Book Giveaway & Review: The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 from Dover Publications

These days we're used to seeing and thinking about a whole host of world famous designers and fashion houses. Even if we don't own a single piece from any of them, most folks are at least familiar with a handful of such and we've come to think of their presence as part and parcel to the world of style.

Such was not always the case though and the invention, if you will, of the modern fashion house as we would recognize and acknowledge it today is relatively new. Unquestionably one of the first and most influential early players in this sphere was The House of Worth.

Founded in France in 1858 by Mr. Charles Frederick Worth, a highly regarded and skilled dressmaker who had previously been employed by some of the top tailors in the UK and France, the House of Worth hit the ground running, by offering exquisitely made and deeply beautiful haute couture clothing. As time went on, the company would grow to include ready-to-wear fashions, as well as perfumes.

The House of Worth provided fashions to some of the most affluent, wealthy, powerful - and powerfully dressed - customers in Europe and the world as a whole. From stars of the stage, such as Sarah Bernhardt, Nellie Melba, and Jenny Lind to European royals, old money and new, and those trying to climb the social ladder alike, The House of Worth had an impressive clientele and provided stunning pieces to all of them (including both wedding gowns and costume party ensembles).

In its original iteration, The House of Worth remained in business until 1952 (the brand was revived again after more than four decades of laying dormant, in 1999), with Charles Worth's heirs taking over the company after his death in 1895.

It was under the leadership of Charles' sons, Gasteon-Lucien and Jean-Philippe, that The House of Worth experienced the Edwardian years, and it is the tail end of this very period that the book at the heart of today's post focuses.





The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 from Dover Publications is a unique and enchantingly beautiful soft cover book that includes 125 watercolour and ink illustrations, all of which were originally produced by The House of Worth.

That alone would be enough to make any vintage fashion or historical costume fan go weak in the knees, but this book is so very much more. Woven through its many fashion illustration filled pages, one is greeted with an excellently written - and very engaging - historical account of how these drawings (and some accompanying fabric swatches, which are pictured in photographs in this book) came to be in the possession of the Litchfield Historical Society located in Litchfield, Connecticut.

Readers are introduced to the well-to-do ladies, Julia Chester Wells and Mary Perkins Quincy, respectively, who received the drawing as a catalog of sorts that highlighted new offerings at the time, from the House of Worth during the 1910s. Throughout the book, their fascinating lives are opened up to us so as to help us get a better sense of what the typical American House of Worth customer was like back during the brand's heyday.

I've read more books on historical fashions over the years than I could ever count, and can honestly say that this is one of the most unique and appealing approaching to profiling the history of a company, its customers, and its products alike that I've ever had the pleasure of encountering.

The Litchfield Historical Society has done a marvelous job in helping to preserve the history of The House of Worth through these Edwardian era fashion illustrations, just as Dover Publications has done by teaming with them for the creation of this 144 page book, which was published in August 2015.

There is so much to enjoy and admire about the fashions created by The House of Worth. They were pioneers in the field of both haute couture and high end ready-made clothing alike, and unquestionably, they helped to pave the way for many other similar companies, some of who are still in business to this day, that would follow.

If you have even the slightest interest in yesteryear fashion history (and chances are, if you're reading this post, then you definitely do), than The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 is for you!

The awesome folks at Dover Publications have very kindly offered a copy of this book to one lucky Chronically Vintage reader. Read on to find out how you can win (they're are plenty of ways to enter and the giveaway is open internationally).



Giveaway details:


This giveaway is for one copy of the soft cover book The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 from Dover Publications from Dover Publications. It is open to readers (participants) worldwide and will run from today's date (Tuesday May 31, 2016) until 11:59 PST on Tuesday June 7, 2016.

The winning name will be drawn using Raffle copter's random winner tool once the giveaway has wrapped up and the winner will be contacted via email shortly thereafter. Your book itself will be shipped out to you directly from the fine folks at Dover Publications.

You may enter using however many of the following ten different Rafflecopter methods you desire. The only entry that is mandatory is that you please leave a comment on this post in which you share with me one or more of your favourite elements of Edwardian era fashion.

The more ways that you enter, the greater your odds of winning become. If you have any questions about this book giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me anytime.


