Customer Reviews

Secrets of Style: InStyle's Complete Guide to Dressing Your Best Every Day

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a book about developing your own innate style rather than following fashion trends. They define style as, "a distinctive way you speak, act or dress." In other words, style is YOU!

This was a good read. I actually got through the first 50 pages in one evening. I have read other books with "style" tips and this is a top notch resource from everything from sweaters, accessories to maternity wear.

I am an odd person to fit (short and still a bit chubby) and yet I found this book very applicable to myself. I went through my closet and started really looking at what works on me. I discovered very quickly that the nice flat front khakis and soft tight knit sweater I love best are the best for my type. These are also the items that were only about $5 to $10 more than the normal cheap items I buy. I like that this book does not push buying expensive items but does discuss the best types of fabrics and even gives you tips for vintage shopping.

If there are any drawbacks I would have to say I would have liked to have seen more about choosing fabrics and perhaps a section to show different body types in the best types of outfits.

If you are interested in learning how to shop for clothes that will really work for you then this is definitely a good read and definitely a good gift.

Enjoy!

If I looked like Halle Berry I wouldn't need a guide like this one. This book is so full of posed photos of celebrities looking wonderful in their size-2 clothing that it doesn't have enough room to help me figure out how to camoflage my less-than-perfect derriere. The focus is SO heavy on the celebrities -- not nearly enough time is spent on what to do when you have two figure flaws that work at cross-purposes to one another. For instance, I'm short and small-busted. Short women are advised to avoid double-breasted styles...but small-busted women are advised to go for double-breasted. There's not much in this book about how to solve these sorts of issues. Instead of showing me Nicole Kidman in a $10,000 suit, why not show me a woman with a figure problem in side-by-side photos showing clothing that enhances her positives and hides her flaws and clothing that doesn't?

The book "Secrets of Style" describes itself as, "the complete guide to dressing your best everyday" and it does not disappoint.

Jam-packed with detailed information, fine illustrations and beautiful color photographs, the book is a treasure for the woman who wants to look great.

"Secrets of Style" is an offshoot of Instyle Magazine. The magazine's fashion coverage over the years has been extensive. The author, Lisa Arbetter and the editors of Instyle, have compiled the information from the magazine and transformed it, into a working guide for the reader.

The beauty of the book is the information will not become dated. This is not a book about clothes. This is a book about style. By reading the book and visually seeing the examples you will learn how to develop, expand and enhance your sense of style.

We all want to look good. To wear our clothes and not let them wear us. To build a wardrobe of garments that meets our needs, gives value for our dollar and makes us look our personal best.
And within these pages you will learn how to do exactly that.

"Secrets of Style" includes chapters on selecting the clothes to best flatter your figure. How to spot quality. Vintage shopping. Best fit for jackets, pants, skirts and more. A look at lingerie. Picking shoes and bags. Care, repair and storage of items. There are sections on a stylish pregnancy and tying a scarf. The editors have done an exhaustive job to cover everything from head to toe and more!

The color photographs are lush and telling. Nothing like seeing a picture to gain a clear view of what looks great. Many of the photographs are from issues of Instyle and these are classics. Kate Hudson glowing in her champagne Versace. Jane Fonda booted in a scene from Barbarella. Sela Ward with a lipstick red bag adding "punch" to an all black outfit. Despite the use of celebrities many in designer duds it's still very effective in teaching those of us in Gap what works and what doesn't.

This book will help you analyze your wardrobe, find your best look and pull it together with confidence. An excellent resource!

Lee Mellott

It's easy to be impressed by all the gorgeous outfits they've put together, but I found this book short on helpful advice on how to do this oneself. I was hoping for more basic suggestions for what shapes and styles look good together.

And some of their advice about "must-have" basics just isn't universally applicable. Half of their "6 figure-flattering classics no closet should be without" are not great. As a curvy woman with tendency towards pear-shape, I have yet to find straight-leg pants than don't make my legs look like tree trunks; I do much better with bootcut. A straight-cut turtleneck? Completely hides my waist and makes me look boxy. And flesh-colored pump? Yuck: double yuck. How about you show us *one single example* of an outfit in this entire book with flesh-colored pumps, and then I'll agree that this is an important basic.

So after buying and reading this book, I feel like I wasted my money. I didn't learn anything I didn't already know from reading fashion magazines

I re-arranged my entire closet based on this book's advice and took (most of) the drama out of getting dressed in the morning. I used the figure flattery charts and finally figured out what works for my body type, and more importantly, what DOESN'T work for me. I cleared out a lot of stuff that only served to make my small closet crammed, and now, when I open those closet doors, I see options that I actually like. And I feel like I'm going to be a much smarter shopper in the future. The celeb pictures are very fun -- the classic style setters inspire but the book is really about developing a personal style that works for the reader. Highly recommend!!!! As a regular reader of the magazine, I hope In Style publishes more books.

I liked this manual much better than the Lucky shopping guide. While the information isn't that "new" it was presented very well and made for interesting reading. Also,I really enjoyed how hey featured many different body types rather than just the usual: big bust, small bust, short, tall, straight...
I would rec. this to everyone!

