Tailored Fashion Design

I think you should know that the cover is very misleading. All the photos inside are in black and white and while there are some nice fashions shown, They have NOTHING to do with what you are reading. The technical advice is at times rather confusing <I've been sewing for twenty years BTW> and some what misleading. It may serve as a companion to a class one is taking, but the book itself is not so helpful. I wouldn't recommend it, frankly.

I bought this book for my tailoring class and found it to be a wonderful resource. By following the chapters and instructions, I had no trouble constructing a very detailed period riding coat using traditional tailoring methods. The book also gives instruction on modern fusible tailoring methods as well as the traditional hand tailored techniques. I do have quite a bit of sewing and tailoring experience already, but I still learned new tricks with every chapter. The numerous fashion photos in the book were great inspiration. The basic pattern blocks are also helpful to formulate your own designs. This book is NOT going to tell you how to achieve every fashion photo featured...(which would be sort on unethical)...but it most certainly provides you with the foundation to create your own designs.

The book goes step by step dealing with the construction process and includes pictures to go with the various steps. The stitches are also illustrated in detail.

I got very excited when I saw this book for sale. Finally a book that provided an up-to-date look at tailoring by adding a huge dash of fashion into the mix. This isn't what I got.The magical clothes pictured on its cover and splashed liberally throughout the book, aren't in any way backed up by the information on offer. It isn't a pattern making book, so you don't get shown any of the techniques required to translate these runway looks into reality. They are offered simply to "inspire" you. Even though it comes with a set of patterns, it doesn't show you how to alter any of them - apart from a few sleeves - into anything resembling a designers work.My biggest issue with the book however is the fact that all of the tailoring techniques are traditional and therefore are those base in menswear tailoring. The author offers no detailed information about how these traditional methods can be translated to the specific requirements of the bust shaping necessary to get a good fit on the female form. Most technical images of the front of the garments are flat with any that have the traditional canvas construction showing no bust darting. There is a recommendation that a full bust is best served by a princess line, but no indication of how the canvas construction would then be modified to complement this. Therefore most images are for female garment, yet the methods would suit male clothing better. Female fashion clothing is mostly based within "style" cutting, not traditional tailoring. And it was the promise of a technical book which provided the combination of the two that got me excited in the first place.On a design note, the book offers the same rather dull production of many of Fairchild's publications. The photographic illustrations are dreary black and white and many of the less technical drawings in orange and gray have an unrefined, amateurish look to them. Some of the "style" illustrations are truly awful/misleading. There are several quite surprising mistakes as well. A photo of Gianni Versace says he is pictured with his niece, when it is actually his sister Donatella. The label Lanvin is spelt incorrectly as Lavin. A photo credited to Irving Penn, supposedly showing Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn wearing original Balenciaga, actually shows a modern Balenciaga suit by Nicholas Ghesquiere. I'm sure there are more.When it comes down to it, the book is being sold as a textbook for students and it does have many valuable sections on fabric, interfacing, historical background and featured designers young people may be unaware of. It also a great bibliography and reference lists. However, a tailoring book that does not show you how to draft a tailored collar is pushing the friendship a little. Combined with a teacher or lecturer it could provide a great base for a fashion student, but trying to go it alone with this book, hoping to reproduce the designer looks featured is going to be a long, hard road.

This book is a great for students who are just beginning to study tailoring, or more advanced sewers/designers that want to enhance their skills. I have been teaching college-level fashion for over a decade and students were always disappointed that a better book was not on the market. When we adopted Tailored Fashion Design, students were really able to comprehend the topic more thoroughly and were excited at the design possibilities this book opened them up to.I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about tailoring. The author has a great deal of industry experience and her command of the topic shows in the book. I hope the author will continue with another book!

Reading this book I have found the inspiration I needed to compete in the Gown industry. I have made my name known in the industry with my Veiling and Headpieces. Now, I am steadily working on my Gown line. I feel as if Ms. Pamela Powell is right next to me while I try and try until it comes out BEAUTIFUL! I will soon be known for my gown line! If I could hug her I would. I am saying now if you ever read this. THANK YOU MS.PAMELA POWEL FOR HELPING ME SECURE MY FUTURE!