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Edwardian fashions, be they the simplest of garments or the most elaborate and expensive produced, have always spoken to me, and getting a chance to read The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 was a true joy that left me yearning all the more for a time machine (and a Vanderbilt's pocketbook!) to the past.

Sadly, such isn't possible, but we can immerse ourselves in the history of such care of marvelous books like this, and I truly want to thank Dover Publications for teaming up with my blog to offer a copy of this terrific title to my readers (as well, they've very kindly extended a 25% off coupon code, WFBJ, which you can use on their website to save 25% off on all orders until the end of June).

Many sincere thanks, and best of luck as well, to each and every one of you who take part in this fun vintage fashion book giveaway!

Book Giveaway & Review: A Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938 from Dover Publishing

The years spanning the crash of the stock market in 1929 to the outbreak of World War II in 1939 were some of the most troubled, fascinating and, at times, even lively, that the world has ever known. They were also, despite the immense hardships faced by many, some of the most fashionable and at that point in time, the design houses and clothing companies of France still held major sway over what the world sported.

While, of course, many people could scarcely survive - let alone think about keeping up the the Jonses on the fashion front - for those who were fortunate to still find themselves in a middle class or higher income bracket, the world of style carried on, by and large, much as it had for not only decades, but centuries before.

New names emerged, vying sometimes with well established favourites. Trends came and went with the seasons, hemlines - much like the infamous stock market itself - bounced from high to low and back again over and over, and certain looks would emerge and forever cement themselves as the defining styles of that decade.

The gorgeously illustrated book, A Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938: From the Depression to the Brink of War from Dover Publications does a marvelous job of highlighting some of the most engaging and stylish looks of the nine - ten years between the end of era that brought us The Bright Young Things and six years of indescribable horror, as WW2 tore like wildfire though huge portions of the globe.

This was a period of glitz and glamour on the fashion front, where talkies entered the picture in Hollywood and movie stars – and what they wore – began to take on a status akin to that, traditionally, held only for royalty. It was time of uncertainty and excitement. Elements of the now often said expression "you only live once" remained from the party filled heydays of the 1920s, yet they were tempered with a more sophisticated refinement and serious air in the uncertain days of the thirties.

In A Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938: From the Depression to the Brink of War, readers are presented with a splendidly detailed array of fashions from the era as they first appeared from the leading clothing designers of France at the time.

Save for a lovely written introduction, there is exceedingly little text in this 112 page soft cover book (which was released by Dover in July 2015). Instead the spotlight is shone - as I'm certain many a 1930s fashionista and starlet alike would approve of - on the clothing of the era itself. Such is presented through a well curated bevy of full-colour illustrations that first appeared in the pages of French catalogs which were geared towards especially towards the international market.

From the lingering notes of 1920s trends (think drop waists, handkerchief hems, cloche hats, etc) to the strikingly different styles that saw many a woman through the start of the second World War, such as hemlines that hit just below the knees, bold shoulder pads, and waistlines at one's natural waist, a flip through this book instantly highlights many of the trends, creative ideas, and beautiful details that called 1930s fashion home.

Being so devoid of text, this elegant book can be enjoyed in one quick sitting, though many a vintage and historical costume fan will want to savour it for far longer that - and both will find it to be indispensable in furthering their knowledge of, and appreciation for, looks from the third decade of the twentieth century.

From chic daytime ensembles (including that sort that you just know 1930s ladies who lunch were sporting en masse) to jaw dropping evening looks, the styles presented in this delightful book span the last breaths of the flapper era to the softer, and yet at the same time, also more rigid styles that would set the tone for fashion well into the mid-1940s.

This is a book to read and time and time again, each new viewing helping further details - from button placements to hemline shapes - to present themselves to you, the reader, as you soak up and savour the supreme elegance that was 1930s fashion for those with the means to buy from the best that France had to offer.

Though I myself rarely wear looks from this period (most, especially those before 1937, are anything but becoming on my short, hourglass shaped figure), I appreciate them immensely and have a strong affinity for all things art deco era fashion related.

Thus, it was with no small amount of pleasure that I readily, and happily, accepted Dover's wonderfully kind offer to both receive a copy of A Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938: From the Depression to the Brink of War to review here, as well the opportunity to give one lucky Chronically Vintage winner the chance to win their own copy of this fabulous vintage fashion resource.

