyles, and jewelry.Chock-full of fashion history and stunning costumes by an award winning illustrator, Fashion Through the Ages is a "must-have" for every budding trend setter.
Frida Kahlo was not only an iconic artist, she was also a bold beauty and an avant-garde fashionista whose timeless sense of style continues to inspire and influence the worlds of fashion, media, and art today.
