By: LaTesha Velez

Survey of historic costume : a history of western dress
Tortora, Phyllis G.

In the Preface of the 5th Edition of Survey of Historic Costume, Tortora and Eubank conclude
with the following: In the history of dress at the beginning of the 21st century,
costume might be compared to a constantly moving river. This river divides into many narrower channels that separate, cross, come together, and separate again, and yet that river continually moves on. Building on the previous editions, the authors update their analysis of Western dress to 2008. With each new edition some elements of the title change. And those changes provide an opportunity to focus on some aspect that adds to the usefulness of this best seller. Survey of Historic Costume has, from its beginnings, taken seriously the need to accompany the text with appropriate illustrations and the major change in the 5th Edition is the move to full color throughout the book to enrich the text and the concepts. Perfect for anyone interested in historic costume, fashion, textiles, drama, and design, this beautifully illustrated book is full of interesting facts and commentary.

-Amazon.com

Process improvement using Six Sigma : a DMAIC guide
Shankar, Rama, 1956-

In order to stay competitive, organizations need to continuously improve their processes. The purpose of this book is to provide the practitioner with the necessary tools and techniques with which to implement a systematic approach to process improvement initiatives using the Six Sigma methodology. While there are many self-help books out there, here the topics are discussed in a way so as to remove the fear out of Six Sigma and statistics. This guide takes readers through the five phases of the Six Sigma methodology, Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC), in five clearly written and easy-to-understand sections. You learn each phase s purpose and what activities to perform in each. Numerous examples are included throughout and all statistics are described to the exact level of understanding necessary. Each of the five sections then concludes with a checklist to ensure that all of the phase s activities have been completed. Following the systematic approach outlined in this book will ensure that customer needs and functional area needs are understood and met; knowledge of subject matter experts (SMEs) and team members to improve the process is leveraged; team consensus is reached on the root cause(s) for problems; and risk is managed by addressing all compliance issues.

-Amazon.com

High performance fillers for polymer composites : Bracelons, Spain, 4-5 March 2009
International Conference Focusing on Fillers for Polymers (4th : 2009 : Barcelona, Spain)

Conference held in Barcelona, March 4-5, 2009 Fillers have an important role to play in maximising polymer performance and production. Cost reduction, density control, optical effects, thermal conductivity, magnetic properties, flame retardancy and improved hardness and tear resistance help to explain why the global market is still calling out for new high performance fillers. The wide ranging, technical papers will appeal to compounders, moulders, processors, materials specialists, polymer engineers and researchers in polymer science as well as end users of polymer materials. Presentations include insight into current and predicted filler markets, how fillers can lead to cost savings, new milling processes, the development of new filler types, and much more.

-Amazon.com

Technical sourcebook for designers
Lee, Jaeil.

To remain in-sync with current trends in apparel manufacturing practices, design students need to understand principles of technical design, such as how construction influences design, how to conduct a fit session, and how to write concise instructions for prototypes and revisions. Technical Designer s Sourcebook will provide students with essential techniques, principles, and terminology related to current apparel production technology and manufacturing practices. Through practical exercises and the authors own industry experience, the book will integrate the fundamental knowledge that students have gained in their design courses with the technical design skills they ll need to demonstrate in an apparel manufacturing firm.

-Amazon.com

Fashion makers, fashion shapers : the essential guide to fashion by those in the know
Jaeger, Anne-Celine.

At the heart of this book is a series of in-depth interviews with famous designers—the Fashion Makers—unveiling the process that creates an appealing design, collection, and brand. With illustrations that offer a fashion feast, we discover why handcraft is so important to Dries Van Noten, what Paul Smith learned from his early entrepreneurial experiences, and why the founder of A.P.C., Jean Touitou, “doesn’t make bags for bitches.”

But it’s not just the designers who make or break a brand. The Fashion Shapers—editors, stylists, buyers, PR specialists, and educators—reveal their own distinctive roles. How does Alexandre de Betak create fashion shows for John Galliano, Hussein Chalayan, or Victoria’s Secret? How did Armand Hadida, founder of L’Eclaireur shops in Paris and Tokyo, redefine the relationship between salesperson and consumer?

This book will be a coveted and covetable purchase for every fashion student, every fashion professional, and everyone who wants to know what makes fashion function. 200+ color illustrations.

-Amazon.com

Plastic forming processes
Reyne, Maurice.

Many books covering plastic materials analyze the behavior of these materials based on their chemical components or their mechanical properties from mathematical concepts.

