A coffee table book FULL of incredible pictures of Arabic jewelry with good close-ups for detail and info on the cultural details as well.

Another coffee table book by Heather Ross, also FULL of incredible pictures of Saudi costumes. Good close-ups for detail and clear illustrations of construction details. Wonderful information on the cultural details as well.

Lots of drawings and photographs of costumes and fabrics. It's got some nice diagrams on how to cut and construct many of the garments shown. Tons of info! Costumes are from the 14th to early 20th centuries.

Coffee table book beautifully printed on heavy stock. 60 plates of clear and detailed paintings of Moroccan people in costume from the '30s and '40s. Details on regional associations and styles, some excellent construction details. Expensive but really high quality and just stunning.

Lots of good detail drawings and photos on modern costume. Very detailed information regarding the subtleties of costuming in various regions throughout Egypt.  

An oversized book with a box jacket full of drawings, paintings and some photos of traditional dress. Good narrative on many aspects of Arabic culture.  

A coffee table book full of photos of African and Mid-Eastern people. The emphasis is on Africa, but there are great pictures of the Tuareg, Berbers, Moroccans, and the Berber bridal fair. INCREDIBLE photography of costumes, jewelry, henna and facial tattoos. Wonderful photos of the people of Africa.

Dawn Devine Brown: This book that should be in every costumers library. From the Americas, Europe and Africa to Oceania and the Far East this book is a visual journey that explores the richness of indiginous clothing world-wide.

Of particular interest to Middle Eastern Dancers are the sections on India, Central Asia & The Caucasus and The Middle East. Although each section is fairly brief, they include historical background, specific vocabulary and closeup of culturally unique garments. For instance, the section on the Middle East, has a two page spread devoted to the burga, or face veil with the tribal identity of each woman listed. These pages are wonderful for illustrating the similarities and the diverse possiblities in each selected garment type.

Looking for the perfect gift for the costumer in your life - consider this book!

An excellent book on costuming for the dancer. Good, clear illustrations and lots of useful information. Well written and very, very useful.  

An excellent book on costuming for the Tribal style dancer. Good, clear illustrations and lots of useful information. Well written and very, very useful.  

Includes the following sections:

Why We Design
Costume Styles
Good Taste
Fabric Choices
Color Schemes
Design Principles
Costume Mistakes
Figure Concerns
Dos and Don'ts
Illustrations

Synopsis: The secrets of tasselmakers have been well guarded for centuries, but the techniques revealed in this book for creating exquisite tassels at home are accessible to everyone--all that is required is a little equipment, the appropriate threads and this innovative new book. Includes 40 projects with step-by-step photographic instructions. 350 color photos.

Reviewer: A reader from Kiev, Ukraine Very nice and trim from clothing around the world. FYI, it doesn't give detailed instructions on making tassels for decorating your home.

Review, Arts and Crafts Editor's Recommended Book: Filled with richly colored photographs and good step-by-step instructions, this volume offers more than 50 ideas for sprucing up decor by incorporating various types of fringes, tassels, and other trimmings. The projects are divided into nine sections, exploring eight diverse styles (ethnic, classical, calicoes, French, floral, rustic, medieval, and tartans and checks). The final sections provide instructions on designing and making your own tassels, with an example provided for each style.  

Dawn Devine Brown: There are few illustrations of Women in the arts from post Islamic eras in Arabia, Egypt and across North Africa... During different cultural eras in different areas, images of women - and consequently - their costumes, appear in limited ways, and only certain social groups.

I recommend looking in art books focussing on the various cultures and regions... manuscript illuminations or miniatures... architectural decoration... and textiles themselves (Persian textiles frequently depict human figures). This book is the best (and easiest to get a hold of...)