In The Mood For Cheongsam

Spanning almost a century, this book examines the origins and development of the cheongsam in the social context of Singapore since its introduction from Shanghai, China, in the 1920s to the present day. The cheongsam, a one-piece Chinese ladies' dress that was the epitome of Chinese identity and feminine beauty during the middle decades of the 20th century. Initially seen as a symbol of a trendy, new, Republican China, shorn of the shackles of the imperial system, the cheongsam soon adopted intellectual overtones, and was favoured by the sophisticated and society's elite at elaborate social functions. When it was abandoned following the success of the Communist Party in China, the cheongsam survived in Singapore as the garment of choice for independent, educated women.

Sew your own stylish clothes with this fabulous sewing book. Are you a DIY sewer, with a passion for Japanese style? Look no further, Happy Homemade: Sew Chic is the Japanese Sewing book you've been waiting for—all new timeless and straightforward creations of Yoshiko Tsukiori, acclaimed Japanese fashion designer and author of The Stylish Dress Book, now available in English in the United States. Happy Homemade: Sew Chic features 20 flexible sewing patterns that boast authentic Japanese style created simply—by you. Sew-your-own pants, tops, dresses and skirts will add that sought-after Japanese flair to your wardrobe. Simple lines make these garments perfect for women of all ages and all sizes. This book includes a complete western-sized sewing pattern for each design that is easily adjusted to fit your body form. The understandable, concise diagrams and simple instructions allow you to create a unique style with ease and confidence. Sewing designs include: Tunic Dress with Lace Blouse with Front Tucks Box Tunic Straight-cut Tiered Skirt Straight-cut Sarouel Pants Smock Dress with Puff Sleeves And much more… Whether you're a sewing maven or an aspiring novice, Happy Homemade: Sew Chic is your ultimate guide to transforming fabric to fabulous!

Perfect for readers of Women in Clothes, this beautifully designed philosophical guide to fashion explores art, literature, and film to uncover the hidden meaning of a well-chosen wardrobe. We all get dressed. But how often do we pause to think about what our clothes say? When we dress ourselves, we are presenting to the world an essence of who we are, who we want to be. Dressed ranges freely from suits to suitcases, from Marx's coat to Madame X's gown. Through art and literature, film and philosophy, philosopher Shahidha Bari unveils the surprising personal implications of what we choose to wear. The impeccable cut of Cary Grant's suit projects masculine confidence, just as Madonna's oversized denim jacket and her armful of orange bangles loudly announces big ambition. How others dress tells us something fundamental about them -- we can better understand how people live and what they think through their garments. Clothes tell our stories. Dressed is the thinking person's fashion book. In baring the hidden power of clothes in our culture and our daily lives, Bari reveals how our outfits not only cover our bodies but also reflect our minds.

"""If you have never embroidered before, no worries, for there are detailed instructions of what you need + all the techniques and stitches you need to know for the patterns in the book."" --Japanese Sewing Books blog This fun embroidery book contains hundreds of creative needlework designs you can use to personalize all sorts of things! From a little hand-sewn gift, to monogrammed linens and cushions, to a well-worn and well-loved pair of jeans. 501 Enchanting Embroidery Designs offers simple hand embroidered motifs that highlight life's small pleasures: Motifs from the kitchen or garden (teacups, fruits and cozy reminders of home) Sweet feminine embellishments for your household zakka projects (flowers, pets, fashion elements) Designs for your child's clothing, drawn in a kid-friendly style Traditional designs such as monogrammed initials and elegant borders These freestyle designs are doable even for embroidery beginners and will always add that special touch--from an apron for your best friend to the neckline of your favorite top. No matter what you choose to leave your mark on, you are sure to find inspirational designs perfect for any occasion. "