These approaches, which are fundamental for research, do not concern transformers or users who need practical advice. Nevertheless, there are approximately 20 basic implementation techniques and each of them is distinguished by specific case studies which gradually become more functional.

The aim of this book is therefore to analyze, in a quasi-exhaustive manner, the different processes which are currently in use or are being created in either design, coupling or treatments that are specifically used. It is thus written to assist readers in their decision-making.

In order to explain these different points in a practical, even pragmatic, way, the reader will find approximately 400 figures or photos that describe the points.

-Amazon.com

Polymeric foams : technology and developments in regulation, process, and products

Explores the Latest Developments in Polymeric Foams

Since the 1960s polymeric foams have grown into a solid industry that affects almost every aspect of modern life. The industry has weathered the energy crisis in the 70s, ozone issues in the 80s, and recycle/reuse in the 90s. However, the pace of development and social climate is rapidly changing again, putting the spotlight even more firmly on performance, sustainable resources, and energy security.

Coverage of New Products, Technologies, and Regulations

Exploring new concepts, innovations, and developments in the field, Polymeric Foams: Technology and Development in Regulation, Process, and Products provides an international perspective on the direction of foam technologies and applications, focusing on the progress in blowing agent research and hydrofluorocarbons for the polyurethane foam industry. The text covers new foam products, including PP/PS interpolymer, nano-, and biodegradable foams. It also examines new technologies, such as injection foam molding and PVC foam; industry and environmental regulations; and research on foam performance, emission impact, and economic effects.

Clearly Follows the Development Process

As in most fields these days, efforts to be environmentally friendly and achieve enhanced performance for specialty applications drive research and development. Presenting a clear picture of the development process, this book covers not only new directions in the industry, but how they will impact current and future development.

-Amazon.com

Where am I wearing? : a global tour to the countries, factories, and people that make our clothes
Timmerman, Kelsey, 1979-

Globalization makes it difficult to know where the things you buy come from. Journalist and travel writer Kelsey Timmerman wanted to know where his clothes came from and who made them, so he traveled from Honduras to Bangladesh to Cambodia to China and back. Along the way, he met the people who made his favorite clothes and learned as much about them as he did about globalization itself. Enlightening and controversial at once, this book puts a human face on globalization.

-Wiley.com

Tudor costume and fashion
Norris, Herbert.

Monumental, profusely illustrated study of English fashions from 1485 to 1603. Highly authentic, detailed survey exuberantly describes clothing, headgear, hairstyles, jewelry, collars, footwear, more worn by royalty, nobility, middle and lower classes. Most illustrations from contemporary sources. Invaluable resource for fashion historians and costume designers and irresistible to anyone fascinated by the pageantry of fashion history. 1,000 b/w figures. 24 halftones. 22 color plates.

-Amazon.com

Fashion in context

Fashion is a social phenomenon that can only be defined and understood using a trans-disciplinary approach. A number of questions arise: which special perceptive abilities does a creator of fashion have to have? To which extent are smart clothes integrated in everyday fashion? How does architecture react to the requirements of fashion? Can a costume designer design clothes successfully and vice versa? These and many other questions are addressed as well as the problems involved fashion design training or fashion designers‘ responsibilities in terms of sustainability. This publication is based on the discourse that has been under way at the Vienna School of Fashion as a cultural design phenomenon between international representatives from the fields of art, fashion, architecture, science and business. The fashion phenomenon is followed from different perspectives and with thematic contributions.

-Amazon.com

By: LaTesha Velez

Wal-Mart Spices Up Private Label

Spice maker McCormick saw private label’s share of its markets hit 14.5% in 2009 from 13.5% in 2008, Mr. Moskow says.

By: LaTesha Velez

Luxe Looks Up at LVMH — Profit Fell for 2009 but December Sales Offer a Hopeful Sign

LVMH, a bellwether for the luxury-goods industry and the owner of brands such as fashion house Louis Vuitton and Dom Perignon champagne, said net profit for 2009 fell to 1.76 billion euros ($2.45 billion) as sales edged down 1% to 17.1 billion euros.

By: LaTesha Velez

Corporate News: Retailers Continued Comeback Into January — Sales Rise 3.3% as Long-Suffering Department and Clothing Stores Show Signs That Consumers Are Returning

Clothing stores kept inventories lean and held the line on discounts over the holidays, leaving shoppers hungry for marked-down products in the new year, said Ken Perkins, president of Retail Metrics Inc. Buyers snapped up whatever clearance merchandise was left in the first two weeks of the month then moved on to spring outfits, which sold at or near tagged prices.

