Saturday, February 12, 2011

I Love Your Style: How to Define and Refine Your Personal Style


by Amanda Brooks
288 pages

I admit it. I love fashion books. I don't admit this to my intellectually-inclined boyfriend. We are currently reading Anna K. together. I don't tell him that I sneak home fashion books. Um, I don't have to sneak them home since he lives in Oregon. Hmm. What will happen when we live together??

I read about this book on a blog. The author was recently named the new fashion director at Barneys New York, which the blogger described as a bit of a scandal since she was seen as more of a socialite than a serious figure in the industry. Brooks' credentials include a "career" as a "muse" at fashion house Tuleh. The book's chapters each start out with a bit of fashion history from Brooks. She grew up in Palm Springs and tried out all the fashion trends, from preppy to bohemian to street to ecclectic. I dunno...I didn't really see how a 9-year-old Brooks in a backwards baseball cap exactly made her a expert in street style. I didn't really enjoy any of Brooks' personal style anecdotes. What I did enjoy was the great photos of other people she used to illustrate the different styles. Gorgeous pictures of Diane von Furstenberg, Barbara Streisand, Cher, Ali MacGraw, and Mick Jagger (in women's clothes!) spark inspiration. Brooks does a great job of showing how a photo from, say, the '30s, still looks modern today. There are also some chapters devoted to shopping and getting the looks on a budget.

All in all, it's a decent fashion book. Thanks for letting me share my secret obsession here.

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