Everything Bianca

I don't shop, as in the habit of "shopping." I don't know how. The act frustrates me.

I know I dress well. I get several compliments on my clothing. However, I have a secret - I have an ally that's a floor manager of Dillard's in Atlanta. I give her money. She gives me clothes. I wear them. I do buy things for myself, but not wisely. If my 'style' were a report card it would read, "Room for Improvement." 

I want to learn to shop for myself. I could do it, if someone would help me. 

It was in this spirit that I bought the book, "Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style." I was greatly attracted to the focus of the book. It's a guide to finding my quality, my taste, and my style. Sounded great to me.

A book that has as its purpose 'self-help' is only as good as the help it does the reader of the book. What good has this book done for me? First off, I have a tiered list of items I not only do not own, but don't think I ever have. I don't have a pair of dress flats. I don't have blazer, linen pants, or a cardigan.

I learned that when I go shopping, I am to think on the things I own, and predetermine what I need to go with those items. I learned to try out new venues, to see things on my body. I learned what items will flatter the various parts of my body, and what things I should avoid, in order to acheive whatever 'style' I want for myself. There's even a section that outlines different styles, and how they are created.

How to do you, in part.

I guess we'll see how well this book works once I've improved my wardrobe. As for working with what I already have, I even feel better about that.

Did I need a book to tell me all this?

Yes. Yes, I did. I am not a fashion disaster, but I am not dressing as well as I'd like.

There was a lot of information in this book I never knew and was never told and never read before. I felt good about the information I did know, or reading about mistakes I have not made. I, personally, suffer from having too few clothes rather than too many. 

Who would I recommend this book to? Anyone who buys and wears clothing, even (especially?!) the fashionistas. I whole heartedly encourage cerebral types that don't care about fashion to give this book a read. This is a cerebral book. It has reason. It has logic. (Oh! And it's rather humorous too!) I'm not ashamed to have read it, and I will certainly reap the benefit from listening to it.