Sephora: The Ultimate Guide to Makeup, Skin, and Hair from the Beauty Authority

Walter T. Foster

Fashion Illustration 1920-1950: Techniques and Examples

Comprehensive and user-friendly, this volume combines four vintage instructional manuals by Walter T. Foster, the world-famous art teacher and publisher. In addition to explaining the principles of figure drawing, it provides a handy retrospective of fashions for men, women, and children from the first half of the twentieth century. This authentic guide to vintage styles features a splendid range of apparel, from ladies' lingerie and evening gowns to men's business suits and children's play clothes. Artists at every level of experience will benefit from tips on portraying figures in motion and at rest, along with advice on accurate renditions of clothing folds and patterns. Step-by-step drawings with helpful comments explain a variety of techniques, including pencil, pen, wash, and opaque.

Nadine Coleno

The Hermes Scarf: History & Mystique

The Hermes scarf is a style icon. Worn by royalty and celebrities, coveted and admired, and now avidly collected, this deceptively simple square of silk is much more than just a fashion accessory: it is the stuff of legend. Since the first scarf made its debut in 1937, the House of Hermes has produced more than two thousand different designs. From the classic scarves that embody the Hermes tradition to the wildly imaginative stylings of contemporary designers, the House is always forging new paths and yet is never afraid to take a fresh and often witty approach to its own heritage. A scarf is not the work of a single individual; at each stage of its creation, talent and craftsmanship combine to create a work of art. These qualities shine through in the illustrations, by turns playful and poetic, which lead the reader into a richly colored world with a multitude of motifs. They range from the equestrian themes that are internationally associated with the Hermes brand, through French history and the natural world, to global cultures. From vibrant opulence to subtle harmony, every scarf conveys a mood and every one tells a story.

Sarah Jane Downing

Fashion in the Time of Jane Austen

The broader Regency period 1795-1820 stands alone as an incredible moment in fashion history unlike anything that went before or after. It was the most naked period since Ancient Greece and before the 1960s, and for the first time England became a fashion influence, especially for menswear, and became the toast of Paris. With the ancient regime deposed, court dress became secondary and the season by season flux of fashion as we know it came into being, aided and abetted by the proliferation of new ladies' magazines. Such an age of revolution and innovation inspired a flood of fashions taking influence from everything including the newly discovered treasures of the ancient world, to radical new ideas like democracy. It was an era of contradiction immortalized by Jane Austen, who adeptly used the newfound diversity of fashion to enliven her characters, Wickham's military splendor, Mr. Darcy's understated elegance, and Miss Tilney's romantic fixation with white muslin.