Read on to find out how you can win!


Giveaway details:

This giveaway is for one copy of the soft cover book A Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938: From the Depression to the Brink of War from Dover Publications. It is open to readers (participants) worldwide and will run from today's date (Monday April 25, 2016) until 11:59 PST on Wednesday May 4, 2016.

The winning name will be drawn using Rafflecopter's random winner tool once the giveaway has wrapped up and the winner will be contacted via email shortly thereafter. Your book itself will be shipped out to you directly from the fine folks at Dover Publications.

You may enter using however many of the following ten Rafflecopter methods you desire. The only entry that is mandatory is that you please leave a comment on this post in which you share with me one or more of your favourite elements of 1930s fashion.

The more ways that you enter, the greater your odds of winning become. If you have any questions about this book giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me anytime.


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There was, and will forever be, an unmistakable sophistication and understated beauty to 1930s fashion. It took its inspiration from countless sources and culminated in a streamlined, refined style that could be blazingly minimalist or enchantingly whimsical. Very often it fell somewhere in between, with lengthy lines, bias cuts, and all sorts of marvelous details – that still make fashion lovers say "oh-la-la" to this day – calling the looks of this decade home.

I feel fortunate to be able to add A Decade of French Fashions, 1929 - 1938 to my collection, as well as to be able to offer one lucky winner a copy of their own, and want to sincerely thank Dover Publications for another exciting and very generous collaboration. My thanks all go out to each and every one of you as well, who take part in this exciting vintage fashion book giveaway.

Best of luck to all those who enter!

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Three beautiful vintage fashion filled adult colouring books from Dover Publications

It's safe to say that the adult colouring book craze has taken off like wildfire and then some! Though colouring books geared towards those far past the primary school age range are not new by any means, their widespread adoption and explosive growth as a market certainly is.

I've been wanting to dip my feet into the pool, so to speak, for quite some time now, as I greatly enjoyed colouring as a child and have been a passionate paper crafter (scrapbooker, card maker, etc) since my mid-twenties, however I rarely have time to just sit and craft or colour, so thus far I haven't done so - despite really wanting to.

Earlier this month I talked about how I'm making a point, no matter what, to carve out more downtime for myself. Ideally, I'd like my off-time to be as relaxing as possible, and the concept of adult colouring books certainly fall into that camp for me.

As such, Dover Publication's timing couldn't have been more perfect (no doubt the universe is trying to encourage me to relax more!). The awesome folks there recently got in touch with me again (we've worked together here in the past) to ask if I'd be interested in receiving a set of, and giving away copies of the same, three historical fashion filled colouring books from their expansive library of such.

Vintage? Colouring? A chance to unwind a little? Yes, pretty please! I jumped at the chance, not only for my own sake, but so as to be able to offer one lucky Chronically Vintage reader the chance to win a prize pack featuring all three of the following Dover adult colouring books.






Creative Haven Art Nouveau Fashions Coloring Book: Illustrated by noted artist Ming-Ju Sun, this elegant colouring book features fashions spanning the 1890s to the early 1900s (aka, the end of the Victorian era straight on into the beginning of the Edwardian period). Think leg-o-mutton sleeves, intricate lace, slender waists, sophisticated dangle earrings, and enchanting upswept hairstyles of the sorts that many stylish ladies of the day sported.

Like all three of the colouring books that I received from Dover, the pages in this title are single sided and perforated, making them a snap to remove and then display (or even frame), if so desired.

The illustrations in this book, like those of the other two titles, are a sort of neo-vintage take on the era and have a very romantic quality to them that instantly calls to mind many historical illustrations (and, really, art depicting people in general) from the 1980s, which I find wonderfully endearing and enjoyable, having grown up with us when I was a child.





Creative Haven Art Deco Fashions Coloring Book: Of the three colouring books, this lovely title (also starring illustrations by Ming-Ju Sun) might just be my very favourite. Inside one finds 30 pages overflowing with beautifully illustrated examples of 1920s, 1930s and early 1940s fashions, and I have to say, this book sings with the spirit of jazz age looks of various types (aka, not just the stereotypical "bright young things" sort of flapper ensemble).

