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The Truth About Style - Second Meeting

Inge

(website)

Hi guys,

Last month we started talking about Stacy London's The Truth About Style. Because quite a few of you wanted to join the conversation but hadn't had time yet to read the book, we decided to reschedule and revisit it in February.

Well, here we are:-)
Hopefully most of you have had a chance to catch up.

To refresh your memory, here are a few conversation starters I added last time:
- What did you think of Stacy's approach, i.e. addressing the underlying emotional "issues" before (and during) creating a new look for the ladies?
- How do you feel about the "I Get It" and "Yes!............And?" features with each chapter?
- Do you think the women selected are a good mix/represent a good variety of different body types, ages, lifestyles...?
- What did you think of the new look and "prescriptions" for each of the women?

Suz, Day Vies, Claire and Kari made some excellent points on the original kick-off thread, so be sure to check those out too.

And then, of course, fire away:-) I'm very much looking forward to hearing your take on the book.

Book Club

19 replies

Latest reply was from Gaylene

Raisin

Veteran

Yay I'm just reading this now! Don't worry, I'll be done in a day or so. I will read the original thread too.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I enjoyed the read, Inge! I'll answer your questions in more detail later, but straight off the bat, the part I liked best about the book was the chapter about Stacy herself - before she got to the other ladies. I found her soul searching and reflections very meaningful. The stand that she takes about accepting ALL of you - the good and the bad - is important and so very liberating.

The only way you can get to the heart of your style - understanding it, nurturing it, evolving it, and having fun with it - is to get to the heart of YOU. Who you are and what you are all about. This is often not an easy thing to do. People don't always want to look inside of themselves because it's hard work! And uncovering demons isn't fun. Finding solutions to these demons takes even more soul searching. But the more accepting you are of ALL of you, the easier things get.

Okay. Not very eloquent. I need more tea.

Anonymous

I didn't have high expectations for this book, but I enjoyed it a lot. I think addressing the emotional issues behind why we dress the way we dress is critical to moving forward and enjoying fashion more. Most of us are not built like models and have experienced the frustration of trying to 'work around' our bodies just to find clothing that fits. That can be such a frustrating, demoralizing process that sucks the fun out of fashion.

I was impressed by Stacy's compassion in the "I get it" sections. Honestly, I think of her as one of those people whose build fits the mold that all clothing manufacturers want us to fit into. Discovering that she has hang-ups and fit challenges of her own was strangely comforting.

I had several a-ha moments when reading that book. The first is that maybe, just maybe, I need to work on my body image, too. I can't remember her name, but the story of the late-'20s woman who was tall and felt limited by her pear shape resonated with me. Because I beat myself up for the same things, and yet when I looked at her pictures (before and after!) all I could think was, wow, she is really beautiful and her shape looks perfectly proportioned for her size.

jenanded

Veteran

Ingunn, I havent read the book yet but will do so... if I am picking up the point you are making, it was so pivotal for me to reflect on a comment one of my students made. She had been a very successful model, mistaken for Katie Holmes etc and had decided to go back to university when I met her. She said I know people think that it is easy for models etc etc (guess what is being referred to up there) but she said look at me, do you think I have EVER been able to go in a store and just buy a pair of jeans that fits? I noticed with her and a few other good models I have come across that their bodies are really disproportionate - it is nothing to do with being 'slim'... it is something about the bone structure width-length proportion that is quite unusual... I have always been thankful since that I am just one more variation...

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I have had a chance to read the opening sections of the book now, and you know, I was really impressed. REALLY.

"If you deny the reality of your body or your life you'll never be able to dress any of it well." (from the intro) Truer words never spoken and it might be Angie speaking them. I love her emphasis on style being an expression of who we really are.

And I cried, reading about her battles with psoriasis. That would be difficult for any self-conscious pre-teen, but for a child already as fashion obsessed as she was, it must have been pure torture. Yet she survived it with her humour and grace intact, and went on to help transform other women's lives for the better. That seems like a real and important accomplishment to me.

