Chic Simple: What Should I Wear?: Dressing for Occasions [Hardcover]

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

Book Description

Series: Chic Simple | Publication Date: December 1, 1998

First the Rush of excitement the invitation brings, then the anxious question, "What should I wear?"  And the usual answer, "I have nothing to wear."  (i)  Chic Simple (/i)  takes care of both of those universal worries, not only showing what is appropriate for whatever occasion but helping you find the crucial outfit in your own closet.

More than a guide to the myriad events that make up modern life, this is a volume that helps you understand how to build a wardrobe and master the trick to adding the essential modification for each season.

To accomplish this, (i) Chic Simple (/i)  begins by asking you to assess your body type, lifestyle, and budget and then shows you how to assemble a flexible but affordable basic wardrobe that will make you look and feel great at any event - a wedding, a charity ball, a funeral, a bar mitzvah, a board meeting, a dinner date, a Saturday brunch, or a night at the opera or ballet.  It's an easy-to-use guide, whether you're on the West Coast, East Coast, or in between, to dressing for life, season by season.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

You're invited to an evening wedding in Atlanta in July--and you live in Quebec. Or maybe you're going to court to fight a speeding ticket. Or your high-school reunion is next week. What on earth are you going to wear?

Have no fear, the Chic Simple folks are here to put your worries to rest. What Should I Wear? Dressing for Occasions combines the classy, artsy photography and graphic style of past Chic Simple titles with comprehensive help for working out those wardrobe conundrums. You'll learn how to clean out your closet--and stock it with flattering looks that go beyond the black dress or suit. Geared toward both men and women, the book covers the sometimes dreaded "casual day" at work; how to accessorize; how to pick shoes for any outfit; how to clean your clothes to preserve color, texture, and shape; and best of all, what to wear to almost any occasion, be it a funeral, barbecue, shower, job interview, rock concert, gallery opening, a New Year's eve bash, or a night at the opera. What Should I Wear? also covers (pun intended) international dress codes, so you'll fit in whether you're visiting the Middle East or Seattle, where it's acceptable by many to wear jeans to a semiformal wedding.

The book is peppered with fun, sometimes racy quotes ("This dress exacerbates the genetic betrayal that is my legacy" --Janeane Garofalo in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion). But the most important one is from the authors themselves: "The more you know, the less you need."

Review

"Beware once you've read this book.  There are no more excuses except 'I'd rather be wearing a paper bag.'  Delightfully informative, witty, and, thank heavens, seldom overbearing, this book would make a great roommate or mother."
- WENDY WASSERSTEIN
Author of (I) The Heidi Chronicles (/I)

"Houston, we have a problem - patch me in to Chic Simple.  But first, a Cybill advisory for any woman with spiked heels and strappy sandals:  Wear them only when lying down."
- CYBILL SHEPHERD

"Armed with this wonderfully informative book and a full length mirror, you will always be simply chic."
- CAROLINA HERRERA

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; First Edition edition (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375402454
• ISBN-13: 978-0375402456
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 9.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #433,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bit unimaginitive?, January 25, 2000

By 

Emily Verrill - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chic Simple: What Should I Wear?: Dressing for Occasions (Hardcover)

In reading/looking at this book, I was amazed at not only the beautiful clothes, but the way the authors had chosen to accessorize the outfits they'd chosen for the book. However, the response from some of the other readers is not what I had expected. In putting expensive clothes into the book, I don't believe the authors were saying that in order to achieve the look they showed on the page, you had to go spend a fortune. The outfits shown were mere ideas; a guide to go by. People, if you can't afford the actual items shown in the book, it is completely acceptable to buy a less expensive knock-off. You can still get the basic look of the clothes shown in the Guide by A). Bargain-hunting and B). Using your imagination a little bit. Let's show a bit of creativity here, ladies!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fashion challenged? You don't have to be..., March 20, 2003

By 

S. Rasco (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chic Simple: What Should I Wear?: Dressing for Occasions (Hardcover)

This is a gorgeous book, organized by season with a sizable section for situation-specific outfits. This is the best ChicSimple women's book because it covers the areas that work, etc. cover, only now you get bonus material and only have to buy one book!

Some have criticized it for showing designer clothing or a more formal look than we in the South wear. Well, you can't go to the department store and find a one-off of some fabulous designer item if you don't know what it looks like. The ChicSimple team is using the book to train your eye so that you can put the looks together or approximate them. Most people don't actually see the REAL clothing from the runway, let alone see it put together in a wearable arrangement. The authors do it in a way that isn't fussy, but practical and comfortable. They do an especially good job bridging the work/work-casual chasm that so many people face with sections showing you how to work a black blazer or basic camel pants.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth buying, October 20, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Chic Simple: What Should I Wear?: Dressing for Occasions (Hardcover)

I really love this book. The pictures are wonderful. They show many clothes the average woman can't afford to spend but using the pictures and advice the writers give to the reader, it is quite easy to see you probably already have many items you will need to dress for all occasions. This is a must have book for all woman who just aren't sure what to wear!! I love clothes and I love this book. I keep reading it and reading it and finding something new each time to help me put my best foot forward. A worthwhile buy--not to pass up.