Chic SImple Dress Smart for Women: Wardrobes that Win in the Workplace [Hardcover]

Kim Johnson Gross (Author), Jeff Stone (Author)

Book Description

Series: Chic Simple | Publication Date: September 30, 2002

In these times of economic uncertainty, dressing to impress has never been so important. Chic Simple DRESS SMART-WOMEN guides the professional female to dress to find a job, to keep a job, and to get a better job. Drawing on interviews from top professionals and their own vast experience via their book line, AOL column, and InStyle monthly advice section, veteran style mavens Jeff Stone and Kim Johnson Gross put a sexy spin on the age-old question of how to dress for success. DRESS SMART provides the straight talk answer to the most frequently asked questions about style at work, including: valuable tips on: dressing for off-site events, dealing with business casual versus business appropriate, knowing where to spend-and where to save-money on your wardrobe. The book will capitalize on the fan base established with the new Chic Simple magazine, but while the magazine focuses on shopping solutions for all aspects of women's lives, DRESS SMART will provide complete lessons on how to maximize professional impact through your wardrobe, and will be a blueprint to the dynamics of dressing in today's constantly changing business environment.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeff Stone and Kim Johnson Gross are the creators of Chic Simple, the ideology of paired-down elegance that is sweeping the nation. They live and work Chic Simple in New York City.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; First Edition edition (September 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446530441
• ISBN-13: 978-0446530446
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Business & Investing > Business Life > Fashion & Image

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Untitled, December 1, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chic SImple Dress Smart for Women: Wardrobes that Win in the Workplace (Hardcover)

I really love the Chic Simple books ... I find the photographs, text and lay out to be really inspirational and compelling on a daily basis i.e. we all have to get dressed each day, and these books (especially "What Should I Wear?" - my real favourite) have made it more fun for me to wear, and buy, my clothes and accessories. There is one matter about this new book which has disappointed me in only a small way, and that is that the authors have chosen to use certain photos and text from older books in this, their new book. I dislike paying for the same content twice. I also had very high hopes for this new book, the first new 'big' fashion/wardbrobe-planning book by these authors for some years now, and was a bit cheesed off to find the same images/text, apparently recycled. It's just a small thing, but it seems to me to be a little lazy on their part. That said, I'm still a fan of the book, and wish I'd had it years ago when I started my first job (I wear suits for work & this book really focuses on that look and how to 'polish' it or expand upon it). This would be a great book for a recent graduate, or for the library of a corporate employer looking for a simple yet thorough and elegant style guide for their staff.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!, October 20, 2002

By 

"generalbarnes" (Aurora, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chic SImple Dress Smart for Women: Wardrobes that Win in the Workplace (Hardcover)

This book does an excellent job of getting you from nothing to wear to a closet of every possible wardrobe nessessity for the office. The organization is fantastic, going from one interview outfit and then starting a collection of business appropriate clothing based on four suits. Great book for someone getting a promotion, returning to work after a leave of absense, or a new college graduate.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The PERFECT gift for the new graduate!, January 2, 2005

By 

J. Kara Russell "Actress/Artist/Musician/Writer" (Hollywood - the cinderblock Industrial cubicle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chic SImple Dress Smart for Women: Wardrobes that Win in the Workplace (Hardcover)

For many years, I have had "Women's Wardrobe" by this writing team, and have referred to it whenever I was revisiting my closet space issues. As a character actress of many years, writer, and day-jobber, my closet tends to clothe many "people". These books really help you pare down your fashion thoughts to the essentials.

Some will find the pictured examples and the thoughts on appropriate work wear extremely conventional... but most work places ARE very conservative, especially when it comes to interviews, business meetings and public appearances. I think the only thing lacking in this book is an entire section about injecting yourself, your personality into this framework. They do mention this, but there could be more. However, to be fair, this is not their intent. This is SIMPLE, how to do it with less clothing, simple rules, few pieces to make things work well - and they succeed completely.

As an observer of people, I kept thinking how especially useful this book would be for several young friends who were leaving college and struggling with the mental dissonance of "what I wear should not matter, it is who I am and how I do my job" as contrasted with the tyranny of workplace dress codes. As a feminist idealist, it shouldn't matter what we wear. As a pragmatist, we all know that how you dress does matter, as much as looks, speach, cleanliness, and what school you attended. As an actress, it is a large part of creating a character: what you wear says things about who you are, how you think, how you live, and what you aspire to.

This book adresses all of that, and gives a marvelous basic guideline to build your thoughts of self-presentation AT WORK around. If you are re-entering the workforce after many years, changing careers, or changing areas of the country, there are hints here. There are kernals of truth here that artists and dot-com slackers won't like to hear much, but if they're smart, they will. Karl & Patty, thank you for the present!