We know that with all the time you’re saving shopping, you want to be reading. In the past year we have uncovered some great books that pertain to our adventure on The Great American Apparel Diet. Below are some of our favorites, with reviews from ourselves and Amazon. Happy reading!
Spent: Memoirs of a Shopping Addict
A study in how compulsive acquisition can lead to untold loss. Cardella exposes the self-destructive shopaholic tendencies that plagued her throughout early adulthood. Captivated at a young age by the allure of the fashion world depicted in the pages of Vogue, as well as her mother’s glamorous sense of style, the author writes that she first looked to fashion as a mode of self-expression. But soon after her mother’s death in 1989, that expression morphed into self-destructive behavior as Cardella began shopping compulsively, using the physical rush derived from buying clothes and accessories to fill a gaping emotional void. With the eerie intensity of a junkie getting a fix, the author recounts in encyclopedic detail garments worn on pivotal occasions, the arresting pleasure of shopping at exclusive boutiques-”Having a handbag placed in a special silk or flannel sack gave me a secret thrill, and seeing a simple white blouse disappear in a cloud of brightly colored tissue paper was as mesmerizing as a magic trick”-even the sensual appeal of closet hangers holding up her evening gowns: “There were hangers entwined in beautiful pale pink satin, looking as delicate as a ballerina’s toe shoes; hangers that came with their own pearl-tipped push pins with which the thinnest of spaghetti straps could be secured.” Not surprisingly, Cardella’s attempts to heal deep psychological wounds with surface balms led to a string of failed relationships and serious financial woes before she somehow righted the ship. While this confession admirably avoids self-help territory, it reads more like a self-indulgent exercise in retrospection than a serious inquiry into the causes of the author’s affliction. Onewoman’s quest for the meaning of living beyond her means-a middling memoir.
(Kirkus Reviews)
The acclaimed author of the groundbreaking bestseller Schoolgirls reveals the dark side of pink and pretty: the rise of the girlie-girl, she warns, is not that innocent.
Pink and pretty or predatory and hardened, sexualized girlhood influences our daughters from infancy onward, telling them that how a girl looks matters more than who she is. Somewhere between the exhilarating rise of Girl Power in the 1990s and today, the pursuit of physical perfection has been recast as a source of female empowerment. And commercialization has spread the message faster and farther, reaching girls at ever-younger ages.
But, realistically, how many times can you say no when your daughter begs for a pint-size wedding gown or the latest Hannah Montana CD? And how dangerous is pink and pretty anyway— especially given girls’ successes in the classroom and on the playing field? Being a princess is just make-believe, after all; eventually they grow out of it. Or do they? Does playing Cinderella shield girls from early sexualization—or prime them for it? Could today’s little princess become tomorrow’s sexting teen? And what if she does? Would that make her in charge of her sexuality—or an unwitting captive to it?
Those questions hit home with Peggy Orenstein, so she went sleuthing. She visited Disneyland and the international toy fair, trolled American Girl Place and Pottery Barn Kids, and met beauty pageant parents with preschoolers tricked out like Vegas showgirls. She dissected the science, created an online avatar, and parsed the original fairy tales. The stakes turn out to be higher than she or we ever imagined: nothing less than the health, development, and futures of our girls. From premature sexualization to the risk of depression to rising rates of narcissism, the potential negative impact of this new girlie-girl culture is undeniable yet armed with awareness and recognition, parents can effectively counterbalance its influence in their daughters’ lives.
(Amazon)
I Love Your Style: How to Define and Refine Your Personal Style
By: Amanda Brooks
The former muse and creative director for designer label Tuleh, and author of the blog “In Her Eyes” for Men′s Vogue, Amanda Brooks is a lifelong fashion chameleon with an unerring eye for the elements of personal style. Smart, glamorous, media-savvy and remarkably practical, Amanda has spent her entire life constructing a unique, eclectic and intimately personal sense of style. With classic roots, bohemian flair, a taste for designer luxuries, and a love for bargains everywhere, Amanda has looked to every imaginable source of fashion inspiration-from high-fashion runways and magazines, to thrift stores and classic movies, to her neighbors in downtown New York and old family photo albums. In I Love Your Style, Amanda helps women of all ages begin to cull through the frighteningly vast world of fashion, from its staid basics to its trendiest moments.
