Snow Country: Mountain Homes and Rustic Retreats

Book Description

Snow-capped peaks, vast open spaces, and the invigorating aromas of pine and cedarwood. The mountain setting is idyllic, the way of life relaxed and rustic, and the houses built there reflect a passion for the outdoors and a flair for the unconventional. Snow Country takes an intimate tour inside the quaint chalets, rustic cabins, and extravagant mountain retreats found in some of the top western ski resorts. Lush, stylish photography captures the casual mountain style of these unique hideaways set amidst such stunning scenarios as the Colorado Rockies, California's Sierra Nevada, and Whistler, Canada. The diversity of interiors ranges from cozy pioneer cabins filled with antiques and family heirlooms, and European-style homes, to modern structures of glass, concrete, and metal. This glorious visual tribute to nature and her surroundings will appeal to anyone who lives in the mountains, or just dreams about it.

How the West was Worn: A Complete History of Western Wear

Average customer rating:

Western Attire in all its considerable glory!

How the West was Worn: A Complete History of Western Wear
Holly George-Warren , and Michelle Freedman
Manufacturer: "Harry N. Abrams, Inc."
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0810992566

Book Description

From fringed chaps to silver-spurred boots to ten-gallon Stetsons, Western wear is a uniquely American look that has romanced the entire world. In How the West Was Worn, now available in an affordable paperback format, Holly George-Warren and Michelle Freedman round up the different styles of this enduring trend. The book is an authoritative yet entertaining look at "glitterbillies," rodeo girls, and rhinestone cowboys, featuring archival photos of celebrities as well as collectibles like vintage album covers and sewing patterns. The lively, fact-filled text, including a foreword by country-music star Marty Stuart, makes this book a barrel of fun for fashion devotees and country music fans alike.

Customer Reviews:

Western Attire in all its considerable glory!.......2007-08-16

A wonderful wallow for a clothing collector! A source of inspiration for an obsessed person who is likely to make his or her own clothing! Marvellous images, beautifully printed, I love this book.

How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier

Average customer rating:

Not Very Accurate!
Excellent Reference Book for Writers
Highly recommended!

How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontier
Chris Enss
Manufacturer: Two Dot
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0762735643

Customer Reviews:

Not Very Accurate!.......2007-03-11

First, let me say that this book does say a lot of interesting things about the Old West, like how cowboys dressed in different states, how certain fashions, like bib-front shirts, came to be, and what different professions wore. However, with regards to women's fashion, it got a lot wrong.

A great deal of the information given is generalized--expansive statements that cover the entire Victorian period, but aren't necessarily true for any particular year, and might be outright false during some years. Fashions changed very rapidly during the late 1800s, and something that might've been all the rage in 1890 might have not have even existed in the 1860s or 1870s. And, some of what the book says is outright wrong. For example, at one point it tells us that women wore huge hoopskirts through the whole second half of the 1800s and then styles abrubtly changed to the more practical bloomer. In fact, hoopskirts were only around for a decade or so (considerably smaller than usually depicted on film), and the bloomer was something worn only by a few brave women who were gaped at and criticized.

At some points, the book actually contradicts itself. And, dispite the title, it has very little to say about bustles (unless I somehow skipped a chapter). Some of what it said about men's fashions seemed odd, as well. I would say, buy it if you want to read about the Old West, but take everything it has to say with a grain of salt and verify the information elsewhere if you're interested in accuracy.

Excellent Reference Book for Writers.......2007-02-13

This book contains a great deal of helpful information for anyone wanting to know the clothing styles worn during the frontier period in the old west, whether for research purposes or just for the fun of it.

Highly recommended!.......2006-06-20

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (6/06)

I had particular interest in reviewing "How the West Was Worn" because of doing family history research. We have many photos of family members and I often wondered about the clothing - how was it made? What fabrics did they use? How did the fashions come to be without television and glossy magazines? Enns answered many of my questions as I read her book with much interest, often looking at actual pictures to see if any of our ancestors were in there.

No different than now, the nineteenth century women were fashion conscious and often wore cumbersome and unrealistic clothing such a hoop skirts, bustles, and leg-o-mutton sleeves that required yards of costly fabric. Fabrics were cotton or linen for the summer, and wool during the winter. Children's clothing was not fashioned for play but as small replicas of their parents. Ruffles were often seen on boys.

