Dress Up

I love to dress up. As a little girl I used to stroll around the house in my grandmother’s old hats and gaudy costume jewelry. As a teenager I took the first part-time job I could to afford my closet full of clothes. As an adult I have fallen in love with vintage clothes and the thrill of the bargain hunt. It’s no wonder then that I also love fashion photography. I like to look for inspiration in what other people wear and what designers are creating and have created. In particular, I have been a devout follower of the blog, The Sartorialist – a photo blog of photographs taken by Scott Schuman to, as he says, “share photos of people that I saw on the streets of New York that I thought looked great”. Mr. Schuman puts up pictures from all over the world now and he photographs men, women, and children. While I enjoy looking at the designs created by designers like Christian Lacroix, Cynthia Rowley, and Christian Dior, it’s the photos on The Sartorialist that really get me going because what is usually on display is individual style, rather than the latest fashions. Fashions come and go, but style is forever.

I can always find inspiration at the library as well. From books about fashion, developing and honing your own style, and basic upkeep and tailoring of your clothes, we’ve got it all:

Fashion:

Avedon Fashion 1944-2000

Christian Lacroix on Fashion

Edward Steichen: In High Fashion, The Condé Nast Years, 1923-1937

The Golden Age of Couture: Paris And London, 1947-57

The Sartorialist
(just published – copies on order – place a hold today!)

Valentino

Vogue Fashion

Style:

Freakin' Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else

How to Have Style

The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own

Style Clinic: How to Look Fabulous All The Time, At Any Age, For Any Occasion

Tim Gun: A Guide to Quality, Taste, & Style

Mending, Tailoring, and Upkeep:

Hand Mending Made Easy: Save Time and Money Repairing Your Own Clothes

S.E.W.: Sew Everything Workshop: The Complete Step-By-Step Beginner's Guide

Sew Fast Sew Easy: All You Need To Know When You Start To Sew

A Stitch in Time: Life's Most Essential Hand-Sewn Repairs

Websites:

Fashion Shows
See any designer’s complete collection here, photo by photo.

The Sartorialist