Wonderful book! The photos and drawings are very yummy and of good quality. I was looking for a "Fashion 101" book that would explain the basics. I thought this book might be a little too advanced or trendy for my needs, but it does an excellent job of making fashion accessible for the everyday gal. While it does contain some trends, most of the book discusses timeless classics that will last.

I especially enjoy the practical tips for dressing by body type, organized by each piece of a wardrobe. It also has neat how-to tips for tying a scarf, choosing accessories, etc.

There are a couple things that the book lacks, which would be handy. It could use a glossary to define fashion terminology. Some terms are defined in the book, but many are not. Maybe those things are self explanatory for most people, but I kind of need it to be spelled out. It would also be nice to have sections devoted to specialty sizes, such as petite and full-figure. Each section does briefly cover dressing different frames, but it would be great if that could be expanded a little more.

Overall, this is the best book on fashion that I've seen.

I read through this book in one evening and my main impression of it is that it is sometimes difficult to apply their advice because of the categories they use. Most of the book is split into sections according to the type of garment (jackets, pants, shirts, etc.), and then they have headings for each figure characteristic telling you how to choose the best type of garment for you. For example, in the "Jackets" section, they have headings for Curvy, Short, Boyish, Narrow Shoulders, Broad Shoulders, Full Bust, Small Bust, Tummy, Short-Waisted, Long-Waisted and Bottom-Heavy. The Full Bust section tells you that you should "choose fitted or semi-fitted styles with deep V-necks" and "always go for single-breasted tops." It tells you to avoid "high, round necklines, double-breasted or belted styles, patch pockets, and short rolled lapels." This seems to be good advice, but if you also have narrow shoulders, the "Narrow Shoulders" section recommends the "double-breasted styles" which you are supposed to avoid. This is a rather niggling example, but it illustrates how if you have more than one figure challenge to deal with some of the information may conflict.

Another problem I found is that there is very little information specifically tailored to women who are heavy all over. Face it, Americans are fatter than ever, and I would have liked to see a section under each garment type called "Plus-Size," in which a full bust, tummy, big butt and so on are addressed as a whole. To be fair, there are a couple of sections which have headings like "Heavy Arms" and "Heavy," but they are not in every section.

I also was quite puzzled by some of the photos and celebrities they used as fashion "do's." For example, Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz looking like prostitutes in trampy dresses, Julianne Moore in a jacket whose arms are clearly too long, and Diane Keaton in a pair of oversized khakis that look like she slept in them for a week ... Is this supposed to be chic?

Now, I change sides. After reading through the book, despite the mix-and-match quality of the information, I was able to get some sense of what I should shoot for. Since I have a heavy figure, I should go for v-necks, long sleeves that taper to the wrist, and flat-front pants with no waistband. I now know how to match shoes to different-length pants and skirts, and how to tell if a garment is high-quality. They also include helpful sections on purses, jewelry, maternity, and travel.

I notice that one reviewer panned the choice of a "flesh-colored pump" that the authors included in their basic wardrobe. The choice of words is unfortunate, because the "flesh-colored pump" is actually taupe. And it makes sense because their six wardrobe basics (shirts, pants, coat, etc.) are all either taupe, off-white or white. But I do agree that if the shoe were really a flesh color, which most of us understand to be a pinky-beige, it would be pretty gross.

In summary, the book is worthwhile to read and would be a knockout with some reorganization and better celebrity photos. (The best photo in the book is the one on the front cover.) I recommend checking the book out from the library before you invest and decide for yourself if it's worth purchasing.

In Style is a good, current magazine brimming with ideas, and this book also has a very inviting look. It seems best suited to the Twentysomething generation of women who are bridging between studenthood and professional adulthood, interested in how clothes make up an image investment and not just a current fashion statement. The book contains useful information about building a wardrobe based upon (your) wearable neutrals; buying classic clothes and accessories (and identifying what the classics are); judging material and tailoring quality, and adding a bit of individuality to the mix. It isn't a manual of comparisons, like "What Not to Wear," and it's not an analysis of what works and why about celebrated womens' styles. For instance, you won't find why Jackie K.O. wore sleeveless shifts and large sunglasses, or why Nicole Kidman chooses particular types of gowns, and how to apply that knowledge in your own case. All in all it's a good book if you're a bit overwhelmed by all the choices out there (and who isn't, when you walk into some stores :-), but if you've been reading a variety of women's magazines over the years or have seen fashion spin a few rotations, you may have already absorbed much of the information.

Í worked as a fashion writer for a women's magazine, and I think this book really gives us what we look for: a guide. You know, you and I can't dress up as Catherine Zeta-Jones, or Nicole Kidman, so what's the point of looking at their great Versace's dresses? We can't afford it.

This book gives you clues about basic clothes for your closet, but I still think it exagerates how much we can spend on clothes. You know, it's o.k. if you want to update your wardrobe, but some pages need to come down to earth.

Still, I think it's useful because it gives advice for each kind of body, I'm pettite and always find trouble chosing pants and skirts: the tips about heels, colors and leghts are great and I guess this book will be useful for my daughter, .... when she grows up.