FRONT FLAP Art takes many forms and serves many functions. In this selection of Chinese court dress dating from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), the phrase "you are what you wear" resonates. Vollmer journeys back to thirteenth-century Jin dynasty Chinese empire, where ancestors of the Manchu conquerors dressed fittingly. These beautiful garments remind us that although royalty once set fashion standards in the way that celebrities do today, these robes also promoted distinct national and political messages that helped to keep a ruling minority in power for nearly three hundred years. Over fifty colour photographs, including details of exquisitely wrought robes for members of the imperial Qing court, period portraits, and details from a rare hand scroll illustrating the Chinese emperor's tour of cities along the Grand Canal, bring Dressed to Rule: 18th Century Court Attire in the Mactaggart Art Collection to life. Vollmer's text illuminates the history of the political, cultural, and social developments behind the pageantry, deepening our appreciation for the rich and complex history of China. Dressed to Rule is a guide to the exhibition of the same name--the first public showing of the University of Alberta's magnificent Mactaggart Art Collection. BACK COVER "This selection of Qing dynasty imperial robes and accessories from the Mactaggart Art Collection, dating from the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, is most closely connected in time to the Qianlong emperor's court dress reforms. In them we can discern and deconstruct the workings of the Manchu state over a century and a half in its efforts to strike a balance between issues of national identity and the imperatives of a universal image of Chinese imperial authority. The flexibility, expediency, and diligence that we observe in the Manchu search for identity, and the willingness to adjust that image, resulted in a remarkably stable and powerful dynasty, which held sway over the most expansive and diverse empire ever achieved in Chinese history." --John Vollmer BACK FLAP John E. Vollmer is an internationally recognized curator and scholar in the fields of Asian art, textiles and costumes, decorative arts, and design. He is author of thirty museum exhibition catalogues and numerous academic and popular books and articles. He has held curatorial appointments at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, and at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. He served as director of the Kent State University Museum, Kent, Ohio and was the founding executive director of the Design Exchange in Toronto. Since 1991, he has worked as a consultant and President of Vollmer Cultural Consultants Inc., which specializes in exhibition design and gallery and museum planning. He has advised, studied and written about the Mactaggart textile and costume collection for over thirty years.

Throughout history rulers have used clothes as a form of legitimization and propaganda. While palaces, pictures, and jewels might reflect the choice of a monarch’s predecessors or advisers, clothes reflected the preferences of the monarch himself. Being both personal and visible, the right costume at the right time could transform and define a monarch’s reputation. Many royal leaders have known this, from Louis XIV to Catherine the Great and from Napoleon I to Princess Diana. This intriguing book explores how rulers have sought to control their image through their appearance. Mansel shows how individual styles of dress throw light on the personalities of particular monarchs, on their court system, and on their ambitions. The book looks also at the economics of the costume industry, at patronage, at the etiquette involved in mourning dress, and at the act of dressing itself. Fascinating glimpses into the lives of European monarchs and contemporary potentates reveal the intimate connection between power and the way it is packaged.

Learn quilting basics from a YouTube sensation and practice your skills with 12 fun projects suitable for all skill levels. Her instructional videos have inspired thousands to start sewing. Now for the first time, sew-lebrity Laura Coia shares written patterns for the most loved video tutorials on her “Sew Very Easy” YouTube channel! Learn the basics of quilt making, from cutting and pressing to borders and finishing. Then practice your skills with a dozen beautiful projects—quilts you’ll come back to time and time again—all suitable for beginners and beyond.

A law professor and cultural critic offers an eye-opening exploration of the laws of fashion throughout history, from the middle ages to the present day, examining the canons, mores and customs of clothing rules that we often take for granted

Habits form us more than we form them. Though we yearn for the freedom of the gospel, we remain anxious people shackled by our screens and exhausted by our routines. The answer is a rule of life that aligns our habits with our beliefs. Justin Earley provides doable, life-giving practices to find freedom and rest for your soul.

The search for Mr. Right starts here. This simple set of dating dos and don'ts-combining The Rules and The Rules II-will teach you how to find (and keep!) a man who treats you with the respect and dignity you deserve. You are a creature unlike any other (Rule #1)-that's why you need... The Rules. Refreshingly blunt, astonishingly effective, and at times hilarious, All the Rules will lead you to where you want to be: in a healthy, committed relationship. These commonsense guidelines will help you: Lead a full, satisfying, busy life outside of romance. Accept occasional defeat and move on. Bring out the best in you and in the men you date. Whether you're eighteen or eighty, these time-tested techniques will help you find the man of your dreams.