Famous Frocks: The Little Black Dress PDF Download

Author: Dolin Bliss O'Shea
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 1452130442
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
“[A] stylishly presented collection of sewing patterns for 10 LBDs; O’Shea also shows how each pattern can be adapted to another look.” —Publishers Weekly Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly . . . Each of these women had an influential take on the most classic wardrobe staple of all: the Little Black Dress. In this chic sewing book, patternmaker Dolin Bliss O’Shea pulls inspiration from famous LBDs throughout history—including Mary Quant’s mod mini, a classic wrap dress worn by Liza Minnelli, Princess Diana’s smart A-line, and more—and offers patterns for reinterpreted versions that are perfectly stylish. Including ten full dress patterns with sewing variations to make twenty garments in all, a primer on sewing techniques, vintage photographs of style icons, and full-color shots of the finished pieces, this book has everything fashionistas need to bring timeless style right into their closets. “Features famous little black dresses over the decades. Learn how to sew up Audrey Hepburn’s Sabrina Dress or Kate Moss’ sexy lace dress of the millennium . . . The patterns in this book can take you through the work week to weekend cocktail parties!” —Coquette

Author: Sara Alm
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 9780811877916
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Audrey Hepburn, Jackie O., Marilyn Monroe. . . these women wore stylish dresses that still make us swoon today. Famous Frocks provides everything needed to recreate these iconic looks by hand including Audrey s little black dress, Marilyn s poster-classic white halter, Madonna s sexy Like a Virgin number, and more. Vintage photos of the original look alongside beautiful color illustrations of the finished projects offer inspiration, while how-to illustrations break down each step so sewers of all skill levels can follow along. Packaged in an attractive lay-flat hardcover and featuring full-sized patterns for 10 classic dresses updated to be stylish for today (plus 10 variants for a full 20 new looks), this entirely original sewing book is a treat for lovers of vintage style.

Author: William Banks-Blaney
Publisher: Quadrille Publishing
ISBN: 9781849496704
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Through his selection of 25 iconic vintage dresses, William Banks-Blaney tells the history of twentieth-century couture, the fashion designers who created the dresses and the women who wore them. Each dress is examined for its design and construction, its cut and embellishments, in order to evaluate the artistry of the couturier. With exquisite photography of arguably the finest examples of each of these landmark designers, and bolstered by fashion plates contemporary to the selected pieces, Iconic Dresses is the distillation of the knowledge and skill that William employs every day when fitting the world's most beautiful dresses to today's women.

Author: Boni Ashburn
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1613122020
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
Open up a fresh and stylish story about growing up and keeping hold of your favorite memories. As the year passes, the narrator’s favorite dress goes through a series of creative changes, from dress to shirt to tank top to scarf and so on, until all that’s left of it is a good memory. Assisted by her patient and crafty mama, the narrator finds that when disaster strikes her favorite things, she doesn’t need to make mountains out of molehills—she “makes molehills out of mountains” instead! Structured around the days of the week, the story is also illustrated to show the passing of the seasons, a perfect complement to the themes of growing older and keeping hold (and letting go) of special mementos. Praise for I Had a Favorite Dress "A spunky story about adjusting to change with creativity and style. Tailor-made, so to speak, for the Etsy generation of DIY enthusiasts.” –Publishers Weekly “Everyone is smiling in the buoyant confections created by illustrator Julia Denos—including, it’s fair to say, young readers looking at them. Endearing picture book.” –Wall Street Journal “What could have been yet another example of kindergarten consumerism instead becomes one of resourcefulness and resilience.” –New York Times “Denos’s multimedia illustrations reinforce the narrator’s vibrant personality and the amazing transformations of the dress while capturing the action and emotion of the story. This book is sure to capture the imaginations of would-be seamstresses; children who can’t bear to part with a favorite item; and those who want to reduce, reuse, recycle.” –School Library Journal “Breezy in style, they smartly stitch each scene of alteration as the not-so-little girl sashays through the days of the week and the seasons. A charming interpretation of an old story that will speak to young fashionistas.” –Kirkus Reviews

Author: Linda Przybyszewski
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465080472
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 402

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Book Description
"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.

Author: Suzanne Lussier
Publisher: Victoria & Albert Museum
ISBN: 9781851775651
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"The costume and decor of the Ballets Russes took Paris by storm in 1909 and fuelled a mania for the exotic, for vibrant patterns and rich, luxurious textiles. It only took the genius of designers like Paul Poiret and Natalia Goncharova to transform these into garments that were bold, inventive and quintessentially modern. Ballet, theatre and cinema all lent ideas to mainstream fashion, as did artists of the avant-garde such as Sonia Delaunay."--BOOK JACKET.