I Love Your Style is a sumptuous full-color look-book and style bible, complete with more than 400 classic and modern photographs, that will both empower and inspire women to dive into the challenge of defining, or refining, their personal style. With fully illustrated chapters, sidebars, shopping lists, and personal stories devoted to a range diverse styles and shopping techniques-Classic, Bohemian, Minimalist, Street, High-Fashion, Cheap Chic, Vintage-Brooks walks readers through every angle of the fashion world, from the basic pieces and accessories that define a style, to the small details, combinations, and adaptations that can make it your own.
With its focus on embracing creativity, personal history, originality, and the freedom to pick and choose aspects from any distinct “style”-and with no “rules,” “commandments,” or lengthy lists of “don′ts” in sight-I Love Your Style is a must-read for budding fashionistas, or anyone who finds herself frustrated in front of the mirror each morning.
(Amazon)
Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style (Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style)
By Tim Gunn and Kate Moloney
Plucked straight from Parsons’s New School for Design, television network Bravo found a surprising hero in Project Runway style mentor Gunn, whose catch phrase “make it work” has inspired an undeniable following of armchair fashionistas. Though he’ll admit that book writing isn’t easy, this venture marks another feather in his tasteful cap. A precursor of sorts to his new series on Bravo, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, this accessible guidebook covers it all, including the “hunt,” “stalk” and “pounce” of “shopping at its most instinctual” (inspired by cheap, forward-looking clothiers H&M), what to ask yourself before taking advantage of a bargain (is it season-appropriate?), the difference between a fashion icon and a mentor (Gunn’s the former, Coco Chanel the latter) and full-on closet reconstruction. Gunn’s friendly, conversational prose will give readers the feeling of a face-to-face encounter, and Runway fans will be happy to find Gunn hasn’t abandoned his colorful metaphors (shopping as “safari”) and 50-cent words (”insouciant”). Whether revealing the secrets of “The Under Arsenal” or ruminating on the “tone” and “diction” of a handbag, Gunn’s text is clever, a touch waggish, and highly practical for both ensemble mavens and fashion criminals.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The Shopping Diet: Spend Less and Get More
By Phillip Bloch
“Stop me before I shop again!”
When the clothing budget is tight, when you have to squeeze every dollar and stretch it further, it’s time to go on The Shopping Diet. But don’t worry! This diet won’t deprive you of having a fashionable and up-to-date wardrobe—in fact, you will find exciting ways to look fantastic, make more of the clothes and accessories you already have, and come out ahead with the one thing that’s always in style: more money in your wallet!
Whether you’re an impulse shopper, whether you shop out of boredom or other emotions, or if “the tough go shopping” has always been your motto, you may feel that you simply have to shop—that there are never enough clothes, or the right clothes, to make you feel complete, confident, and in control. But in tough economic times, there is a better way—a whole new lifestyle of evaluating your true wardrobe needs, making smart choices, and changing your spending habits from the inside out. The results? More time (no more Saturdays spent wandering the mall aimlessly), more space (your closet makeover will turn that priceless piece of real estate into your favorite go-to boutique!), and more cash (or, if you prefer, less credit card debt). Now that’s being in control!
Premiere celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch’s unique and thought-provoking approach to looking great for less gives you fascinating insights and practical solutions to the very real problem of overspending that affects millions of people.
Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping
By Judith Levine
If you’ve ever contemplated cutting down on your consumerism but couldn’t bring yourself to do it, Levine’s volume allows you to witness and learn from this drastic experiment without going through the withdrawal yourself. Since giving up shopping entirely is impossible in North America (buying food requires money), the most interesting aspect of Levine’s adventure is the process of defining necessity. High-speed Internet access, Q-tips and any soap fancier than Ivory, for example, are all ruled out as luxuries. With chapters divided by month, the book witnesses Levine’s journey from enthusiastic experimenter in January to a still game but weary participant by the fall, as favorite luxuries run out and clothes become shabbier. As Levine trades in movies and restaurants for the public library system and dinner parties at home, she is forced to reflect on not only the personal indulgences she’s become used to but also their place in defining her social space. Since this book is about exploring consumerism rather than economizing (although she does manage to save $8,000 by the end of the year), Levine investigates several anticonsumer movements—she joins her local Voluntary Simplicity group, participates in Buy Nothing Day and consults experts on issues of consumerism and conservation. Yet the most insightful aspect is Levine’s account of her own struggle to keep down her day-to-day consumption of goods and to define the fine line between need and want. (Publisher’s Weekly, Mar.)
