Have You Heard About... Calico Dresses and Buffalo Robes

Fran J — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 07:03:04 +0000

… the clothing worn in the Wild West? Calico Dresses and Buffalo Robes*, by Katherine Krohn, looks at clothing and fashion in the American West from the 1840s to the 1890s. It covers everyone from Native Americans to cowboys and farmers to city slickers, with brief mentions of non-European immigrants and the military. In addition to clothing, this book looks at accessories and hair styles for both men and women. Where people got their clothing is also mentioned – whether it could be made at home or purchased from a store or catalog.

Calico Dresses and Buffalo Robes would be useful to people interested in costuming for theater or re-enactments (or just for fun), as well as those writing about the time period or with an interest in it. The text is accompanied by photographs and illustrations from the late 1800s. There is a section on trendsetters and rule breakers, such as Levi Strauss and Calamity Jane. An epilogue looks at how Western fashions have changed over time and how they are still popular today.

This book is short, designed to be a brief overview and introduction to the topic rather than a comprehensive work. A bibliography and list of recommended books and websites will help people who want more detail. Words that are likely to be unfamiliar are defined in the text and included in a glossary at the end.

* Other books in the Dressing a Nation series include Buckskin Dresses and Pumpkin Breeches, Petticoats and Frock Coats, Hoopskirts, Union Blues, and Confederate Grays, and The Little Black Dress and Zoot Suits.

Reviewed by Fran (staff)

Have You Heard About... Oh No She Didn’t

Fran J — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:29:20 +0000

…what you shouldn’t wear? Oh No She Didn’t: The Top 100 Style Mistakes Women Make and How to Learn From Them by Clinton Kelly helps you identify and avoid common fashion mistakes. You don’t have to watch TLC’s ‘What Not to Wear” to know that this book will be funny, insulting, politically incorrect, sarcastic, and very informative. No matter how you take this book, Clinton Kelly knows what he’s talking about, and he’s talking about YOU. Just because some celebrity wore her pj’s to the grocery store or Ugg boots with shorts doesn’t mean it’s the latest fashion and you need to do it too. Clinton hates ‘mommy jeans’ – (elastic at the waist jeans). Sorry Clinton, you’ll never get me to wear jeans without an elastic waist. I want comfort.

Scrunchies. If you’re 3 years old they’re great. If you’re 43 they look stupid. T-shirts with logos are dorky. Horizontal stripes make you look fat.

Face it. You’re you. Unique. One- of-a-kind. You’ll never live up to Clinton’s standard of style, and some of the tips should be common sense. Clinton makes fun of how people look to get his point across. Lots of photos in the book make this an interesting, fast read.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Waukegan Public Library - fashion

Have You Heard About... Calico Dresses and Buffalo Robes

Have You Heard About... Oh No She Didn’t