We may not often think of our clothes as having a function beyond covering our naked bodies and keeping us a little safer from the elements. But to discount the enormous influence of clothing on anything from economic cycles to the future of water scarcity is to ignore the greater meaning of the garments we put on our backs. Disrobed vividly considers the role that clothing plays in everything from natural disasters to climate change to terrorism to geopolitics to agribusiness. Chapter by chapter, Tang takes the reader on an unusual journey, telling stories and asking questions that most consumers have never considered about their clothing. Why do banker's wives sell off their clothes and how does that presage a recession? How is clothing linked to ethanol and starvation on the African continent? Could RFID in clothing save the lives of millions of people in earthquakes around the world? This book takes an everyday item and considers it in a way that readers may not have previously thought possible. It tackles topics relevant to today, everything from fakes in the museums to farm-to-table eating, and answers questions about how we can anticipate and change our world in areas as far-reaching as the environment, politics, and the clash of civilizations occurring between countries. Much like other pop economics books have done before, the stories are easily retold in water-cooler style, allowing them to be thoughtfully considered, argued, and discussed.

'I loved her then, I love her now. Annie's back and she's better than ever! Fun, feel good and feisty - Annie Valentine is the woman you want to share a cocktail with!' Portia MacIntoshCan she make it big in the big apple? When Annie Valentine lands her dream job in the heart of fabulous Manhattan, it's a pinch me moment. She's finally made it to the city that never sleeps and will look a million dollars doing it! And this time, Annie is going to make it a family affair and take her teenage daughter Lauren with her to show her the fashion highs and lows and to have a bit of other and daughter bonding...what could possibly go wrong? But back home in London, husband Ed faces a scandal at work and knows, in his heart, he needs Annie back. Suddenly Annie finds herself torn between her true love in London and her new love, New York. Does it have to be fashion or family...or can Annie Valentine have it all? Fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and Paige Toon will love this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from bestselling author Carmen Reid. What readers are saying! "If you love shopping as much as you love a great read, try this. Wonderful." Bestselling author, Katie Fforde "Annie Valentine is a wonderful character - I want her to burst into my life and sort out my wardrobe for me!" Bestselling author, Jill Mansell "You will enjoy getting to know Annie Valentine; laughing with her and crying with her. You may even fall in love with her . . . I have! A fantastic read!" Reader review "Fantastic read, couldn't put it down" Reader review "Can't wait to read the next one!" Reader review

'I loved her then, I love her now. Annie's back and she's better than ever! Fun, feel good and feisty - Annie Valentine is the woman you want to share a cocktail with!' Portia MacIntoshCan she make it big in the big apple? When Annie Valentine lands her dream job in the heart of fabulous Manhattan, it's a pinch me moment. She's finally made it to the city that never sleeps and will look a million dollars doing it! And this time, Annie is going to make it a family affair and take her teenage daughter Lauren with her to show her the fashion highs and lows and to have a bit of other and daughter bonding...what could possibly go wrong? But back home in London, husband Ed faces a scandal at work and knows, in his heart, he needs Annie back. Suddenly Annie finds herself torn between her true love in London and her new love, New York. Does it have to be fashion or family...or can Annie Valentine have it all? Fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and Paige Toon will love this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from bestselling author Carmen Reid. What readers are saying! "If you love shopping as much as you love a great read, try this. Wonderful." Bestselling author, Katie Fforde "Annie Valentine is a wonderful character - I want her to burst into my life and sort out my wardrobe for me!" Bestselling author, Jill Mansell "You will enjoy getting to know Annie Valentine; laughing with her and crying with her. You may even fall in love with her . . . I have! A fantastic read!" Reader review "Fantastic read, couldn't put it down" Reader review "Can't wait to read the next one!" Reader review

