"Alligators, Old Mink & New Money" is a celebration of the clothes that capture our memories and imaginations, that leave their indelible stamp on each of our lives. Alison Houtte--a former fashion model who runs the beloved Brooklyn, New York, boutique Hooti Couture--knows that every article of vintage clothing has a story behind it, and she uses these items as a springboard to explore such universal topics as relationships, self-image, the bond between mothers and daughters, and that elusive thing called style.

Whether you're a flea market veteran who savors the thrill of the hunt, a couture shopper with a "Vogue" budget, or are simply drawn to the de rigueur world of vintage, "Alligators, Old Mink & New Money" offers a shopping adventure--through auctions, estate sales, flea markets, and clothing racks all over the world--to be savored, and inspired by!

In Persia the Parasol is repeatedly found in the carved work of Persepolis, and Sir John Malcolm has an article on the subject in his "History of Persia." In some sculptures--of a very Egyptian character, by the way--the figure of a king appears attended by a slave, who carries over his head an Umbrella, with stretchers and runner complete. In other sculptures on the rock at Takht-i-Bostan, supposed to be not less than twelve centuries old, a deer-hunt is represented, at which a king looks on, seated on a horse, and having an Umbrella borne over his head by an attendant.

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

The history of textiles, more than that of any other artefact, is the history of human ingenuity. From the very earliest needles of 25,000 years ago, to the "techno textiles" used in Space Shuttle parachutes, they have been fundamental to human existence and achievement, and - as this book demonstrates - have informed developments in many other areas from agriculture to metallurgy. Textiles are truly global commodities, common to every culture and for a long time the motivation for trade, the exchange of ideas and sometimes even conflict, between these cultures. Silks from China, carpets from Persia, ikats from Indonesia, cottons from India, fine linens from Flanders - each one of these transactions has helped to shape the modern world. Written as a chronological survey spanning prehistory to the early 21st century, this book is organized around five themes - materials, methods, trade, technology and social structures - which allow textiles from all ages to be investigated from many angles: how they are made, what they are made from, how they function in society, the ways in which they are valued and given meaning, and the messages they contain. This approach shows the intricate re

Accurate representations of period apparel depict 21 Confederate uniforms, 24 Union uniforms, different ranks, states, units; historical figures include Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, David G. Farragut, and others -- shown in color on covers. Descriptive captions.

Rare and authentic, this vintage guide to the intricacies of Victorian needlecraft features step-by-step instructions for mastering an array of techniques and patterns. Scores of diagrams and photos illustrate a rich and varied repertoire of needlework projects and related crafts. Aspiring or accomplished, needleworkers at every level of expertise will find many projects here to love, all abounding in old-fashioned charm. Featured projects include Bulgarian, Catalan, Hungarian, and Baro embroidery; a lesson in netting; hemstitching; making fringes; Berlin wool-work; Rhodes embroidery and punched work; Bohemian, Carrickmacross, Innishmacsaint; and reticella lace; and beads and beadwork. Approx. 87 b/w illustrations.

In recent years kilims have become sought after both as functional and as decorative items. Their versatility, the beauty of their colours and patterning and their reasonable prices all help to explain this level of interest, but the abundance of patterns and style has made the search for the right kilim a bewildering process. This comprehensive guide ensures that independent advice is now available. For the beginner, the guide explains what kilims are, how, where and by whom they are made, how they get their names and how they are classified and marketed. For those who are thinking of buying, the guide offers advice on suitability and quality, when and where to buy and it provides a useful table of comparisons. For those who know the basics but want to know more, the book offers an overview of the events and beliefs that have shaped the kilim-making world, providing a reference source on tribal, regional and contemporary workshop weaving groups.

