Library Book 4

Fashion: Color, Line, and Design
by Susan Geringer
Third Edition

This book has SOOOO much info!! I have been using all of these library books since I got them, but mainly looking for specific things, and not just flipping through idly. I won't be able to take notes on this one like I did on the other ones, because otherwise I will be writing all night long. To give you an idea of the breadth of information that this book covers, I'm going to try to summarize
1. Color
a) Psychology of color and symbolism- how color makes people feel, and traditional colors (white for a western wedding)
in order of preference from liked to less liked, colors are ranked as such: blue, red, green, violet, orange, and yellow
People usually like light more than dark colors, and primaries (red, yellow, blue used to mix all other colors) and pure colors more than intermediates (combination of colors) and grayed ones
introverts like neutral, extroverts like bright, neutral considered more sophisticated
hot climates, cool colors, cool climates, warm colors
Color gives messages and causes reactions- increase heart rate w/ red, decrease w/ blue
favorite colors show personality (my favorite is orange/yellow- orange is exciting and glowing, yellow, most luminous, is cheerful, creative, intellectual, but also least liked because think of sickness and cowardice)
bright colors, good mood, dark colors, bad mood
color/patterns must be used either traditionally, or very unorthodox

Chapter 2- Clothing Details
gives an overview of standard shapes and cuts in clothing (A-line skirt, camisole, dress shirt, draped, blazer, bomber jacket, mandarin, nehru jacket, sweetheart neckline, kimono sleeve etc) and construction detailing (beading, bias, braids, buttons, cording, darts, embroidery, facing, fringe, frogs, hem,  piping...) It goes on for a while, and is very dated (grossly dated... sometimes it makes you cringe. Seriously, a safari jacket?? Pedal pushers?????), and is pretty much vocab, and lists pretty much everything they can think of, so we shall skip this part, though some of the names are funny, like peplum" (pretty much a tunic and a pencil skirt as a suit), however the names are the same as in Library book 2, so that's reassuring!

Chapter 3- Design Lines
Pretty much how to draw... Did you know an S shaped line is called an Ogee? They also talk about angles, silhouettes (tubular, hourglass, bell, etc), proportion, balance, emphasis, rhythm (repetition in pattern, color, trimming, etc), harmony (unity of the look)

Chapter 4- Fashion Drawing
Basic figure drawing, proportion of human body, and the balance line (your spine), drawing clothing around curves, draped cloth, making it how the customer wants it, body size and figure, and color and texture... I think I got this part down

FINALLY
Chapter 5- History of Costume
Pretty much half of the book, and what I was waiting for.
Reasons to wear clothes: Protection, modesty, adornment, status, belonging to a group, sexual attraction (ooh!)
People either like skinny girls, big buts, or big boobs, or a combo (I'm just turning the technical language into straight forward wording, I promise!)
skinny tubular figure was popular when women had power- look like man, popular in ancient Egypt, flappers, WWII, 1980s
Big bust/waist (bell silhouette) when women were weakest (Victorian times, Southern Belles before Civil War, and 1950s poodle skirt)
Supposedly studies by Harris, Uphan, and Co. to show that women's hemlines were directly proportional to the stock market (also mentioned in Lib book 2)
in the 20th century, fashion inspired/influenced by celebrities and films

Egyptians (2800 BC-300 BC)
sun inspired- rays of the sun in pleating/jewelery
body=soul's temple- well kept- sheer, form fitting clothes showed off body, removed body hair, wore wigs, heavy make-up around eyes (mirrors to the soul)
black kohl around eyes also protected from sun
Men wore shenti around waist- triangle shaped like pyramid
women wore transparent linen gowns, or kalasiris, with pleating and collar

Cretans 2500 BC-1100 BC
vain/proud of bodies, small waists, sew own garments so they were original
considered best dressed women in history
small waists due to soldering belts on children at age six for hourglass figure
chiton- two rectangular cloths attached at shoulder, laced at waist
puffed cap sleeve, bolero jacket, and other styles adopted from neighbors

Greeks influenced by Cretans, esp w/ chiton
himation was outergarment- intricately wrapped, social status implied by draping and control of wearer

Middle Ages- we all know how that looked
However, crusades brought eastern cultures
**gothic movement caused pointy cone hats to emerge, or hennin (think princess hat)- sometimes so long needed servant to follow w/ pitchfork- law passed- length determined by husband's profession
Chopines- extremely high platform shoes
bliaud- tight boddice, full skirt, and long, full sleeves w/ low waistline- most common 12-13 centuries
Maternity became popular at one point due to belief that they had found the Virgin Mary's tunic- pregnancy pillow to look pregnant
*codpiece- sac at men's groin which were decorated and stuffed with fabric or even coins :P
16th century
farthingale- stiff structure under skirt to make it poof out
vasquines- iron corsets w/ bolts to flatten breasts, stomacher flattened stomach
perfumes to disguise that people didn't bathe
big ruffed collars- needed long utensils to eat
Pumpkin breeches- for men, padded on the butt so that resembled pumpkins
Seventeenth Century
"Sun King" Louis XIV
lower necklines, massive hair, small cap for mourning with deep point on forehead known as widow's peak
Men wore huge pants, so padded they were like skirts, and a thin cravat, or tie
18th Century
justaucorps (think Mozart)
wigs less popular
after French Rev, outlandish fashions- long tails, jacket left open because too tight, double breasted buttons, trousers completely visible (no tunic), ankle length, not at knee
youth mocked formality of the king- wore more wrinkled, careless look
... goes on and on in great detail on how the fashion transformed slowly over time...
19th century
Greek look
Godey's Lady Book as first fashion magazine
Dandies- well groomed me (think Napoleon)
Sports wear created
painful lacing and bodices, considered distasteful for women to eat in public- fainted
hourglass figure became more popular, some removed ribs to become thinner, monobosom- leaned forward
20th century
confining garments abandoned after WWI (example, "hobble skirt")
flapper emerged 1920s
1930s thin, long, formfitting (evening gown)
WWII manly look w/ suit w/ big shoulders- display of wealth was tasteless
skirts shortened
gloves popular
miniskirt
two-piece suits
hippie
warp dress
punk/disco
90s layering and drabness...



By the way, I think that this is a textbook, since it has "projects" to do after every chapter. Should have done those...?