She's hit the big time...hasn't she?Personal shopper, Annie Valentine, is presenting her own popular TV fashion series. But despite this being Annie's dream job, success isn't all it's cracked up to be and suddenly Annie is feeling the pressure! Especially as boyfriend Ed is left at home looking after their brand-new twin babies, whilst Annie comes to terms with fame. And as Annie gets more and more sucked into the celebrity showbiz world, she feels like she's losing more and more of who she really is. Could the big break she's always wanted, actually be a big mistake? Fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and Paige Toon will love this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from bestselling author Carmen Reid. What readers are saying! "If you love shopping as much as you love a great read, try this. Wonderful." Bestselling author, Katie Fforde "Annie Valentine is a wonderful character - I want her to burst into my life and sort out my wardrobe for me!" Bestselling author, Jill Mansell "You will enjoy getting to know Annie Valentine; laughing with her and crying with her. You may even fall in love with her . . . I have! A fantastic read!" Reader review "Fantastic read, couldn't put it down" Reader review "Can't wait to read the next one!" Reader review

'I loved her then, I love her now. Annie's back and she's better than ever! Fun, feel good and feisty - Annie Valentine is the woman you want to share a cocktail with!' Portia MacIntoshHer passion is fashion... but she's on a budget! Personal shopper Annie Valentine is about to hit the big time: presenting a glamorous TV makeover series! This is it for Annie and her little family. No more scrimping and saving, finally all her hard work has paid off. But life in the spotlight isn't all it's cracked up to be. Soon, Annie discovers this is TV on a shoestring and her budget is zip. But more than this, Annie feels as though the women she should be helping to look fabulous, go away feeling all the more like fashion failures! Can Annie make it in the spotlight? Or will making it big mean losing who she really is? Fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and Paige Toon will love this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from bestselling author Carmen Reid. What readers are saying! "If you love shopping as much as you love a great read, try this. Wonderful." Bestselling author, Katie Fforde "Annie Valentine is a wonderful character - I want her to burst into my life and sort out my wardrobe for me!" Bestselling author, Jill Mansell "You will enjoy getting to know Annie Valentine; laughing with her and crying with her. You may even fall in love with her . . . I have! A fantastic read!" Reader review "Fantastic read, couldn't put it down" Reader review "Can't wait to read the next one!" Reader review

'I loved her then, I love her now. Annie's back and she's better than ever! Fun, feel good and feisty - Annie Valentine is the woman you want to share a cocktail with!' Portia MacIntoshHer passion is fashion... but she's on a budget! Personal shopper Annie Valentine is about to hit the big time: presenting a glamorous TV makeover series! This is it for Annie and her little family. No more scrimping and saving, finally all her hard work has paid off. But life in the spotlight isn't all it's cracked up to be. Soon, Annie discovers this is TV on a shoestring and her budget is zip. But more than this, Annie feels as though the women she should be helping to look fabulous, go away feeling all the more like fashion failures! Can Annie make it in the spotlight? Or will making it big mean losing who she really is? Fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and Paige Toon will love this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from bestselling author Carmen Reid. What readers are saying! "If you love shopping as much as you love a great read, try this. Wonderful." Bestselling author, Katie Fforde "Annie Valentine is a wonderful character - I want her to burst into my life and sort out my wardrobe for me!" Bestselling author, Jill Mansell "You will enjoy getting to know Annie Valentine; laughing with her and crying with her. You may even fall in love with her . . . I have! A fantastic read!" Reader review "Fantastic read, couldn't put it down" Reader review "Can't wait to read the next one!" Reader review