The most colorful and complete book published on the most enduring souvenir ever invented: the Hawaiian shirt. Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of images, this book recounts the colorful stories behind these marvelous shirts: as cultural icons, evocative of the mystery and the allure of the islands, capturing the vibe of the watermen culture and lifestyle -- casual, relaxed, and fun. Valued by professional collectors and by millions of vacationers and fashionistos, these shirts are enjoying a fashion revival. Drawing from hundreds of interviews, newspaper and magazine archives, and personal memorabilia, the author evokes the world of the designers, seamstresses, manufacturers, and retailers who created the industry and nurtured it from its single-sewing-machine-shop beginnings to an enterprise of international scope and importance and its revival today. The Aloha Shirt is both a dazzling, fun-to-browse art book, and a fascinating chronicle of the world's love affair with Hawaii.

From rugged Japanese firemen's ceremonial robes and austere rural work-wear to colorful, delicately-patterned cotton kimonos, this lavishly illustrated volume explores Japan's rich tradition of textiles. Textiles are an eloquent form of cultural expression and of great importance in the daily life of a people, as well as in their rituals and ceremonies. The traditional clothing and fabrics featured in this book were made and used in the islands of the Japanese archipelago between the late 18th and the mid 20th century. The Thomas Murray collection featured in this book includes daily dress, work-wear, and festival garb and follows the Arts and Crafts philosophy of the Mingei Movement, which saw that modernization would leave behind traditional art forms such as the hand-made textiles used by country people, farmers, and fisherman. It presents subtly patterned cotton fabrics, often indigo dyed from the main islands of Honshu and Kyushu, along with garments of the more remote islands: the graphic bark cloth, nettle fiber, and fish skin robes of the aboriginal Ainu in Hokkaido and Sakhalin to the north, and the brilliantly colored cotton kimonos of Okinawa to the far south. Numerous examples of these fabrics, photographed in exquisite detail, offer insight into Japan's complex textile history as well as inspiration for today's designers and artists. This volume explores the range and artistry of the country's tradition of fiber arts and is an essential resource for anyone captivated by the Japanese aesthetic.

Exploring prize textiles known as tiraz, whose meaning and materiality illuminate the interwoven communities of the medieval Islamic world Social Fabrics looks at tiraz-highly prized textiles enhanced with woven, embroidered, or painted inscriptions in Arabic-to trace the structure of medieval Egyptian society during a transformative period. It reveals a story as interwoven and complex as these delicate objects themselves. A foundational introduction to the topic, this exhibition catalogue combines richly illustrated entries with essays on the history of Egypt at the time, the meaning and materiality of tiraz, and the history of collecting these objects in US institutions. Created throughout the region (including lands now in Iran, Iraq, and Yemen) in the centuries following the Arab Muslim conquest of Egypt, inscribed textiles were a visual form of communication in a society that was ethnically, linguistically, and religiously diverse. Those with inscriptions regulated by the government were particularly valued, proclaiming their owners' membership in the ruling elite. Distributed for the Harvard Art Museums Exhibition Schedule: Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA (January 22-May 8, 2022)

Art takes many forms. In this selection of Asian court attire, dating from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), the phrase "you are what you wear" resonates. Vollmer journeys back to the thirteenth-century Chinese Empire, where ancestors of the ruling Manchu conquerors dressed fittingly. These exquisite costumes remind us that royalty once set fashion standards the way that celebrities do today, but that these garments also promoted distinct national and political messages that helped keep a ruling minority in power for nearly three centuries. Dressed to Rule is a guide to the exhibit, of the same name, that appeared at the University of Alberta in 2007.

Meticulously embroidered pictures that could be framed and displayed formed a part of a girl's education through the Goergian period in Britain (1714-1830). This book shows the variety of subjects and techniques and also glances at the work produced in American schools. As well as schoolgirls, outstanding women like Miss Morritt, Mrs Knowles and Miss Linwood produced large embroidered pictures to simulate paintings, greatly admired at the time, but now totally neglected. Pictorial needlework also adored upholstery, chair seats, screens and wallhangings. This book will be a useful handbook for collectors, museum curators and antique dealers, and an inspiration to the modern needlewoman.