YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Great fashion books?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Great fashion books? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:58:24 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Vildy on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319469 Sat, 22 Apr 2023 23:00:39 +0000 Vildy 2319469@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ not a book but based on a book.  A lot of color systems claim that your coloring and personality go together.  David Zyla's is one.  He has 24 archetypes and this youtuber covers them all.  <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiKslgQwSs4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiKslgQwSs4</a> Find Your Style Archetype | 24 STYLE TYPES Anonymous on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319467 Sat, 22 Apr 2023 22:24:38 +0000 Anonymous 2319467@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I liked "The Capsule Wardrobe" by Wendy Mak. The pieces that she chose were more relatable than the typical "must have" lists. Available to borrow on Hoopla app-if your library supports it.  I also recommend "Return to your Natural Colors" by Christine Scaman. Unfortunately, the full book is only in paperback (I prefer not to have physical media at all), but you can download individual chapters that relate to your coloring from the 12 Blueprints website. Her descriptions are very evocative.  Vildy on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319374 Sat, 22 Apr 2023 12:20:42 +0000 Vildy 2319374@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ HARRY,  I just read an excerpt in The Little Dictionary of Fashion and enjoyed it so much I ordered a used copy on ebay straightaway.  Many thanks!  harry brook on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319369 Sat, 22 Apr 2023 11:29:09 +0000 harry brook 2319369@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ "The Little Dictionary of Fashion" by Christian Dior: This classic book is a must-read for anyone interested in fashion. It contains Dior's timeless advice on style, beauty, and elegance. "Chanel: Collections and Creations" by Danièle Bott: This book takes readers behind the scenes of Chanel, showcasing the iconic fashion house's designs, inspiration, and history. "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" by Andrew Bolton: This book is a tribute to the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen and features a retrospective of his work. "In Vogue: An Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine" by Alberto Oliva and Norberto Angeletti: This book provides a comprehensive history of Vogue magazine, including its most famous covers, photographers, and models. "The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever" by Teri Agins: This book examines the evolution of the fashion industry and how marketing has transformed it from an exclusive industry to a global one. I hope these recommendations are helpful and informative! Jenni NZ on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319363 Sat, 22 Apr 2023 07:06:56 +0000 Jenni NZ 2319363@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I own quite a lot! Three were gifts, but I think I got to choose two out of the three. A lot of these are British or Australian so might be harder for you to find. The Coco Chanel one is meticulously researched. 1. Mademoiselle, Rhonda Garelick. 2. Fashion Designers- this is really good as it says who was influenced by whom and who they then influenced. 3. Vogue 100- I choose this as a leaving gift from a big job. 4. Tamara Mellon “In My Shoes”- co-founder of Jimmy Choo. This is an interesting autobiography. It was a gift from a friend, I wonder why?! 5 & 6. Fifty Shoes, and Fifty Dresses, that Changed the World. These are from the Design Museum in London and are so fun. 7 & 8. Dreaming of Dior and of Chanel- Charlotte Smith lives in Australia but inherited the Darnell Collection. Wonderful illustrations and stories of the dresses. Carol on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319351 Sat, 22 Apr 2023 01:59:48 +0000 Carol 2319351@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Roberta--I don't know that I could read a book on fast fashion, unless it was inspiring. But maybe I'll try. Anna Wintour is someone I know, but I don't know a lot about.  nuancedream--also another name I do not know a lot about, so it would be good to inform myself. rebekahphoto--I would be excited to see the Nineties photos, when I got really into fashion.  LJP--that would go with the Coco Chanel book quite well. Olive Green--cried your way through it! I'm intrigued. \ Mary Beth--a list! Thank you. I, too, love all books French, and I am also a fan of Jennifer Scott. I've read Madame Chic.  Mary Beth (formerly LBD) on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319260 Fri, 21 Apr 2023 14:50:20 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 2319260@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Favorite fashion books I've read and LOVED: The Conscious Closet - Elizabeth Cline (the woman who wrote Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion - which I haven't yet read!) Why French Women Wear Vintage - Alois Guinut Fear and Clothing:  Unbuckling American Style - Cintra Wilson.  