'I loved her then, I love her now. Annie's back and she's better than ever! Fun, feel good and feisty - Annie Valentine is the woman you want to share a cocktail with!' Portia MacIntosh Can she get her life back online?Tired of being underestimated, Annie Valentine is determined to prove to everyone that she can make her life a success. Her job as a personal shopper is brilliant, but she's now intent on setting up a shoe and handbag empire of her own. To get there, she'll do anything and go anywhere - the handbag factories of Italy are calling! But what started out as a fun after hours project is getting slightly out of hand. Because Annie is working around the clock to bag the perfect bargain, and her family life and relationship with adorable Ed is feeling the strain. Annie knows she is getting in too deep, but the more she tries to pull back, the more risks she takes. Soon, everything Annie loves is on the line and perhaps the only way to have it all is to step into the real world again.... Fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and Paige Toon will love this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from bestselling author Carmen Reid. What readers are saying! "If you love shopping as much as you love a great read, try this. Wonderful." Bestselling author, Katie Fforde "Annie Valentine is a wonderful character - I want her to burst into my life and sort out my wardrobe for me!" Bestselling author, Jill Mansell "You will enjoy getting to know Annie Valentine; laughing with her and crying with her. You may even fall in love with her . . . I have! A fantastic read!" Reader review "Fantastic read, couldn't put it down" Reader review "Can't wait to read the next one!" Reader review

'I loved her then, I love her now. Annie's back and she's better than ever! Fun, feel good and feisty - Annie Valentine is the woman you want to share a cocktail with!' Portia MacIntosh Can she get her life back online?Tired of being underestimated, Annie Valentine is determined to prove to everyone that she can make her life a success. Her job as a personal shopper is brilliant, but she's now intent on setting up a shoe and handbag empire of her own. To get there, she'll do anything and go anywhere - the handbag factories of Italy are calling! But what started out as a fun after hours project is getting slightly out of hand. Because Annie is working around the clock to bag the perfect bargain, and her family life and relationship with adorable Ed is feeling the strain. Annie knows she is getting in too deep, but the more she tries to pull back, the more risks she takes. Soon, everything Annie loves is on the line and perhaps the only way to have it all is to step into the real world again.... Fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and Paige Toon will love this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from bestselling author Carmen Reid. What readers are saying! "If you love shopping as much as you love a great read, try this. Wonderful." Bestselling author, Katie Fforde "Annie Valentine is a wonderful character - I want her to burst into my life and sort out my wardrobe for me!" Bestselling author, Jill Mansell "You will enjoy getting to know Annie Valentine; laughing with her and crying with her. You may even fall in love with her . . . I have! A fantastic read!" Reader review "Fantastic read, couldn't put it down" Reader review "Can't wait to read the next one!" Reader review

The apparel and textiles industry is one of the industries most affected by globalization, and involves complex relationships that are constantly evolving. This carefully-researched book, formally Plunkett's Apparel & Textiles Industry Almanac, covers exciting trends in apparel and textile supply chains; manufacturing; design; women's, men's and children's fashions; shoes; accessories; retailing; trade; distribution; technologies; and smart fabrics. It includes a thorough market analysis as well as our highly respected trends analysis. It also includes thousands of contacts for business and industry leaders, industry associations, Internet sites and other resources. In addition, this book features extensive statistical tables, an industry glossary and thorough indexes. We are careful to detail the latest developments in global trade agreements, third party logistics and retail chain stores, along with important news from China and other emerging nations. The corporate profiles section of the book includes our proprietary, in-depth profiles of the 350 leading companies in all facets of the apparel and textiles industry. Major retailers, distributors, manufacturers and designers are covered thoroughly. You'll find a complete overview, industry analysis and market research report in one superb, value-priced package.

The apparel and textiles industry is one of the industries most affected by globalization, and involves complex relationships that are constantly evolving. This carefully-researched book, formally Plunkett's Apparel & Textiles Industry Almanac, covers exciting trends in apparel and textile supply chains; manufacturing; design; women's, men's and children's fashions; shoes; accessories; retailing; trade; distribution; technologies; and smart fabrics. It includes a thorough market analysis as well as our highly respected trends analysis. It also includes thousands of contacts for business and industry leaders, industry associations, Internet sites and other resources. In addition, this book features extensive statistical tables, an industry glossary and thorough indexes. We are careful to detail the latest developments in global trade agreements, third party logistics and retail chain stores, along with important news from China and other emerging nations. The corporate profiles section of the book includes our proprietary, in-depth profiles of the 350 leading companies in all facets of the apparel and textiles industry. Major retailers, distributors, manufacturers and designers are covered thoroughly. You'll find a complete overview, industry analysis and market research report in one superb, value-priced package.

