Fashion For Dummies

Fashion For Dummies
by Jill Martin, Pierre A. Lehu

Fashion For Dummies
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Book Summary Information

Author: Jill Martin, Pierre A. Lehu
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-11-09
ISBN: 0470539267
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: For Dummies

Book Reviews of Fashion For Dummies

Book Review: somewhat disappointed
Summary: 2 Stars

I expected so much from this book because of all the good reviews. I was disappointed not long after I started reading. I read on hoping this book would improve. I find some of Jill's advice is accurate and true. For example suggesting to go to a Tailor to make your cloths fit right, and teaches about different fabrics and quality and lists what sources to use to find out whats going on at the moment in fashion, for example which web sites and magazines to read.But some of the other advice in the book seems inaccurate and untrue at times when compared to other sources of information, and my own personal experience. For instance I am an avid watcher and fan of a show on TLC called 'What Not To Wear' Jill references the show in this book as recommended viewing.


Personally I prefer this book that Clinton Kelly and Stacy London wrote,
Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body} So much of the advice from the hosts of that show, which Clinton and Stacy give, is completely opposite of what Jill says in her book. I tend to rely on the advice from Clinton and Stacy more than this 'Fashion for Dummies' book because I've seen it work on TV before my own eyes, plus I've tried their advice and found it to be true myself. Just take a look at Stacy London & Clinton Kelly and see how wonderfully well they dress!! Then look at the photo's of Jill Martin and how badly she dresses. Her photos are on the front and back covers of this 'Fashion For Dummies' book. Who would you take advice from? {More on that later....}


Here are some of the the things in this book which contradict the types of things that Stacy and Clinton say. Jill says "Buy things you like. Even if you buy an item at a time, after a while they they'll start to match up." I think this is bad advice. Stacy and Clinton say something like this, 'always try to buy complete outfits, don't just buy single pieces that don't go with anything.' here's another one. Jill in her book says short waisted women should "avoid dresses with a WAISTBAND. If you do need a belt, choose a narrow one that's in the same colour as your outfit to minimize the attention to the waist area." What!!!! I don't believe this advice!!! And I know Clinton and Stacy don't either. I happen to be 'short waisted woman' myself and I wear wide belts and they look great! I get sincere compliments!! Clinton and Stacy are always recommending belts, even wide ones, {especially in COLOURS}for most ANY WOMAN weather she's short waisted or not to "cinch in" the waist. Is Jill saying in her book that just because we have short waists we should never draw attention to them with a belt?!! Hog wash.


There is also advice in her book saying that LONG DRESSES are good for women of SHORT STATURE/HEIGHT to make them look taller, {I believe this is bad ADVICE!!}Clinton and Stacy always discourage women, especially short ones from covering their legs to the floor. They say it will make short women look SHORTER. I speak from personal experience of being short and I find this to be true. I never wear long floor length dresses because it makes me look as if I have no legs and am 'standing in a bucket' or 'standing in a hole'.

There's an illustration somewhere in Jill's 'Fashion For Dummies'book showing someone wearing wide HORIZONTAL stripes on her shirt, and unbelievably JILL DOES NOT POINT THIS OUT TO BE A FASHION NO-NO, and most people know by now that it is a BIG ONE!! How could a fashion stylist suggest for anyone to wear HORIZONTAL STRIPES???? {Unless they are stick straight and waif like thin like Kate Moss.}There are more contradictions I found from what I Know to be true. But Jill Martin and others who agree with her advice are entitled to their opinion as am I, and I disagree with it. Personally, I didn't find this book very useful for myself.

I was also struck by how UNFASHIONABLE Jill Martin looks in the photographs of herself on both the front and back covers of the book. Isn't her look supposed to be representative of what it is to be fashionable?
Lets start with the Front Cover:
The white sweater she was wearing with dark jeans on the front cover make her look top heavy and thick in the waist area. The long necklace she is wearing is all wrong for that sweater, white on white.The style is wrong and so is the colour. The colour doesn't 'pop' at all, it just disappears boringly into the sweater. Some shine or an actual colour would have been a better choice, not white on white. The tiny sparkling blah coloured evening bag combined with the casual day outfit is sooo wrong! She needed a big leather bag with a pop of colour! Not that dinky little thing with a day outfit.

If you look on the back cover:
She's wearing a black dress that is both too long {it cuts part of her legs off in a rather 'Amish' way -which is just fine..if your Amish!} and the neckline is all wrong for her. The square neckline makes her look broad like a football player around the shoulders, which she's not but the sweater makes it look that way. And what about that ugly HORIZONTAL STRIPE sweater?? it looks bad #1 because it has horizontal stripes, and #2 because it looks straight out of the 1980's and not in a good way.

