Review by Booklist Review
The sweet yet knowledgeable and even assertive fashionistas who are the hosts of the hit cable TV show What Not to Wear set their precepts down in print in this delightfully upbeat and decidedly informative primer for both men and women. Their firm, understandable, and workable advice is underscored by their desire not to change anyone's body type--no preaching about dieting here--but simply to get people to understand their own body types and dress appropriately for the best effect. Kelly and London take 15 real women and 8 real men as subjects, representing all types of bodies, from bigger on top to barrel-chested, and with both illustrations and text, they suggest, for each subject, three outfits to wear for work, weekend, and evening. This book should be regarded as fun reading, not as a chore; the authors' approach to fashion is not as an arcane code capable of being grasped only by certain enlightened people. In their hands, fashion is not only about looking good but also about having a good time while doing so. --Brad Hooper Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The spunky hosts of TLC's What to Wear present a fashion guide that's empowering, friendly and exceedingly useful. No gimmicky, fruit-related body shape names here-Kelly and London keep things simple. For each of their female body types-"bigger on top," "bigger on the bottom," "a little extra in the middle," "curvy," "not curvy," etc.-there's advice for petite, average height and tall women. (The men's section is equally straightforward if shorter: "tall," "athletic," "barrel-chested," etc.) Kelly and London use positive reinforcement (there are many more "dos" than "don'ts"), and sprinkle "universal tips" applicable to any body type throughout. Each type's section opens with a photo of an average-looking model sporting a basic swimsuit, along with comments from the model and the authors. Although they don't cite brand or store names, Kelly and London give plenty of specific advice: e.g., a straight dress will accentuate curves on an hourglass shape; a jacket with a moderately low "stance" (v-neck) will help the upper body appear longer. Ladies and gentlemen, start your shopping engines-and don't leave home without this book! Agent, John Boswell Management. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