The apparel and textiles industry is one of the industries most affected by globalization, and involves complex relationships that are constantly evolving. This carefully-researched book covers exciting trends in apparel and textile supply chains; manufacturing; design; women's, men's and children's fashions; shoes; accessories; retailing; trade; distribution; technologies; and smart fabrics. It includes a thorough market analysis as well as our highly respected trends analysis. It also includes thousands of contacts for business and industry leaders, industry associations, Internet sites and other resources. In addition, this book features extensive statistical tables, an industry glossary and thorough indexes. We are careful to detail the latest developments in global trade agreements, third party logistics and retail chain stores, along with important news from China and other emerging nations. The corporate profiles section of the book includes our proprietary, in-depth profiles of the 350 leading companies in all facets of the apparel and textiles industry. Major retailers, distributors, manufacturers and designers are covered thoroughly. Purchasers will find a form in the book enabling them to register for 1-year, 1-seat online access to tools at Plunkett Research Online, including the ability to view the market research/industry trends section and industry statistics. You have access, at no additional charge, to the very latest data posted to Plunkett Research Online. Online tools enable you to search and view selected companies, and then export selected company contact data, including executive names. You'll find a complete overview, industry analysis and market research report in one superb, value-priced package.

Now in paperback, this is the perennial bestseller that is an incredible look at the artistry happening in boot manufacturing over the last twenty years. With more than 25,000 copies sold in hardcover, "Art of the Boot" is a must-have guide to the artisans and manufacturers of America's classic footwear. Its features: excellent detail shots; a guide to some of today's finest bootmakers; a comprehensive resource guide; and, an excellent reference for designing your own pair of custom boots. It is "A glossy coffee-table book for the true bootist."

"Apparel Manufacturing: Sewn Product Analysis" is designed to provide a conceptual framework of the manufacturing process for future apparel professionals. It helps students understand the complex decision making involved in marketing, merchandising, and producing apparel to meet the needs of the target customer. Our intent, is to provide a global, integrated perspective so that readers will understand the interrelationships among processes and decisions.

The content is divided into five parts that focus on the factors that determine the cost, price, quality, performance, and value of garments.

• Part I presents a broad perspective of the organization of the apparel business, the roles of marketing and merchandising, and the complexities of operating in a worldwide market.
• Part II provides a comprehensive discussion of apparel development processes including development of product standards and specifications. Specific roles of design and technical design are enhanced with new sections on establishing garment fit and finishing.
• Part III focuses on apparel management with emphasis on quality, cost, materials, product development, and production sourcing.
• Part IV examines production processes considering engineering, production planning and management, and human resources that underlay preproduction, sewing, equipment, and finishing operations.
• Part V focuses on management, issues and decisions related to support materials, closures, and trims.
• Appendices enable readers to relate sewn product decisions to three basic apparel products including t-shirts, men's dress slacks, and dress shirts.

In this revealing social history, Daniel Thomas Cook explores the roots of children's consumer culture--and the commodification of childhood itself--by looking at the rise, growth, and segmentation of the children's clothing industry. Cook describes how in the early twentieth century merchants, manufacturers, and advertisers of children's clothing began to aim commercial messages at the child rather than the mother. Cook situates this fundamental shift in perspective within the broader transformation of the child into a legitimate, individualized, self-contained consumer.

