Review: Fashioning Fashion, European Dress in Detail 1700-1915 by Sharon Sadako Takeda & Kaye Durland Spilker

Title: Fashioning Fashion, European Dress in Detail 1700-1915
Series: n/a
Author: Sharon Sadako Takeda; Kaye Durland Spilker
Source/Format: Borrowed from the library; Hardcover
More Details: Nonfiction; History; Fashion
Publisher/Publication Date: Prestel Publishing; September 22, 2010

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The creation of eighteenth and nineteenth century fashion moved at a much slower tempo than the lightning-speed pace of contemporary fashion, so great attention was paid to the smallest detail. Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915 celebrates these and brilliantly examines the transformation of the fashionable silhouette over this span of more than two centuries. Lavish photographs and illustrative text provide historical context, showing how technical inventions, political events, and global trade often profoundly affected style. It is little wonder that many of today's top haute couture designers often look to fashion of the past to find inspiration in the present. The intriguing and stunning examples of historic dress in this opulent volume are as captivating today as they were centuries ago. Fashioning Fashion showcases nearly two hundred highlights from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's new European collection of rare pieces of historic fashion and accessories for men, women, and children. LACMA recently acquired this singular collection, which numbers more than 1,000 objects and represents a total of fifty years of acquisitions by prominent historic dress dealers and collectors Martin Kamer of England and Wolfgang Ruf of Switzerland. The pieces were chosen for their roles in the story of fashion's aesthetic and technical development from the Age of Enlightenment to World War I. This in-depth look at the details of these luxurious textiles, exacting tailoring techniques, and lush trimmings is the first presentation of this remarkable collection...

After I read the medieval history book—The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World, my thoughts about it can be found HERE—it got me thinking about the clothes of the time period, specifically how international trade, diplomatic ties, conflicts, and the like would affect historical clothing trends. Unfortunately, it was a topic The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World didn’t cover. So, of course, once I was thinking about it, I wanted to know a bit more about historical fashion. A quick search of my library's catalogue brought me to this book: Fashioning Fashion, European Dress in Detail 1700-1915. It was a quick but fascinating read with plenty of photo examples that highlighted a collection from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. I thought it was interesting how trends changed but eventually old ideas were recycled and updated into something new, which was a prominent theme throughout the book. It was especially highlighted in sections that talked about the treatment of garments. I was surprised to learn about the difference in the quality for the stitching, particularly between expensive formal wear and undergarments. The latter of which had better, meticulous seams, because they were frequently washed. While a lot of other garments were described as being incapable of receiving the same treatment. One passage perfectly captures what I mean:

“Plain but functional items such as linen shirts, which had to endure frequent washing, were more carefully stitched than silk gowns, which eventually would be unpicked to be altered or “turned” (resewn with the reverse side of the textile facing outward, to prolong the life of the unwashable garment). Because Fabric was so valuable, it was customarily recycled, and clothes were not constructed to last as long as their textiles.”(p.73)

I found the relationship between technology and fashion interesting. I also liked the sections that talked about the “blending and manipulation” of the four principle fibers—silk, cotton, linen, and wool—to get other textiles. This book also touched on the working conditions of factory workers, as well as other issues relevant to this topic. There’s so much more I could say about this book, but then this post would turn into a summary of the book. That’s not what I’m trying to do.

Overall, Fashioning Fashion was fantastic. There’s still so much I don’t know about this topic, and I would be interested in finding more books like this one....

Upcoming Music I'm Waiting For + Recent Releases I'm Listening To...

One of the topics I wanted to talk about before it got too late into 2019, is some of the upcoming music I’m looking forward to. Of course, we’re 3 months into year, and I can’t forget about the recent releases. There have been a number of excellent albums and singles that are already available, and some of them—like Lizzo’s Juice—have me excited for albums releasing in the coming months. So, I went on a music listening binge to see what I could find....

Upcoming Albums…

Cuz I Love You by Lizzo (April 19, 2019): This is probably my most anticipated album of 2019, because I’ve been waiting for more new music by Lizzo. I’ve already gotten that with singles like Juice and Cuz I Love You, which are excellent and catchy songs. If you haven’t listened to them yet, I highly recommend that you do. They have me hyped to see what the rest of the album has to offer. Luckily, the wait won’t be too long, because Cuz I Love You will be out in April 2019, and I can’t wait to listen to it.

Legacy! Legacy! By Jamila Woods (May 10, 2019): Recently, I’ve been into music by Jamila Woods. I like what I’ve already heard, and I’m also a fan of how the music videos for Woods songs are filmed and edited. As such, I’m looking forward to Legacy! Legacy!.

TBA (To be announced) 

***This is the section for untiled or upcoming albums that don’t have a concrete release date. However, there’s no reason why I can’t get excited about them now.***

Adele: I’ve liked Adele’s music in the past and am looking forward to her next album.

Rhianna: I’m still over here waiting for the follow-up to Anti. And you know what? I will wait for as long as I have to. 

October 2018 – March 2019 Recent Releases 

Don’t Feed the Pop Monster by Broods (February 1, 2019): I’m more of a casual listener when it comes to music by Broods. I had my favorite songs. Still, I was looking forward to their new album: Don’t Feed the Pop Monster. I like it. It’s cohesive and interesting, and offers a good listening experience. Now, I want to go back and give their earlier music a serious listen.

Saturn by Nao (October 26, 2018): I continue to enjoy music by Nao, and, unfortunately, when Saturn came out, I completely missed it. I have since rectified that and, you guys, Saturn is so good. I don’t know what else to say about it, because there are so many excellent songs on the album like: the titular Saturn, the catchy beat and lyrics of Love Supreme, and the phenomenal songs Orbit, Drive and Disconnect, Curiosity, and many more. 