The Dress Doctor: Prescriptions for Style, From A to Z
By Edith Head
Long before celebrity stylists became as renowned as the Oscar-winning film stars they advise, the legendary costume designer Edith Head was dressing Hollywood’s most fashionable women and men on screen and off—and lending her sartorial wisdom to women across the country on radio and television. In 1959, she published a best-selling memoir and style guide, The Dress Doctor, in which she shared tips on style and dozens of entertaining anecdotes on Hollywood’s A-list with her fans. Now, The Dress Doctor has returned in this special edition of the original volume, an alphabetical romp through the art of getting dressed and dressing Hollywood, with specially commissioned illustrations and the best advice and stories culled word for word from the original book.
From Audrey Hepburn to Zooture, The Dress Doctor is filled with Head’s timeless tips: her expertise on developing a personal style, dressing to flatter one’s figure, building a wardrobe, and judging quality. Her prescriptions for dressing properly for various activities from archery to house cleaning to roller skating are a charming mix of perennially chic and, now, with the passing of time, tongue in chic. Fashion illustrator Bil Donovan’s stunning re-creations of Head’s most famous gowns, along with illustrations of myriad other stylish ensembles, bring the designer’s work vividly to life again, along with Hollywood icons Grace Kelly, Katharine Hepburn, Mae West, Cary Grant, and many others.
This irresistible, elegant volume is a unique treasure for those who love film, style, and the glamour of Old Hollywood.
The Style Strategy: A Less-Is-More Approach to Staying Chic and Shopping Smart
By Nina Garcia
“This book is written to help propel you forward, into that place where style and shopping are one. Neither can thrive without the other pulling its proper weight. Effortlessly balancing the two is your mission.”
From much-loved fashion maven and New York Times bestselling author Nina Garcia comes her most indispensable style primer yet–this one focused on looking timelessly chic, all while saving money!
Armed with Nina’s no-fail The Style Strategy, fashionistas will not only discover a myriad of shopping alternatives sure to help them attain high-end looks at lower prices, but also learn how to maximize what they already have through maintenance, ingenuity, and creative style choices. Step by step, Nina helps readers honestly answer three key questions–What do I have? What do I need? What do I want?–before making purchases, so they can effectively eliminate any unnecessary spending.
This book also celebrates some of the most extraordinary women of the past, who remained admiringly fashion-forward during their own era’s economic hardships.
Part of the growing classic collection from Nina Garcia, which already includes The Little Black Book of Style and The One Hundred, The Style Strategy is a must-have for this season and all seasons!
(Amazon)
By Caroline Knapp
What looks like a consciously altruistic effort to encapsulate one woman’s entire life into lessons for the benefit of womankind may be just that: after divulging every gruesome detail of her spiral into anorexia and subsequent self-discoveries in this memoir, Knapp died of lung cancer last June at age 42. Similar in tone to her previous Drinking: A Love Story, this work is candid and persuasive enough to reach many women with analogous problems. But it’s more than one woman’s tragic story; multitudinous interviews with women with eating disorders, excerpts from classic feminist texts and sociological statistics lend credence and categorize the book under cultural studies as much as self-help. Knapp hypothesizes that the feminists who came after the revolutionary 1960s, herself included, were stifled rather than empowered by the overwhelming choices before them. They gained “the freedom to hunger and to satisfy hunger in all its varied forms.” Unfortunately, writes Knapp, size-obsessed fashion magazines and other social messages contradict a woman’s right to desire, contributing to the rise in eating disorders and other illnesses. Knapp observes an aspect of the backlash against the feminist movement: when “women were demanding the right to take up more space in the world,” they were being told by a still patriarchal society “to grow physically smaller.” Though Knapp admits it’s “easier to worry about the body than the soul,” she hopes creating a dialogue about anorexia will enable all women to nourish both.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
By Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine
BEST FRIENDS WON’T TELL YOU THE TRUTH…
BUT TRINNY & SUSANNAH AREN’T YOUR BEST FRIENDS.
