Customer Reviews

What Not To Wear for Every Occasion

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

What Not To Wear: For Every Occasion is Trinny Woodall & Susannah Constantine's follow-up to their first book, simply entitled What Not To Wear. Their first book dealt with dressing for different body-types in order to maximize one's assets while minimizing one's flaws. For Every Occasion begins with the assumption that the reader has read the first book and gotten some sort of grip on the cut of clothing she should or should not be wearing. The authors proceed to recommend or reject various outfits or clothing combinations for an assortment of occasions. Regardless of how flattering an outfit may be to one's figure, the focus here is on its appropriateness.

This book is set up just like the first one, with Trinny & Susannah doing all of the modelling, and with full-page colour pictures of the "don'ts" on the left-hand side of the page and the "dos" on the right. It deals with dressing for the following occasions: The job interview (for both the first job and going back to work); work wear (for the boss, the executive, and the "pa"); work to play (for both winter and summer--this section only includes "dos", with the day outfit on the left and its evening transformation on the right); school events (sports day, school play, pta meeting, and carol concert); summer and winter weddings (for both day and evening); summer holiday (both beachwear and after sun); winter holiday (both on the slopes and apres ski); and partying (for both winter and summer).

Not only does the book deal with a number of occasions, but it deals with a range of age groups (and it does require a slight stretch of the imagination when Trinny & Susannah dress as young girls embarking on their first job interview!). Most of the "occasions" are divided into three parts--smart (geared more toward the older woman), casual, and trendy (more for the younger woman). The exceptions are weddings (for which their is no "casual" option), school events (which show only one do and don't for each event), and winter holidays on the slopes (which uses the headings "professional", "beginner", and "poser").

The final chapter deals with three underwear concerns: controlling flabby tummies, minimizing the unsightliness of visible thongs, and wearing the right bra.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, though I must confess I didn't find it quite as useful (or as entertaining) as their first. Having said that, it is vitally important to read the introduction before perusing the book. Trinny & Susannah admit that we readers may think some of the "don'ts" look better than the "dos", but they are listed as "don'ts" because they are staid, unimaginative, and cookie-cutter. This is a book that is geared toward the woman who wishes to dress appropriately for the occasion (though I personally question the appropriateness of even their smartest business-wear suggestions for women working in an ultra-conservative, male-dominated profession) without sacrificing her femininity, personal flair, and sense of individuality. Therefore, if you are looking for a book outlining the "business uniform", have a very conservative personal style, or prefer to melt into the crowd and look like everyone else, then this may not be the book for you. If, on the other hand, you've enjoyed the first book and are looking for a little guidance in adding some spice to your wardrobe whilst ensuring you are still dressing (for the most part) within the acceptable parameters required by the occasion, you may enjoy looking through this little book--bearing in mind that it provides basic guidelines only, which still must be adapted to suit one's own body-type, personality, and preferences.

This book is very funny. I love looking at all the photos, and find their suggestions interesting. It cracks me up to see one looking at the other in their "don't" outfits. My mild criticism: 1.) some bits are trendy; I mean, let's face it: the dress worn over pants style is over. 2.) they left out a lot of occasions I wanted to see, like a christening, a funeral. (Does this sound strange to you? Seeing Patty Davis' debacle of an outfit at her father's funeral made me think it. 3.) The source index leaves room for improvement. I would like more specific info on the clothing and accessories pictured. Which leads me to 4.) Most of their clothing and shoes are too expensive for most folk. Manolos, Kelly bags. Come on. I'm not buying $500 shoes and $5,000 handbags, and no one is giving them to me -- so please offer a nice alternative. I am not so into fashion, nor do I have the time, to track these things down myself. That's why I buy books like this. 5.) Lastly, I live in a warm climate. Tweeds, jackets, long skirts and tall boots are, for the most part, not a part of my wardrobe. I would love to see a couple more outfits beyond what they show. And finally, a random comment: Trinny, please cut your toenails. Overall, I like this book more than the first, it's enjoyable.

Where Trinny and Susannah's first book focused on body traits and how to disguise them or flaunt them with your wardrobe, this book focuses on what not to wear for different occasions.

