Fashion Me Fabulous

Today, the Fault in Our Stars opens in theaters. The book was beautiful. Yes, it's a sad story, but it's also funny and hopeful and, best of all, honest. There are a few small jewelry items inspired by the story. Which is your favorite? TFiOS Fell in Love Bracelet by emerydrive Two Stars Gold Necklace by TheDirection Some Infinities Stamped Necklace by StellaStamped Personalized Infinity Necklace by tyrahandmadejewelry Wish-granting Factory Necklace by PaperHeartGallery poll by twiigs.com

Women from the Ankle Down: The Story of Shoes and How They Define Us by Rachelle Bergstein, $16 on Amazon. Numerous cultures have rituals about feet. History is full of examples of shoes being used to restrict a woman's mobility or declare the wearer's social status. I had hoped Women from the Ankle Down would be an interesting history about the development and evolution of women's shoes that touched on some of these topics, but Women is less history and more anecdotes of American pop culture shoe moments. Sometimes, your result is all about managing your expectations. If you think Carrie Bradshaw is the greatest thing ever, Dorothy's ruby slippers are a sacred object, and John Travolta counts as a woman, you will enjoy this book more than either of us did. (I read it steadily; becca refused to finish.) Pop culture moments aside, the author did present brief histories of Salvatore Ferragamo, Roger Vivier, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, Nine ...

Books may be one of the few things that get me more excited than shoes. Several books to get my heart racing, four of which are about Alexander McQueen, were released in the last month. Just in time for thinking about Christmas presents too. Love Looks Not with the Eyes: Thirteen Years with Lee Alexander McQueen , contains the photography of Anne Deniau, the only photographer allowed backstage at McQueen's theatrical shows. With so many McQueen books being released at once, this is the only one to feature completely original photographs. One of my complaints with earlier books on McQueen is that they didn't cover all the shows. His controversial graduate show and his most recent shows were covered ad nauseum, but there are shows from the 90s I've still never even seen. Alexander McQueen: Evolution seeks to rectify that by covering all 35 of McQueen's meticulously thought out dramas. Vogue on: Alexander Mcqueen contains many of Vogue 's editorials featuring...

With Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee a couple weekends ago and the upcoming summer Olympics in London (not to mention the constant coverage of Prince William and Kate Middleton), it's a great year for the Brits and those who love them. I must confess to suffering from a severe case of anglomania. As a child, I read so many British books, I had difficulty spelling in an American fashion. My ipod feeds me a constant stream of Kate Nash, Mumford & Sons and Queen. After consuming all the Doctor Who , Masterpiece Theater and Agatha Christie mysteries available on Netflix, I've started watching a documentary about fifteen centuries of monarchy. While the French have long been hailed for their fashion prowess, it is the British designers who know how to get my heart racing. In 2006, the Costume Institute's exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion , the primary focus of which being the romantic ideal ...

Don't worry. The patterns on the back are completely different than the front. Knitprovisation is supposed to be a book to inspire your knitting, even though the author confesses in the introduction to never finishing a knitting or crochet project. There are several suggestions for deconstructing sweaters into new pieces and applying potholders, doilies, and placemats-- yes, placemats-- to your already existing clothing. Unfortunately Cilla Ramnek, the author, seems to have no grasp of color or shape, her meandering experiments being another introduction confession. While meant in all seriousness, Knitprovisation made me laugh until I cried. A book hasn't made me laugh that hard since Dancing with Cats . When I showed it to my friends, they had this to say: "Are you sure this wasn't written in the 70s?" "What's with the effing monkey? That thing's scary!" "The kids look like malnourished serial killers." "Was this writt...

I love to read. If a book is good I get sucked in, so much so that I didn't move for 8 hours when I hit the action in Life of Pi . Since I get very involved in the books I read, they often influence my mood, which influences how I dress even if the book has nothing to do with fashion. I picked up Steve Martin's book, Born Standing Up , because I wanted a funny audio book for a long drive. I never expected fashion tips, but Martin's switch from dressing like a hippie to wearing a suit for his standup performances intrigued me. I love the idea of serious clothing with wacky behavior and accessories. 2011 In Books: Born Standing Up by Steve Martin by fashionbeccafabulous The Murder Room was misfiled as fiction when I picked it up (the cover was so cool I forgot to really investigate further). I was a bit bummed that it was nonfiction, but the true crime stories compelled me even more to don a Kate Beckett-worthy coat and catch some murders. 2011 In Books: The Murder Room by ...

Since deciding to throw myself into sewing , to follow the path of millions of women, to develop a practical skill for myself, I've been flipping through every sewing book I see. For the clueless beginning sewer like myself, I cannot recommend enough Stitch by Stitch: Learning to Sew, One Project at a Time by Deborah Moebes. All introductory sewing books have a couple pages on tools you need. Stitch by Stitch includes 18 pages on tools. Rather than present a list of tools she always uses, Moebes lists tools you must have to sew with a machine (seam ripper, hem gauge), tools that aren't necessary but will make sewing easier (rotary cutter, ruffler foot), and tools that not everyone likes but some people find essential (pattern weight, seam roll). The author also explains why there are different pins and what they are for, types of thread, and why you should invest in scissors and an iron. From here, the book has another 24 pages on getting to know your sewing machine (“You an...

