Customer Reviews

10 Steps to Fashion Freedom: Discover Your Personal Style from the Inside Out

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you are looking for color charts, pictures, or hints to disguise figure problems, you'd better look elsewhere. There's not a single picture to be found. In fact, I'd file this book under "psychology" and not "fashion." Here's why:

This is not a formulaic approach to style, as are most books of this type. People are not pigeonholed into a "winter" color shade, or labeled as "pear-shaped," and then given recommendations accordingly. Instead, this book tackles what might be the most difficult, yet heroic task of all: identifying a person's true, inner style, or "statement," and then finding ways to make the outside covering of that person match the inside, and in the most flattering way. Making this match allows a person to live more freely in their true style, thereby tremendously boosting self-esteem.

Yes, it sounds pretty new-age and the exercises presented could be at home in a counseling or therapy setting. But it's no secret that a person's identity, and the way that identity is presented to the world -- and furthermore, the way that identity is *received* by the the world, all have a profound impact on that person. After all, at its most basic level, fashion and style are all about communicating a message -- that the person is wealthy, rebellious, sexy, young, whatever. This book just helps people to discover what message they want to send out, and how to transmit an accurate message.

This is not to say that this is the *only* book you'd need on fashion. I'd use this book as a starting point to discover what statement you want to make. Then, all the other fashion books with pictures are most helpful in getting creative ideas on how to get that statement across.

I'm pleased to say that although (or because) I resist being told how I "ought" to dress, resent the fact that image is as important as it is, doubt that fashion and style have much relation to each other, and consider "practical" to be the best thing that can be said about a piece of clothing, this was still a really nice book.

However, I anticipate its getting some bad reviews because it does ask you to do the work yourself; if you're looking for a quick fix, or an outfit that'll change the way you deal with people without your having to address how you generally do deal with them, forget it. It doesn't tell you "your" colors or what silhouette is "right" for your shape, it doesn't show photos of the looks in question, and it offers no real shortcuts. It asks you to decide who YOU are, what's important to you, and make your fashion choices based on what you decide. And anyone who thinks that's easy hasn't spent enough time thinking about who he or she is. The book, in short, is for people who do want to know who they are; for people who are trying to be something they aren't (glamorous? socially glittering? powerful?) it hasn't much to offer. But if you do think you want to know, or have done the work already, and if you're sure you can deal with what you find, it's a pleasure to read.

Malcolm's and Kate's 10 Steps to Fashion Freedom is not a fashion manual. It is a subtly philosophical and, at the same, highly practical self-help book and, as such, it is more rewarding, but also more demanding, than it appears at first glance. But even if you cannot muster the self-discipline, self-knowledge and commitment and, perhaps, honesty required to complete all 10 steps - even if you read the book as some might read the Bible - you will still draw great benefit from it. Most chapters are an entity in themselves, every paragraph in parts the sort of knowledge and wisdom based on a wealth of experience which most of us are unable to acquire on our own. These are lessons for life. My favourite part of the book is "closet analysis". This is an ongoing purge, cathartic and liberating.

A final word. I gave the book to a French friend, who, like many of her compatriots, has this innate and seemingly unfailing sense of style. I half expected her to telephone to tell me that there is nothing in the book she didn't know already. She didn't. She phoned me to tell me how fascinated she is by Malcolm's and Kate's analysis of what is "current, fashionable or trendy" and - guess what? - that she's clearing out her closet. The best of us can learn ...

I HIGHLY recommend this book to every man or woman who:

-compares their insides to other people's outsides
-doesn't feel good about the way they look
-cannot find the key to expressing their true self in clothing
-wants to overcome old body and clothing messages and
-is ready for an inspirational and evolutionary change.

Malcolm and Kate have taken thier years of professional experience and turned it into a one-to-one personalized teaching in the 10 lessons in their book. They guide you with compassion, skill, and respect through deeper levels of self-knowledge, self-awareness, and self-appreciation.

From that, they help you distill your new knowledge into a concise - and practical - understanding of how to express your inner qualities in your outer dress. They empower you to make changes slowly, gently, and with great enjoyment.

I had fun doing the lessons and learned a great deal. After three months, I now find other areas of my life improving as well.

So do yourself a favor and do the work they suggest to reap the rewards. Malcolm and Kate offer you an evolutionary and inspirational aproach to true self-expression.

This book is a gift.

As a psychotherapist, there are numerous times I've consulted with men and women on how they come across to others. This book was interesting to me both personally (I immediately cleaned out my closet with a new focus on the kind of person I want to be today)and professionally. It will be an excellent book to refer my clients to, which is how I intend to use it. The writing is clear and the examples made me realize how off track I've been in the past regarding my personal appearance. All my other books had to wait while I eagerly finished this one. I recommend it to anyone interested in developing, changing or maintaining their own style.