The book is broken down by occasion (e.g., first job interviews, back-to-work interviews, winter holidays, summer weddings) and then by type: smart, casual, or trendy. As with the first book, there are great photos, with the no-nos on the left and the yes, pleases! on the right. The book is not intended to be a book of strict rules, but rather a collection of guidelines you can adapt to your own style, age, and body type. Each photo also comes with a "What This Says about You" caption, which may be what people REALLY think when you wear white to a wedding. The photos also give readers interesting ideas on what can be worn, what can go together, and what's appropriate. As with the first book, this book also has a "where to shop" guide, as well as general guidelines for occasions (e.g., what to bathe in before an interview to make yourself alert).

Overall, this book gives a bunch of useful tips and interesting ideas. It is a fun, enjoyable read, and one that can be picked up more than once. If you combine this book with the duo's first, you will never be caught wearing the wrong thing for your body type or for any occasion!

This book takes What Not to Wear one step further: to the occasions in which we want to look our best, but don't know exactly what's appropriate. This book is great in that it offers options for all kinds of job interviews, clothes to wear at work, and much, much more, for all kinds of personal styles and habits. It gives us an armful of interesting ideas that I found to be extremely helpful, and worth keeping in mind next time I go shopping. Like the first book, at the end of every chapter there is a guide on places to buy clothes based on budget.

I have been a fan of BBC's "What Not to Wear" and I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, but What Not to Wear for Every Occasion was a grave disappointment. Not only did I not agree with most of the looks created, I felt that often the "don't" examples would work far better than the "do's".

I did not heed some of the negative reviews I read before purchasing this book and that has proven to be a mistake. Don't be fooled-this is not the customary Susannah and Trinny fare and that is disappointing.

I liked the original What Not To Wear, but this one falls wide of the mark. Some of the outfits are fine, but any woman who follows their advice for career dressing is a fool, unless she works in a very, very fashion-forward industry. In any reasonably conservative office, wearing open-toed shoes, fish nets, long, wrappy sweaters, and the like may get you dates, but it sure won't get you a promotion, a raise, or the authority you want.

The success of the other outfits is hit-or-miss. In particular, I find a lot of their choices of headgear downright laughable.

I'm disappointed in this book; it will end up on half.com very soon.

I looked at this book as well as their first one in the book shop and after glancing at a few of the pages, decided on this one. I found it to be absolutely hilarious. I love their wicked comments, especially the ones on the 'what not to wear' side. A past reviewer commented that they merely seemed to be mocking the middle-class which is what I found appealing about them. This book pokes gentle fun at Miss and Mrs. Average and offers you the option to break away from the mold and to express your own individuality and creativity. Sure some of the outfits are a bit overdone but I think the point is to get a sense of the style while keeping in mind the appropriateness of the occasion. One can use her own imagination to adapt their suggetions to her own personal style. After all, most of us don't attempt to duplicate the looks we see in movies and fashion magazines, but we can certainly find ideas that might work for our individual bodies and life styles. This is a great read for fans of the show. It is not the ultimate fashion guide as no book really is but there are plenty of tips for those who want to stand out from the safe and ho-hum crowd and also for those who can appreciate the British wit.

Sorry, but this book is quite a disappointment for fans. The looks they put together might have been cutting edge back in 2002-03 when the book was published, but now they look ridiculous!

Did you ever feel like your clothes are getting boring? That you look like everyone else....and you don't want to? Trinny and Susannah will help change your idea of what clothes work for you, and they do it with a sense of humour and style. I, for one, needed someone to hit me over the head and tell me that, duh, tapered pants make us look shorter and make our hips look bigger. And that if you have something that works for you (i.e., bootcut jeans), who cares if it's in vogue this season? Make it look good on you, and no one will care what the twigs in the magazine are wearing. These two women have great ideas, and they're fantastic at telling it like it is. They don't look perfect; they look great -- and isn't that better?
I found this book to be a quick read, but worth the price. I cleaned out my closet, and I'm going shopping!

I checked this book out from the library to see if it warranted a purchase--it didn't. Every "before" looks better than the "after." The authors have an almost unearthly obsession with pants that drag on the ground, hair that hangs in your face (lest it look "too done") and knee-length knit coats that look like some ratty bathrobe from the '70s. (Maybe they assume their readers/viewers all have large tushies that need covering.) Don't bother with this lemon. A subscription to VOGUE would be more helpful for the fashion-challenged or those just looking for ideas & tips to update their image.