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The Fine Art of Dressing: Make Yourself a Masterpiece by Dressing for Your Body Type
In this practical but stylish guide to the art of dressing, author identifies the six main body types by the major artists who depicted them--Renoir, Picasso, Gauguin, Rubens, and Modigliani--and shows how to hang clothes on them, with style and panache. Original.
- GenresNonfictionFashion
214 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 23, 2023
Midagi klassikalist. Tegelikult võiks see olla ka "Eripärade varjamise peen kunst". Tegemist on raamatuga sellest, kuidas naised endast saledamat ja keskmises pikkuses muljet saaks tekitada. See ühene mõte on läbiv ja saab järelsõnas kinnitust. Kui aluseks on võetud kunstist inspireeritud naiste figuurid, siis seda väga piiratud mõttes ja mitte alati positiivsel moel. Teadsin, et pean lugema teatava ettevaatlikkusega ja ajaloolisest vinklist, kuid ikka mõjus tekst (või selle tõlge) lõpuks kohati liiga emotsionaalse, hinnangulise ja dikteerivana. Ehk võiks see trükis olla ajatum, kui keskenduks neutraalsemas toonis pigem optilistele efektidele, mida millega ja kuidas kombineerides saavutada oleks võimalik (juhul kui seda üldse soovitakse), ehk see, milleks ma seda raamatut põhiliselt lugeda tahtsin. Endalegi üllatuseks leidsin, kuivõrd selgelt joonistub välja kontrast kaasaegse keha-positiivsusega, samuti moe- ja õmblusterminoloogia muutumine eesti keeles mõnekümne aasta jooksul. Õpetlik lugemine igal juhul.
January 3, 2011
I liked this book quite a bit. It is not a book that requires a lot of reading. The introductory chapters are brief and give a brief summary of color, pattern and line.
It is after this introductory setion tht you get into the fun part of this book. Rather than using the commonly used body types of pear, apple, rectangle etc, the author defines six body types naming them for the artists who tended to portray them in their work. Gimmick perhaps, but it works. First of all it avoids the stereotypical associations of "apple" or "pear" and makes each figure type seem desirable. After all, who wouldn't rather be a Modigliani than a pear, or a Gaugin rather than in inverted triangle? Since the author uses line drawings of the figures used by each artist, these figures are also somewhat easier to identifiy with than the illustrations in many style books. The descriptions of each figure are also simple, highlighting key points without going into complicated descriptions.
What I found most useful was the way the author gives a chart for each figure type defining the key shapes and why they work, including shoes and accessories. There are several illustrations of key looks with bullet-points describing key features and why they are important. Then each body type ends with a summary consisting of line drawings showing the key lines, including side and views, and the major silhouettes to avoid.
As you move from your body type to the end of the book there is another series of charts showing key garment lines and ranking them from worst to best for each body type. After the charts is a greater discussion of various figure issues and how to dress for them, including a discussion and illustration of the best swimsuit shapes for each type.
What I liked about this book is its simplicity. You don't have to read a lot. You don't really have to measure anything, the descriptions are good, and the charts are convenient too. I can see keeping a copy of the chart handy for those times when I am looking at patterns and can't decide if something will actually work for me or not. Of course no formula will account for everything, and styling matters too, but there is useful information in this book.
It is after this introductory setion tht you get into the fun part of this book. Rather than using the commonly used body types of pear, apple, rectangle etc, the author defines six body types naming them for the artists who tended to portray them in their work. Gimmick perhaps, but it works. First of all it avoids the stereotypical associations of "apple" or "pear" and makes each figure type seem desirable. After all, who wouldn't rather be a Modigliani than a pear, or a Gaugin rather than in inverted triangle? Since the author uses line drawings of the figures used by each artist, these figures are also somewhat easier to identifiy with than the illustrations in many style books. The descriptions of each figure are also simple, highlighting key points without going into complicated descriptions.
What I found most useful was the way the author gives a chart for each figure type defining the key shapes and why they work, including shoes and accessories. There are several illustrations of key looks with bullet-points describing key features and why they are important. Then each body type ends with a summary consisting of line drawings showing the key lines, including side and views, and the major silhouettes to avoid.
As you move from your body type to the end of the book there is another series of charts showing key garment lines and ranking them from worst to best for each body type. After the charts is a greater discussion of various figure issues and how to dress for them, including a discussion and illustration of the best swimsuit shapes for each type.
What I liked about this book is its simplicity. You don't have to read a lot. You don't really have to measure anything, the descriptions are good, and the charts are convenient too. I can see keeping a copy of the chart handy for those times when I am looking at patterns and can't decide if something will actually work for me or not. Of course no formula will account for everything, and styling matters too, but there is useful information in this book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews