Rating: 
Summary: Low ediquette for loose women
Review: What is a Fabulous Girl? She's Holly Golightly without the baggage and the hick ex-husband -- smart, funny, sexy and sympathetic. She's also the subject of "The Fabulous Girl's Guide to Decorum," an amusing but unbalanced mix of tongue-in-cheek goofing and etiquette lessons.Kim Izzo and Ceri Marsh take a look at the life of the Fabulous Girl (hereafter called "FG"): Her career (how to dress for job interviews, how to deal with low-dignity "Jill Jobs"), society (the noveau riche, when to applaud), friendship, sex and dating (why you should not date a rocker), couplehood, weddings and divorce (on eloping: "Remember, there's nothing more chic than running away and coming back married"), and how to entertain. If chick-lit came in nonfiction form, this would be it. Lots of stuff about love lives, pals (male and female) and jobs, with cutesy codewords ("Jill Job" is a I-do-it-just-for-the-money job). And it's definitely not Miss Manners. There's less focus on which fork to use than there is on proper workplace manners, or how to support your buddies. Hidden under the froth are some genuinely good tips. Izzo and Marsh give plenty of pointers about how to conduct yourself with sophistication and style, even in an embarrassing situation. They also draw out the lines when it comes to chivalry (how should a guy help a woman into a cab?) and little details for the 21st century like when it's rude to talk on a cell phone. That isn't to say that "Guide" has its Manolo-shod feet on the ground. The chapter on sleeping with one's boss made me squirm, as did anything having to do with flings and the obnoxious "Bingo." What's more, the description of FGs as being "smart" didn't quite fit in, since the sort of chic urban life they talk about seems to require "savvy" rather than "smarts." "The Fabulous Girl's Guide To Decorum" is a bit confused as to whether it's an etiquette guide or a tongue-in-cheek nonfiction chick-lit. But this amusing book may offer some pointers to women seeking to be "Fabulous Girls" on all walks of life.
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