Jamie

Veteran

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the first part (before she works with the individual women) the most. It was so interesting to understand how she came to understand her own style over time and how her style was influenced. I know that really delving into my own style preferences has caused me to get a better understanding of myself. This reminds me of the fun exercise Angie guided us through to come up with our own style descriptors. Not only was that fun, but it was also so instructive about myself.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I also enjoyed the book and like very much that Stacy spoke about her own battles and insecurities. I had mixed feelings about the "I get it" sections. I liked very much that she was trying to relate but I feel like she was stretching a bit and trying to encompass everything within her own experience. I guess I am more of a "of course I can't know exactly how you feel, but this did happen to me..." type but that doesn't make a very good section title, does it? I have to revisit the style makeovers themselves - truthfully my general impression is that none of the actual clothes were my cup of tea exactly, but the women themselves seemed very pleased, which is what matters.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I ordered the book, via YLF - ordered the hardcover, because I've found that the Kindle versions of style books aren't always as good as a "real" book somehow. Thing is? I won't get the book until Friday (UPS delivers late too). Hope I'm not too late.

Since I was ordering a book via YLF, I also took the time to click on the links at the bottom of the forum page and ordered a few things from Sephora as well!

Just a quick question for those who already have the book - does this book translate well as a Kindle item? I have a nice new tablet, the Kindle Fire and my old Kindle as well - thing is, sometimes 'style' books don't always work as well on these. I've already ordered the hardcover book, but am anxious to read the book *right now* - should I spring for the Kindle version too?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Shevia, I felt much the same as you about the later sections of the book. The "start-overs" weren't my taste, really, but the women did seem happy and that is what it is all about. Although part of what made them happy, I am sure, was somebody talking to them about their style and taking them seriously and taking the whole subject seriously. So often women are simultaneously belittled for caring -- and denigrated if they don't look good. Well, how can they look good if they don't spend time trying to look good?

transition

I haven't read the book, but what Suz said is worth repeating:

"So often women are simultaneously belittled for caring -- and denigrated if they don't look good. Well, how can they look good if they don't spend time trying to look good?"

That's my experience exactly.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Got the book today - will start reading it tonight. By the way, it isn't available on Kindle anyway, which is a good thing. Sometimes 'style' books aren't as good on an electronic device.

Random quote from the book that resonates for me:

"I can't make up my mind."

"The beauty of style is that if you do make your mind, it doesn't slam shut like a steel trap. It's not making a deal with the devil. You can change your mind, and wear many different styles. Experiment and explore. Wear whatever resonates with you. Assemble a collection of styles that defines the different facets of your personality. Today it's rocker, tomorrow it's spunky and retro. Rethink what style means. It's a world of options. But you do have to choose something."

With just that one little tidbit in the middle of the book (opened up at random), I feel a sense of relief. I've often felt like I don't have a particular "style" yet, and lots of times I feel like I'm just muddling through without cohesiveness. Like I can't quite make up my mind about what styles I enjoy. Having read that bit in "The Truth About Style," I feel more relaxed already!

Raisin

Veteran

I read mine on the Kobo app on my iPAd and I found it fine. THe pages don't turn like normal ebooks though, it's more of a PDF.

I thought the book was better than I expected it to be. I really thought it was going to be more about style advice and less personal, but I thought Stacey wrote it very well. There's a lot of great advice in there, and I found that even though I didn't necessarily struggle with the same things as each person, I was still nodding along at a lot of the advice. It was very applicable to a wide range of people. I think Stacey does a great job of reminding us that we deserve to feel and look good, and we should never feel bad about our size or shape. I also laughed at her describing the fact that we need to stop expecting everything to fit us right from the store because there are 7 billion people in the world who are all a bit different, and clothes don't come in size 0 to 7 billion! Lol!

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I still haven't received mine:( Hope you don't mind if I read along.

Velvetychocolate it sounds like you are an eclectic:)

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I missed that this book was being discussed here, but upon seeing this thread when it started, I decided to download the book on my iPad. First time I'd tried a book of this sort (rather than one that's primarily text), and I think it's quite well done. (this coming from a former print book designer)

I'm not very far into it, but I must say I enjoyed reading Stacy's back story. I've always been a fan of the show, and I got the sense that she's a very intelligent woman who has struggled with her own issues in the past, and those notions were confirmed by her very touching recounting of her struggles with psoriasis and weight/eating issues. It made me appreciate once again that we *all* have something we struggle with, regardless of age, size, etc.

