Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 646.34
EAN num: 9780375402456
ISBN number: 0375402454
Label: Knopf
Manufacturer: Knopf
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 224
Printing Date: December 01, 1998
Publishing house: Knopf
Release Date: December 01, 1998
Sale Popularity Level: 356234
Studio: Knopf
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
First the Rush of excitement the invitation brings, then the anxious question, 'What should I wear?' And the usual answer, 'I have nothing to wear.' (i) Chic Simple (/i) takes care of both of those universal worries, not only showing what is appropriate for whatever occasion but helping you find the crucial outfit in your own closet.
More than a guide to the myriad events that make up modern life, this is a volume that helps you understand how to build a wardrobe and master the trick to adding the essential modification for each season.
To accomplish this, (i) Chic Simple (/i) begins by asking you to assess your body type, lifestyle, and budget and then shows you how to assemble a flexible but affordable basic wardrobe that will make you look and feel great at any event - a wedding, a charity ball, a funeral, a bar mitzvah, a board meeting, a dinner date, a Saturday brunch, or a night at the opera or ballet. It's an easy-to-use guide, whether you're on the West Coast, East Coast, or in between, to dressing for life, season by season.
Amazon.com Review:
You're invited to an evening wedding in Atlanta in July--and you live in Quebec. Or maybe you're going to court to fight a speeding ticket. Or your high-school reunion is subsequent week. What on earth are you going to wear?
Have no fear, the Chic Simple folks are here to put your worries to rest. What Should I Wear? Dressing for Occasions combines the classy, artsy photography and graphic style of past Chic Simple titles with comprehensive help for working out those wardrobe conundrums. You'll learn how to clean out your closet--and stock it with flattering looks that go beyond the grey dress or suit. Geared toward both men and women, the book covers the sometimes dreaded 'casual day' at work; how to accessorize; how to pick shoes for any outfit; how to clean your clothes to preserve color, texture, and shape; and best of all, what to wear to almost any occasion, be it a funeral, barbecue, shower, job interview, rock concert, gallery opening, a New Year's eve bash, or a night at the opera. What Should I Wear? also covers (pun intended) international dress codes, so you'll fit in whether you're visiting the Middle East or Seattle, where it's acceptable by many to wear jeans to a semiformal wedding.
The book is peppered with fun, sometimes racy quotes ('This dress exacerbates the genetic betrayal that is my legacy' --Janeane Garofalo in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion). But the most important one is from the authors themselves: 'The more you know, the less you need.'
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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Kale's dislike of this book is a minority review. The classic look is timeless for career women of all ages. I am under age 50, and have never been called frumpy. Anyone whose closet is filled with trendy gauchos, tight polyester stretch pants, midriff shirts, funky embellished jeans and platform shoes is going to be turned off by Chic Simple, because she would have to throw out her entire wardrobe and start over. The Chinese dress, the Armani suit, the snowsuit and other items Kale found offensive have stood the test of time. The clothing fits classic tastes worn by Catherine Deneuve, Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn. It is unfortunate that few women under 40 do not emulate the great style icons of the past; instead, they prefer synthetics and tight clothes like J-Lo. If you want a rich, successful look, you should buy Chic Simple.
Rated by buyers 
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I was so dissapointed when I got this, especially after the great reviews I had read. Whoever said this book was for the under 30 crowd was seriously, seriously mistaken. I don't know how older people think the under 30 set dresses, but it's certainly not anything like this book!! As a 22 year old fashion-forward woman, I wouldn't wear a single piece in here! The looks are dowdy, frumpy and matronly. I don't know anyone my age, or even 30, who could pull off these looks without being mistaken for someone twice their age. I even showed the book to my 47 year old mother who said that even she couldn't wear the clothes shown.
Think I'm being too harsh? If you see this book at your local bookstore, have a look at the 80's snow suit on page 166 and the horrible 80's couch fabric dress on page 186, as examples. (They need no explanation once you see them for yourself.) Also, two of the occassions this book dresses you for are an Invitation to the White House and the Academy Awards. I don't know one real person who has ever gone to the White House, and if you're going to the Academy Awards you don't need this book because you have a stylist!
The "tips" for each region in this book are strange and rigid. I certainly haven't had to wear a Chinese dress while attending a dinner party at someone's home in LA (page 198). Also, as other people have said, this book is poorly laid out. Perhap the looks in this book would work for someone who is 50, but I think they may have trouble reading the tiny font; I know I did.
I received this book today, and I'm returning it today. To get USEABLE tips for my style, age and budget, The Lucky Shopping Manual is the way to go!!
Rated by buyers -
I adored this book. It gave great advice about dressing for every occasion, season and even city across the US and beyond.
Rated by buyers -
This is a gorgeous book, organized by season with a sizable section for situation-specific outfits. This is the best ChicSimple women's book because it covers the areas that work, etc. cover, only now you get bonus material and only have to buy one book!
Some have criticized it for showing designer clothing or a more formal look than we in the South wear. Well, you can't go to the department store and find a one-off of some fabulous designer item if you don't know what it looks like. The ChicSimple team is using the book to train your eye so that you can put the looks together or approximate them. Most people don't actually see the REAL clothing from the runway, let alone see it put together in a wearable arrangement. The authors do it in a way that isn't fussy, but practical and comfortable. They do an especially good job bridging the work/work-casual chasm that so many people face with sections showing you how to work a grey blazer or basic camel pants.
Rated by buyers -
I am one of those people who goes to TJ Maxx or sales anywhere all the time and I buy tons of separates, and I think I am getting the greatest deal and that I am a true Shopping Diva. Then the most basic occassion arises and I have nothing to wear! I can't even find the best pieces I do have because my closet is drowning in my spontaneous, packrat purchases. This book teaches you to occassionally buy the expensive suit at Saks Fifth Avenue, but it will last ten years and be a versatile piece. This book helps people focus on what they need and when they need it- and teaches what to buy, and what not to buy. This book helps you be one of those people who always has the perfect thing on all the time!
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