Review: Worldwide History of Dress

Throughout many posts on this blog, as well as whenever ANYONE asks my opinion, I will say that my favorite kind of knitting is "ethnic" or "folk" knitting.  I love the traditional styles, colors and shapes of these classic designs.  Using modern yarns, with the spectrum of available colors and fibers, allows for a very nice ability to design traditional knits with a modern twist!

Where do I get ideas for designs? 

Well, I've got all the books in Interweave Press's "folk knitting" series:

• Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle
• Folk Mittens by Marcia Lewandowski
• Folk Socks by Nancy Bush
• Folk Style by Mags Kandis
• Folk Vests by Cheryl Oberle
• Folk Bags by Vicki Square
• Folk Hats by Vicki Square
• Folk Knitting in Estonia by Nancy Bush

as well as many others about specific country's/ethnic group's knitting styles:  Fair Isle, Aran, Andean, etc and inspirational titles such as Cut My Cote and The Folkwear Book of Ethnic Clothing.  And these are all great for getting the creative juices flowing or for learning traditional techniques and special stitch manipulation, but sometimes I just needed more ... more color ... more detail ... more something.

And the answer came yesterday.  I just got a book (thanks to birthday gift money and Amazon credits) that far surpasses any of these books for sheer inspiration and education in all things worn to adorn.  The Worldwide History of Dress by Patricia Anawalt is a huge volume (600+ pages) with drool-inducing pictures of traditional and modern wear for just about every culture in the world. The book sections are split out geographically:

1. Middle East
2. Europe
3. Central Asis
4. East Asia
5. South Asia
6. Southeast Asia
7. Oceania
8. North America
9. South America
10. Africa

Published by quality book publishers, Thames & Hudson, the book has over 1000 illustrations (with about 900 in full color) with the details necessary to really see what is being worn, how it's being worn and the text tells us why it's being worn (religious, climate, spiritual and traditional).  Anawalt, the founding director of the Center for the Study of Regional Dress at the Fowler Museum (on UCLA's campus), includes information such as dimensions of the garments as well as details on other adornments -- jewelry, hair styles, etc. 

Talk about inspirational:  the color-combinations, the shapes, the design elements ... it's just hard to imagine all this packed in this one, albeit huge, book. 

The only problem: it's too fat and heavy to read in bed!  So, clear the table, warm the teapot and I'll be busy the rest of the afternoon.

Happy knittin'

Mary C. Gildersleeve

By Hand, With Heart -- hand-knit designs
bhwh.mary@gmail.com

Ethnic Knitting: Inspiration

I love ethnic/folkwear type designs ... the versatility, history and beauty of the garments makes them an amazing resource for knitwear inspiration. A place to find lots of great ideas is the Folkwear website with their luscious patterns.

Here's part of an email I got today from the owner of Folkwear ... I've just attached the part where Kate describes some of the exhibits of costume/folkwear available around the country:

If you are planning any vacation trips, perhaps you will be able to see an inspiring exhibition or festival. Some events of interest include:

• Clothes Make the Man: The Colonial Gentleman in New England, at Historic Deerfield (Massachusetts), through August 17. www.historic-deerfield.org.
• The Finishing Touch: Accessories from the Bolivian Highlands. Includes belts, bags, and other items. Through September 18. Also, BLUE, an exploration of the creation and meaning of the color blue on textiles, with emphasis on indigo. Follows last year's exhibit on RED. At the Textile Museum in Washington, DC, through September 18. www.textilemuseum.org.
• Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy. Exhibit includes movie costumes, haute couture, and high-performance sportswear, until September 1. Also, Radiance from the Rain Forest: Featherwork in Ancient Peru, brilliantly-colored feathers in high-status apparel and accessories, until September 1. At The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. www.metmuseum.org.
• For Tent and Trade: Masterpieces of Turkmen Weaving. Tribal carpets, bags, tent and camel trappings from Central Asia. Through September 7. At the de Young Museum in San Francisco. www.famsf.org/deyoung.
• Pride and Practicality: Japanese Immigrant Clothing in Hawaii, through September 27. At the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, in Honolulu. www.jcch.com.
• Belle Epoque Brides, an exhibit of Gilded Age (1875-1914) gowns at the Kent State University Museum in Kent, Ohio, through January 4, 2009. Also, BOLD: Rudi Gernreich, fashions by a controversial 20th century designer, through May 31, 2009. www.kent.edu/museum.
• History in Every Step, an exhibit of historic footwear and walking sticks from American and other cultures at the Charleston (S.C.) Museum, through September 1. Also, Bustles, Bicycles, and Ballgowns: Beginnings of Change in Late 19th Century Clothing, through January 4, 2009. www.charlestonmuseum.org.

Unfortunately, many of my "trips" will need to be virtual, but I might be able to catch a few IRL! I'll post those that I'm able to visit.

So how 'bout you? Up for a field trip? If you go visit any of these IRL, please post in the comments so I can live vicariously!