I recently became interested in fashion, and I think that this was a good book to start me off with. It was fairly informative, but not very detailed. Also, there weren't many pictures of the various designs/designers that were mentioned. I think this is a good book for beginners, but perhaps not enough detail for someone with former knowledge of the fashion world. I LOVE the Body Map illustration on page 38 (did anyone actually WEAR that?!?)

A handy book when you need to know the difference between jacquard and damask, for example, though I wish there were more pictures for visual reference. Succinct definitions and coverage of major fashion and design terms. All in all, a good addition to anyone's collection of fashion reference books.