By: LaTesha Velez

Which Stars Sell Fashion? — As Oscars Approach, Designers Vie to Dress Celebrities Who Will Inspire Viewers to Shop; When Star Power Won’t Translate Into Sales

At StyleSpot.com, a Los Angeles-based Web site that links red-carpet photos to stores that sell the looks, Ms. Bullock’s Vivienne Westwood dress at the People’s Choice Awards ranked among the top of all red-carpet appearances this year in inspiring viewers to “click through” to retail sites. High-profile fashion publicist Karla Otto, who recently opened a Los Angeles VIP office, says any appearance by an A-List actress “sells product from clothing to accessories and, if the consumer can’t afford the attire, they might buy the fragrance or the beauty products.”

By: LaTesha Velez

Abercrombie & Fitch’s Style Sense Wears Thin With Some Shoppers

The logo T-shirt and torn jeans ensemble that Abercrombie made the unofficial school uniform a decade ago has played out, said Kimberly Greenberger, a retail analyst with Citigroup Inc. who tours malls every two weeks to assess trends. Abercrombie’s average unit retail price was down 14% during the holiday season, according to Christine Chen, a retail analyst with brokers Needham & Co. But even with lower prices and more promotions, including a gift card giveaway, Abercrombie posted steep sales declines during the holidays.

By: LaTesha Velez

Barbie-Makeover Architect To Be Jones Apparel President

Richard Dickson, the general manager credited with making Mattel Inc.’s Barbie doll brand fashionable again, is leaving the toy maker for a position that puts him in line for a shot at chief executive of New York clothing manufacturer Jones Apparel Group Inc. Mr. Dickson, 41 years old, next week will join Jones Apparel as president and chief executive of its branded businesses.

By: LaTesha Velez

100 years of menswear
Blackman, Cally.

A rich, comprehensive collection of images covering the revolution in menswear over the last 100 years with text by fashion historian Cally Blackman.

Rare photography and illustrations reveal the elegant tailoring of Savile Row and tough khaki and denim of the uniform and workplace giving way to an exuberant array of styles and colors as the century progresses. Packed with images of Hollywood style icons, the artist personalities of the 1930s, and more, the evolution of menswear from practical to peacock is explored in an array of rarely seen photographs and illustrations.

The impact of Pierre Cardin, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, and other designers is contrasted with the street fashion of the 1960s, punk, and the club scene to bring together the story of the flourishing menswear market in one invaluable book.

A unique collection, 100 Years of Menswear will prove indispensable for all fashion students, historians of dress, and lovers of men’s clothes.

-Amazon.com

Tailoring techniques for fashion
Di Lorenzo, Milva Fiorella.

Tailoring comprises the techniques applied for the development and construction of a
tailored outfit, ranging from the simplest techniques used in the industry for mass production
of tailored suits to the most refined techniques of haute couture. The aim of this text
is to present the techniques of tailoring from a professional point of view. It will cover
traditional and contemporary design and construction methods for tailored garments
from ready-to-wear to couture details. A history of tailoring as a profession as well as
profiles of contemporary designers known for their tailored garments will place the book
in a professional context. A supplementary CD-ROM will include live demonstrations of all
the tailoring techniques covered in the chapters. Students will learn that tailoring is more
than a skill of home sewers, but rather a design method they can benefit from throughout
their careers.

-Amazon.com

Futurotextiel : surprising textiles, design & art

“Futurotextiel” shows the original, innovative and qualitative solutions of today’s rather traditional textile sector. Through various creations of designers, artists, companies, laboratories and high schools, we gain insight in the way in which these people fully employ the various possibilities and innovative materials of the current textile sector. Textiles can indeed be found in numerous applications, from clothing, carpets, curtains, bicycles and cars up to the medical sector. This is a perfect match of art, science, technology, design and architecture, reflecting the dynamism of this sector.

-Amazon.co.uk

How to implement lean manufacturing
Wilson, Lonnie, 1947-

This real-world resource offers proven solutions for implementing lean manufacturing in an enterprise environment, covering the engineering and production aspects as well as the business culture concerns. Filled with detailed examples, the book focuses on the rapid application of lean principles so that large, early financial gains can be made.

