English Textile

“A journey as epic, and varying, as the Silk Road itself...[The Fabric of Civilization is] like a swatch of a Florentine Renaissance brocade: carefully woven, the technique precise, the colors a mix of shade and shine and an accurate representation of the whole cloth” (The New York Times)...

Ever wonder how long you would last if modern convenience suddenly stopped doing everything for you? Medieval households survived brutal winters, damaged tools, uncertain harvests, dangerous roads, and interrupted trade without grocery deliveries, electric heat, GPS, or disposable equipment. They survived because practical skills were not hobbies. They were part of daily life. If you are tired of feeling helpless whenever modern systems become unreliable, it is time to recover the old-world knowledge that made ordinary people disciplined, resourceful, and difficult to overwhelm. Welcome to ...

Using objects that Americans have saved through the centuries and stories they have passed along, as well as histories teased from documents, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich chronicles the production of cloth—and of history—in early America. Under the singular and brilliant lens that Ulrich brings to this study, ordinary household goods provide the key to a transformed understanding of cultural encounter, frontier war, Revolutionary politics, international commerce, and early industrialization in America.

The classic history demonstrating that America's economic supremacy was built on the backs of enslaved people. "Gripping." —New York Times “A stinging indictment of slavery.” —NPR Books? Americans tend to cast slavery as a pre-modern institution—the nation's original sin, perhaps, but...

Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2025 | BookRiot's Best Books of 2025 | NPR's New Books to Read | Ms. Magazine's Most Anticipated Feminist Book A crucial telling of U.S. history centering the Black women whose magic gave rise to the rich tapestry of American culture, wellness, and spirituality that...

The Textile Mill Murders begins on a sunny October day in 1866 when Ginger O’Leary is convinced by her new husband, CJ Mulcahy, Esq., to play hooky from her studies for the Massachusetts Bar. CJ’s plan is to pick up a picnic lunch at the Old Black Tavern and head to the top of Witt’s ledge for a bit of supping, dining, and canoodling. However, as the pair approach their destination, they are confronted by a near-sighted young constable who beckons them to stop. Once CJ identifies himself, the young constable reports to his former sergeant that the body of a young woman had been found ...

Master Seamless Patterns, Commercial Composition, Repeat Troubleshooting, and Professional Workflow Systems in Procreate Surface pattern design is more than creating beautiful motifs. Professional patterns are built through structure, spacing, rhythm, movement, hierarchy, troubleshooting, and refinement. The Complete Surface Design Studio Collection brings together the core systems surface designers need to create stronger, more cohesive, and more commercially successful patterns. Whether you’re designing fabric, wallpaper, stationery, home décor, print-on-demand products, or digital ...

Look closely at any typically "American" article of clothing these days, and you may be surprised to see a Japanese label inside. From high-end denim to oxford button-downs, Japanese designers have taken the classic American look - known as ametora, or "American traditional" - and turned it into a huge business for companies like Uniqlo, Kamakura Shirts, Evisu, and Kapital. This phenomenon is part of a long dialogue between Japanese and American fashion.

Twenty thousand years ago, women were making and wearing the first clothing created from spun fibers. In fact, right up to the Industrial Revolution the fiber arts were an enormous economic force, belonging primarily to women. Despite the great toil required in making cloth and clothing, most books on ancient history and economics have no information on them. Much of this gap results from the extreme perishability of what women produced, but it seems clear that until now descriptions of prehistoric and early historic cultures have omitted virtually half the picture. 

A moving and eye-opening look at the story of manufacturing in America, whether it can ever successfully return to our shores, and why our nation depends on it, told through the experience of one young couple in Maine as they attempt to rebuild a lost industry, ethically. From the...

A headstrong woman goes against her wealthy family’s wishes in this stunning prequel to Roses, perfect for fans of Gone with the Wind. Born into the most influential family in 1830s South Carolina, Jessica Wyndham is expected to look appealing, act with decorum, and marry well. However, her...

Step into the world of sustainable fashion with "Secondhand Chic," the definitive e-book guide for anyone eager to unlock the transformative power of upcycled fashion. Discover a fresh path towards individual style that's as kind to the planet as it is to your wardrobe. Embark on an upcycling journey that combines the joy of creativity with the ethical imperative of sustainability. With "Secondhand Chic," you'll traverse the exciting terrain of slow fashion; from understanding textiles' life cycles to crafting a wardrobe that reflects both timeless elegance and forward-thinking ...

There is a major disconnect between what we wear and our knowledge of its impact on land, air, water, labor, and human health. Even those who value access to safe, local, nutritious food have largely overlooked the production of fiber, dyes, and the chemistry that forms the backbone of modern textile production. While humans are 100 percent reliant on their second skin, it’s common to think little about the biological and human cultural context from which our clothing derives.

From colorful 30,000-year-old threads found on the floor of a Georgian cave to the Indian calicoes that sparked the Industrial Revolution, The Golden Thread weaves an illuminating story of human ingenuity. Design journalist Kassia St. Clair guides us through the technological advancements and cultural customs that would redefine human civilization - from the fabric that allowed mankind to achieve extraordinary things (traverse the oceans and shatter athletic records) and survive in unlikely places (outer space and the South Pole).

The Great Monopoly: How a Single Fiber Built and Broke World Economies is a sweeping, neutral, and meticulously detailed exploration of the shimmering thread that defined global power for millennia. The narrative begins in the guarded silkworm orchards of ancient China, where the "Emperor's Secret" was protected by the threat of death, creating a three-thousand-year economic dominance. This silk road history book takes readers from the legendary tea cup of Empress Leizu to the high-stakes world of "The Great Espionage," where Roman monks smuggled the seeds of an industrial revolution inside...

A compilation of ten articles, Montessori Topics of Interest explores a variety of themes pertinent to anyone interested in learning more about the Montessori Method of education for children two-and-a-half through six years of age. Topics covered include Montessori’s holistic integration of mathematics, how geography gives a face to humanity, the outdoor environment as an extension of the indoor classroom, and the presentation of fact-based literature rather than fantasy for young children. Written in a conversational tone, Montessori Topics of Interest is an enjoyable reading experience...

McQueen had risen from humble beginnings as the youngest child of an East London taxi driver to scale the heights of fame, fortune and glamour. He designed clothes for the world's most beautiful women, including Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. In business he created a multimillion-pound luxury brand that became a favourite with both celebrities and royalty, most famously the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore a McQueen dress on her wedding day. But behind the confident facade and bad-boy image lay a sensitive soul who struggled to survive in the ruthless world of fashion.

The Secret Histories of Fashion and Fabric From the silk routes of Asia to the sweatshops of modern cities, fabric has always woven power into the human story. Every thread carries a history — of hands that spun, merchants who traded, empires that rose and fell, and revolutions stitched in seams. Threads of Time unravels these hidden legacies, revealing how what we wear has shaped who we are. Across twenty cinematic chapters, journey through the shimmering paths of silk and the dark mills of cotton; trace indigo’s deep blue through empires and rebellions; feel the coarse denim that ...

A thought-provoking microhistory of the humble pocket that uncovers what pockets reveal about us—and why it matters. It’s a subject that stirs up plenty of passion: Why do men’s clothes have so many pockets and women’s so few? In her captivating book, Hannah Carlson, a lecturer in dress...

A call to action for consumers everywhere, Consumed asks us to look at how and why we buy what we buy, how it's created, who it benefits, and how we can solve the problems created by a wasteful system. We live in a world of stuff. We dispose of most of it in as little as six months after we...