So, that’s about it for today. I know this list will change as the year goes on, and more stuff is announced. However, for now, that’s it. What music are you listening to? Or, what are some of the upcoming 2019 albums you’re looking forward to?

ARC Review: A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn

Title: A Dangerous Collaboration
Series: Veronica Speedwell #4
Author: Deanna Raybourn 
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC
More Details: Historical Fiction; Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley; March 12, 2019

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell is whisked off to a remote island off the tip of Cornwall when her natural historian colleague Stoker's brother calls in a favor. On the pretext of wanting a companion to accompany him to Lord Malcolm Romilly's house party, Tiberius persuades Veronica to pose as his fiancée--much to Stoker's chagrin. But upon arriving, it becomes clear that the party is not as innocent as it had seemed. Every invited guest has a connection to Romilly's wife, Rosamund, who disappeared on her wedding day three years ago, and a dramatic dinner proves she is very much on her husband's mind. As spectral figures, ghostly music, and mysterious threats begin to plague the partygoers, Veronica enlists Stoker's help to discover the host's true motivations. And as they investigate, it becomes clear that there are numerous mysteries surrounding the Romilly estate, and every person present has a motive to kill Rosamund...

I guess you could say A Dangerous Collaboration was a story about secrets—some old, some new; some about strong emotions or actions; and some about the past and others about the present. So many secrets packed into one story! But given how isolated the setting was made out to be and in the context of the mystery surrounding the reason why Veronica and the others were called to the Romilly residence, it made sense. And no, it wasn’t only about the butterflies.

A Dangerous Collaboration was an all-around interesting story. It was a relatively quick read that wasn’t too action-packed but when there was danger involved, the stakes were typically high. There was an almost foreboding atmosphere which only deepened when more details came to light. So, I liked the mystery as well as the historical time period the book took place in.

As I mentioned above, the setting was fairly isolated: centered on an island owned by the Romilly family, accessible only by boat. It was a challenging place with many secret passageways, and it remained at the mercy of the weather—often storms—as well as the water because of the shifts in the tide and currents. Raybourn made good use of the location, which served as a perfect backdrop to the mystery at hand.

One of the things I most enjoy about this book is the main character Veronica Speedwell. She’s witty and smart and her passion about butterflies lends to some simple yet well written moments of quiet tranquility between her and other characters. I personally found the bits about the butterflies incredibly interesting in how well they were described—even the made up Romilly Glasswing butterfly (Oleria romillia), whose real life inspiration/counterparts are just as fascinating as their fictional version. I also enjoyed the banter between Veronica and Stocker and—once again—how well they worked together as a team to try and solve the mystery behind Rosamund’s disappearance.

With a cast of characters that had motivations as equally differing as their personalities, A Dangerous Collaboration was a fantastic installment to the Veronica Speedwell series....

About the author...

A sixth-generation native Texan, New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a double major in English and history and an emphasis on Shakespearean studies. She taught high school English for three years in San Antonio before leaving education to pursue a career as a novelist. Deanna makes her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband and daughter...

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Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by First to Read for this review, thank you!

Music Monday (72): Nao & Solange

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Over my break, I was working on a music related post (which will be up next Monday). In preparation for it, I’ve been listening to a lot of different music. One of the best songs I listened to was Curiosity by Nao. I’ve been a fan of Nao’s music for a while, and when Saturn was initially released in October of 2018, I missed it. That being said, Saturn is now one of my favorite albums. There are so many excellent songs—like Orbit, Love Supreme, and Drive and Disconnect—so it was hard to choose just one to talk about for Music Monday....

Adri: Lately I've been  chilling to Solange's new album When I Get Home. Here's the YouTube Playlist. My favorite songs are Down With the Clique and Almeda. Though I always end up listening to Almeda first, I love the whole album.

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (149) & Book Beginnings: Fashioning Fashion, European Dress in Detail 1700-1915 by Sharon Sadako Takeda & Kaye Durland Spilker

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

The creation of eighteenth and nineteenth century fashion moved at a much slower tempo than the lightning-speed pace of contemporary fashion, so great attention was paid to the smallest detail. Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915 celebrates these and brilliantly examines the transformation of the fashionable silhouette over this span of more than two centuries. Lavish photographs and illustrative text provide historical context, showing how technical inventions, political events, and global trade often profoundly affected style. It is little wonder that many of today's top haute couture designers often look to fashion of the past to find inspiration in the present. The intriguing and stunning examples of historic dress in this opulent volume are as captivating today as they were centuries ago. Fashioning Fashion showcases nearly two hundred highlights from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's new European collection of rare pieces of historic fashion and accessories for men, women, and children. LACMA recently acquired this singular collection, which numbers more than 1,000 objects and represents a total of fifty years of acquisitions by prominent historic dress dealers and collectors Martin Kamer of England and Wolfgang Ruf of Switzerland. The pieces were chosen for their roles in the story of fashion's aesthetic and technical development from the Age of Enlightenment to World War I. This in-depth look at the details of these luxurious textiles, exacting tailoring techniques, and lush trimmings is the first presentation of this remarkable collection...

Beginning: "The fashions of the times record the social history of a world transformed by revolution and industrialization, a world clinging to an idealized past even as it embraced modern technology."

56: "Repeating patterns of fanciful vignettes depicting whimsical human figures, fantastic architectural structures, and out-of-scale flora and fauna appear on this figured silk fashioned into a dress."

Comments: Fashioning Fashion was another book I checked out from the library. It was a fascinating look at fashion history from 1700 to 1915. The beginning comes from page 15 instead of the preface, because I felt it better represented the kind of information found in Fashioning Fashion. Plus, I just like the quote. What are you reading this week?