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coleycole's review against another edition
3.0
I was actually really enjoying this book (particularly his approach to drawing out your personal style and emphasis on thinking visually and experimenting) and then Kelly pointed out that the clothing choices looked dated... because the book is 5 years old. I did not notice. Where's my hoodie?
ellie_outdoors's review against another edition
2.0
Skimmed this. Good advice from ten years ago. Some of it still holds true!
bluejayreads's review against another edition
2.5
Solid in idea and reasonable in execution, but outdated and lacking in generalizability. In this book, the fashion designer author and his team upgrade the looks of several different women, each of which have a unique fashion problem they want solved. I appreciated that there was a plus-size woman invovled in this and that there's a stated message of body acceptance (although it's undercut by Isaac's frequent mentions of how much better these women would look if they lost a few pounds). But most of the advice is specific to the subjects' situations and concerns and difficult to generalize. And even though several of the subjects are younger, the final looks scream "outfits a middle-aged woman would save on Pinterest in the early-to-mid-2000s" to me - generic, unexciting, mildly if not unwearably outdated, "nice" without being interesting or memorable. (In fact, the only final outfits I actually remember are from the twentysomething who Isaac inexplicably put in what would have been conservative officewear if every shirt wasn't halfway unbuttoned to expose her bra.) Isaac may have "style," but this book has not convinced me he has taste. The pictures were great and I liked reading about Isaac's thought process, but if you're looking for something actually useful or actionable (or even inspirational for a younger person in 2023), it's not this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
ubalstecha's review against another edition
3.0
Nice primer for Isaac's fashion sense. Not as good as Tim Gunn's books, but still valuable for those who are learning how to navigate the fashion world.
noramjenkins's review against another edition
2.0
Nice in theory. Crap in reality. I mean, who dresses like this? Girls who work can't use their bra as the focal part of their wardrobe..unless they are working the streets..
sarahbotreads's review against another edition
4.0
Can Isaac Mizrahi just come live with me and dress me every day? I love how passionate he is about the positive effects of being confident in who you are and dressing to show the world that you value yourselves, but I especially love that all of the changes and choices made by the women featured in this book were made based on what moved and inspired *them* - it wasn't the expert just picking out something that would "disguise their trouble spots" or some such shit.
meli65's review against another edition
4.0
A terrific little book. Nice to look at, inspirational, accessible. I am taking more care with my appearance just using the stuff I have and it feels good -- thanks, Isaac!
onecrab's review against another edition
1.0
oh, Mr. Mizrahi. How I had such hopes for this book after hearing your interview on NPR. How excited I was by your intro "Before you can think about having style, you have to learn to look in the mirror and like what you see." That you said you "don't believe in makeovers" but then proceeded to alter the hair, eyebrows, make-up, clothes, and shoes of each woman in the book, and recommended dieting to one! (and it wasn't even the big girl!)
I had hoped for something like [b:Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality Taste and Style|160726|Tim Gunn A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style|Tim Gunn|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172286705s/160726.jpg|2430891] by [a:Tim Gunn|93162|Tim Gunn|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1206730504p2/93162.jpg]. What I got was make-overs with bad neck scarves.
I had hoped for something like [b:Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality Taste and Style|160726|Tim Gunn A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style|Tim Gunn|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172286705s/160726.jpg|2430891] by [a:Tim Gunn|93162|Tim Gunn|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1206730504p2/93162.jpg]. What I got was make-overs with bad neck scarves.
imalonghorn's review against another edition
3.0
I was pleasantly suprised by this book, it has lots of ideas and tips to help you find your own unique style and how to look your best.
nes166's review against another edition
4.0
I break this book or every few years when I'm recalibrating my style. But bad for a book from 2008.