Customer Reviews

Trinny and Susannah Take on America: What Your Clothes Say About You

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

 

 

I procrastinated about buying this book as the other books didn't seem to fit in with an American look, rather a more English look that I couldn't picture wearing (pants dragging on the ground, long dresses over jeans). I am really glad that I bought this book as it really brought to light what realistic people commonly wear (me) and how this makes us look. It offered practical ideas for getting out of a style rut such as frumpy Earth Mom, frazzled housewife or all black and what changes to make to freshen up. The accessory ideas were terricic! I think this is their most practical & best book yet - one I won't be donating to the library!

I had been eagerly awaiting this book's release based on my expectation of the quality of their prior book "What You Wear Can Change Your Life". This book is very nicely put together and slick, but for quality of content, it can't beat What You Wear Can Change Your Life. It gives alot of life advice, when what I really want is advice on clothes style, color, shape, etc, and this is the least of what you get. I hope their following books give more of what Trinny & Susannah are best known for, advice on dressing based on body style, age and coloring.

Don't get me wrong I'm a huge fan of the authors. But this is just a fund raiser for them between jobs. It took about 15 minutes to look through, and I thought I must have missed something. So I really sat down to go through the book and it took me less than an hour. So dissapointed. At least in the TV series you got a look at several outfits that would suit the individual, but in this book you get a set-up bad shot and then "how wonderful" only one after shot. You get Trinny and Susannah hiding behind wigs and glasses. If this had been their first book, this would have also have been their last!!

If you like examples and photos for every body type check out Bradley Bayou "The Science of Sexy", what a resource of what to wear for casual, career and formal. It shows you how to be all covered up, but looking good.

After reading WHAT YOU WEAR CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE, I became a fan of Trinny and Susannah and bought all of their books. They inspired me to clean out my closet and I've slowly begun buying clothes to enhance the me I am now, not the me I was in the past. (It turns out that I was one of those women who dressed like a "lamb," even though I'd crossed the threshhold into fully-grown "sheep.")

When TRINNY AND SUSANNAH TAKE ON AMERICA: WHAT YOUR CLOTHES SAY ABOUT YOU came out, I thought that only one or two of the sections in the book would apply to me. Yet when I got it home and actually read each section carefully, I realized that so much of the advice in the book spoke directly to me. In short, the book gets into the nitty gritty of the psychology of appearance and why women make crucial mistakes, mistakes that signal to the world how they feel about themselves at any given time and what their fears are. Whatever your issue, whether it be dressing too youthfully, as I once did, losing touch with your femininity because of the pressures of motherhood, or simply giving up because your body isn't what you'd like it to be, Trinny and Susannah will give you inspiration to look at your physical appearance in a new way. There's always time for a fresh start--one that could prompt a whole new positive phase in your life. Trinny and Susannah provide straight talk, which is what we need to shake us out of our ruts.

The main thing the girls have helped me realize is that even though I've passed the big 4-0, I don't have to fade away into nothingness. I'm now realizing that I can move forward and be just as attractive and stylish as the more grown-up version of me. In fact, I'm realizing that in many ways, this is probably one of the best times in my life--the time when I have the confidence to dress like a sexy, competent woman. Trinny and Susannah are simply fantastic inspiration and I'm now taking them as my style mentors.

In short, if you read this book carefully, you'll find your issues throughout the book and it will inspire you to look at yourself in a new way.

Bravo, Trinny and Suz! Keep coming out with the wonderful books! We're counting on you!

I found this book to be an absolutely lovely commentary on some American stereotypes, and to contain fabulous advice on how to improve our not only our looks but also our self-worth and well-being. There's a little bit of many of us in many of the characters presented here -- the busy mom who lets herself go; the "larger eccentric" who craves attention; the woman whose best years were in the '80s and so strives to relive them through her wardrobe... The authors begin by assuring the reader that these truly are exaggerated characters, so we can more easily see how a certain style may be, well, less than flattering. Then they show how easy it is to make small steps toward a more flattering and appropriate style -- and these small steps make a world of difference. For the woman who constantly wears baggy t-shirts, sweatshirts, jeans and tennies, they suggest a fitted tee, tucked in, with a belt and nicely cut jeans. The 'before' and 'after' pictures are really inspiring. I especially liked the way they matched up colors and patterns, and accessorized their models (often themselves) so appropriately. After reading this book and poring over the pictures, I found myself ditching the ugly pantyhose in favor of fun fishnets, searching for a bright-colored bag to replace my year-round utilitarian black model, and seeking out a patterned jacket to replace my old standard (again, black.) In fact, every time I read a Trinny and Susannah book, I thin a few more old items out of my closet. (Boxy jackets, big shoulder pads, and anything prairie-looking have to go!) Their advice is down-to-earth and not judgemental. Many of us *do* need to be told that a shoe with a heel can be comfortable, that gym shoes don't go with jeans, that longer hair isn't better if it doesn't flatter your face....this is a book that deserves to be passed around the office, the school staffroom, the family...a real treat.

