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Freakin' Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else
 
 
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Freakin' Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else [Hardcover]

Clinton Kelly (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 7, 2008

Clinton Kelly won't just revamp your wardrobe -- he'll revamp your life!

The huddled masses yearn to be fabulous, and finally Clinton Kelly is heeding their call. As co-host of TLC's popular What Not to Wear, he regularly transforms dumpy fashion disasters into traffic-stopping, get-an-instant-promotion, reignite-the-passion-in-that- relationship makeovers. But fabulousness doesn't stop with style. Let's face it: you might look good, but if you're chomping on that crudité with your mouth wide open, nobody at the party will talk to you -- even if you can explain to them what crudité actually is.

Of course, the keys to being better than everyone else aren't always so obvious. Don't worry; Clinton's here to help.

  • How do you make a flat butt look big and a big butt look flat?
  • What's the one trick that will slim down your entire silhouette and make your ta-tas look va-va-voom?
  • How do you eat an oyster without getting kicked out of the best restaurant in town?
  • What's the grammatically correct form of "lay" to use when propositioning a Baldwin brother?

He'll teach you how to look your best, sound your smartest, use the manners your momma taught you, poach an egg, fix a perfect gin and tonic, throw the most popular parties (and top the guest list at other soirees), make your home the envy of your neighbors, and generally be the fabulous person you always knew you could be.

From the three style criteria he uses to dress any shape for any occasion, to his eloquent approach to appreciation, to his four must-memorize recipes for whipping up a last-minute meal, Clinton Kelly shares it all in Freakin' Fabulous.


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Freakin' Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else + Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body + Oh No She Didn't: The Top 100 Style Mistakes Women Make and How to Avoid Them
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Clinton Kelly is the co-host of TLC's popular show What Not to Wear, a spokesperson for Macy's, and a motivational speaker who has successfully talked thousands of women out of wearing stirrup pants. He received a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University and has worked as an editor at several noted fashion publications, including Marie Claire, Mademoiselle, and DNR, a weekly men's trade magazine. Originally from Long Island, he lives in New York City.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Gallery Books; First Edition edition (October 7, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1416961496
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416961499
  • Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.7 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Clinton Kelly is the co-host of TLC's popular show What Not to Wear, a spokesperson for Macy's, and a motivational speaker who has successfully talked thousands of women out of wearing stirrup pants. He received a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University and has worked as an editor at several noted fashion publications, including Marie Claire, Mademoiselle, and DNR, a weekly men's trade magazine. Originally from Long Island, he lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
83 of 84 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
Freakin' Fabulous is a book that lives up to its name, as it playfully gives readers a crash course to help make the best possible first impressions when entertaining and socializing. While author Clinton Kelly presumes readers already understand basics such as good personal hygiene, grooming and posture, he fills in the sometimes formidable gaps of good grammar, manners, fashion, and entertaining... and he does it with such a lively sense of humor that even his advice on proper sentence structure and word usage is funny and therefore interesting. ("There's the monkey that ripped your pants.")

I especially love the way Freakin' Fabulous covers some of the essential areas of good public manners that so often get overlooked, such as when and how to write thank you notes and make apologies, what to do with guests who arrive early, what kind of gifts to bring (if any) to a dinner party, how to encourage guests to leave when you could use some new kinds of effective yet tasteful techniques, and how much to tip your hairstylist, coat check girl, and valet parking attendant. Yes, there really is such a thing as arriving so late that it's not fashionable at all... especially when food is involved, and people are kept waiting.

The big surprise for me about Freakin' Fabulous is how many wonderful recipes are included... so when you're done reading this book, you will feel confident knowing four fabulous recipes by heart (Hollandaise, Roasted Chicken, French Omelette, Nice Vinaigrette) and can whip them up in a flash anywhere, any time! Basic wines and mixed drinks will be a snap, and you'll have the most marvelous assortment of hors d'oeuvres for miles around. While more than one third of this book is dedicated to fabulous food and drink, you'll need to take into consideration your guests' special dietary needs, as these days, some people are lactose intolerant, vegetarian, or allergic or unable to eat foods containing pork and/or wheat.

Those who are not already familiar with Clinton Kelly may be in for a bit of a surprise with his more colorful language, since the unsuspecting reader might think that a book on manners would be written in flowery, antique prose. Nothing could be further from the truth! Clinton Kelly writes in a style like your up-and-coming night-life-loving best friend might, complete with informal off-the-cuff remarks that are sometimes shocking, and almost always amusing.

Freakin' Fabulous is the must-have personal transformation book for anyone who wants to radically improve their social skills in almost every situation. This is the book to read so you can literally laugh your way up the social ladder!
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
This is a very politely and well written book for those who want to be "fabulous."