It is a terrific cross selection of posh looks from that ever-evolving era and one that I'd imagine just about vintage fan would enjoy spending some time colouring in pages full of such chic fashions.





Creative Haven Fabulous Fashions of the 1950s Coloring Book: Like the other two titles, this wonderfully fun colouring book features art by Ming-Ju Sun and as the title implies, is rife with 31 pages of styles inspired by popular fashions, for both women and men, from a decade that many of us hold near and dear to our hearts - the fantastic fifties!
Like the other two books, this title is printed on really nice quality paper, with crisp, sharp black lines and illustrations, that while detailed, are not excessively intricate, as those in some adult colouring books tend to be.

Though I've not had a chance to sit down and colour in any of these three books yet myself (I need to visit Michael's the next time we're in Kelowna and pick up some good quality pencil crayons), I wholeheartedly look forward to doing so and already tell, before I've even brought pencil tip to paper, that these books are very high quality and a joy to use.

It doesn't surprise me for a second that adult colouring books have become an epic vogue over the last few years. They allow anyone who wants to become an artist (or further add to their artistic abilities) and also give users the important sense of completing a manageable crafting related project (colouring a page or even a whole book).

One might not always have time to whip out a quilt, knit a sweater, or create all of their Christmas cards from scratch, but most of us - myself included - can set aside an hour or two at least once in a while to connect with our inner artist and bring beautiful illustrations to life all the more thanks to our colouring skills.

For vintage fans, I can think of no better suited adult colouring books on the market today (and believe me, I see a ton of them each week when putting together the mailing lists for our website Any New Books) and truly want to thank Dover for sending me these three titles, as well as for offering up a set of the same books to one lucky reader.

If you'd like to enter for your chance to win, please read on to learn how to do just that! :)



Giveaway details:

This giveaway is one copy of each of the three Creative Havens vintage fashion colouring books shown in today's post. It is open to participants worldwide and will run from today's date (March 23rd) until Thursday March 31st, after which point, using the feature that allows you to do so directly through that app, I will draw the winning name using Rafflecopter.

There are nine number of ways to enter this giveaway and you're welcome to do as many of them as you'd like. The more ways by which you enter, the greater your odds of winning become.

The only entry that is mandatory is that you leave a comment on this post sharing some of your thoughts on adult colouring books with me (have you tried them? Do you you like them? Do you think that they're a passing fad or have they established themselves as category of crafting in their own right? Etc).

Once the giveaway has wrapped up and the winner has been drawn, I will contact them via email and then pass along their information to my lovely contact at Dover. If you have any questions about this giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me anytime.


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Many thanks again to Dover - who, I should mention, have put out scores upon scores of wonderful looking adult colouring books spanning a wide array of topics and illustration styles - for teaming up with my blog on this exciting giveaway. And big thank you as well to all those who take part in this contest!

Whether, like myself, you're an adult colouring book newbie, have completed dozens already, or fall somewhere in between, these historical fashion filled titles are sure to catch your eye and have you reaching for the felt markers and pencil crayons in no time!


*PS* As this post was going to press, so to speak, I got wind of numerous exciting adult colouring book related happenings that Dover is involved with and wanted to share about them here with you as well. These events include:

-A monochromatic colouring colour that starts on April 1, 2016.

-Dover is sponsoring National Coloring Book Day on August 2, 2016

-Dover supports, and is involved with, numerous Coloring Book Parties that are rapidly springing up across the country.

-And, last, but certainly not least, Dover now has a delightful Facebook page just for their Coloring Book Publications.

Ten fabulously cool historical paper doll books from Dover Publications

There's something about the return of September, bringing with it, as it does, a new school year and in turn, even if it's been an age and a half since you last saddled up to a desk with a fresh pack of number two pencils in hand, memories of one's own youth. I always, without fail, feel a powerful sense of nostalgia in September. It's not so much that yearn to a child again (though that could be fun for a day or two!), but rather that I enjoy looking back with a deeply rooted fondness on many of the elements of my early youth that went hand-in-hand with those formative school years.

