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Fashion History books:
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The best of Fashion History books by number of unique Reddit comments:
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Top Reddit reviews mentioning Fashion History books:
I find it unfortunate that Bodega didn’t give more credit to scholar and author W. David Marx (aka Marxy), who wrote the definitive book on Ametora, called... wait for it… Ametora! The article shamelessly rips a lot of its substance from the pages of his amazing book.
Highly recommended reading. Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465059732/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xHFsCbB3PYVTQ
Edit: more than half way through he gets two mentions, one of which calls his book the Bible of Ametora, so I revised shameful to unfortunate.
Quoting myself here:
> They only found one book found that featured 'nude children' at Neverland- here it is for sale on Amazon. It's an artbook.
> Okay, very good, and the fact that a 13 year old Jordie Chandler gave a detailed description of Michael's penis and testicles to the DA. How exactly did that come about?
The Jordan Chandler who described Michael's penis as circumscribed when it wasn't? That Jordan Chandler? You are grossly misinformed.
https://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Sex-Jake-Chapman/dp/8881584042
This is the book he had in his house. Famous photographers took pictures of adults and children in classical poses. It is not CP any more than Michaelangelo is porn. The kids aren't even naked. They're wearing fucking togas and shit. Like cherubs on the roof of the cistine chapel. This book you can buy on Amazon is not enough to accuse someone of owning CP.
I’ve always found a handsome book about watchmaking to be a stellar gift for the affluent horologist.
Not an article (sorry), but I really enjoyed this book. It does sort of lean more into the Japanese streetwear trend towards the second half of the book, but it's all around a great read if you haven't heard of it before. You could also check Heddels for their articles on the history of particular fashion brands and articles of clothing, they might have something.
I know you said online, but this is a good read, especially for someone new to the hobby.
Also, Google is your friend. I don't mean that in a snarky way. Just that there is a ton of info out there on YouTube, forums, etc, and that's the best way to find what it is you're looking for.
I would recommend a book like DK’s https://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Definitive-History-Costume-Style/dp/0756698359 (easily found in a library) and from there once you identify a specific period, style movement, you can find more detailed books using the search terms like handbook and 15th century dress for an example.
Get him a Casioak. Buy the watch and do the mod yourself. If he’s more of a sporty/no suit guy he will likely appreciate that and because you did the mod yourself it won’t just be a ‘bought’ gift but something you thought about. Should easily fit into your budget. You can also tell him all about the AP Royal Oak or get him this book to go with it 👍
Get a copy of 'Dressing the Man' by Alan Flusser. It has been in print for almost two decades and is becoming a classic. ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060191449 )
If you can find a cheap copy of Handmade Shoes for Men by Vass it would give you an overview. The only reason I don't recommend it highly is because it is thin on technical information. It does have good pictures of the process though.
https://www.amazon.com/Handmade-Shoes-Men-L%C3%A1szl%C3%B3-Vass/dp/3848003686
It’s a little older now, but I always default to an eye candy book filled to the brim with dials, movements, and more.
There are hundreds, but here's one.
Google the period.
Bernadette Banner's videos cover many garments from that period.
Google History Bounding.
Dressing the man leans towards classic styles, but it also has some really good tips, including what colors go best with what skintones and how to match things. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060191449/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_N2Q59S2M9KKQ20182ZD8
Very clumsily worded, but, Japanese reiterations of western garments are on another level.
And folk in Japan who are into clothes are deeply immersed in it, very knowledgeable about fabric, cut drape and the history of garments..
Quite a few British heritage brands openly admit that without the very specialised nature of the Japanese market that their goods would no longer be in production.
W.DAVID MARX's Ametora is a good primer in Japanese cultures obsession with Americana..https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ametora-Japan-Saved-American-Style/dp/0465059732
Seconding this. This has been my go-to for a few years.
All great questions. If you want a good introduction to fine watches, I suggest the Watchfinder YouTube channel. A lot of people recommend Teddy Baldassarre, though I’m not personally a fan (he tends to hype up too many mediocre things).
If you want a lovely talisman of your new hobby, and you enjoy reading, I recommend this book by Ryan Schmidt.