In Lori Lansens’ astonishing second novel, readers come to know and love two of the most remarkable characters in Canadian fiction. Rose and Ruby are twenty-nine-year-old conjoined twins. Born during a tornado to a shocked teenaged mother in the hospital at Leaford, Ontario, they are raised by the nurse who helped usher them into the world. Aunt Lovey and her husband, Uncle Stash, are middle-aged and with no children of their own. They relocate from the town to the drafty old farmhouse in the country that has been in Lovey’s family for generations. Joined to Ruby at the head, Rose’s face is pulled to one side, but she has full use of her limbs. Ruby has a beautiful face, but her body is tiny and she is unable to walk. She rests her legs on her sister’s hip, rather like a small child or a doll. In spite of their situation, the girls lead surprisingly separate lives. Rose is bookish and a baseball fan. Ruby is fond of trash TV and has a passion for local history. Rose has always wanted to be a writer, and as the novel opens, she begins to pen her autobiography. Here is how she begins: I have never looked into my sister’s eyes. I have never bathed alone. I have never stood in the grass at night and raised my arms to a beguiling moon. I’ve never used an airplane bathroom. Or worn a hat. Or been kissed like that. I’ve never driven a car. Or slept through the night. Never a private talk. Or solo walk. I’ve never climbed a tree. Or faded into a crowd. So many things I’ve never done, but oh, how I’ve been loved. And, if such things were to be, I’d live a thousand lives as me, to be loved so exponentially. Ruby, with her marvellous characteristic logic, points out that Rose’s autobiography will have to be Ruby’s as well — and how can she trust Rose to represent her story accurately? Soon, Ruby decides to chime in with chapters of her own. The novel begins with Rose, but eventually moves to Ruby’s point of view and then switches back and forth. Because the girls face in slightly different directions, neither can see what the other is writing, and they don’t tell each other either. The reader is treated to sometimes overlapping stories told in two wonderfully distinct styles. Rose is given to introspection and secrecy. Ruby’s style is "tell-all" — frank and decidedly sweet. We learn of their early years as the town "freaks" and of Lovey’s and Stash’s determination to give them as normal an upbringing as possible. But when we meet them, both Lovey and Stash are dead, the girls have moved back into town, and they’ve received some ominous news. They are on the verge of becoming the oldest surviving craniopagus (joined at the head) twins in history, but the question of whether they’ll live to celebrate their thirtieth birthday is suddenly impossible to answer. In Rose and Ruby, Lori Lansens has created two precious characters, each distinct and loveable in their very different ways, and has given them a world in Leaford that rings absolutely true. The girls are unforgettable. The Girls is nothing short of a tour de force.

An anthology of new New Zealand verse, which first appeared in the popular Friday Poem slot in The Spinoff website. It features some of the most well-known and established names in New Zealand poetry as well as new, exciting writers. It is a showcase of New Zealand poetry.

This sewing book shows you how to create your own feminine wardrobe, full of super-cute dresses and tops. The clothing features wonderful, exaggerated bows and elegant frills to give you a uniquely feminine look. There are three themed chapters—town, party, and resort—containing stylish clothes to take you effortlessly from the city to the beach. The visual, stepby- step instructions are easy to follow, and will enable you to make any of the 21 projects with ease. A paper pattern is included in the back of the book.

Associations between the cheongsam dress and Chinese cultural identity are well known but what are the meanings of the cheongsam for members of the Chinese diaspora? In a study grounded in first-hand accounts of wearing, Cheryl Sim explores the practices and experiences of women in Canada, a major Chinese diaspora, and carries out the first in-depth study of the cheongsam from this critical point of view. Questions explored over the course of 20 interviews, as well as during personal reflections on the author's own experiences of wearing, include: is there a desire to re-claim or appropriate the cheongsam? Does this desire risk perpetuating stereotypes of Asian women? Does it undermine one's identification with one's host country? Can erased heritage(s) be accessed through dress? And how does wearing the cheongsam interact with the male gaze? Revealing feelings of repulsion and attraction, Sim combines personal stories with an authoritative use of theoretical frameworks such as feminism, post-colonialism and autoethnography. Covering issues such as heritage, ethnic identity, authenticity, nationalism, patriarchy and assimilation, Sim demonstrates that the meanings of the cheongsam are multifarious. Readable but with strong academic underpinnings, this book is the entry point into discussions of Chinese dress and diaspora.

Much has been written about the transformation of China from being a clothing-manufacturing site to a fast-rate fashion consuming society. Less, however, has been written on the process of making Chinese fashion. The expert contributors to Fashion in Multiple Chinas explore how the many Chinese fashions operate across the widespread, fragmented and diffused, Chinese diaspora. They confront the idea of Chinese nationalism as `one nation', as well as of China as a single reality, in revealing the realities of Chinese fashion as diverse and comprising multiple practices. They also demonstrate how the making of Chinese fashion is composed of numerous layers, often involving a web of global entanglements between manufacturing and circulation, retailing and branding. They cover the mechanics of the PRC fashion industry, the creative economy of Chinese fashion, its retail and branding, and the cultural identity of Chinese fashion from the diasporas comprising the transglobal landscape of fashion production.

Discovering Chinese Culture in Travelling is selectively translated from China’s Tourism Culture compiled by the Editorial Board of China’s Tourism Culture. As we know, culture is the essential attribute of travel experience as well as that of travel industry, and cultural exchanges constitute the basis of tourism activities. The original book covers a wide range of cultural resources concerning Chinese travel destinations, from religions to food and wine. Featuring distinctive Chinese culture, this book shares with readers the insights into the concepts and connotations of tourism culture and also its reflections in China’s context. Subjects covered in this selective translation work include folk customs, traditional architectures, landscape of mountains and waters, and Chinese cuisine. The final goal of this book is to lead the reader to discover Chinese culture in traveling around this remarkable country.