How to Implement Lean Manufacturing explains Toyota Production System (TPS) practices and specifies the distinct order in which lean techniques should be applied to achieve maximum gains. Global case studies illustrate successes and pitfalls of lean manufacturing initiatives. Discover how to:

* Rigorously test and retest the state of your “leanness” with unique evaluators
* Develop and deploy plant-wide strategies and goals
* Improve speed and quality and dramatically reduce costs
* Reduce variation in the manufacturing system in order to reduce inventory
* Reduce lead times to enable improved responsiveness and flexibility
*Synchronize production and supply to the customer
*Create flow and establish pull-demand systems
* Perform system-wide and specific value-stream evaluations
* Generate a comprehensive list of highly focused Kaizen activities
* Sustain process gains
* Manage constraints and reduce bottlenecks
* Implement cellular manufacturing

-Amazon.com

The poetics of cloth : African textiles, recent art

Accompanying the Grey Art Gallery’s exhibition of the same name, The Poetics of Cloth: African Textiles/Recent Art brings some 60 contemporary paintings, sculptures, videos and photographs by artists living in Africa and abroad into dialogue with a selection of mid-twentieth-century and recent African textiles. Artists include El Anatsui, Samuel Cophie, Viye Diba, Sokari Douglas Camp, Groupe Bogolan Kasobane, Abdoulaye Konate, Rachid Koraichi, Atta Kwami, Grace Ndiritu, Nike Okundaye, Owusu-Ankomah, Yinka Shonibare, Malick Sidibe, Nontsikelelo “Lolo” Veleko, Rikki Wemega-Kwawu and Sue Williamson, while texts are by renowned Africanist scholar John Picton, Ghanaian poet Kofi Anyidoho and the Grey Art Gallery’s Lynn Gumpert, among others.

-Amazon.com

3500 years of textile art : the collection in HeadquARTers
Moor, A. de (Antoine)

For the first time ever the highlights of a world renowned private collection are bundled in a book: over 300 tapestries and textile related objects such as hairpins and jewellery are showcased in this beautifully illustrated book. Much of the focus is on Coptic textiles. Coptic art is a term used either for the art of Egypt produced in the early Christian era or for the art produced by the Coptic Christians themselves.

-Amazon.co.uk

King Cotton : a tribute to Douglas A. Farnie

‘What would happen if no cotton was furnished [by the southern states of America] for three years? …England would topple headlong and carry the whole civilized world with …No, you dare not to make war on cotton …Cotton is King.’ So said Senator J. Hammond of South Carolina in 1858. Such was its reliance on Southern cotton, he reckoned, that Britain would have to side with the Confederates in the forthcoming American civil war. Fine speeches in Parliament in opposition to slavery was one matter; economic survival was quite another. Cotton was indeed vital for both nations: raw cotton accounted for around 60 per cent of America’s exports in the mid-nineteenth century, while for five generations woven cotton cloth was Britain’s most important export product.At the very centre of world trade in cotton, Manchester had been dubbed ‘Cottonopolis’, and in Lancashire as well as in the southern states the term ‘King Cotton’ came to be used frequently as a metaphor for the towering dominance of the cotton industry within the economy of southern Lancashire, north-east Cheshire and the Derwent valley of Derbyshire.

This region was the cotton cloth manufacturing centre of the world; it was also the epicentre of what had been a whole new and radical way of working and of living. For here it could well be argued – in the water-powered spinning mills of Arkwright at Cromford and of Strutt at Belper, as well as in the thousands of handloom weavers’ cottages throughout central and south Lancashire – began the industrial revolution itself, with cotton mills bringing together hundreds of workers under one roof, and with whole districts and towns springing up around sites of water power and water transport to house them.For Lancashire, cotton’s days of greatest, most dynamic growth came during the early part of Victoria’s reign; despite periodic downturns (and the Cotton Famine which Senator Hammond could not envisage the British ever allowing to happen), the industry continued to expand until its absolute peak in the years just before and after the First World War. In 1913, 7000 million English cotton cloths were exported. Cotton really was King.

And it would not be stretching the metaphor too far to claim that the ‘King of Cotton’ in terms of historical enquiry over the last half-century has been Professor Douglas A. Farnie.It is entirely fitting that a group of Douglas’ ardent admirers should contribute a series of essays on topics that he has shed light on in a highly distinguished career. Anyone who has ever come into contact with Professor Farnie will be well aware of his encyclopaedic knowledge of Lancashire’s industrial history, and specifically its greatest contribution to British wealth creation, the cotton textiles industry. His ability to produce either pertinent factual information or a reference to vital primary or secondary information has been a hallmark of the way in which he has supported fellow researchers, sharing his knowledge base as a means of generating fresh interpretations or projects.This collection of essays is based on Professor Farnie’s extensive research interests in Lancashire and textiles history. All of the chapters are original, having been written specifically for this volume as a tribute to Professor Farnie’s abiding contribution to these fields.

