Women's Wardrobe (Chic Simple) (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ideal for the woman who frequently has nothing to wear in the morning (or, rather, has a closetful of clutter but with few coordinating outfits to be salvaged), Chic Simple Women's Wardrobe will prove a sanity saver. It's an organizational consultant in book form, as well as a tool for developing personal style by finding the most flattering fashions and accessories for your lifestyle and personality. How exactly do you fold and tie a scarf? Is it really gauche to wear black to a wedding? Which designers make pants that successfully camouflage wide hips? What's acceptable for "casual day" at work, and what veers too far to the sloppy side? Such fashion conundrums are solved in these inspiring, sumptuously photographed pages. Women's Wardrobe also features helpful guides for deciphering care labels and treating stains, plus etiquette guidance for dressing for events and different locations (job interview in Boston vs. Seattle; daytime vs. nighttime party). Addresses and phone numbers for stores, and mail-order catalogs for everything from nursing bras to cashmere sweaters are included.

From Booklist

Women cozy with Ralph Lauren and Ann Taylor labels will probably get more out of this book than those whose tastes and pocketbooks run to J. C. Penney, though all three are mentioned. Still, there are some good, commonsense tips to be had about developing personal style and building a sensible wardrobe that will last for a very long time. The book design is probably more trendy than the advice. In fact, the use of different typefaces, ranging from extra extra large to so small a magnifying glass may be in order, may cause a few difficulties for readers. However, numerous photographs (only seen in galley) will certainly balance things out: they make the book not only great for browsing but also a visual smorgasbord of wardrobe ideas. Add to that some tips on packing for trips, a chapter on clothing jargon, and a selective list for catalog shoppers, and you have a book that may go out of date fairly quickly but won't be a shelf sitter now. Stephanie Zvirin

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (November 28, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067944484X
• ISBN-13: 978-0679444848
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #655,334 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This should be your clothing bible., May 30, 2000

By	Debra A. Fox (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews

I have looked for years for a definitive guide to building a wardrobe of chic, classic clothes. This is it. I sew most of my clothing, and this has been a wonderful guide and inspiration for me. I took the good basic pieces I had in my closet and have slowly added to them using the authors' wonderful advice. I now have a beautiful wardrobe, I look sophisticated and polished, now matter what the occasion, and I never look into my closet any more and think "I have nothing to wear". It has even helped me find just the right accessories to go with my beautiful clothes. I would recommend this book to sewers and non-sewers alike. It can make a real difference in the way you look, and eventually, the way you feel about yourself. I am much more confident when I know I look great!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Help for the fashion-impaired, July 10, 2000

By	"suuzanne" (NC) - See all my reviews

I found this book to be timeless and extremely helpful, not at all trendy. Unlike the fashion mags which are outdated one week after they go on sale, this book gives tips on how to build a year-round wardrobe from the ground up, with basic, timeless fashions and advice on how to coordinate tops, bottoms, shoes. It is a big help for those of us who are shopping addicts and tend to buy trendy clothes and accessories only to find we don't have a thing to wear 4 months later. Also try "Dressing For Occasions", another Chic Simple book. I would not recommend this for fashionistas in the big cities or women with an interest in lots of inexpensive trendy up-to-the-minute items.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Caveat Emptor, July 24, 1999

By A Customer

The problem with all CS books is they show pretty outfits, which anyone with a little taste can create, but they lack direction on integrating the pieces into a functional wardrobe. Are the pictures pretty? Yes. Do you need another purple jacket that doesn't match with anything else than one outfit? CS books are about 90% single-outfit ensembles. Consider this before buying.