Part of me wants to pretend its the 1980s or 90s again. To eat Fruit Roll-Ups and Cool Ranch Doritos, drink a Capri Sun, watch a VHS (okay, who forgot to rewind it?!) on a chunky, boxy silver and black hued TV, open up a closet twinkling with neons and synthetic fabrics, tease my bangs, and bust out all those toys - and there was no shortage of them, I will always consider my youth to be one of the most prolific times the world has ever known on the toy industry new release front - that I enjoyed playing with when life was, at least to some extents, a simpler time.

Like many of the era, I had my fair share of modern playthings, but I also enjoyed simpler, classic toys as well, very much including paper dolls. I wouldn't say I had a massive collection, but I can very fondly recall three books in particular: one was a winter carnival ice princess themed collection that came my way very early in life, another featured The Quints (a toy line aimed at young girls which featured a family of quintuplet babies), and the third was - not surprisingly in the slightest for the era - Barbie themed.

Just as scores of little girls have for ages now, I also enjoyed making my own paper dolls. Drawing on and cutting rudimentary figures and their wardrobes out of lined, white, wrapping or construction paper. The homemade ones never seemed to last quite as long as the store bought versions, but both were every bit as much fun and in an age fuelled by modernity, talking teddy bears, plastic action figures as far as the eye could see, dolls that claimed to be born in a cabbage patch, and the birth, for all intents, of the video game generation, there was something downright peaceful and thoroughly pleasant about paper dolls.
 
Their use (assuming one cut up or punched them out of their respective books) called on a child's imagination and creativity. They weren't as "3D" as Barbie, Gem, My Little Pony, or any of the other scores of dress up/hair brushing (toy companies were borderline obsessed with having little girls brush their toy's hair in the 80s and early 90s) that plastered the marketplace and pages of the Sears Wish Book catalogs each winter, but they could provide every bit as much fun and I don't remember a friend or female classmate who didn't jump at the chance to play paper dolls (and for that matter, plenty of little boys enjoyed them as well, even if they wouldn't admit as much in front of their peers, with whom they'd no doubt be talking about He Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Garbage Pail Kids, Transformers, or GI Joe).

Paper dolls certainly weren't invented in the days of my youth however, not by a long shot. Their history dates back at least to 18th century France (with earlier versions, though not always indented as children's playthings, appearing centuries before then still), with the first commercial versions, according to this terrific article on the history of paper dolls, appearing in 1810 in London, England. Dolls featuring celebrities, from dancers to royal family members, actresses to historical figures soon followed in the decades to come and the popularity of paper dolls would continue to skyrocket for the next few generations (reaching its zenith in the 1930s through to the 1960s).

It has never died out entirely though, thankfully, and many people - men and women alike - adore collecting (and in some cases, still playing with) - paper dolls. How could they not? There is nothing, even with all the toys that have followed in the last two to three centuries, quite like paper dolls out there, and I doubt there ever will be. It's possible that one day youngsters will 3D print their own toys, and paper dolls will fall into the realm of merely being quaint, charming collectibles still treasured by a handful of classic toy fans. For now though, thankfully, one can still readily buy and enjoy all manner of beautiful paper dolls, whether they're a serious collector, a nostalgic fan like me, or shopping for the youngsters or fashion loving folks in their lives.

Unquestionably one of the most appealing and important aspects of paper dolls has been their ability to so perfectly capture the fashions, hairstyles and other important historical elements of the era (or, sometimes, an earlier one) that they date from. In more recent decades in particular, there has been a surge in modern paper dolls that are historically themed and today, in honour of that fact and that such books are such to appeal to scores of my vintage (and historical costume) loving readers, I wanted to shine the spotlight on ten seriously delightful paper doll sets from Dover Publications, one of Chronically Vintage's newest blog sponsors this year.

Long (decades!) before I had the great pleasure of partnering with Dover in such a capacity, I'd been a huge fan of their paper dolls (and other kinds of publications, very much including their wide range of excellent, informative books devoted to historical fashions and costumes, many of which I've enjoyed studying with gusto and intensity over the years). However it is paper dolls upon which I'd like to shine the spotlight at the moment with a selection of different books (amongst the dozens that this company produces) that would have appealed every bit as much to my six year old self as they do to me, a vintage and history loving 30 year old lady, now today.