"The Commodification of Childhood" begins with the publication of the children's wear industry's first trade journal, " The Infants' Department, " in 1917 and extends into the early 1960s, by which time the changes Cook chronicles were largely complete. Analyzing trade journals and other documentary sources, Cook shows how the industry created a market by developing and promulgating new understandings of the "nature," needs, and motivations of the child consumer. He discusses various ways that discursive constructions of the consuming child were made material: in the creation of separate children's clothing departments, in their segmentation and layout by age and gender gradations (such as infant, toddler, boys, girls, tweens, and teens), in merchants' treatment of children as individuals on the retail floor, and in displays designed to appeal directly to children. Ultimately, " The Commodification of Childhood" provides a compelling argument that any consideration of "the child" must necessarily take into account how childhood came to be understood through, and structured by, a market idiom.

Heres what reviewers said about the first edition of The Essential Outdoor Gear Manual

The trouble with outdoor equipment is that everyone has an opinion--one usually based on advertising hype, personal bias, or hearsay. Finally, heres a book that gives you all the information necessary to make objective buying decisions. This book, with its sound advice, will save you money and make you a better backcountry traveler.--Nancy Prichard, outdoor adventure journalist

Think about something that we all need, yet wed all hate to have to write a book about. After mouthwash, wed probably settle on gear repair and maintenance. Thank goodness Annie Getchell came along with her artists sensitivity for detail, a flair for language, and best of all, her wit. From repairing zippers to selecting green adhesives, she nails it and keeps us smiling the entire distance.--John Viehman, Publisher of Backpacker and Executive Producer and Series Host of Anyplace Wild

The Essential Outdoor Gear Manual has set a new standard for books about gear.--Backcountry

All of us should be grateful to Annie Getchell for creating what is the best book I have ever seen on caring for and repairing your outdoor gear. If you want to know how to make your gear last longer, you need this book. . . . This is the complete word on care and repair.--Adventure West

The big challenge with this sort of book is to make what is essentially an instruction manual into something thats pleasant to read, functional, and authoritative. Annie Getchell pulls it off.--Alan Kesselheim, writer and noted long-distance paddler

It is almost impossible to imagine modern life without this device; yet for the first thirty years or so, from its patent in the late nineteenth century, it represented no real advantage over traditional fasteners like the hook-and-eye or the old-fashioned button. The zipper was mechanically awkward, liable to rust, liable to fail (i.e., snag or burst open), and so expensive that it doubled the retail price of a skirt or a pair of pants. But from the beginning the zipper had an allure, a mystery, a kind of sex appeal that would be echoed in songs, poems, and popular novels. Robert Friedel has written a fascinating history full of strange twists, paradoxes, and interesting characters of this signature gadget of the twentieth century. Inventor Whitcomb Judson (whose efforts lay mostly in patenting a doomed undertaking known as the Pneumatic Streetcar) gave the zipper life; businessman Colonel Lewis Walker had the capital and the faith to back it for forty years; and cultural icons such as Marlon Brando, Erica Jong, and the Rolling Stones helped to turn it into a symbol for sexuality and style. Not just the story of a distinctive technology, Zipper is an entertaining, informative examination of how new things become part of our daily lives, shaping how we think and act."

The Pattern Cutting Primer is the ultimate resource for keen sewers and aspiring fashion designers looking to get to grips with every aspect of pattern design and customization. This practical and accessible book covers all the basics of pattern design and cutting and gives readers the confidence to take matters into their own hands and produce perfect patterns for all garments and styles.
Featuring clear step-by-step instructions, The Pattern Cutting Primer covers all the basics of tools and equipment, pattern symbols and fabrics, drafting techniques, pattern developments, finishing and even gives guidelines on how to sell and market your own patterns. The perfect resource for all amateur and professional pattern-makers, designers and students.