I'm looking forward to reading more.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

My mini-review:

While I haven't read the entire book cover-to-cover just yet, I've read a good portion of it, and this is a really *good* book, imo. It's the first style book I've read that delves into the 'why' of style struggles, and personally - I find it incredibly useful and downright inspirational.

It's way, way better than the usual "must haves" or "wear this" style book. I quite like how Stacy London comes up with something of a prescription to combat issues on a uniquely personal level when trying to re-vamp one's style and confidence. I'm very impressed, and glad I bought the hardcover book (couldn't find it on Kindle for some reason). I can see myself referring to the book in the future, whenever I need a good dose of inspiration and courage.

Excellent book! Stacy London's book goes beyond set formulas and "must have" lists. Maybe you need a little bit of "badass" or perhaps you need to look like the single person you are, without looking over-the-top. Perhaps everything's gone all schlumpy and you need to get out of those lounge-wear items. Maybe it's finding a way to be ultra-stylish without chasing down the latest trendy item that doesn't really work for you.

Sometimes dressing well isn't as simple as it seems - Stacy really does "get it" and she offers up some really good ideas on how to break through all kinds of resistance.

Stacy London comes up with just the right thing to move you past roadblocks. As far as I'm concerned, the book is a game-changer, in that it recognizes and addresses some of the emotional struggles we experience when trying to improve our style.

"The Truth About Style" is different than most style books I've read, and it's a real gem. A classic. It's a book I'd read again in the future and refer back to, even years from now.

Like I said, I think this book will become a classic that will never go out of style.

anne

Veteran

Hope I am not too late to join here!! I got the book by interlibrary loan on Thurs and finished it yesterday. It was my first real introduction to Stacy London, as I have not seen any of the american WNTW. I feel like I need to read her first book.

Anyway just wanted to comment on one piece of advice given to Sarah, the petitie perfectionist. Stacy told her to buy something every time she went shopping!!! What do you think of that?

Karie

(website)

Veteran

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the way Stacey opened up about her past and her issues with weight. I think she represented a nice cross-section of women (I found a woman that closely represented me, so I guess that's why I feel this way).

I like that this style book deals with our inner struggles and they way in which we see ourselves. I find it fascinating that we often perceive ourselves very differently than other people perceive us. What causes us to feel so negatively about ourselves? I frequently get complimented at work on the way I dress, and the other day someone asked me if I had ever been a model. Huh? Who, me? Knobby kneed, nose too long, tummy sticking out, me? After I gave them my glasses because I figured they must be near bind, I got to thinking.... maybe the way we deal with our emotional struggles and how we present ourselves to those around us speaks much louder than our actual physical attributes.

In her book, Stacey is helping these women identify their inner struggles and find the confidence they need to express themselves through fashion. I liked the "I get it" sections because she's not just someone trained on how to do this, she has actually lived it.

qfbrenda

Veteran

I picked this up from the library and am enjoying it.

Anne, FWIW I like the advice to that particular petite because it seemed she was having trouble buying anything at all. So if that's what she needs to break out of the rut of being unable to commit to any purchase whatsoever, it would work well. I don't think she would need to keep doing it forever.

So far my only issue with the book is all the TALL heels! Goodness... one picture was described as a "low" heel and it had to be at least 3 inches. I guess "low" is relative. LOL

Gaylene

Veteran

Although I've never been much of a Stacy London fan, I must admit that this book is one that I'd recommend because of Stacy's mantra of accepting the reality of your body as the critical step in figuring out your fashion goals. For many of us, finding our style groove can be a source of frustration and expensive mistakes instead of "having fun with fashion" so it's no wonder we sometimes just settle for coverage and comfort.

That's why I really appreciated Stacy's approach to dressing Janis' post-mastectomy body. Stacy's insistence on getting Janis to reclaim her sense of femininity as integral part of her style journey really resonated with me. I'd argue that even if one's outward style is a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, a woman who feels "grounded in her femininity and sexuality" is well on her way towards accepting her body and finding her style groove. And, I'd echo Stacy's advice that beautiful lingerie, whether you are 15 or 50, is not a bad place to start the journey.