Being fabulous here means being civilized and appropriate according to the situation. For example, do you pick the right pants for your body? Do you pick the right handbag and look good without looking "weird" and disproportionate? There is a general rule to look at least "proportionate" and appropriate without exposing your flaws excessively. His book tells you how and all that with pictures of contrast.

There are ways to talk properly, which is actually more important than most people think. That's how a lot of people size the others up silently and subjectively at the very first few seconds of meeting. For example, some like to say "Me and her are going shopping together." The correct grammar is "She and I are going shopping together."

There is much more "common sense" provided in his new book, such as how to put different clothing pieces with different patters together, how to pick the right pair of pants, how to dress without exposing a beer belly (for MEN), how to use the right word, such as "fewer v.s. less," "lay v.s. lie," how to whip up some fabulous desert and comfort food, etc.

Lastly, with all the practical information, what makes this a "fabulous book" is also the colorful arrangement from the cover through the last page. There are lots of colorful pictures and graphics arranged in a pretty yet un-overwhelming manner.

After you're done reading this book, you'll find yourself more equipped with "the common sense" of being a feminine, confident, smart, and visually pleasant woman. Leave it at the side table. It'd also be a fun read for most people, such as your guests at home.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Freakin' Amazing! November 1, 2008
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
I love the show "What Not to Wear," and am especially a fan of Clinton's, since I am a fellow Northwestern alum. I loved this book for many reasons, including that we get to know Clinton quite a bit better than we do on the show. His personality, humor, and writing style were superb, combining clear explanations with witty comments. The humor does taper off a little toward the ending sections, but I guess you can't really dole out snappy comments about a roast chicken recipe! The book also has a great layout with drawings, colorful photos, and nice snippets of text.

Above all, of course, is that the book definitely fulfills its purpose of making the reader fabulous! Clinton's main theme is that, to be fabulous, you need to be appropriate and stylish in every situation, something which I believe most people struggle with in today's society. The book is divided into seven sections: Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, and Decorate. He covers a lot of ground in the book, everything from whether you are wearing the right thing to a funeral to age-appropriate clothing to using that vs. which to thank you notes to using your silverware correctly to cooking a French omelet to getting rid of clutter. Also, I should say that this book is not just for women. Clinton covers plenty of material, including clothing and dressing for your body type, that applies to men. I loaned my copy of the book to my mom to read, and my 63-year-old CPA father ended up picking it up and reading, almost cover to cover! (What I'm saying here is that other reviewers have mentioned that this book is just for women; it's not.) They liked it so much that they ordered a copy for themselves. Unlike "What Not to Wear," this will not just revamp your clothing and your body image, it will revamp your life if you embrace it.

That may be quite daunting for some people, but I think there are plenty of bits and pieces that anyone can incorporate into his or her life to add just a little bit of fabulousness! I definitely recommend this book for people who are fans of "What Not to Wear," people who like Clinton Kelly, and people who want to inject some fabulousness into their lives. I am even buying a copy of the book as a Christmas gift for a friend!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
For Clinton Kelly Fans
Basic etiquette, personal improvement, entertaining and decor with Clinton's witty comments and points of view. It's very funny and informative at the same time. Read more
Published 2 months ago by K. Miller
Everyone should have a copy.
Clinton's humor is the best while simultaneously getting his point across on all fronts. Great read and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to polish up a bit.
Published 4 months ago by Savannah
Fun read and helpful too!
I thought this was a good book (better than "Oh no she didn't!") I think to like this book you really need to be a fan of WNTW and really, a fan of Clinton's. Read more
Published 4 months ago by gridironchick
Basic knowledge
The book was more amusing than helpful. Nothing new that someone over 25 would not have already learned along the way.
Published 4 months ago by Gretchen G. Griffin
Loved it!
I read this book cover to cover from the moment I opened it and couldn't stop laughing! The recipes were great and the whole book was very entertaining. Read more
Published 5 months ago by kristina
This book is very entertaining!
I purchased this book to glance thru the pictures and pick up some style tips, and I was so surprised! I ended up READING the book! Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jenifer
Great Recipes!
I read other reviews of this book prior to getting from the library first and found them to be mixed. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Susan
Lovi it!
Love this book. It should be mandatory reading for everyone. Some basic etiquette offered in a humourous way. A touch of class.
Published 8 months ago by Suzanne C. Turner
Enjoyed it
I like this book. Good sense & I picked up a few new tips along the way. Non-drinkers will probably be bored by the "how to mix drinks" part -- but all the rest is totally worth... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Amy C. Spaulding
Enjoyed the how to Dress, Speak, & Behave sections... but the rest...
Clinton Kelly is hilarious, crude, and sarcastic.
I also enjoy his style of writing.

The "how to dress" section was very insightful and made me think twice (after... Read more
Published 16 months ago by mg
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