The "clothes made the man" and a well dressed man was certainly the talk of the town. Depending on the status or type of work, men dressed accordingly. The type of work they did was easily recognized by the type of clothing they wore.

Did you know that Andrew Johnson, before he became the President of the United States, was a tailor in Raleigh, North Carolina? In 1827 he opened his own business where he designed a variation of the Prince Albert-style coat - double breasted and knee-length. A variation of his creation still exists today.

Enss gives an interesting account of all facets of fashion, from jewelry to hair styles, from under garments to military uniforms, from footwear to chevrons. Anyone with interest in the 19th century era would find "How the West Was Worn" a great book to go through. Although Enss only touches briefly on each item, she gives a list of suggested reading for further knowledge. Highly recommended!

Average customer rating:

MIND BLOWING,REVELOUTIONARY AND VERY VERY SEXY
Smashingly beautiful book. New twist on Chinese fashion.

China Chic: East Meets West
Valerie Steele , and John S. Major
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300079303

Book Description

This beautifully illustrated book is the first to explore the history of Chinese dress and the fascinating ways that Western and Chinese fashion have influenced one another. The authors trace the evolution of Chinese clothing from dragon robes and lotus shoes in the imperial era to such attire as the cheongsam and "Mao suit" that symbolize a modern Chinese identity.

Customer Reviews:

MIND BLOWING,REVELOUTIONARY AND VERY VERY SEXY.......1999-10-07

China chic is a truly haunting experienc

Smashingly beautiful book. New twist on Chinese fashion........1999-08-05

*China Chic* is a gorgeous yet scholarly study of the interchange between China and the West in terms of fashion. Among the many intriguing points is how women of Chinese ancestry in the West are now influencing fashion design in new, very sophisticated ways. The combined efforts of Valerie Steele, John Major, and others make this book a must-read, just as the exhibit at the Fashion Institute in spring 1999 that this book used as a basis was a must-see for anyone who cares about fashion, culture and dress, or Chinese history.

Average customer rating:

A LUXE LOOK AT WESTERN GARB
Wild & western romp chronicling the classic American costume

How the West Was Worn
Holly George-Warren , and Michelle Freedman
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0810906155

Book Description

Forget bucking broncos-some of the wildest sights in the West can be found right inside a cowpoke's closet. From fringed chaps and embroidered jeans to silver- spurred boots and ten-gallon Stetsons, Western wear is a uniquely American look that has romanced the entire world. Journalist Holly George-Warren and designer Michelle Freedman, aided by curator James H. Nottage, round up the different styles of this enduring trend in How the West Was Worn, an authoritative yet entertaining look at "glitterbillies," long riders, rodeo girls, and rhinestone cowboys.

Accompanying an exhibition at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, this colorful tribute features archival photos of celebrities as well as collectibles like vintage album covers, mail-order catalogues, and sewing patterns. The lively, fact- filled text, including a foreword by country-music star and Western-wear collector Marty Stuart, makes this book a barrel of fun for fashion devotees and country music fans alike.

Customer Reviews:

A LUXE LOOK AT WESTERN GARB.......2001-11-13

If your idea of Western wear is John Wayne in chaps and creased 10 gallon hat - forget it. Rolling Stone Press Editor Holly George-Warren and clothing designer Michelle Freedman have produced a luxe look at Western garb that is more Las Vegas than Laredo.

The iconic American cowboy typifies our country's spirit to many, from New York City sidewalk stompers who have no saddles but don boots to diamond encrusted Grammy award winners who twang with the best of them.

So, for those attracted by the lore and lure of ranching days, here is a photographed filled bow to all garb Western. It begins with the practical clothing needed by scours, traders, and ranch workers, then details how early movie stars such as Tom Mix, Gene Autry, Dale Evans and Roy Rogers spurred a popular trend in cowboy wear.

That vogue was to later influence British rock musicians and high end fashion designers such as Ralph Lauren.
"There's a little bit of cowboy in everybody," the foreword states and that would be seem to be true as the pages of How The West Was Worn reveal glimpses of tastefully displayed silver buckles, jauntily worn Stetsons, and rhinestone embellished rigs that never saw a range.