Author: Tessa Arlen
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593436865
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
A sumptuous novel based on the fascinating true story of La Belle Époque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, who shattered the boundaries of fashion with her magnificently sensual and enchantingly unique design from the USA Today bestselling author of In Royal Service to the Queen. Lucy Duff Gordon knows she is talented. She sees color, light, and texture in ways few people can begin to imagine. But is the male dominated world of haute couture, who would use her art for their own gain, ready for her? When she is deserted by her wealthy husband, Lucy is left penniless with an aging mother and her five-year-old daughter to support. Desperate to survive, Lucy turns to her one true talent to make a living. As a little girl, the dresses she made for her dolls were the envy of her group of playmates. Now, she uses her creative designs and her remarkable eye for color to take her place in the fashion world—failure is not an option. Then, on a frigid night in 1912, Lucy’s life changes once more, when she becomes one of 706 people to survive the sinking of the Titanic. She could never have imagined the effects the disaster would have on her fashion label Lucile, her marriage to her second husband, and her legacy. But no matter what life throws at her, Lucy will live on as a trailblazing and innovative fashion icon, never letting go of what she worked so hard to earn. This is her story.

Author: Mary Tomer
Publisher: Center Street
ISBN: 1599953129
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 313

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Book Description
Celebrated for her style and substance, Michelle Obama has transformed the role of first lady and become a 21st century icon, attracting attention from all over the world. The qualities so admired in her - intelligence, strength and charisma - radiate through her personal style, which has united accessibility with high-wattage glamour. The clothes, like the woman, feel both familiar and inspirational. Readily mixing high-end labels with more affordable brands, with a focus on craftsmanship and artistry, Mrs. O has elevated the notion of real value and ushered in a new era of "fashion democracy". Building on the success of Mrs-O.org - the Web site that chronicles Michelle Obama's style -- Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy takes a closer look at America's modern style icon, featuring more than 120 photographs of the first lady and delving into the back story of her clothes and accessories. It also goes behind the scenes with interviews from her favorite designers, including Isabel Toledo, Jason Wu, Michael Kors, Maria Pinto and Isaac Mizrahi. Opening with a brief overview of Michelle Obama's early years, the book goes on to provide rarely seen photos from behind-the-scenes on the presidential primary trail through the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the monumental events of election night, the inauguration and early chapters of life in the White House. The final chapter hears the opinions of Mrs. O's adoring fans - giving the last word to the people. Original photographs of Michelle Obama's most iconic looks, along with commentary from fashion experts, top off this tactile visual feast. Woven together with sketches and illustration inspired by the first lady, the book reveals the story of a new era of American fashion.

Author: Posie Graeme-Evans
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0731814770
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 493

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Book Description
Set in 1850s London, at the height of Victoria's reign, Posie Graeme-Evans' glorious fourth historical novel tells of a woman ahead of her time. Ellen Gowan is a famous dress designer for ladies of high society and one of the very few women in England who owns her own business. But her life wasn't always one of such privilege. The only surviving daughter of a Cambridge scholar-turned village minister and a beautiful woman who was disowned by her family for marrying for love, Ellen had a childhood plentiful in affection, if not in currency and dresses made of fine silks. Tragedy strikes on her thirteenth birthday, when her father dies suddenly, leaving Ellen and her mother penniless and dependent upon the kindness of her mother's estranged family. Life takes Ellen down various roads of opulence and depravity until she lands in the arms of the devilishly handsome Raoul de Valentin, whom she marries. Just when Ellen realizes that she is with child, Raoul abandons her. Determined to survive, she begins her long climb to success, first by toiling at a dress factory, then opening up her own salon in the fashionable Battle Square. The Dressmaker is a romantic odyssey that takes readers into the most luxurious of ballrooms and the most squalid of brothels. It is the sweeping story of a true heroine and her quest to live life fully-to find success, to find love, in an era when such ideas were unheard of for a woman. Brimming with romance, social intrigue and rich, detailed illustrations of Victorian London and its varied inhabitants

Author: Cassie Davies-Strodder
Publisher: Victoria & Albert Museum
ISBN: 9781851778317
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Over 80 years ago, Heather Firbank packed away her extensive collection of fine clothes, bought from London's very best dressmakers and tailors. These treasures lay undiscovered for the next 30 years, until after her death, they were given to the V&A, laying the foundations for the Museum's world-famous collection. Firbank was an enthusiastic shopper and bought her clothes from the world's leading couture houses, including Lucile, Redfern and Mascotte, as well as private dressmakers and department stores. Her collection forms an invaluable record of fashionable Edwardian taste over a period of some 15 years. Beautifully illustrated with new photography of finely crafted evening gowns, tailored suits and glamorous hats, the book also features contemporary photographs and pages from Heather's own albums of fashion cuttings. It vividly maps out the London couture scene of Edwardian Britain, and charts changes in fashion through the tumultuous first decades of the twentieth century. Through the story of Heather's own life, both joyous and troubled, this book celebrates the central role of clothing in creating a single woman's identity.