Over the Counter #249

What books caught my eye this week as they passed over the library counter and under my scanner? It's retro week...

First up is Gertie Sews Vintage Casual: A Modern Guide to Sportswear Styles of the 1940s and 1950s by Gretchen Hirsch.

From the publisher, Stewart, Tabori and Chang:

"The mid-20th century was an amazing time for American women’s fashion! Following the war, women started looking to American designers rather than French couture houses for inspiration and to demand clothing they could move in, even play in. In this follow-up to Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing, Gretchen “Gertie” Hirsch celebrates the classic casual styles that icons like Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, and Rosie the Riveter made famous—think wide-legged trousers, fitted capri pants, beach rompers, shorts, knit tops, jeans, and day dresses. In Part I, Hirsch introduces key techniques for sportswear construction—from working with knit fabrics to the intricacies of pant-making—and in Part II, she showcases a 30-plus-piece vintage-inspired casual wardrobe."

Next up is Vintage Ephemera by Brian Coleman.

From the publisher, Gibbs Smith:

"Cavallini is one of the best-known companies for high-quality gift and stationery products. They have been producing everything from calendars to wrapping papers for 25 years. Designs are based on ephemera from all walks of life—charming vintage post cards of the Eiffel Tower, centuries-old hand-colored engravings of birds and flowers, rare maps and prints, amusing early twentieth-century advertisements and trade materials.

From the hottest world travel destinations—Bon Voyage, San Francisco, New York, London, Italy and Paris—to popular themes such as Christmas, Flora and Fauna and Animals, this book will inspire anyone who enjoys art and design."

(Over the Counter is a regular feature at A Bookworm's World. I've sadly come the realization that I cannot physically read every book that catches my interest as it crosses over my counter at the library. But... I can mention them and maybe one of them will catch your eye as well. See if your local library has them on their shelves!)