If you actually want to get into the more nitty gritty details of watchmaking, George Daniels’ Watchmaking is as close to a textbook as you’re going to get.
And lastly, I use Chrono24 for all my watch purchases.
Hope this helps! Never hesitate to ask any questions!
The relationship between Japan and traditional American styles (prep, Ivy looks, workwear, western wear) is really fascinating. “Ametora” is sort of <em>the book</em> when it comes to learning about this trend, but there are plenty of good summaries available online.
That’s why some of the “best” Americana or Ivy League type clothes are actually coming from Japanese brands - Kamakura, Beams, and roughly a million different selvedge denim brands.
I would recommend 'The Wristwatch Handbook': https://www.amazon.com/Wristwatch-Handbook-Comprehensive-Mechanical-Wristwatches/dp/185149829X
It has a comprehensive guide to watch movements/complications, and it has pictures of different models from a bunch of different watchmakers, including Seiko.
Congratulations! It only gets better (and expensive) from this point onwards. Not a horological book per se, but it's a great read which a lot of watch enthusiasts adore:
A Man & His Watch: Iconic Watches and Stories from the Men Who Wore Them
https://www.amazon.com/Man-His-Watch-Watches-Stories/dp/1579657141
https://www.amazon.ca/Fruits-Shoichi-Aoki/dp/0714840831
the dudes hair is spikier a than clouds. but you tell me about historical construction of race in anime. lol.
the blond on black trend started in japan.
you sound so fucking white. imagining yourself in all the things. literally this is a fight i have with white weebs all the time. they cant stand theyre not the protags of everything.
i guess i can view a world that is not axiomatic to whiteness and produced in asia.
A lot of the styles in this game was inspired by the street fashion of early 90s Japan. https://www.amazon.com/Fruits-Shoichi-Aoki/dp/0714840831/ref=nodl_
The book Fruits. Is a nice visual collection of a lot of the popular street styles.
I recommend this: A Man And His Watch: Iconic Watches and Stories From The Men Who Wore Them
I had a job where I had to wear suits every day for a few years. I can't recommend Dressing the Man by Alan Flusser highly enough. I didn't have the traditional family unit and I credit this book for teaching me how to navigate formal and business dress.
https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
I would recommend a grey suit and a navy, find your color palate and patterns you like, and buy items that fit within that. For me, I like white dress shirts with cool color, small scale checks which are usually blue. Medium to large scale striped or patterned ties, and a tan belt and shoes.
Stick with the same colors and cuts forever, those are dictated by your body type, but then experiment with patterns, pattern scale, and textures. Wool and knit ties are nice in the fall and winter, for instance.
I have, on numerous occasions, waxed poetic about my utter disdain for loafers. They have even caused a negative visceral reaction on occasion. However, I just finished Ametora and I keep reading those stupid Style and Fashion drawings from Put This On, and I feel the Dark Side of the Force taking hold.
Ye I get that actually. I never really dived into the whole Michael Jackson thing so I don't really have an opinion, it's just that this police report piqued my interest.
See also this amazon report and user reviews about the book in question: The Fourth Sex: Adolescent Extremes
From the reviews and abstract it doesn't strike me as pedophilic at all. Arousing yes. And maybe pornographic but it doesn't seem to deal with children at all. Nothing about "innocence" and "openess" and that bullshit.
> Any idea the price range on Alan flusser?
I have no clue however he is an authority on how to choose clothing based on your individual characteristics. This book of his explains what he means:
https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
> Also, any thoughts on balani custom clothiers?
I am not familiar with them.
The Wristwatch Handbook : A Comprehensive guide to wristwatches.
By a well known watch expert, bit of a labour of love for him. Very detailed and wide ranging, and high quality photos too.
Link here , I'm sure yiu can find it on US Amazon too. Recommended.
That's what brand catalogs and fashion magazines are for. Unless you are you ok with books that focus on specific subculture photography like Fruits.
Take Ivy (Amazon link) https://www.amazon.com/Take-Ivy-Shosuke-Ishizu/dp/1576875504 Not sure if it's what you're asking about...specifically Ivy League fashion, possibly too late for what you're talking about. I love it though