- Gail Cooke

Wild & western romp chronicling the classic American costume.......2001-10-22

A colorful and comprehensive examination of American style at it's most iconic - the authors have done a wonderful job telling the story of how cowboy duds came to symbolize America the world over. A must have for anyone interested in the West, design, decorative arts, fashion, pop culture or Americana/American History. The book is gorgeously presented, expertly written and endlessly entertaining, the photography is beautiful, and the interviews are rare and revealing. From the plains and frontiers, to Buffalo Bill to the Hollywood Cowboy, Country & Western, Rock & Roll, the current fashion craze, the authors leave no cowpie unturned as they reveal how the cowboy hat became our collective unconscious. The most complete record of the lives and work of N. Turk, Rodeo Ben, and Nudie to date. How did the famed North Hollywood rodeo tailor get men in the 20th century to wear fanciful embroidered and rhinestoned creations, that became more and more elaborate in a competitive fervor to outshine each other?(And how did Keith Richards cause him to draw the line?) Find out. From the fanatical to the casual observer, and especially anyone who has ever bedazzled denim or worn a pair of cowboy boots, all will treasure this book.

Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 1: Undergarments, Bodices, Skirts, Overskirts, Polonaises, and Day Dresses 1877-1882

Average customer rating:

Excellent book!!!
Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 1: Undergarments, Bodices, Skirts, Overskirts, Polonaises, and Day Dresses 1877-1882
as good as all the other Frances Grimble books
What An Excellent Book!!
Wow!

Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 1: Undergarments, Bodices, Skirts, Overskirts, Polonaises, and Day Dresses 1877-1882

Manufacturer: Lavolta Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Textiles & Costume | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0963651757

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book!!!.......2007-05-14

This is a great book for seamstresses with some experience(I think it would be too hard for beginners.It would be good if you have some comprehenesion on sizing(drafting patterns yourself for example)but that isn't even necessary.I think it would be easier though:)

Frances Grimble gives clear instructions for changing patterns to size and even to different body shapes(large bust, short back etc.
You do need to take some time for this, but well, you'll have an authentic pattern in your hands, how great is that?;)And there are so many in this book! I was having a very hard time finding real historical patterns in The Netherlands(so far found one french journal from 1902)and I feel like a kid in a candystore now.:)I <3 this book already.

You can make a complete outfit, from undergarments to overgarments.

If you have some sewing experience and you love this period it is really a great book!

Amazon's service is excellent too. It didn't take very long for the item to arrive(from US to the Netherlands)(with one step faster shipping, expidited?)it was even a lot faster then the estimated arrival time.

Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 1: Undergarments, Bodices, Skirts, Overskirts, Polonaises, and Day Dresses 1877-1882.......2006-08-16

This book is wonderful. I believe I own every book Frances Grimble has written and anxiously await more. The variety of patterns is amazing and allows the experienced sewer to create their own designs from various components, like sleeves and collars. This sure beats trying to decipher the patterns in an original 1890's issue of Harpers!

as good as all the other Frances Grimble books.......2006-03-22

This book contains patterns for the following:
corsets, hoopskirts and bustles (some)
underclothing and negligee wear (quite a few)
day and evening skirts (only about four)
day bodices (quite a few)
evening bodices (some)
overskirts (some)
polonaises (some)
day dresses (quite a few)

some = around ten
quite a few = over 20

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes victorian costuming. It not only works as a pattern book, but as a source book, having lots of pictures you can use for reference. Even if you just look through it, it really can help you understand the styles of that era.

What An Excellent Book!!.......2005-01-13

The pictures and descriptions within the book are an excellent reference if you are researching and intending on recreating one of these beautiful designs. Advanced knowledge of sewing skills is a must for those who wish to recreate these (definantly not for the novice sewer). Frances Grimble, you've done it again. Please keep them coming. I will buy every book you put out.

Wow!.......2004-09-29

There's just so MUCH material in this book--so many pictures and patterns and so many pages of hard-to-find information. Women's styles of the period were intricate, with separate bodices, overskirts, and skirts, or with polonaises (a bodice with the overskirt attached) and skirts. This book separates patterns for bodices, skirts, overskirts, and polonaises to mix and match however you want. It also gives patterns for whole dresses, but you can mix their components too.

There are far more patterns for EVERYTHING than I've ever seen anywhere else. There were many, many ways of cutting and draping an overskirt or a polonaise. In this book it's amazing to see fashion plates of overskirts that look similar in the plates, but the cut and drape shown by the pattern pieces is quite different. There are even 19 patterns for chemises.