This is an extraordinary book. Having read many books on style, this is the first one to assert that style is something that must be discovered and developed - not envied and copied. The book requires a fair amount of reflection and written work, and those looking for "quick tips" (like the reader who complains the book won't help a stay-at-home mom choose a "power suit" for a school board meeting) are unlikely to find the easy answers they seek. But really, aren't there enough style books like that already? And isn't it true that we picked up a new style book because those kind are just so limited and formulaic?

I am disheartened by some of the reviews for this book. The same reader above is full of excuses as to why fashion just won't work for her - having an "image" is for artists, for entrepreneurs. Not for mere employees who risk the wrath of a pink slip for wearing a new belt. How ridiculous. I'm a doctor - there are few professions as conservative as that. There is no job I can think of in which expressing your creativity to some degree is a bad thing. We all have "limits" placed on how we dress; nowhere in the book is there a recommendation to fly in the face of common sense and decorum.

The same reader takes offense to the authors' assertion that elastic waistbands, oversized pockets and patch pockets are unfashionable. Well, they ARE unfashionable. But, the reader laments that they are comfortable, useful. Maybe. But fashionable? That's why the book isn't called Ten Steps to Comfort Freedom. This reader assumes that the authors don't know what it is to really "work" (presumably like she does). And she laments that style may take time - even ironing! - "and who has the time for that these days?" she asks. I guess the answer to that would be: someone willing to put aside a bit of time because they think their appearance matters. This reviewer has already decided that she can make no wardrobe or image changes because of the extreme physical demands of her job, the dictatorial condemnation of her bosses, and a belief in comfort and convenience at all cost. What this reader needs is not a new style. She needs a new life!

Another reader claims that the authors "insist" on shopping at high-end stores. That just isn't true. However, there's few of us that won't admit we wish we'd saved for a really good pair of shoes, rather than the four cheap and trendy pairs we now never wear. I have used this book to transform my way of dressing and shopping - I still shop at Walmart; I just shop there smarter now. This book isn't for everyone; if you're looking for pictures, be advised that there isn't a one. But if you're looking for photos of fashion, buy a magazine. Rest assured, if you're motivated and willing to do the work, you WILL find your unique personal style - and that has nothing to do with whether you shop at Walmart or Rodeo Drive.

It's been over a year since I bought this book and worked through the the exercises. I highly recommend it, but only if you are willing to do some work and think about yourself and your personal image.

If what you want is a quick formula for wardrobe building and pictures of clothes you can buy, then this is not the book for you.

I'm still working on building my basic wardrobe. Shopping has become easier, though I don't do nearly as much of it. I have to save my money to buy better quality clothing. Reading this book has helped me to clarify what I really need to do to stop wasting money on clothing that doesn't flatter.

Like other readers, though, I did become irritated with the authors' insistence on only buying the highest quality clothing. Take that part with a grain of salt. You can do fine by going to "better" quality and making sure it fits well.

I really enjoyed this book and can recommend it to anyone interested in the great personal debate of what to wear, when, and where. Given the nature of the subject-matter most people are probably wary of another dose of superficial trivia, the type of dogmatic "do's and don'ts" that abound in most magazines, the standard "wear this-you're in, wear that-you're out" material. Instead this is a thoughtful, practical book that helps you develop and, therefore be comfortable with, your own personal sense of style.

This book is based on the principle that it is not simply what you wear but more importantly, how you wear it. While it does provide plenty of advice on your clothing options it focuses first on helping you determine your own feelings and beliefs in relation to your appearance and the image you want to convey.
As such, it is quite an introspective look at fashion -it seeks to bridge that gap between what we may all aspire to in seeking to look our best and what we can also be at ease with, and so carry-off effectively.
Well-written and structured, the authors take you through a step-by-step process on this personal discovery (it's fun and relatively painless)-do join in and make the effort as the reward can be a better-informed and more confident, relaxed "you" on that next shopping trip or that next dressed-up occasion.

I started reading 10 STEPS TO FASHION FREEDOM last night and was up all night. I simply couldn't put the book down. What was? What is my "personal style?" I had to find out and go through the steps presented in the book. The authors totally deliver on their intention to help the reader make "choices to represent who we are." The questions and exercises really made me think about what image I might be portraying. Yikes, do I have a style, and now, what do I want that style to be? I will highly recommend this book to all my friends. I can't wait to read the authors' next book.

I've read quite a few style books and this is definitely the first time I've come across this approach. Specifically, the authors believe you need to know yourself - your passions, your feelings about your body and yourself before you can effectively dress to express yourself. You go through many exercises that help you discover what the author's feel many people don't know and need to know before they can figure out their true personal style.

Which clothes you choose that reflect your true self will apparantly become clear to you once you do the inner work. I say apparantly because I did all the exercises and the vision never materialized - or at least it didn't seem any different from what I all ready wore, which may be something in itself.

The most important things I got out of this book were about fit, determining quality and how it is necessary to practice discipline when shopping. But I can see that for others who feel a disconnect between themselves and the world can benefit from working on some personal issues related to their style of dressing. You are what you wear.