Customer Reviews

The Science of Sexy: Dress to Fit Your Unique Figure with the Style System that Works for Every Shape and Size

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My new years resolution is get a fashion education and do a better job on spending money on clothes that really flatter me and fill the gaps in my wardrobe. I think buying this book was an excellent step. He does an amazing "1 2 3 let me show you how its done" job.

He covers body types all the way from 4' 9" and 90 pounds to over 6' and 250 and pounds - so pretty much the full gamet. (I think if you are smaller or bigger than that, could just use the smallest or biggest type and work with that). What I LOVE is that he talks about how beautiful each body type is and how great they can look by playing up their assets - so I think he does such a great job affirming women of all types. It reminds me a little bit of the book Metamorphosis by Richard Kibbe (a fabulous out of print book) in that it points out all the differnt types of beauty a woman can be.

I think it is really difficult to be objective about your own body and very easy for focus on the negatives. For example, I've always viewed myself as not all that womanly and feminine becuase I am very short and fairly slim. The tape measure doesn't lie and in this book, I learned that I pretty much have an hourglass figure (I thought only pin up girls had hour glass figures) and my celebrity body double is Salma Hayek - and she is pretty darn womanly!! What was I thinking!? And then he gives very specific suggestions on how to play up my waist, etc.

Yes, it is only 4 pages per body type, but it is very, very detailed and specific. He crams a lot of info into four pages and still makes it very visual. You'd pay a lot of money to get an expert to give you these specific guidelines. For each profile you get:
* details on what your blessings are - assets to play up
* your curses - i.e., I'm short and have to tailor just about everything which is a bit of a drag
* very, very detailed specifics on what to wear and not to wear for dresses, tops, pants, jewley, jackets and shoes (lots of info here - they used a very small font)
* a celebrity body double - from people like Alysso Milano on the petite side to Carolyn Manheim on the more plus side
* illustrations that show what not to wear and then what to wear for casual, work and formal.

The recommendations are conistent with what I know works for me (i.e., I've always known wrap dresses work for me), and I'm looking forward to trying some of the other suggestions. I think it is also interesting to see the body types that are close to mine. This would be a great book to share with some girlfriends and let them find their profile.

There is also a few chapters on general dressing guidelines, a nice list of items every woman should own (which is great if you are trying to really build a wardrobe like I am) and a very nice glossary of different types of clothes so if he says "avoid a a high stance jacket" or a "surplice top" and you don't know what is, you can see a picture and know exactly what he is talking about.

In short, if you are really looking for specific guidance - espeically if you are a "hard to dress" type - this is a gem.

yes, there are only four pages per figure type in the book. Still, if most women (including myself) followed these four pages of ideas we would look pretty darn good, I think. But, there is more to this book than just those four pages. The author has other sections that are more general that apply to everyone. Sections like things to do and not do when buying clothes--how to look for proper fit and good styling and such, that are useful to just about everyone.

I don't think this is the bible of style books, and if you want only one book on style this would probably not be it. But, if you're just looking for more good ideas to jump start the new year and new you, then this does have some good ideas and is written in an upbeat and positive tone.

This book was great and the author's formula of figuring out your body type is very precise. You take three simple measurements to get your basic shape, and then look at a height/weight chart to figure out if you're average, medium, or tall, and that's it. Then you flip to the section for your specific body type (there are 48 possible types) and read the do's and don'ts for dressing well.

With other style books I've read (for example The Pocket Stylist: Behind-the-Scenes Expertise from a Fashion Pro on Creating Your Own Look by Kendall Farr), they just give your three basic shapes to choose from and it's hard to figure out which one you actually are.

The only drawback to this book is that once you have read the 4 pages for your particular body type, that's about it. The chapters in the beginning with shopping advice were very general and didn't teach me anything I haven't already heard (such as buy clothes that are well made and don't buy expensive trendy items that will likely be out of style next year). I would have liked it if the author had included photos of each celebrity body double because I was not familiar with some of the stars and it would have been nice to have a visual.

I do really enjoy this book and I'm glad I bought it. It would be fun to share with girlfriends who are interested.

I am a professional dressmaker and I have found this book so useful for both me and for my customers! The suggestions are right on the money for every one of the figure types and very specific. If you want to know how you should be dressing to best flatter your figure, this is the book for you.

Well, who would want another book, and why? I read my section, but then I read all the sections on my height to see why something would work for one type but not the other. Actually found the entire book helpful. Great for when buying gifts for a friend or family member...look them up in the book. I like the notation for each figure type for "your celebrity body stand-in".
You can read and read, but seeing is believing, that you too can just do it.

I am so glad that the Science of Sexy was written. It has helped me to understand HOW and WHY some people look great all the time. I never knew that there was a formula to your body type and that EVERYTHING that is in style, might not look good on you. I've heard that all my life, but never really "UNDERSTOOD" it! Now....I look forward to my new wardrobe, and really enjoy shopping. Although I am losing weight (due to Bariatric Surgery), I can look good in everything that I wear! Thank you for this book. It is a true Godsend!

Could not wait to get my hands on this book - what a huge disappointment - you can figure out your body shape from instyle magazine for $4 and know as much as the above book tells you. After the basics and you decide your body shape, it give you 4 - get that now 4 pages for your shape without lots of photos or anything to help - I returned the book for a refund!

As a women's clothing retailer, I found this book to be "coffee table material" in my shop. I leave a tape measure on the book to invite women to investigate the contents. So many women have difficulty selecting the right clothing for their figure types. This book offers the best visual and written information that is easily understood and appreciated. Bravo to the writers. I have a library full of books on the subject and have never seen one that is so informative, well written and assists all figure types and personalities.

There is no better book for helping you determine your body type. On that strength alone I give it four stars because knowing your body type is key to understanding why some things look good one you while others don't. This is a book which will stand the test of time, because if your weight fluctuates or your body changes shape, you can use it to reassess your body type. Therefore, the times this book is most useful is when you first read it and determine your body type and then when/if your body changes. The book tries too hard by calling itself "The Science of Sexy".The book's strength is not in its style advice but in the accurate determination of body type (although the "what not to wear" pages are quite good). "The Science of Sexy" is a title which invites harsher critisism of the book than the book deserves, because it promises too much.

I was extremely disappointed with this. I bought it because on the cover it says "make the most of your shape, look taller, slimmer, or curvier right now." Although Bradley Bayou discusses women of boyish, hourglass, triangle, and inverted triangular shapes, he leaves out a gigantic percentage of women. He details that these shapes all have "defined waists." He is completely leaving out the huge percentage of us who are not fortunate enough to have defined waists. I bought this magazine because I am a rounder shape, with all of my weight landing in my middle, yet nowhere does he discuss how to make the most of that. I am very disappointed in his extremely biased representation of women. Perhaps he would know better what he's talking about if he were a woman himself.