Category Archives: Fashion/Lifestyle
Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman
Reviewed by Ronnie Alvarado
There are few writers in the modern fantasy canon whose style is as definitive and whose prose is as magically transcendent as Neil Gaiman. For the last two decades, he has been delighting readers with his witty, chilling, and at times downright frightening stories. His latest work, Trigger Warnings: Short Fictions and Disturbances, does not disappoint, as its brims with fantastical tales of varying lengths and plots.
The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey
Reviewed by Julie Moderson
Sheila McGee is an unhappy woman in the beginning of the novel because she wants more than anything to escape the boring mill town in Northern Ireland. Her father abandoned Sheila and her mother and then he died in a boating accident. Sheila’s mother is somewhat crazy and takes all of Sheila’s money and is terrible to Sheila. She works in Queensbrook Spinning Mill as a spinner. Sheila is a fun girl who loves to flirt with guys and drink and dance. Her best friend from childhood is Gavin O’Rourke, it seems as if he wants to be more than just friends, but Sheila wants to be nothing more than friends.
One day the mill announces that there will be a competition between other mills and Queensbrook for the Linen Queen. Sheila is quite the beauty and wants to enter and win the competition. Sheila doesn’t get picked to be in the pageant but then the owner of the mill decides that he wants her in the competition. Shelia’s friend Kathleen gives her spot in the pageant to her. Shelia wins the Linen Queen title and finds out that it is not such a great job to have. The war comes to her small town and everyone wants to meet the Americans. The men from the town don’t like the completion with the men in uniform and short haircuts.
The Fashion File by Janie Bryant
Reviewed by Caryn St. Clair
With such smash hits as Deadwood and Mad Men on her resume, fashion designer Janie Bryant surely knows the ends and outs of dressing stars in character and period appropriate fashions. With this book, Bryant tries her hand at giving readers tips for ordinary people in today’s world. The results are stunning to say the least.
With each chapter, Bryant first runs through how she addresses the topic in her profession life and then shows readers how to apply the “lesson” to their own attempts at creating their look. While some of the clothing and accessories may seem to be out of stride with the soccer moms daily life, there is enough practical advice and examples to make this a working book for most readers. For instance, not only does the author give very specific instructions on measuring yourself for the proper bra fit, she also explains why a woman needs to own different styles of bras (and other undergarments) to make the most of various types of clothing. One of my favorite sections is a two page spread showing how to “upgrade” your comfort wears (also known as “fashion felons”) to their stylish substitutes without losing the comfort factor. Another chapter titled “The Importance of being Accessorized’ shows readers various ways to dress up and down a simple dress, multiple ways to completely change your look with merely changing your jewelry and scarves, and what fabulous things can be done with a stunning handbag or pair of shoes.
There is a short chapter on dressing your man with quite clear illustrations on how to tie various ties, ten essentials for his wardrobe and how different types of dress shirts can make a fashion statement.