The Style Strategy: A Less-Is-More Approach to Staying Chic and Shopping Smart

This is a terrific little book. It's very short, so you can read it in a couple of days, and it's entertaining and packed with information. Granted, you may have seen this information in other places, like Philip Bloch's "The Shopping Diet" or Kathryn Finney's "How to Be a Budget Fashionista," but Nina Garcia puts her own spin on how to stay fashionable and trendy during the Great Recession. She recommends shopping in your own closet, editing your wardrobe, keeping your clothes in good condition by having them tailored or repaired, and washing them enough, but not too much. She has a list of basics for every woman's wardrobe. Unlike Bloch or Finney, she doesn't come up with a list of exact activities or things you can do (like freezing your credit cards); she leaves that up to you. But she does talk about repurposing and reusing the items that you have in your wardrobe and she gives resources where you can shop for good fashion on a budget. She lists brick-and-mortar stores in different cities, as well as on-line retailers and fashion resources. Ms. Garcia also shows you where to splurge and where to save.This is a well-written book. I like Ms. Garcia's lucid, breezy and engaging style of writing, and I enjoy Ruben Toledo's illustrations, which I think really add to her books. It's a great partnership. Ms. Garcia also references the other "Project Runway" alumni, Tim Gunn, Christian Siriano and Heidi Klum and Michael Kors. Clearly she enjoys what she does, and that comes across in her writing. She keeps her perspective fresh and new and vibrant, which makes her books worthwhile reading.Good job, Nina Garcia!

The book can be summarized in 3 strategies:1) Assess what you already have2) Reminders on what you need3) Suggestions on obtaining what you need.Bottom line: you may not 'need' to buy everything you 'want'.The ideas seem very familiar, but it was a nice fashion strategy refresher.Ms. Garcia suggests that there are 'foundation' items. Basically, one needs to lay out all the clothes from her closet and see if they need to replenish the timeless foundation pieces and how to build from the foundation pieces.Some people already may be familiar with the foundation pieces, among them: white shirt, LBD, denim, trousers, pumps, blazer, handbag. All the pieces should be well-made to last for years.The fundamental argument of this book is to buy less, but buy good, well-made pieces because they are 'fashion investments'. While this is not an original idea, it is an important one, and I've become a more selective shopper since then.Because the concepts are quite simple, I hoped that Ms. Garcia would provide more substance by elaborating her points. She explains her point clearly, but much of the book contained illustrations and fashion historical factoids. This is a book you can get through in a couple of hours.

Not rocket science - I just need a way and perhaps some mantras to rein in my shopping - so I got this as an attempt to do just that - create some structure around my shopping...my goal now is to appreciate the pretty things I have and find the gaps - and just fill those...having this book as encouragement helps [I shop a lot and love EVERYTHING] with shopping less, focusing and being more efficient/responsible...it's a cute and fun read.

I have read two other books from Nina and enjoyed them. This, in particular, is not exactly what I had expected, I feel some more detail, more "meat" could have helped. After reading it, I have this sensation that something was missing and couldn't believe it was finished before I could achieve that understanding of how to develop my own style strategy. It's interesting and easy to read, though!

you can tell its used but good book

I would definitely recommend this book -- Nina makes a lot of good points and gives concrete tips, and at the end of the book she lists her favorite places to buy products online, ranked from high-end to super cheap. I found this book to be very helpful as a recent graduate student trying to build her first work wardrobe and drop all the comfortable, cheap college-student-y clothes that look terrible on me, but that I love so much!

Nina always delivers in an easy readable style that helps you grasp her finer points. She teaches and leads with her insight and experience. A must read!

Very informative, though unrealistic at times. A fun read..

This is the second book by Nina Garcia that I have read (picked up at local library as it is not worth buying it) and I really do not like any of the two. The advice is repetitive and in all honesty it is the same old same old. If you buy a copy of InStyle at the newsagent you will find far more interesting information for a fraction of the price. I found this book very basic and it looks like a marketing gimmick to exploit her "popularity" due to Project Runway. Very boring book considering she is the fashion editor for Marie Claire US.

Excelent!

Usa guide to looking and feeling better about yourself.Some useful tips some returning favourites revived. Enjoy the new you.

Good reading, but did not contained much new things...and no there were no photos. Only drawings. Very bizarre idea in my opinion.

Things I liked:1. The cover and the illustrations. It would be accurate to say that the book itself is very stylish. The illustrations by Ruben Toledo are amazingly coloured and beautifully sketched.2. The approach of the author towards fashion is smartly written in a lucid language.3. The less is more approach explained in the book. The author's message is simple- to look stylish in everyday life you need to be organised. You have to plan your dresses and shop accordingly. Instead of breaking the bank, one needs to become an inventor and an investor to cultivate the sense of style.Things I didn't like:1. The book is very much American. Unless one mostly wears western dresses, this book is not very useful for an Indian reader.