In April 2005 a factory making sweaters for the European market collapsed like a pack of cards during the nightshift in Savar near Dhaka, Bangladesh. The circumstances of this disaster, which caused the deaths of 64 clothing workers and injured a further 84, proved to be a final straw for trade unionists and NGO activists who had long been concerned about the state of factory safety and the inadequacies of social protection in the Ready Made Garment industry in the South East Asian country. Last Nightshift in Savar presents a detailed account of the national and international campaign efforts to bring the owner and his multinational buyers to book. It is also an account of the emergence of two quite different but replicable buyer approaches to the provision of relief for workers in such calamitous circumstances, which hopefully sheds light on some of the contradictions of corporate social responsibility in the globalised economy in which we live today. Finally, it is the story of the efforts of the international trade union, and NGO movement and of two men, in particular, to drive home change in compensation for industrial injury and fatality in the less developed world.

This informative, full-color text takes students step-by-step through the decision-making involved in the pre-production processes of apparel product development---planning, forecasting, fabricating, line development, technical design, pricing, sourcing, and distribution. It demonstrates how these processes must be coordinated to get the right product to market, when consumers want it, and at a price they are willing to pay. The 4th Edition has been edited around a new metastructure to maximize student learning. It continues to build on the themes of sustainability, business ethics, and the impact of fast fashion and social media while seeking to address opportunities for both large and small companies, and entrepreneurs. The text advances its discussion of how new technologies continue to shorten the product development calendar. Chapters have been updated to include current examples, updated charts and graphs, and more case studies. There are updated references to contemporary developments with examples relevant to today's student. New to this Edition * Includes international examples and case studies that address the effects of globalization * Advances the discussion of the pros and cons of fast fashion vs. slow fashion * Revised, easier-to-read charts and graphs and 30% new color photographs * Thoroughly revised Chapters 12 (Sourcing) and 13 (Costing and Pricing) updated with most recent info on trade laws, changes in sourcing criteria and wages in international sourcing countries Beyond Design STUDIO * Study smarter with self-quizzes featuring scored results and personalized study tips * Review concepts with flashcards of essential vocabulary * Watch videos that bring chapter concepts to life

This book aims to provide a broad conceptual and theoretical perspective of apparel manufacturing process starting from raw material selection to packaging and dispatch of goods. Further, engineering practices followed in an apparel industry for production planning and control, line balancing, implementation of industrial engineering concepts in apparel manufacturing, merchandising activities and garment costing have been included, and they will serve as a foundation for future apparel professionals. The book addresses the technical aspects in each section of garment manufacturing process with considered quality aspects. This book also covers the production planning process and production balancing activities. It addresses the technical aspects in each section of garment manufacturing process and quality aspects to be considered in each process. Garment engineering questions each process/operation of the total work content and can reduce the work content and increase profitability by using innovative methods of construction and technology. This book covers the production planning process, production balancing activities, and application of industrial engineering concepts in garment engineering. Further, the merchandising activities and garment costing procedures will deal with some practical examples. This book is primarily intended for textile technology and fashion technology students in universities and colleges, researchers, industrialists and academicians, as well as professionals in the apparel and textile industry.

This text will guide fashion students through the garment construction process and provide students in both fashion design and merchandising with the industry standard construction information that they will need to function more effectively within design firms. By focusing on garment construction techniques for various market levels, from budget (mass market) and moderate to bridge (or better) and designer's ready-to-wear, this text emphasizes the garment construction process as it exists in the industry today. Comparisons of construction methods used at different price points are an integral part of the text, with assembly techniques noted according to their affect on garment cost, quality and production time. Flow charts, information on spec and cost sheets, and reference charts will all focus on industry methods, practice and applications. Practice exercises throughout the text reinforce students' competency levels with industry-based sewing methods as opposed to traditional sewing practices. Features: -- Flow charts at the beginning of each chapter to serve as quick reference guides to simulate assembly-line production -- How to use, identify, and care for industrial machinery and tools, efficiently and safely -- Includes information on spec sheets, cost sheets, market making, cutting, etc., and half size garment patterns for samples for use in manufacturing based courses -- Practice exercises within each chapter will help students develop competency with industry-based sewing methods -- Instructor's Guide with written assessment and suggestions for ways to use the text in different courses and for different levels of courses