After an introductory chapter reviewing his life and work, the book is divided into four sections that accurately reflect his wide range of interests. Almost inevitably, Part 1 looks at the cotton industry, with six chapters assessing various debates and issues that have challenged historians for many decades. This is followed by another six essays on the international cotton textiles industry, indicating how Professor Farnie’s reputation has spread to many countries, but especially to Japan.Part 3 is devoted to the woollen industry, while Part 4 offers a diverse range of essays on Manchester and the regional economy, subjects that all benefited from contributions by Professor Farnie. The book finishes with a comprehensive listing of all his publications. This collection accurately reflects the enormous contribution Douglas Farnie made to each of these subjects. Historians will consequently benefit enormously from reading this new material, given that it both extends our knowledge of Lancashire and textile history, and provokes fresh debates about issues that will never be laid to rest.

This provides a fitting tribute to a man who relishes the search for knowledge creation as the driving force behind a life devoted to this pursuit.

-Amazon.co.uk

The American look : fashion, sportswear and the image of women in 1930s and 1940s New York
Arnold, Rebecca.

Drawing on a wonderful array of sources, from fashion magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue to department store records and surviving garments, The American Look presents a rich and multi-faceted exploration of the development of a distinct New York fashion style in the 1930s and 1940s.

Tracing the growth of the sportswear fashion industry from its functional origins to its adoption as casual wear for all occasions by career women and housewives alike, author Rebecca Arnold shows how New York’s emergent style in the interwar period was both dynamic and modern–much like the city itself. She argues that its essence was expressive of the American ideal of athletic, long-limbed figures and related to theories of body image, gender and class; that its designers such as Claire McCardell, Clare Potter and Tina Leser, were themselves embodiments of the modern, active woman; and that its style was connected not just to ideals of patriotism and democracy, but to notions of cleanliness and hygiene.

Beautifully illustrated, The American Look offers a unique insight into fashion, modernity and ideas of Americanness in the twentieth century.

-Amazon.com

Nano- and biocomposites

Advanced polymer-based nanocomposite materials continue to become increasingly popular and important for a wide range of engineering applications, as evidenced by continued government initiatives involving R&D and commercialization of these substances. In the race to exploit the unique mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of nanocomposite materials, researchers must also address new challenges to predict, understand, and manage the potentially adverse effects they could have on human lives and the environment.

Nano- and Biocomposites focuses on the structural makeup of nanomaterials and their range of applications. It details the latest research in which biological applications of nanostructural resins have been conducted within in vitro and in vivo environments. Some of the applications explored in this book include:

* Tissue engineering and growth
* Mechanical and thermal stability enhancement of biocompatible polymers for artificial joints and scaffolding
* Thermal management for directed energy weapons, deicing, and electronics
* Structural performance for primary and secondary airframe structures, jet engines
* Electrical conductivity for lightning-strike protection, EMI, ESD, and energy storage
* Durability for chemical, wear, flame retardance, permeability
* Health monitoring for NDE certification, damage detection, and long-term degradation

This compilation of author contributions is divided into two sections—Nanostructured Polymer Composites and Nano-Bio Composites. It provides a basic understanding of nanomaterial and nanocomposite research to explain the fundamentals of how nanostructured fillers strengthen polymer-based materials. With an emphasis on how nano- and biocomposites are used to create new biomedical applications, the text also focuses on the crucial yet often-ignored potential toxicity impact of using nanostructured materials. It presents important guidelines and new insights to stimulate investigation of anticipated research in this fascinating new field. Researchers, scientists, and academics will appreciate this cutting-edge exploration of nanomaterials, biomaterials, and the ever-evolving world of nano-biomaterials.

-Amazoncom

Lean manufacturing : implementation strategies that work : a roadmap to quick and lasting success
Davis, John W., 1938-

* Provides readers with a clear path to inserting Lean in a manufacturing operation and a step by step approach to getting there.
* Includes numerous charts, graphs and window diagrams associated with the “how to” – along with specific training, schedules.
* Offers some unique insight into where Toyota placed a very important focus verses what is typically understood and/or accepted as the general path of implementation it took.
* Contains a list of important “Key Reflections” at the end of each chapter.

-Amazon.com

By: LaTesha Velez

Urban Outfitters in S&P

By: LaTesha Velez

Style: Versace’s New Look — The fashion house returns to Donatella’s exuberant styles to respark growth

According to people close to the designer, she was feeling stronger personally, having stopped using drugs. According to people familiar with the situation, the family’s marching orders were clear: