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Haas, the great-grandnephew of Levi Strauss, ran the family clothing company in San Francisco, Calif. The company was started by Strauss during the gold rush era, and its denim blue jeans were already good sellers when Haas joined the company in 1945, where he started out making jeans. He quickly moved into management; by 1958 he and his brother, Walter, were running the company and the jeans, simply known as "Levi's", became legendary. If that was all, it might be enough, but Peter wasn't satisfied with that; he wanted his company to be socially responsible, too. When he opened factories in the south in the 1950s, he required that black workers be treated equally with the white workers. He pushed for higher education, from child development programs for poor families through raising money for the University of California at Berkeley, where he stressed that the business school should teach ethics and integrity. Peter Haas was Levi's biggest stockholder, and was on the company's Board of Directors until 2004, and still went to work at the company's headquarters four days a week. The company continues to be run by the family: its CEO is now Peter's nephew, Robert Haas. Peter Haas died December 3 in San Francisco. He was 86. From This is True for 4 December 2005 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Emma Baxter Wright List Price: $39.95 Amazon Price: $28.37 Editorial Review: Vintage Fashion is the ultimate guide to the most exemplary women's clothing from the turn of the twentieth century through the end of the 1980s. Along with a detailed, authoritative text, this gorgeous book offers more than 250 outstanding full-color photographs showcasing the quality fabrics, innovative techniques, silhouettes, shapes, and exquisite workmanship that are testimony to enduring and influential styles. Each chapter focuses on a specific decade and is a rich survey of each era, placing the evolution of women's fashion in a cultural context. The most important designers and signature looks are discussed in detail and emphasized through beautiful illustrations, photographs, and fabric swatches. Finally, each chapter ends with a Key Looks feature that offers an at-a-glance view of the important shapes, colors, and details that defined each era. Vintage Fashion concludes with a shopping guide, which not only offers tips on where to buy vintage pieces, but also how to care for them, and glossaries on fashion terms and the century's most collectable and important designers. The definitive word on the most influential designers and looks of the twentieth century, this book is an invaluable resource for lovers of fashion and vintage clothing as well as a source of inspiration for designers and those looking to spice up their personal style.  By: Steve Jackson List Price: $24.95 Amazon Price: $21.36 Editorial Review: I'm a Ninja with the Dragon Tooth Katana!" "I'm a Monk with the Sai of Spleen Mangling. Fear my Drunken Monkey Kung Fu!" "I'm a Yakuza with a gun. Run away!" The Munchkins are back! Now the game is chop-socky Hong Kong action. The characters are Samurai, Ninja, Yakuza, and Monks. The foes are mooks, demons, and assorted bad guys from all the worst martial arts films you've ever seen. Collect treasures and learn new styles to build up your character's powers. Kill the monsters, take their stuff, and be the first one to 10th level!  By: Christa Weil List Price: $22.95 Amazon Price: $21.80 Editorial Review: Fun, funky, and fabulous, this is the first personal buying guide to help you get in on the resale craze that is sweeping America. Would you like to find a mint-condition Yves Saint Laurent jacket for $25...abrand-new, pleated wool skirt still bearing the original $40 price tag, for $7...a genuine Dior suit for $75? Now you can! In Secondhand Chic you'll discover where to look, what to look for, and how to buy quality. In fact, you'll get all the secrets of spotting a valuable bargain so you can shop brilliantly whether you're in a consignment, thrift, or vintage store. Expert shopper Christa Weil shares the insider information that will help you buy the best clothes you've ever owned...at a fraction of the retail cost. Learn about: Spotting quality -- which you will know immediately from buttons, pockets, seams, and fabric Labels...big names, department store brands, exquisite foreign lines -- and fakes! Finding your size when there are no labels or tags Flaws you can fix and the ones you can't -- from wrong lengths and wrinkles to stains and shininess Unearthing handmade shoes, silk scarves, name jewelry, and other elegant accessories Buying what you really need -- and caring for the clothes you've got The styles that make your body look best From domestic to international stores, from New York to London, from Memphis toParis -- no matter where you buy, you can buy secondhand chic.In recent years, increasing numbers of people have become aware of something that impecunious but savvy folks have known for a long time: You don't have to be rich to wear high-quality, high-fashion clothing. You just need to know how and where to shop for it at incredible, bargain prices--secondhand, vintage, consignment, and thrift stores. Christa Weil goes the whole nine yards here, explaining how to spot quality, understand labels (and fakes!), and find your size when labels are missing. She knows which flaws are easily fixed, how to organize your wardrobe, how to look "done" without looking "overdone," how to care for your clothing and accessory treasures, and even how to make money on your unwanted clothes. For anyone who likes to dress well and get an incredible bargain in the process (and who doesn't?), this is an indispensable guide. Weil's light, conversational writing style and her numerous hilarious asides (like "Why Socks Disappear in the Wash") make this an entertaining and lively book to read or browse. --Mark A. Hetts  By: Jennifer Brandt Taylor List Price: $34.95 Amazon Price: $24.82 Editorial Review: L.A. native and style guru Jennifer Brandt Taylor grew up in a culture that fostered extreme creativity, a unique fashion sense, and an obsession with everything Hollywood, everything vintage, and everything glamorous. In Vintage L.A., she takes readers on a true insider's tour of this glittery town, with gorgeous, original color photography as well as charming vintage photos and rare relics. She showcases the best of vintage locations, including such famous L.A. hotspots as the Beverly Hills Hotel, Musso and Frank's, Decades, and the Château Marmont, and reveals dozens of ways to live the vintage L.A. lifestyle, highlighting the best places to eat, shop, view classic films, and hang out. Complete with interviews with famous Los Angeles natives, prominent vintage collectors, and indie rock bands, Vintage L.A. is a heartfelt homage to the city's decadent past by a modern Hollywood dame.  By: Kim HargreavesKaffe FassettMartin StoreySarah Dallas List Price: $25.00 Amazon Price: $16.50 Editorial Review: A stylish collection inspired by films like Amelie and Chocolat, Vintage Knits recalls an era of well-tailored designs with elegant finishing touches. |
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