KEY POINTS:
You really don't need to know anything about sewing to be a fashion designer these days. In fact, you may be better off doing a stint on Pop Idol if you want to launch your own fashion line. Same goes for style guides. Once upon a time it was the duty of bona fide fashion editors to hand out instructions on how to get dressed. But in an era where many are obsessed with the style of certain starlets and where one well-known face can launch 1000 ships - or in Kate Moss' case, a simple eco-friendly cloth bag - it seems only fitting that some of the most popular style guides are written by celebrities, or those verging on it. Before their brush with fame and fortune, we would never have cared what these authors thought - now we're gagging to get their advice. But does it stack up? And will you really look like Lindsay Lohan, or - God forbid - Britney Spears, if you buy these books?
STYLE: A TO ZOE
By Rachel Zoe
Why should we care?
Because Zoe is the self-proclaimed "queen of teens" and leader of what one wag has called the Zoe-bots - that is, all those too-thin, young, Hollywood-ers who were, like, way cute with their over-sized sunglasses and ginormous bags, before they were forced into rehab or had the obligatory knickerless crotch shot published. But whatever you think of those young ladies, there's no doubt that Zoe literally spawned a league of imitators, simply by getting the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Mischa Barton and Nicole Richie to dress a bit like her.
The good bits:
Zoe has a good definition of glamour. She says it's simply about trying a bit harder.
She has some insider's tips for those who aspire to being photo-graphed for the social pages. She says that if you think you might have your picture taken then it's a great idea to test the look using your own camera first, to make sure the colours don't wash you out and that you and your gown "pop" like a champagne cork. Because, as she says, "your friends might lie but the camera never does". Other advice includes great tips on how to figure out a dress code - and one of her investment pieces is a figure trimming, seamless undergarment.
Zoe's sister, Pamela, talks about how to edit a wardrobe and remarks that, "as soon as a bauble or blouse is edited out, put it out of sight. Immediately. Or else nostalgia will invariably creep in". So true.
The not-so-good bits:
How come she has to keep going on about herself and all her famous mates, eh? But then again, maybe that's the point of this book?
If you don't like reading:
Very gossipy with loads of pictures of famous folk looking like Zoe-bots.
She says:
"There's nothing fun, interesting, or glamorous in playing it subtle."
We say:
Like her insider tips and musings on glamour, could do without the ego. Then again, that's showbiz folks!
THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF STYLE
By Nina Garcia
Why should we care?
You may know Ms Garcia from such shows as Project Runway, on which she is one of the judges. If you ever read the American version of Elle magazine, you may also know Garcia as the fashion director of that publication, a job she held from 2000 until she left the magazine earlier this year. And apparently some reviewers have called this one of the four best books on fashion in the world.
The good bits:
Garcia is a great cheerleader for the empowering and mood-changing qualities of clothing. "Sweatsuits won't do," she writes. "A great dress or skirt will make you feel more spotlight-worthy and others will see you that way too. Confidence," she adds, "is the one thing you can fake and you will actually end up believing in it."
As with most style guides, Garcia provides a list of 10 classics, but then goes on to look into the interesting history and social significance of such things as the little black dress, the trench coat and the jersey. She also talks about various sources of fashion inspiration - film, art, music - in an informed way and touches on fashion's 20th century history.
Garcia is the first to tackle the tricky subject of toe cleavage (that is, when the cracks of your toes show at the edge of the front of your shoe), saying that "toe cleavage doesn't get the attention it deserves but trust me: two cracks, no more".
An excellent chapter on what-to-wear-when ... includes this:
"As general guidance for job interviews, choose a conservative base and then put on a piece of personality jewellery, something that says you are alive and not a robot in a suit."
The not-so-good bits:
Garcia boosts our confidence and advises how to avoid looking like a fashion victim; if she had just one piece of advice to give, she says, it would be not to take it all too seriously. But, in another part of the book, she says we all need four handbags, including a seasonal "must-have". Huh?
