A sense of style is not necessarily a natural talent given from birth. Like any other skill, it can be developed into something outstanding through study, vivid interest and practice. Well, what could be better for style development than good fashion books? Today I advise what to read about fashion from my personal top list. Save it, there is a lot of informative and unusual facts.
NEVERTHELESS, SHE WORE IT: 50 ICONIC FASHION MOMENTS BY ANN SHEN.
You will not only find a detailed history of fashion’s most important looks, but also a guide to the women who invented, created, and shook the world and society in this book with fantastic illustrations.
The book demonstrates the power of fashion as a political and cultural tool for change. It is filled with images of garments that were provocative for their time. The described looks include a revolutionary bikini; a presidential women’s trouser suit; a fringed, fitted dress, an informal outfit for women in their struggle for independence in the 1920s; Madonna’s shiny tapered bra; and the Collar of Dissent, the famous symbol of Ruth Bader Ginsburg when she went against the majority opinion.
CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVAS: KATE MOSS, MARC JACOBS, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, AND THE ’90S RENEGADES WHO REMADE FASHION BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN.
This book is a juicy plunge into the 90s without the sickly-sweet sheen of nostalgia. The author describes how the counterculture became chic with the arrival of Kate Moss, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and other rioters of the late 20th century. Maureen Callahan, a veteran pop culture journalist, takes us back to the style turning point of the early 90s — when glamorous supermodels gave way to counterculture, when alternative became mainstream, and when fashion suddenly became the cradle of the most exciting artistic and cultural innovations. Glitter tops, acid dresses, flashy minis, a combination of lightweight fabric dresses and rugged leather jackets and boots have all brought fashion to the style icons whose stories are told in this book.
THE ONE HUNDRED: A GUIDE TO THE PIECES EVERY STYLISH WOMAN MUST OWN BY NINA GARCIA.
If you want to update your wardrobe from scratch, start with these 100 must-haves prepared by Nina Garcia, Project Runway Fashion Show Jury Member and ELLE Editor-in-Chief. She details what you need to have in your closet and why, and gives tips on how to combine them any time of the year. The idea of a capsule wardrobe is also explored in detail here: the book recommends buying the core of basic items (black dress, beige bodysuit and cardigan, classic coat, black trousers, blue high-waisted jeans, pencil skirt), and then combining them with more original elements that emphasize your individuality.