This is just my opinion, you may like this book and find it useful, some people do like it.

Summary of Fashion For Dummies

Your full-color guide to building a fun, functional wardrobe

Fashion For Dummies takes the guess out of dress, giving you the confidence and know-how you need to dress for every occasion. This full-color guide is packed with tips on creating a confusion-free wardrobe that works with your body type and personal style, as well as navigating the worlds of color, pattern, and texture.

  • Reveals how to put together outfits that work without overextending your budget
  • Features a section dedicated to menswear
  • Packed with helpful illustrations presented in full color

The perfect guide for novice fashion-hunters, Fashion For Dummies is your key to always dressing your best!


Your full-color guide to building a fun, functional wardrobe

Fashion For Dummies takes the guess out of dress, giving you the confidence and know-how you need to dress for every occasion. This full-color guide is packed with tips on creating a confusion-free wardrobe that works with your body type and personal style, as well as navigating the worlds of color, pattern, and texture.

  • Reveals how to put together outfits that work without overextending your budget
  • Features a section dedicated to menswear
  • Packed with helpful illustrations presented in full color

The perfect guide for novice fashion-hunters, Fashion For Dummies is your key to always dressing your best!

Jill Martin's Ultimate Outfit Checklist
How to be happy with your outfit every time you get dressed

1) Only wear it if you?d be psyched if the ex-boyfriend who dumped you ran into you while you were wearing it.

2) Only wear it if it makes you feel confident enough to ace a job interview.

3) Only wear it if it stands out just enough to get you noticed. While you might not want to scream, ?Look at me!? in a fire engine?red dress, you don?t have to wear only head-to-toe black, either. Try adding some color as an accent with a scarf, or some great jewelry, or even metallic shoes or a unique bag for a change.

4) Only wear it if you?re comfortable that it?s you exactly as you see yourself. Wearing pants when you really feel more comfortable in skirts and dresses (or vice versa) just to change up your wardrobe is not necessary. You know what you feel and look good in, and it?s okay to stick with that look.

5) Only wear it if the fabric feels soft on your skin. Don?t wear it if it?s at all itchy, because it?ll distract you and make you uncomfortable all day.

6) Only wear it if it?s going to keep you warm enough. Showing some skin is sexy, but in the winter, try a sexy neckline instead of bare arms.

7) Only wear it if it fits you properly. If it?s too big or too small, it won?t flatter your figure and you?ll be trying to adjust yourself all day. Again, distracting and uncomfortable!

8) Only wear it if it doesn?t make you look like you tried too hard. While it?s important that everything you?re wearing goes well together, you don?t want to look too matchy-matchy. Avoid matching your shoes to your belt to your bag to your hair accessories.

9) Only wear it if it?s appropriate for the location, activity, or venue. There?s no need to wear high heels to the company picnic. Not only will you look out of place, but you won?t be able to participate in any of the day?s events.

10) Only wear it if it represents your generation, meaning you don?t look like you?re wearing your mother?s clothes ? or your daughter?s, for that matter. Just because micro-minis are in for the teen set does not mean that you should necessarily follow that trend.

Jill Martin Reveals Her Fashion Discoveries in an Amazon-Exclusive Interview

What was the biggest fashion discovery you made while you were writing Fashion For Dummies?
While following the trends is always fun, you?ll look your most beautiful and stylish if you stay true to your personality and dress to flatter your body type.

Has your style changed at all because of this book?
Well, maybe not changed entirely, but it definitely evolved and got more refined. While I used to have an overflowing closet with tons of different looks, now I have a cleaned-out and organized closet that?s narrowed down to the more classic look that best expresses my style.

Is there any one fashion rule that you would advise people of across the board, regardless of style or body type?
Yes! Invest wisely and think long-term when it comes to your basic and staple items. It?s okay to spend a little more on these pieces, because you?ll have them in your wardrobe for years. Likewise, look for bargains when buying super trendy items. You won?t have these for more than a season or two, so there?s no need to spend too much.

What is the biggest splurge you ever made on your wardrobe, and was it worth it?
I bought this amazing Chanel bag. I had no business spending that kind of money at the time, but I had to have it. And, yes, it was worth it because it?s a classic that will never go out of style. I?ve been using it for years and will continue to do so. I have more than gotten my money?s worth.

What is the best bargain you ever found?
I found a couple of beautiful rhinestone broaches at a flea market once. I use them all the time. I wear one on my jean jacket pocket, and the other I pin onto a formal dress to give it a vintage look.

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