A great team but this book is a stale rearrangement of old pictures and quotes. Keep it fresh and it's wonderful. This was not wonderful

I found myself mildly ticked off and saw what the authors were trying to do with their opening remarks on the introduction page... "Where were we to hunt down the track-suited lady who had devoted her life to Krispy Kremes? Not on the streets of London or Liverpool."

Folks, over 1 in 5 of the British population is obese, track suits are commonly worn by a good chunk of the population, and even funnier yet -- they're wearing American brands, American labels, and even NY Yankees hats and NBA jerseys. Don't fall into the trap of these two high-class British women trying to save you from your own apparently "unique American style" that evidently makes you such a slob that needs fixing. How would I know this? Living in NY my whole life and seeing tourists, and then spending 3 years on and off in many parts of England opened up my eyes.

They really DO offer some good fashion advice. But, it is not adapted to American living in some ways, garnered with plenty of snarky personal attacks on their "models." I am a high school teacher. Wearing heels, heels, heels (what is their obsession?) is NOT practical, especially not at 5'10'' and size 12W feet standing around in front of a white board all day. The styling in the book looked way too much like what I actually saw on the high streets of London and Liverpool, and not like Bloomingdales, Saks, or even Macy's that you'd find in NY or another large city.

I would have liked it more if it were not about trying to turn clothing choices of comfort into this overwhelmingly intricate psychological profile on each model. If someone is having problems with their sex life and they're not dressing sexy because they have several children, putting some new clothing on them may give a temporary boost but it's not solving a deeper problem. Etc, etc. That's just my two cents.

The authors take a handful of "styles" such as "Loud and proud" or "My children come first" and break down why women dress this way, what excuses they use, what doubts and fears have them stuck in a style less rut. If you or someone you know is one of the women who dresses in any of the styles in this book, you will appreciate how this is done. Each style starts with a list of "what you say" and "what you really mean" such as "I like to be comfortable" is really "I'm afraid to try to dress nicer". There is an extreme example of the style so you can really get the feel for it. The authors write a letter to this woman addressing her probable fears and feelings. Then they show you how to break out of it, not only by demonstrating what to wear instead but also with little lifestyle tips that will help improve the woman's overall confidence and lifestyle. I think this is well done because it addresses the heart of why women choose to dress poorly and helps show them that it's OK to change.

My only negative, really, is that the authors use a lot of expensive and fancy name brands (at least to the average woman) which I feel makes changing seem much more daunting. Call me crazy, but any sweats and jeans woman who looks up "Jimmy Choo" and sees the price tag of $300 or more is probably going to throw up her hands in exasperation. I would have liked to have seen the authors make good fashion seem more attainable with less expensive brands and tips on how to shop on a budget.

The book is a nice complement to the other books by these authors. If you take it as a package, it really adds value to what they (and others) have said before.

The characters they show are examples of typical women I see here every day here ( I am in the Midwest), e.g. "natural looking" (in the worst sense), and too sexy and not at all stylish. I wish women here would look more like the characters after the makeover.

What Not to Wear is about dressing your body shape. What Not to Wear for Every Occasion is about dressing appropriately for a given situation. Take on America is about breaking out of your fashion rut and revamping it into something that is comfortable and stylish.

By showing you how to wear clothes that fit, disguise your bodily imperfections, use color where there was none before, and wear updated clothing, Trinny and Susannah give you the knowledge to make slow transformations toward your ultimate goal.

I used to BE their "stereotypical" Tomboy. I'm not comfortable wearing pink, frills, lace, and glitter. This book showed me how to adapt my style into something I feel safe wearing, but is still main-stream fashionable and catches the eye of the guy that didn't notice me before.

Since then, I've passed this book on to the "Look at Me, Boys!" girl at work, my VERY "Married for Years" mother-in-law, and my "I like a Natural Look" Mom. "What's the Point" Neighbor, you're next.