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These books are looking good. |
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Written by Jackie White, McClatchy-Tribune
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Friday, 08 December 2006 |
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Maybe it’s because television has pumped up the fashion focus.
Who hasn’t been lured into “Project Runway” or suffered an anxiety attack from watching “What Not to Wear”?
Or perhaps it’s all the new shopping magazines or the success of “The Devil Wears Prada.”
A flood of fashion and beauty books has about drowned us this year. We’ve seen everything from the psychology of shoes and memoirs of a beauty magazine editor to the story of two famous designers’ rivalry.
The variety alone makes books strong candidates for holiday gifts. If you cannot find something for everyone, you can certainly come up with a stack of options — including dozens of knitting books, which seem to make up the most popular category. Here are some of our favorites (excluding knitting books) either because of the interesting subject matter, the colorful visuals, clever gimmicks or the silliness.
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”It’s in the Bag: What Purses Reveal — and Conceal”
by Winifred Gallagher
Harper Collins, $19.95
How did handbags travel from the don’t-leave-home-without-basics in a go-
everywhere color to the most telling coveted accessory on the planet?
Gallagher, a lifestyle author, credits the nylon Prada bag that arrived in the late 1980s for the broadened appeal of hot high-priced bags.
Then came the must-have Fendi baguette, Tom Ford’s Mombasa, Kate Spade’s nylon tote, Marc Jacobs and, of course, the knock-offs. It’s for any wannabe bag lady.
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”The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris”
by Alicia Drake
Little Brown, $24.99
Yves Saint Laurent was the rising young fashion star. But surrounded by a cult of wealthy, artistic and hedonistic friends, he led a lively life damaged ultimately by drugs. But there was also Karl Lagerfeld, the German upstart, who took over Chanel. This story looks at their rivalry, rise to glory and the tentative nature of fashion heights.
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”Shoe-ology”
by Karn Knutson
Conari Press, $14.95
Wear Ugg boots and you’re seen, on one hand, as pragmatic and easygoing or, on the other hand, as someone with no taste. Opt for four-inch heels with ankle straps and you’re a threat to other women. It’s all laid out in a little whimsical illustrated book good for the women who love love love shoes. And about those low-heeled Mary Janes? Be cautious. They send the message that you’re tired.
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”How to Walk in High Heels: The Girl’s Guide to Everything”
by Camilla Morton
Hyperion, $24.95
And they do mean everything. It’s a great gift for women trying to get their footing figuratively and literally (which includes most of us).
Manolo Blahnik tells you how to buy a shoe: Follow your soul, he says. It tells you when and how to wear a high heel. You also find a recipe for risotto and guides to polka, chess and eating soup.
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”This Little Piggy Went to Prada: Nursery Rhymes for the Blahnik Brigade”
by Amy Allen
Harper Entertainment, $19.95
The good news is this whimsical book may give you a giggle.
But it has little redeeming social value beyond another excuse to name drop. It simply infuses beloved old children’s rhymes with the status-seeking celebrity-craze mentality. It’s the perfect gift for anyone who would stand on their head for a Gucci label.
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