Chanel: A Woman of Her Own by Axel Madsen, published 1990 $9.20. Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel was a lively figure in fashion who carefully crafted her own mythos. I thought this book would cut through some of that, but I finished it with a distaste for the woman instead of the glam bemusement I expected. Also, the more I learn about Chanel's original vision for her house, the more I think of Alber Elbaz as her style successor rather than Karl Lagerfeld. Pros: Many fashion books are slavish, drooling love letters, but this one paints Coco with all her warts and failures. Comprehensive is the word. Chanel starts with how her messes of parents got together and ends after her death. But... Cons: This is a biography for someone writing a paper on Chanel, not for someone who is casually interested in her life nor is it for a design fan. The endless list of names is too much and often unimportant. There's not enough examples of her work pictured. Unless you're familiar wit...

Bossypants ( $13.97, Amazon ), Tina Fey’s new book of funny, odd and thoughtful essays, is not a fashion book, but among her stories about SNL, childhood, summer drama camp, strong father figures, crappy day jobs and gender roles, Tina tackles body image, the issue of Photoshop and other complications with being a woman. Tina recalls first learning all that could be wrong with a woman’s body when laying on the beach next to her cousin who remarked, “Get a load of the hips on her.” Young Tina (pictured below) panicked. What was wrong with her hips? She didn’t know that hips could be wrong. She wrote that in those days “You were either blessed with a beautifully body or not. And if you were not, you cold just chill out and learn a trade. Now, if you’re not “hot” you are expected to work on it until you are...If you don’t have a good body, you’d better starve the body you have down to a neutral shape, then bolt on some breast implants, replace your teeth, dye your skin orange, inject you...

Dry facts: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton and Susannah Frankel, photography by Solve Sundsbo, published 2011 $28. This book includes beautiful photographs of every piece in the Met exhibit plus a few extras. It's packed with quotes pulled from old interviews and has bookends of a critical break down of McQueen's work as well as an interview with Sarah Burton. It's a must-have for the lover of high fashion, but it's also a great coffee table book for any art enthusiast. The emotional story: When I found out Alexander McQueen had killed himself, I shouted and cried. Until then, I never understood why people got worked up over the death of someone they never met and never would. Like a good little blogger, I trudged on through fashion week, though spring shopping, through wedding season and back to school, until the year cycled back 'round. My heart was barely in it. Clothing was important to me long before I knew it. Brought up in a Southern-tinged...

Book: Simply Sublime Bags: 30 N0-Sew, Low-Sew Projects by Jodi Kahn ($1 3.57, Amazon) Overview: If you ever wanted to try your hand at making your own purse, but you have little or no sewing skills, start with this book. From purses lined with duct tape to potholder glasses cases to the chic place mat bag on the cover, you'll find project made from affordable materials that actually look like nice bags. Pros: About half of the book offers true no-sew and low-sew projects that can easily be made by anyone who is new to sewing, crafts or DIY anything. Best of all, the materials are common-place and inexpensive so you don't have to make a big investment to try things. You'll find bags made from pillow cases, place mats, ribbon, old T-shirts, wallpaper, candy wrappers and even a bubble mailer. The bags get upscale touches from craft store purse handles, zippers and closures, which are easy to find and often on sale or clearance because of changing styles. You won't find...

Book: Fashion Design Course by Steven Faerm Overview: An introduction to the world of fashion design, this book covers design history, famous designer, the design process, example design assignments and a guide to the professional design world. Pros: This introduction doesn't limit itself clothing design, and it doesn't try to be a sewing course. Instead, it offers fashion history, a crash course on famous designers and a guide to jobs in the industry and how to break in with all the fashion design advice as well. This book even talks about putting together a portfolio and includes interview with fashion professionals about interviewing and getting started. Even if you don't want to be a fashion designer, this book has a lot to offer. It's an excellent resource for anyone who thinks they would like to be involved in the fashion world or wants to know more about fashion. If you want to explore a career as a stylist, buyer, fashion writer or even blogger, this book wi...

While waiting in the doctor's office, I bided my time flipping through a bevy of fashion-adjacent back issues. After so many makeup editorials, I realized they never specified what shade of skin the makeup is for, but they're all for the same mid-toned white women. A few months ago I bought some tinted eye cream. It's for a complexion darker than mine, so it actually makes my eyes look tired. Tricks and tips that are good for some can go haywire on others. Likewise, trendy colors of makeup will look different on different skin tones. In fact, Yves Saint Laurent scrapped their planned purple lip for the fall runway because it didn't work on everyone in their diverse cast of models. I'm a pale girl, and I don't feel comfortable giving makeup advice for skin I don't live in. (Most of our hair tips are for curly hair for the same reason.) While you'll find my well of knowledge dry on makeup tips for other skin tones, more qualified people than I have dove in...