This book will keep me busy for a long time!

Average customer rating:

Beware; it's a tiny little book. With tiny information.
A lovely, detailed coverage

Navajo Rug Designs (Look West Series)
Susan Lowell
Manufacturer: Rio Nuevo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1887896724

Book Description

Collected and published here for the first time, the powerful images in this book tell an important story. They illuminate the history of Native American textile art.

Speaking the language of color, pattern, and texture, these rug designs document the interesting period, about a century ago, when Juan Lorenzo Hubbell's Ganado trading post was a center of Southwestern culture as well as commerce. Hubbell's many visitors included several artists who obliged their host by painting "portraits" of the Navajo weavings that Hubbell bought, sold, and often influenced. By showing them to weavers, Hubbell used these painting to inspire a remarkable artistic collaboration that crossed cultures and genres and probably still affects Navajo weavings and American art today.

A few of the paintings remain on display at the Hubbell Trading Post, now a National Monument and still a weaving center. But Navajo Rug Designs brings the entire collection together for the first time. 106 photos and illustrations.

About the series: Look West: What do you find? Wide, wild landscapes...extraordinary plants and animals...rugged people rich in history...ghost towns and working ranches...ancient pueblos and ultramodern urban areas. In the West, coyotes howl. Native Americans endure and flourish. Kokopelli, the mythical humpbacked flute player, prances across the cliff dwellings and into popular culture—and thousands of curio shops. Every small, handsome book in Rio Nuevo Publishers' Look West series presents a unique aspect of the American West. Using words and pictures, each volume explores a special Western topic or phenomenon, and all have been written and illustrated by regional experts. Each of these attractive 6 x 6-inch hardcover books contains 64 pages of text, illustrations, and photographs. And each one allows the reader to capture the spirit of the West in the palm of a hand.

Customer Reviews:

Beware; it's a tiny little book. With tiny information........2007-09-26

This is a very little book with a cursory overview of the topic. It's deceptive in that it looks like a real book, but is just a cute little booklet.

A lovely, detailed coverage.......2006-02-10

Many a homeowner would incorporate a Navajo-style rug design into a home project without a second thought about its background history: what better guide for enlightenment or coffee table than the small Navajo Rug Designs by Susan Lowell, discussing color, patterns, and history of the Navajo rug. Anthropology and textile art blend in a discussion which includes both vintage photos and colorful rug images from more modern times. A lovely, detailed coverage.

Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American Identity (Ucla Fowler Museum of Cultural History Textile Series, No. 2)

Average customer rating:

Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American Identity (Ucla Fowler Museum of Cultural History Textile Series, No. 2)
Doran H. Ross , Raymond Aaron Silverman , and Agbenyega Adedze
Manufacturer: UCLA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0930741692

Book Description

Kente is not only the best known of all African textiles, it is also one of the most admired of all fabrics worldwide. Originating among the Asante peoples of Ghana and the Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo, this brilliantly colored and intricately patterned strip-woven cloth was traditionally associated with royalty. Over time, however, it has come to be worn and used in many different contexts. In Wrapped in Pride, seven distinguished scholars present an exhaustive examination of the history of kente from its earliest use in Ghana to its present-day impact in the African Diaspora.

I See by Your Outfit: Historic Cowboy Gear of the Northern Plains

Average customer rating:

A remarkable reference book
It aint Hollywood
Good cowboy stuff.
A must have for every Old West Re-enactor and enthusiast.
Cowboy gear and clothes -- all of it

I See by Your Outfit: Historic Cowboy Gear of the Northern Plains
Tom Lindmier , and Steve Mount
Manufacturer: High Plains Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0931271339

Customer Reviews:

A remarkable reference book.......2000-06-10

A friend shoved this book in front of me during research for a historical novel, and I found it fascinating! It is a comprehensive guide to the real garb and tack of real cowboys in a real frontier, not a Technicolored Hollywood wardrober's fantasy. I found it expertly written and illustrated, detailed and enormously helpful. This isn't the kind of amateur historical pap you see so often in this category, it's the Real McCoy. Anyone who wants or needs to know how cowboys and frontiersmen dressed needs to pick up "I See By Your Outfit."