Y'all.  This book talked about how entire little subcultures signal through clothing, and it kind of blew my mind. How To Get Dressed -  Alison Freer.   Lots of great stuff in this book, but the stain-removal tips!  They have paid for this book twenty times over. The Cool Factor - Andrea Linnett Gunn's Golden Rules:  Little Life Lessons for Making It Work  (This is kind of life and fashion mixed together) Tim Gunn:  A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible I'll Drink To That: A Life in Style, with a Twist and Secrets of a Fashion Therapist - Betty Halbreich.   I loooooove Betty Halbreich.    Even when she speaks of the rockier moments in her life, her innate optimist shines through, and her words just sparkle on the page.    Lessons From Madame Chic - Jennifer L Scott.  I'm in a love/eye-rolling relationship with Scott (she doesn't know this).   But over the years, I have frequently dipped in and out of this book, when I'm travelling, or want to read something that interests me, that I can dip in and out of in in a few minutes. Olive Green on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319239 Fri, 21 Apr 2023 11:00:57 +0000 Olive Green 2319239@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The Thoughtful Dresser: The Art of Adornment, the Pleasures of Shopping, and Why Clothes Matter by Linda Grant.  Available in three formats on Amazon. Hanky warning: I cried my way through this.  LJP on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319193 Thu, 20 Apr 2023 23:33:14 +0000 LJP 2319193@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I’ve got the new biography of Karl Lagerfeld , Paradise Now , on my nightstand to start soon . rebekahphoto on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319186 Thu, 20 Apr 2023 21:20:04 +0000 rebekahphoto 2319186@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Avedon Fashion, 1944-2000 Simply gorgeous book featuring the photographs and fashion collaborations of Richard Avedon, & essays.   nuancedream on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319185 Thu, 20 Apr 2023 21:13:48 +0000 nuancedream 2319185@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The Empress of Fashion about Diana Vreeland is mesmerizing. A true original who was years ahead of her time. Roberta on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319182 Thu, 20 Apr 2023 20:44:28 +0000 Roberta 2319182@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ From a couple of years ago, Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas . It was one of the first in-depth books on fast fashion that I came across, and I really enjoyed it. She also wrote Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster, which is great too. A newer book that I found surprisingly wonderful was the biography of Anna Wintour by Amy O'Dell. The author was very thorough, and always cited her sources so you knew she had tried to get both sides of conversations and stories. It was really interesting. And of course dishy! Carol on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319160 Thu, 20 Apr 2023 17:46:21 +0000 Carol 2319160@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Vildy--wow! must be good.  Vildy on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319156 Thu, 20 Apr 2023 17:32:40 +0000 Vildy 2319156@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ CAROL, not a snap to get.  Can get an acceptable copy from Thrift books on ebay for @15 bucks. Usually wait listed.  Carol on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319152 Thu, 20 Apr 2023 17:30:02 +0000 Carol 2319152@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Vildy--I am going to put that on my list. I love acquiring any kind of advice  that actually improves my life in some way.  Vildy on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319146 Thu, 20 Apr 2023 17:19:25 +0000 Vildy 2319146@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is a very different kind of book to the Chanel book. It sticks in my mind, though, many years after I read it.  Simple Isn't Easy.  I liked their concept of One.  Dress in one uniform, one color, one designer, etc. And I especially like their concept of one outfit - hang your clothes by outfit, which is against all the closet organization systems and capsule wardrobe systems.  Carol on "Great fashion books?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/great-fashion-books#post-2319135 Thu, 20 Apr 2023 17:01:48 +0000 Carol 2319135@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I recently read The Gospel According to Coco Chanel. It has many scathing reviews by customers, because they were expecting a blueprint for how to do fashion the Chanel way. Instead they got a bunch of anecdotes about the personality, spirit and history of the woman herself. But once you understand this, it's a fabulous read--think walking through a Coco Chanel exhibit with a highly informed and entertaining docent. The bit where the author gets kicked out of a Parisian boutique is to die for. Have you read any great fashion reads, recently or in the past?