The Little Black Book of Style
by Nina Garcia
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Book Reviews of The Little Black Book of Style
Book Review: Take Nina's Advice
Summary: 4 Stars
Dear Nina Garcia, Fashion Director of Elle Magazine,
I just wanted to drop you a quick note about your new book, The Little Black Book of Style.
First, can you and Tim Gunn stop feeding my Project Runway addiction? I'm having a hard enough time concentrating on my work as it is, now I'm wondering when Season 4 will start.
Having said that, I appreciated the nuggets of encouragement in The Little Black Book of Style. When it arrived in the mail, I thought - Hey, where is all the usual advice? But then I realized this wasn't meant to be a `usual' book. In addition to some concrete advice about white shirts and how to look elegant, you gave me a little pep talk which I clearly needed.
Thanks for letting me feel good about my H&M habit and for encouraging me to think a little longer about buying a pair of Manolos! I feel so schlubby day in and day out.
My life wasn't always like that. When I worked in an office, I had some good clothes. But, since my daughter came along and I sit in my home office in front of the computer all day, the "fashion" in this house has reached a sorry state. So I'm going to try to find an excuse to get those shoes, clean out the closet and look like me again.
I will start to "treat [myself] like a goddess," and focus more on the fact that style is an attitude that "comes from knowing [who I am]."
Yes, I admit, that I was just the tiniest bit jealous that you know all those cool designers who answered your Q&A's, but, as it turns out, we're connected with fewer than Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon - my stepdaughter works for one of those designers, so maybe I'll have her say `hi' to you next time you're in that office!
While it's hard to arrive for school pick-up in something other than the standard mommy uniform (since it just makes everyone comment about where I've been or what I've been up to), I'm going to try it again.
And this time, I'll just say, "Oh, my friend Nina said this would make me feel great."
Sincerely yours,
PunditMom
Book Review: Very surprised
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is quite a fun and informative read. Nina Garcia keeps her voice light throughout, with a few funny moments that genuinely surprised me. Though I am a huge fan of the 'Project Runway' judge, I had honestly expected her book to be dry and even condescending -- this is the infamous Nina Garcia, after all.
But I was quite surprised. Especially around my first laugh-at-loud moment, when she discusses the importance of buying shoes that actually fit your feet and not just your budget: "Toes spilling out of a pair of strappy, sexy sandals is a very painful sight. I do not wince out of sympathy for your feet. I side with the shoes."
The rules of style never really change. But Nina Garcia does a great job at giving you the tools to edit your closet, your shopping habits and helping you discover and create your own style.
Aside from the usual advice one gets from style manuals, she provides a chapter on finding your fashion inspiration, complete with bulleted lists of movie and rock fashion icons. She also has an entire chapter of quick question and answer sessions from fashion professionals such as John Galliano, Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Oscar De La Renta, etc.
The only issue I had with the book was that it was too short. I wanted to read more of her own experiences with style and fashion. These moments in the book were by far the high points. While I did like the inclusion of so many lists, her voice was lost sometimes among all of the bullet points. Which is a shame, because some of her life stories are truly unique, such as the one about her mother's live-in seamstress.
Overall, this book was a fun, informative read that left me smiling for the rest of the day. I highly suggest it, no matter what your level of fashion or style experience may be.
Book Review: A book that inspires you
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this on impulse. I don't think I have that horrible sense of style, I re-organize my closet every six months, and I know that every woman should own a trench coat and an LBD. So why, then, do I need Nina Garcia's advice on basic dressing?
Well, maybe I don't. But I enjoyed it anyway!
First off, she writes tongue-in-cheek, inspiring, in a personal tone that makes you feel BETTER about your favorite clothes (because you like them, you should keep them) not WORSE (because they're "out of style"). Of course it's a paradox when Garcia, fashion director at ELLE magazine, tells you not to live by the trends, but she pulls it off. I think she owes a bit to the gorgeous illustrations of Ruben Toledo.
Garcia succeeds in almost every single chapter. The "basics" she discusses go way beyond the LBD. Her style icons (chapter three: inspirations), from Faye Dunaway to Patti Smith, all have something that you can pick up and take with you. And, something that I was happily surprised by: she never talks about how much you should weigh to wear a certain piece of clothing - it's all about how you feel in it.
There are a couple of things in the book that annoy me, though. The entire chapter five ("Insider Tips And Tricks") is unnecessary; it seems every designer interviewed just finds a way to say the same thing: be elegant, be yourself, et cetera. I do not learn anything from Elle MacPherson telling me I need to wear the right size bra, or Gilles Mendel saying fur goes with everything.
But in the end, I felt inspired after reading the book. I keep going back to it to find inspiration on what to wear, how to wear it. After all, a book of style that quotes Fran Lebowitz ("I don't believe in God. I believe in cashmere") will always have me positively inclined towards it.
Book Review: A Lot of Help in a Little Book
Summary: 4 Stars
Not having seen "Project Runway", I didn't know what to expect from Nina Garcia's style book. It is, itself, a sylish little tome with drawings, no photos, and six chapters entitled, "Be Your Own Muse", "The Basics", "Inspirations", "What to Wear When...", "Insider Tips and Tricks", and, "Fashion Cliff's Notes, Decade by Decade".
One of my favorite parts of the book is chapter five, with the insider tips and tricks. The insiders include Diane von Furstenberg, Zac Posen, Ralph Lauren, Marherita Missoni, and Elle Macpherson, among (many) others. Questions were posed to each--questions such as "What do you find eternally stylish?" to "What is the secret to style?" Answers were short and direct and helpful.
Another favorite chapter is "The Basics". It includes 10 basic "rules" to guide the reader to his or her unique style. It begins with the simple dictim to "Edit" and how to do so, and ends with the lovely "Be Imperfect", which lets us all breathe a little.
A more unusual addition to "The Little Black Book..." is the "What to Watch and What to Watch For" section in the Style and Film part of Chapter 3, "Inspirations", which I found useful, followed by Style and Music, which I did not.
This little book was fun to read, a little sassy and a good deal of information that can be used to put the reader in style. Two (well manicured) thumbs up!
Book Review: LET DOWN YOUR HAIR. NOW TAKE OFF YOUR GLASSES. IT WORKS IN THE MOVIES? (from film, Lover Come Back)
Summary: 5 Stars
I, having an eye for fashion (whoops! style),love this book. Its lite and its light, and before even reading it, or flicking through the pages, it has a feel of elegance. The covers look and its title are classy. The content is fast and flowing, and the water colors are exquisite. I feel like I'm reading a flapper book from the 20's. Its a book that should be on every female political candidates Christmas list, and I already mentioned it to a few. Although one, already in office, meets its standards (Hint, I only vote for female blonds). Nina's story about her first hitting the East Coast private girls school, from her home in South America, surely must have been a shock to her style-wise. As it was for the main character in the film, Legally Blond. I do agree with her that the first thing you should buy is a trench coat and black dress. But, I'm now favoring a motorcycle jacket or a maxie coat(where are they) and a red dress. Relating to the look you'll find of the women that drape themselves over the cars in Rat Rodz Magazines, or the red dress in the Fergie video, Clumsy, on Youtube . A few tattoos won't hurt either now-a-days. (Bernard does charity work, sorta. He provides women with fashion encouragement by transforming them style-wise to the point that they are now in successful relationships and are living affluently, thanks to Bernard. Now with Nina's book, they need no one.