It aint Hollywood.......1999-07-14

This is the real MCoy. The authors appear to know their subect well and have done their homework. I thank you for that because this is my first read on the subject of real cowboy clothing and I wanted facts. The detail was very good and in some cases too good as in the section on horse bits. What cowboys acually wore and why is fascinating. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the Hollywood costumes but it's nice to know the real story and this is it.

Good cowboy stuff........1999-02-07

I thought this book would be about what you can tell about people from what kind of truck they drive. But it turned out to be a very good reference on historic Western garb.

A must have for every Old West Re-enactor and enthusiast........1999-01-16

As an Old West Re-enactor for 5 years, I have taken a particular interest in costuming. There are few resources that accurately dispell the many questions and myths that come into play about the cowboy gear in the Old West. I refer to this book often when researching particular subjects such as hats and boots. As a seamstress, the diagrams and details are invaluable in recreating costumes for my husband and fellow actors.

Cowboy gear and clothes -- all of it.......1997-11-19

I loved this book. A comprehensive guide to real working cowboys' -- not in the movies or on TV; on the open range of Wyoming, in the old days -- clothing and equipment. Hundreds of black and white photos and drawings; illustrations from historic catalogs; schematics of tack; diary entries and contemporary descriptions; history and the reasons behind the specific gear of the cowboys (and girls) of the Northern Plains from 1870 to just until the Great Depression. The authors are historians and give us the names of, and the stories behind, the people and the great stuff; Levi's of course, but how about 'Rodeo Booger Reds'? -- a would-be competitor. Underwear -- you can imagine how important Union Suits were before central heating. (They could be ordered in white, grey, ecru, light blue, and, finally, in 1909: pink.) Shirts, jackets, leather goods and fabrics. Horse gear. There's even a chapter on Camp Equipment; now you can build a chuck wagon. Loads of well-captioned photos, many portraits; you're 'there.' Best of all, the tone is enthusiatically academic rather than 'nostalgic.' This is the real thing -- a scholarly, well-organized and well-written book about a vanished world.

Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 2: Evening, Bridal, Sports, Outerwear, Accessories, and Dressmaking 1877-1882

Average customer rating:

Yea! More pattern books!
This is Volume 2
Wow! Continued

Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 2: Evening, Bridal, Sports, Outerwear, Accessories, and Dressmaking 1877-1882

Manufacturer: Lavolta Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0963651765

Customer Reviews:

Yea! More pattern books!.......2006-03-01

Frances Grimble shares her meticulous vision with us once again. A great two book series full of facinating information and patterns galore. I cannot wait to clothe many a pretty lady using them. Not for the faint of heart. The patterns are period correct and I would advise an advanced skill level, or a great deal of patience. Always do a mock up. Remember these are patterns of the age. So start at the skin and work your way out to a glorious new costume.
Enjoy.

This is Volume 2.......2004-11-07

This is a great book, but you should know that it is not a second edition of Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 1. It is the second volume of the anthology, and a different book with all different patterns. The title is actually Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 2: Evening, Bridal, Sports, Outerwear, Accessories, and Dressmaking 1877-1882. It's just as good as Volume 1, none of the information is the same except the intro on how to use the patterns, and the dressmaking manual is really unique.

I heard both volumes were published but it took me awhile to find the second one on Amazon because it was mislisted. So I thought I'd warn other people.

Wow! Continued.......2004-09-29

I just reviewed Volume 1, where I said the book contains a huge selection of patterns. Volume 2 focuses on patterns for evening dresses, bridal wear, sports wear, and outer wear. The chapters on accessories and trimmings contain some needlework patterns, embroidery and so on. I figure if I don't do the handwork I'll still have learned a lot about buying appropriate materials.

I bought both volumes, but they are organized so you can use them separately. Both contain the instructions for using the book and the special rulers that allow you to draft patterns to fit you. They also both have a big glossary, a bibliography, and two indexes.

Volume 2 has something really special though--a dressmaking manual. The book says it was rewritten from numerous rare original sources that are listed in the bibliography. But it's been rewritten so it doesn't read that way; you can't tell where any source begins or ends. That makes the manual a lot easier to use. And it's so long it could have been published as a book by itself. I'm glad to have it, because I've never been able to find a comprehensive sewing manual for this period. It even has corset-making instructions (the corset patterns are in Volume 1).

Both volumes are very well edited and produced. This is not a cheap printing job.

Anyone who does Old West reenactment or Victorian teas would love these books!

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