Rating: 
Summary: Good, but still...can we afford to have those clothes?
Review: Ã worked as a fashion writer for a women's magazine, and I think this book really gives us what we look for: a guide. You know, you and I can't dress up as Catherine Zeta-Jones, or Nicole Kidman, so what's the point of looking at their great Versace's dresses? We can't afford it.This book gives you clues about basic clothes for your closet, but I still think it exagerates how much we can spend on clothes. You know, it's o.k. if you want to update your wardrobe, but some pages need to come down to earth. Still, I think it's useful because it gives advice for each kind of body, I'm pettite and always find trouble chosing pants and skirts: the tips about heels, colors and leghts are great and I guess this book will be useful for my daughter, .... when she grows up.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read!
Review: I liked this manual much better than the Lucky shopping guide. While the information isn't that "new" it was presented very well and made for interesting reading. Also,I really enjoyed how hey featured many different body types rather than just the usual: big bust, small bust, short, tall, straight...
I would rec. this to everyone!
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing We Haven't Heard Before
Review: I looked over this book for about an hour while at a bookstore recently and was not all that impressed with it. There are some helpful hints but nothing I hadn't already seen in the Chic Simple's Women's Wardrobe. It is a good overall guide if you don't already own any of these kind of books but if you do, you could probably save your money and stick to what you've got. Women's Wardrobe may be a little outdated but I believe it is a better organized book. Also, it would be nice if some of these books also addressed woman who have multiple problem areas. Sometimes the tips given for one area contradict those given for another area.
Rating: 
Summary: Staceys Secrets of Style review
Review: I love this book, it is the fashion bible. It shows you how to look and dress better for your body.
Rating:
Summary: Staceys Secrets of Style review
Review: I love this book, it is the fashion bible. It shows you how to look and dress better for your body.
Rating:
Summary: Fashion Companion-O-Rama
Review: I re-arranged my entire closet based on this book's advice and took (most of) the drama out of getting dressed in the morning. I used the figure flattery charts and finally figured out what works for my body type, and more importantly, what DOESN'T work for me. I cleared out a lot of stuff that only served to make my small closet crammed, and now, when I open those closet doors, I see options that I actually like. And I feel like I'm going to be a much smarter shopper in the future. The celeb pictures are very fun -- the classic style setters inspire but the book is really about developing a personal style that works for the reader. Highly recommend!!!! As a regular reader of the magazine, I hope In Style publishes more books.
Rating: 
Summary: A Few Good Suggestions But Could Be Better
Review: I read through this book in one evening and my main impression of it is that it is sometimes difficult to apply their advice because of the categories they use. Most of the book is split into sections according to the type of garment (jackets, pants, shirts, etc.), and then they have headings for each figure characteristic telling you how to choose the best type of garment for you. For example, in the "Jackets" section, they have headings for Curvy, Short, Boyish, Narrow Shoulders, Broad Shoulders, Full Bust, Small Bust, Tummy, Short-Waisted, Long-Waisted and Bottom-Heavy. The Full Bust section tells you that you should "choose fitted or semi-fitted styles with deep V-necks" and "always go for single-breasted tops." It tells you to avoid "high, round necklines, double-breasted or belted styles, patch pockets, and short rolled lapels." This seems to be good advice, but if you also have narrow shoulders, the "Narrow Shoulders" section recommends the "double-breasted styles" which you are supposed to avoid. This is a rather niggling example, but it illustrates how if you have more than one figure challenge to deal with some of the information may conflict.
Another problem I found is that there is very little information specifically tailored to women who are heavy all over. Face it, Americans are fatter than ever, and I would have liked to see a section under each garment type called "Plus-Size," in which a full bust, tummy, big butt and so on are addressed as a whole. To be fair, there are a couple of sections which have headings like "Heavy Arms" and "Heavy," but they are not in every section.
I also was quite puzzled by some of the photos and celebrities they used as fashion "do's." For example, Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz looking like prostitutes in trampy dresses, Julianne Moore in a jacket whose arms are clearly too long, and Diane Keaton in a pair of oversized khakis that look like she slept in them for a week ... Is this supposed to be chic?
Now, I change sides. After reading through the book, despite the mix-and-match quality of the information, I was able to get some sense of what I should shoot for. Since I have a heavy figure, I should go for v-necks, long sleeves that taper to the wrist, and flat-front pants with no waistband. I now know how to match shoes to different-length pants and skirts, and how to tell if a garment is high-quality. They also include helpful sections on purses, jewelry, maternity, and travel.
I notice that one reviewer panned the choice of a "flesh-colored pump" that the authors included in their basic wardrobe. The choice of words is unfortunate, because the "flesh-colored pump" is actually taupe. And it makes sense because their six wardrobe basics (shirts, pants, coat, etc.) are all either taupe, off-white or white. But I do agree that if the shoe were really a flesh color, which most of us understand to be a pinky-beige, it would be pretty gross.
In summary, the book is worthwhile to read and would be a knockout with some reorganization and better celebrity photos. (The best photo in the book is the one on the front cover.) I recommend checking the book out from the library before you invest and decide for yourself if it's worth purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but still...can we afford to have those clothes?
Review: Í worked as a fashion writer for a women's magazine, and I think this book really gives us what we look for: a guide. You know, you and I can't dress up as Catherine Zeta-Jones, or Nicole Kidman, so what's the point of looking at their great Versace's dresses? We can't afford it. This book gives you clues about basic clothes for your closet, but I still think it exagerates how much we can spend on clothes. You know, it's o.k. if you want to update your wardrobe, but some pages need to come down to earth. Still, I think it's useful because it gives advice for each kind of body, I'm pettite and always find trouble chosing pants and skirts: the tips about heels, colors and leghts are great and I guess this book will be useful for my daughter, .... when she grows up.
Rating:
Summary: Who CARES what celebs look good in?
Review: If I looked like Halle Berry I wouldn't need a guide like this one. This book is so full of posed photos of celebrities looking wonderful in their size-2 clothing that it doesn't have enough room to help me figure out how to camoflage my less-than-perfect derriere. The focus is SO heavy on the celebrities -- not nearly enough time is spent on what to do when you have two figure flaws that work at cross-purposes to one another. For instance, I'm short and small-busted. Short women are advised to avoid double-breasted styles...but small-busted women are advised to go for double-breasted. There's not much in this book about how to solve these sorts of issues. Instead of showing me Nicole Kidman in a $10,000 suit, why not show me a woman with a figure problem in side-by-side photos showing clothing that enhances her positives and hides her flaws and clothing that doesn't?
Rating:
Summary: Who CARES what celebs look good in?
Review: If I looked like Halle Berry I wouldn't need a guide like this one. This book is so full of posed photos of celebrities looking wonderful in their size-2 clothing that it doesn't have enough room to help me figure out how to camoflage my less-than-perfect derriere. The focus is SO heavy on the celebrities -- not nearly enough time is spent on what to do when you have two figure flaws that work at cross-purposes to one another. For instance, I'm short and small-busted. Short women are advised to avoid double-breasted styles...but small-busted women are advised to go for double-breasted. There's not much in this book about how to solve these sorts of issues. Instead of showing me Nicole Kidman in a $10,000 suit, why not show me a woman with a figure problem in side-by-side photos showing clothing that enhances her positives and hides her flaws and clothing that doesn't?
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