If you don't like reading:
No photos but really charming pictures by fashion illustrator-du-jour, Ruben Toledo, who works for the likes of Vogue, Details, Paper and Harper's Bazaar.
She says:
"This book is meant to awaken the fashion editor inside you and help you decide what image you want to convey to the world."
We say:
Garcia's a great all-rounder - she approaches fashion intelligently and with balance, tending toward the classic. An excellent companion for anyone who likes some of the sensible ideas in the Body Shape Bible but finds the outfits frumpy.
TRINNY AND SUSANNAH: THE BODY SHAPE BIBLE
By Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine
Why should we care?
Because after years' worth of their makeover-based telly show, these two have become a fashion force to reckon with. The bum-and-tit-squeezing duo say they've come up with a whole new system of womanly body shapes, that go beyond the traditional hourglass, apple and pear.
The good bits:
Locating your body shape prescription can provide hours of fun for you and your friends. And once you do, some of the suggestions are certainly spot on. In fact some of the advice on tricky items - like jeans and swimsuits - is useful even for the avowed Trinny and Susannah hater.
The pair go into excellent detail on texture, shape and even undergarments, that will assist you in minimising your perceived figure flaws.
The not-so-good bits:
Woodall and Constantine admit that one woman could fall into two, or even three, categories - which makes it a tad confusing. You could put your top half in one category and your bottom half in another but then that would actually throw off some of the advice about balancing things out. Find one shape that's as close as possible and stick to it.
If you don't like reading:
There's some pretty funny pictures of Woodall and Constantine's perilous fashion past in the front.
The rest of the book features a series of ordinary women being dressed by them in ordinary clothes. Sensible but pretty uninspiring. In the midst of such passionless pictures, you may even find yourself longing for the hysterical Hollywood glamour that the skinniest uber-skinny, Zoe, keeps banging on about.
They say:
"You need big heels to balance top-heaviness. The golden rule of tummy reduction is to find a bra that will lift and thrust forward your boobs."
We say:
Good advice, boring clothes. Woodall and Constantine know their target market well - it's the middle-aged women that a youth-obsessed fashion industry has forgotten - and they're exploiting this market for all it's worth. But do every one of these women really want to wear such dull, safe outfits? To add a little individuality or interest, add another style book, with more flair, to the shopping list.
THE CHEAP DATE GUIDE TO STYLE
Why should we care?
Cheap Date is a magazine started by Kira Jolliffe and Bay Garnett. They say that "Cheap Date is a magazine about finding dressing up a joyous thing and not about slavishly following trends or copying what celebrities are wearing - but drawing from everywhere and anywhere." And this book has been included because even though the magazine isn't into celebrities, per se, they feature plenty of pics of well-known style icons and and plenty of hipster celebs appear in the book including Chloe Sevigny, Sophie Dahl and Dita von Teese.
The good bits:
The pair come up with the word "smojo", short for style mojo. They say that your smojo gets going when you're inspired - and that can come from anywhere, including a trip to a costume museum, seeing your old favourites again or falling in love with music or art.
They advocate being non-judgmental when it comes to fashion. "We're so afraid of being judged now. We say live and let live because it helps us accept ourselves." They also say: "Rebel against being dissatisfied with your body shape."
Joliffe and Garnett point out that good clothes can really come from anywhere. Painters' pants from hardware stores, garments from Asian supermarkets, garage sales, thrift stores and army surplus stores.
The not-so-good bits:
Although the authors are fans of the "anything goes as long as you own it" philosophy of dressing up, the style of the book is fairly streetwise - which may put some potential readers off.
If you don't like reading: Absolutely tonnes of pictures of everyone from the Queen to the New York Dolls, all set out in a cute scrapbook style.
They say:
"There are no rules. The world is your oyster whether you end up looking fabulously odd or chic-ly conventional."
We say:
Cool urban style with a distinctly musical edge, this may be best for those who aspire to that sort of look and who have a firm handle on what suits them best.
