Whether you are Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, a fashion-foward fashionista, or a plain-Jane; we all need a little style advice or wardrobe makeover from time to time.
Personal stylists are becoming an important part not only of the Hollywood celebrity scene but of the lives of many fashion-conscious women worldwide. A number of today's upmarket stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, or commercial chains like the UK’s Debenhams, offer a personal shopper service to advise on what to wear and what to buy.
Whether you want just few tips on accessorizing your outfits or a complete image and wardrobe makeover, there are also a number of useful books which have recently appeared on the market . These provide you with sound style advice, and applying some of the tips and tricks from these fashion gurus can give you the confidence to change your life.
Style A To Zoe by Rachel Zoe & Rose Apodaca
Celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe, has motivated many a fashionista with her 2007 book, Style A To Zoe; The Art of Fashion, Beauty & Everything Glamour (Grand Central Publishing, October 2007). This DIY style guide to becoming a glamazon is both practical and entertaining. The world’s most sough-after stylist (according to the Daily Mail, 5 October 2007) provides women with an insight into creating instant glamour, both from their wardrobes and in the home.
The book is full of useful tips like how to look your best in a photograph, building a glamorous wardrobe and how to use fashion accessories (or “excessories” as Zoe refers to them) to make your own style statement. It also proffers some harsh words for those who wear trainers and sweat pants as part of their everyday attire. In praise of the book, editor of Harper's Bazaar, Glenda Bailey, enthuses, “Rachel not only invites you into her fantasy world, she gives you a practical, no-nonsense map on how to get there.”
The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia
In The Little Black Book of Style (Collins, Sept 2007), formidable Project Runway judge and Elle fashion director gives some light-hearted tips on dressing well and creating a timeless classic wardrobe, made up of 10 key pieces. There is also advice on avoiding fashion-faux pas, plus designer tips and tricks for women who want to look great on a budget. In an Amazon.com review, reader B.L. Rodgers says, “The rules of style never really change. But Nina Garcia does a great job at giving you the tools to edit your closet, your shopping habits and helping you discover and create your own style.”
What You Wear Can Change Your Life by Trinny & Susannah
UK TV style gurus, have over the years, wormed their way into many a fashion-forward woman’s bookshelf, with their series of down-to-earth, fashion and style guides. Their first book and accompanying TV series, What Not To Wear, earned them the reputation for being hard hitting women who pulled no punches when it comes to fashion advice. In one of their more recent books, What You Wear Can Change Your Life, (Riverhead Trade, February 2005), with their self-depreciating wit, Trinny and Susannah provide tips on defining your body shape, making the best use of color, editing your wardrobe, and espouse the virtues of body-shaping underwear.
It hones in on the five-life-changing stages of a woman’s life, and the psychological importance of feeling as well as looking good. Other style guides by Trinny and Susannah include The Body Shape Bible (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, September 2007), What Your Clothes Say About You (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, June 2006), and Trinny and Susannah Take on America (Collins, October 2006). This pair of makeover experts have an excellent website, full of great style advice, including their own "Rules" of fashion.
The Makeover Book by Jaqui Ripley
This practical little book is less of a glamorous, coffee-table-type guide and more of a quick reference. What it lacks in color illustrations, it makes up for by providing useful hints and tips on making over your image, your wardrobe and your life. In The Makeover Book (Piatkus Books, Dec 2004), Ripley offers easy-to follow ideas and tips to boost your self-confidence and re-think your style. From beauty treatments, women's fashion, nutrition and the humble kitchen fridge, the chapters cover a wide range of issues This is an ideal guide for women who are stuck in a rut, and it encourages you to select one of your best features and flaunt it. UK’s Hello magazine hails it as “the ultimate look-good book.”