1. With styles spanning evening attire to walking suits, Victorian Fashion Paper Dolls from Harper's Bazaar, 1867-1898, is chocked full of timelessly beautiful mid to late Victorian ensembles that first appeared in one of the world's foremost ladies fashion magazines and which capture the sartorial spirit of the era sublimely.




2. One of the most tony, moneyed, and stylish corners of America for generations now, Newport, Rhode Island was a fashionistas dream getaway destination in the early days of the 1900s, a point which the sweepingly lovely Newport Fashions of the Gilded Age Paper Dolls book page homage to with a look at outfits worn by such elite clans as the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Belmonts.




3. You'll want to drape yourself in silk, pearls and cloche hats rafter you flip through Art the book Deco Fashions Paper Dolls, which points the glittering limelight on some of the most beguiling, innovative and appealing lovely art deco clothing styles of the roaring twenties.




4. Always wanted to own an original haute couture vintage garment from France but couldn't afford it? (You're not alone!) Fear not, you can call 32 such innovative, breathtakingly beautiful looks your own in paper form via French Fashion Designers Paper Dolls: 1900-1950, which includes styles by such illustrious fashion designers as Worth, Diro, Lelong, Patou, Lanvin, Poriret, Chanel and many others.




5. Let your inner vintage screen siren shine via the book Glamorous Stars of the Forties Paper Dolls. It's teaming with fabulously lovely classic Hollywood stars like Hedy Lammar, Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake, and Gene Tierney sporting endlessly stylish fashions by the likes of such prestigious designers as Vera West, Jean Louise, Adrian, and Oleg Cassini, who dressed and influenced Tinsel Town in countless ways during the mid-twentieth century.




6. Continuing in the same vein, Award-Winning Fashions of Edith Head Paper Dolls puts the work of this incredibly talented, tastemaker of a famously bespectacled Hollywood costume designer at the forefront with twenty-nine of her most enchanting, stylish looks ever.




7. And for a more French take on designer fashions, we turn to a book bursting with looks by none other than one of the biggest powerhouses of her time in this field, Gabrielle "Coco" Channel in Chanel Fashion Review Paper Dolls, which sure to having you pining even more for one of her sophisticated, understatedly gorgeous creations.




8. Designer of my all-time favourite style movement of the late 1940s/early 1950s, the New Look, Dior's work graces the pages of Classic Fashions of Christian Dior: Re-created in Paper Dolls, which is pretty much my dream vintage couture wardrobe sandwiched between the covers of one fabulous book of paper dolls.




9. In Great Fashion Designs of the Fifties Paper Dolls: 30 Haute Couture Costumes by Dior, Balenciaga and Others, we're treated to some of the most prestigious, enchantingly beautiful designer fashions of the era, as dreamed up by some of the leading lights in the industry during the exciting post-war years of the fabulous fifties.




10. And for a more everyday, yet equally marvelous set of mid-century fashions, be sure to check out American Family of the 1950s Paper Dolls, which highlights some of the most iconic looks that ladies and gents of all ages sported throughout that decade.

{All images via Dover Publications. Please click on an image of the link in the text below

it to be taken to its respective page where it can be purchased, if desired, directly from Dover.}

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Much as I would love to sometimes, I can't turn back the hands of time. The 1980s and 90s, and all the decades the proceeded them, are long gone, but thankfully some of the best and most endearing toys and collectibles from them are still with us, very much including paper dolls. It’s heartwarmingly fantastic to know that there are still some really terrific companies out there, such as Dover, who still produce new paper doll books, including many like the selection of ten highlighted in today's post that are sure to find extra special favour with vintage fans the world over.

Which of these paper doll books from Dover call your name? Do you collect paper dolls yourself? Remember playing them with great fondness, too? What would be your dream set of paper dolls?

Universally beloved, paper dolls are sweet, fun and charming. Modern versions such as this don't break the bank in the slightest, offer countless hours of playtime fun for the young and young at heart alike, and can be educational all in the same go.

Little me would have gone utterly weak in the knees for any of Dover's fantastic historical paper doll sets and, you know, grown up me would (and does) still as well - only now, instead of cutting them out and inviting my friends over to play, I'd spend my time admiring and daydreaming about owning many of the fantastic outfits featured in them.