With his new book, he combines his encyclopedic knowledge of men's clothes with his signature wit and elegance to address the fundamental paradox of modern men's fashion: Why, after men today have spent more money on clothes than in any other period of history, are there fewer well-dressed men than at any time ever before?According to Flusser, dressing well is not all that difficult, the real challenge lies in being able to acquire the right personalized instruction. Dressing well pivots on two pillars -- proportion and color. Flusser believes that "Permanent Fashionability," both his promise and goal for the reader, starts by being accountable to a personal set of physical trademarks and not to any kind of random, seasonally served-up collection of fashion flashes.Unlike fashion, which is obliged to change each season, the face's shape, the neck's height, the shoulder's width, the arm's length, the torso's structure, and the foot's size remain fairly constant over time. Once a man learns how to adapt the fundamentals of permanent fashion to his physique and complexion, he's halfway home.Taking the reader through each major clothing classification step-by-step, this user-friendly guide helps you apply your own specifics to a series of dressing options, from business casual and formalwear to pattern-on-pattern coordination, or how to choose the most flattering clothing silhouette for your body type and shirt collar for your face.A man's physical traits represent his individual road map, and the quickest route toward forging an enduring style of dress is through exposure to the legendary practitioners of this rare masculine art. Flusser has assembled the largest andmost diverse collection of stylishly mantled men ever found in one book. Many never-before-seen vintage photographs from the era of Cary Grant, Tyrone Power, and Fred Astaire are employed to help illustrate the range and diversity of authentic men's fashion. Dressing the Man's sheer magnitude of options will enable the reader to expand both the grammar and verbiage of his permanent-fashion vocabulary.For those men hoping to find sartorial fulfillment somewhere down the road, tethering their journey to the mind-set of permanent fashion will deliver them earlier rather than later in life.

    From the taboo striped cloaks of the Middle Ages to the liberating stripes of the French and American flags, The Devil's Cloth chronicles the checkered past of this maligned and misunderstood pattern that has been linked to everything from medieval scandals to religious and political uprisings to contemporary fashion statements. The story begins nearly a thousand years ago, when the monks of the Carmelite Order were ordered by the Pope to surrender their striped garments--to superstitious minds a sure sign of the devil. Anti-stripe sentiment raged throughout the Middle Ages, becoming the de rigueur fashion for prostitutes, hangmen, lepers, court jesters, and disloyal Round Table knights. Over the centuries, the list expanded to include Jews, heretics, adulterous wives, madmen, convicts, and servants. Briefly rescued from ignominy by the Renaissance, the stripe enjoyed a resurgence in 1775, where its newly conferred status as an enduring symbol of freedom paved the way for a subsequent European comeback. With lively narrative style, Pastoureau traces the fascinating trajectory of the ubiquitous stripe from the stripe-related stress of biblical figures--Cain, Delilah, and Judas prominent among them--to the bathing suits, pinstripe suits, and pajamas of today. Not even the hapless zebra escapes the skewering lens of history. Whether its subject is horizontal or vertical, stylish or subversive, this richly informative book will appeal to readers of every stripe.

    Showing that the silhouette of women's dress has been in a state of continuous change, allied to economic and architectural evolution as well as changing ideas of sexual attractiveness, she itemizes three cycles in the last 400 years in which women's silhouette was blown up to the utmost limit, by artificial means, and then collapsed again to a long straight line. At these points and extremes were invariably considered absurdities and the corsets and hoops were discarded by their users, so that in actuality very few specimens from the earlier periods at least have come down to us.

    .Alternate colorways included with each project show you how swapping out fabrics can change the look of the same block. .Learn how to cut, piece, applique, machine quilt, bind, and finish. .Pick up helpful tips and tricks to stay organized and master the methods. Try a fresh, relaxed approach to making quilts with this new "go-to" book. The bright aesthetic and clear, simple instructions guide beginners and intermediates alike through the entire process of creating fun and useful quilts that they'll be proud to call their own."

    Next, you'll learn how to overcome the special challenges posed by clothing, including fabric folds and draping effects. Bradley illustrates how they're constructed and how to draw them in different situations--on male and female figures that are active or at rest.These reliable, proven drawing techniques will add a natural feel to your art, resulting in figures that look as if they could walk, run or dance right off the page.

    . . This clever, cute step-by-step guide will show you practical ways to get the most out of your creativity and live the life you want. There are also 10 original crafty projects to make and do.

    Whether a reader is looking to completely overhaul their look, go for complete vintage glam, or just introduce a few key vintage pieces into their day-to-day wardrobe, this book will teach them how. It is packed with tips on how to find unique, one-off items that fit any budget, look fabulous, and will retain their value, and also details what to look for, when to part with one's cash, and what to avoid. Readers will learn how to determine which era fits their shape, how to build a retro look from the base up, and how to make retro styles work with modern accessories. Filled with fun, detailed photographs showing classic looks from the 1920s to the 1980s, this is essential reading for anyone who has ever wanted to introduce vintage into their wardrobe, but felt unsure where to start.