“Blondes and shiny fabric equals hooker.”
“The top is a disaster. Unless you’re four years old.”
“No one looks good in a track suit-not even Madonna or J-Lo.”
“Cropped pants make any woman look like a stunted man.”
LOOKING GOOD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FASHION TRENDS. IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT NOT TO WEAR…
“We’re not shy of making criticisms,” says Susannah. “But we wouldn’t say, ‘You’ve got a great fat butt-end of story.’”
What Not to Wear is a book of hands-on advice and straight-talking guidance that is all about personal style-dressing for your body shape and personality. So what’s your problem?
* Big Boobs
* No Boobs
* Big Arms
* Big Butt
* No Waist
* Short Legs
* Flabby Tummy
* Saddlebags
* Short Neck
* Thick Legs
TRINNY & SUSANNAH WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO TOSS, WHAT TO BUY, WHERE TO FIND IT, AND HOW TO WEAR IT. (Amazon)
What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life: Ageless Secrets of Style
By Kim Johnson Gross
The book is never bossy or pedantic like you might suspect a “style maven’s” book to be. Instead Kim Johnson Gross is a friendly voice, one that is more apt to empathize than admonish (not like those Skinny Bitches). As a vetran of the unforgiving fashion industry, Johnson Gross weaves her own tale of a mid-life bodychange that challenged not only her wardrobe but her sense of self. She gives great advice to fellow aging fashionistas and offers up practical soloutions to “closet problems.” Chapters include: Closet Betrayal, the Lying Mirror, Shop Smart for the Rest of your Life, How to Wear a Shirt When You No Longer Have a Waist and Other Closet Dramas.
I was grateful that this book found me as I was sweating off the extra glass of wine from the night before and pouring over the news about Sandra Bullock’s new baby. I can truly say that it was meant to be, particularly as I contemplate my new spending, apparel wearing, and shopping habits that are set to resume soon (121 days). Hopefully the author’s advice, reflection, humor and stories will help to inform my new and improved ways.
A solid thumbs up. A keeper. This is not your standard fashion advice book I only wish I would have written it myself! (Sally Bjornsen)
Every woman’s closet-no matter the size-is a room of her own. In that space hang side by side the special occasions and the everyday, the triumphs and the disasters, the memories we want to keep and those we should jettison. Gross helps us to reconsider our closet identity and discover who we want to be. She shares her personal journey and the intimate, poignant and often humorous stories of the dozens of women she interviewed across the country. Along with calming fashion advice about how to choose flattering clothes that will fit any woman’s shape and style, Gross’s engaging stories will help every woman evolve gracefully from wife to mother, from empty-nester to globe-trotting adventurer–whatever role she chooses–while letting her style express her inner beauty. (Amazon)
A Year Without “Made in China”
By Sarah Bongiorni
Journalist Bongiorni, on a post-Christmas day mired deep in plastic toys and electronics equipment, makes up her mind to live for a year without buying any products made in China, a decision spurred less by notions of idealism or fair trade—though she does note troubling statistics on job loss and trade deficits—than simply “to see if it can be done.” In this more personal vein, Bongiorni tells often funny, occasionally humiliating stories centering around her difficulty procuring sneakers, sunglasses, DVD players and toys for two young children and a skeptical husband. With little insight into global economics or China’s manufacturing practices, readers may question the point of singling out China when cheap, sweatshop-produced products from other countries are fair game (though Bongiorni cheerfully admits the flaws in her project, she doesn’t consider fixing them). Still, Bongiorni is a graceful, self-deprecating writer, and her comic adventures in self-imposed inconvenience cast an interesting sideways glance at the personal effects of globalism, even if it doesn’t easily connect to the bigger picture. (July) (Publishers Weekly, August 6, 2007)
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