    Now, here is the first book to provide a comprehensive and detailed look at the process involved in creating a successful graphic novel.

    Revolutionizing women's dress, Gabrielle "Coco'' Chanel was the twentieth century's most influential designer. Her extraordinary and unconventional journey-from abject poverty to a new kind of glamour- helped forge the idea of modern woman.Unearthing an astonishing life, this remarkable biography shows how, more than any previous designer, Chanel became synonymous with a rebellious and progressive style. Her numerous liaisons, whose poignant and tragic details have eluded all previous biographers, were the very stuff of legend. Witty and mesmerizing, she became muse, patron, or mistress to the century's most celebrated artists, including Picasso, Dalí, and Stravinsky.Drawing on newly discovered love letters and other records, Chaney's controversial book reveals the truth about Chanel's drug habit and lesbian affairs. And the question about Chanel's German lover during World War II (was he a spy for the Nazis?) is definitively answered.While uniquely highlighting the designer's far-reaching influence on the modern arts, Chaney's fascinating biography paints a deeper and darker picture of Coco Chanel than any so far. Movingly, it explores the origins, the creative power, and the secret suffering of this exceptional and often misread woman.

    

    Her clothes fit her body perfectly, her use of color is compelling, her shoes are to die for, and her accessories make her whole outfit pop with panache. Is she a fashion-industry insider? A millionaire? If she's smart, chances are she's a value vixen who's learned which styles best fit her figure, how to navigate the sales rack, and how to put together a look that's fashionably fabulous. With Style on a Shoestring as your guide, you willl learn how to have a great cents of style-without breaking the bank. This book teaches you the skills to give yourself a complete makeover, including:How to make a $5 thrift-store find look like a $500 designer dealGetting wardrobe wreckers out of your closet and reworking the frocks you already haveFinding the right denim, bra, tops-even the dreaded bathing suit--for your bodyWhat time, day, and month to pounce on the best bargainsWhich colors minimize figure flaws and showcase the good stuff

    But to market yourself well, you need the best package, and that’s your own authentic style. In The Way She Wears It, fashion illustrator and It girl Dallas Shaw shows you how to mix up your closet and shop like a rock star.The most highly sought-after fashion illustrator/luxury project designer working today uses her sketches, styling skills and visual expertise to help you develop your eye, define your aesthetic, banish the predictable, stock your wardrobe, and make heads turn in this highly visual and lavishly designed & illustrated personal fashion guide.Working backstage, in showrooms, and alongside creative directors and iconic designers, Dallas learned from the best. In this sophisticated, illustrated handbook, this go-to girl for clients ranging from Chanel, Donna Karan, Oscar de la Renta, Kate Spade, Christian Louboutin, and Ralph Lauren to Anthropologie, Target, Maybelline, and Neutrogena shares her insider tricks—expert layering hacks, the secrets to print pairing, bold color choices—and something you won’t find off the rack: confidence.Organized around a range of challenges, this lookbook-meets workbook-is a must for every woman, whether you’re a fashion novice trying to figure out your signature style, a fashionista who wants to step up her game, or the most stylish presence in the room looking to stay ahead of the competition. Mixing breathtaking creative visuals—hundreds of photos and drawings, including 100 original pieces of art—and a little bit of girl talk,Dallas teaches every woman how to banish the predictable and develop and maintain their own unique look. She also busts fashion myths, serves up insider industry tricks and expert picks, and most important, inspires you to live beautifully.

    The concluding chapter by Amy de la Haye, covering the second half of the twentieth century, has now been updated by Andrew Tucker. He discusses the reinvention in the 1990s of the luxury label Gucci, the rise of houses such as Prada and Tommy Hilfiger, and the appointments of relatively avant-garde British, American, and European designers to head classic French houses. All the late-twentieth-century and turn-of-the-century style innovations are included, such as the appropriation of utility clothing by designers like Helmut Lang—who spearheaded the predominantly unisex urban sportswear look—and the impact of workplace dressing down on masculine fashion. The phenomenon of the must-have accessory—the pashmina shawl and the Fendi baguette, for example—is also considered.

    In this follow-up to Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing, Gretchen “Gertie” Hirsch celebrates the classic casual styles that icons like Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, and Rosie the Riveter made famous—think wide-legged trousers, fitted capri pants, beach rompers, shorts, knit tops, jeans, and day dresses. In Part I, Hirsch introduces key techniques for sportswear construction—from working with knit fabrics to the intricacies of pant-making—and in Part II, she showcases a 30-plus-piece vintage-inspired casual wardrobe.

    Each easy-to-follow pattern is presented with step-by-step diagrams, hilarious commentary, and full-color photographs of the bloodcurdlingly sweet creatures in their natural environments. Creepy Cute Crochet comes complete with helpful crochet tips and a down-and-dirty course in doll making, with each pattern ranked by difficulty level, so even beginners can share in the fun.The scary-cute photographs, accessible instructions, and illustrated patterns are sure to be a hit with indie crafters, angsty teens, and hip moms everywhere.