A Year in High Heels

by Camilla Morton

If your resolutions tend to look much the same from one year to another and you are suffering from the suspicion that someone, somewhere is having more fun that you, then you need something to revitalise your lust for life. A YEAR IN HIGH HEELS is here to help. This book will guide you through the months with a perfectly co-ordinated combination of culture and challenges. With a monthly muse to inspire, and a suggested title for that soon-to-be-formed book club, dumbing down is so last season. Erin O'Connor, Diane von Furstenberg, Matthew Williamson and others share their secrets about their favourite places - so the next time you check in you'll know what to check out - while Dita von Teese, Anya Hindmarch and Christian Lacroix show you how to undress, how to go green and how to appreciate opera. Eclectic, practical and fantastical, A YEAR IN HIGH HEELS is crammed with fascinating stories, inspiring ideas and surprisingly sensible advice. Forget who, when, why and what to wear. Get ready to wow! Foreword by Manolo Blahnik.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion, Chick Lit, Lifestyle, Self Help, Humor, How To

566 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Camilla Morton is a London-based fashion writer and the author of the international bestseller How to Walk in High Heels which has been translated into over twenty languages worldwide and A Girl for All Seasons / A Year in High Heels. She is also the creator and writer of the 'Fashion Tale Memoir'series: Christian Lacroix and the Tale of Sleeping Beauty, Manolo Blahnik and the Tale of the Elves and the Shoemaker, and Diane von Furstenberg and the Empresses New Clothes.

Camilla began her writing career with a column at The Times Newspaper UK 'My Favourite Thing', and then went on to be the runway reporter for British Vogue.com, covering the international and couture collections. She has written for several magazines, newspapers, and blogs, including The Wall Street Journal "Off Duty", Time magazine's Style and Design supplement, W magazine, Net-A-Porter.com, Modelinia.com, SHOWstudio.com, Fashionista.com and Harper's Bazaar in UK and US.

She currently collaborates with several international, high-end fashion houses and can be often caught reading fairy tales while wearing high heels.

Reviews

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anders als gedacht und nicht so oberflächlich wie es klingt.

Es sind kleine Abschnitte und Geschichten, zu verschiedenen, abwechslungsreichen Geschichten. Von Dita von Teese, die verrät wie man sich Burlesque anzieht bis zur Legende um Buddha.
Dazwischen Geschichten aus der englischen Monarchie und um Napoleon. Leben und Werke von Chopin, Mozart und Beethoven, Kurzbiographien und Zitate von Coco Chanel, Jane Austen, Kleopatra und Frida Kahlo. Die Geschichte des Taj Mahal und die des heiligen Valentin, von dem die Meisten nichts wissen.

Das "unnütze Wissen" hat mir gut gefallen, die unnützen Tips nicht unbedingt. Wie man eine Hochzeit organisiert, einen Buchclub gründet und was man auf dem roten Teppich trägt ist für mich im Moment einfach belanglos.

Es ist auf jeden Fall unterhaltsam und man kann es zwischendurch lesen aber es ist kein Muss.

[Karisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It's part history, part how-to, part glamour. This is the perfect browsing book for someone obsessed with themes and trivia and who likes to know a little bit about a lot of things. It has a slight English slant because that is where the author is from. For me that is a plus as well because I love getting tidbits of other cultures along with my glamour. This is great for fashionistas, jet-setters, citizens of the world, and those who wish they were. This book will up your game or at least inspire you to do, try, or check out new things.

[Ariana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was expecting something completely different. I read the subtitle wrong, and thought the book would be about the rules and society of Jane Austen's time. I think this book is meant to be a reference book on how to do things the "right" way - from walking the red carpet, to writing thank you notes. I just did not enjoy it.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need to know those everyday skills, How to write a letter to planning a party to the know-hows of festivals such as The Academy Awards and Cannes Festival. Like a bit of useless trivia to the fact of unusual events of which particular date e.g 2nd February is the start of the Feast of the Purification of Virgins.

Want to stand out and strut the catwalk gracefully, curate your own art exhibition, overcome those public speaking nerves, be the glamourpuss you are at the Melbourne Cup Days and Ellerslie Flower Shows. Learn a language and travel the globe in style and make the most boring things enchanting.

Well, with reading A Girl for all seasons, you can learn all this whilst reading a month to month guide of tidbits and how-to’s. Each section contains a diary of dates and useless information that happened on that particular date, a selection of How-to’s relevant to that month e.g February brings us and How to do make truffles and How to Valentine’s Day alone and gives a brief on how Valentine’s day came to exist.

Included as a bonus for each month is a collection of fine articles from a Wish you were here: A Chapter from an author to give us a wonderful insight of their country e.g the wonderful Manolo Blahnik writing from Istanbul.

A Muse of the Month: This is a woman who has proved to be an wonderful asset and inspiration to all ages whilst growing up these include ladies such as writer Jane Austen, Cosmetic stars Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Arden, Actresses Marilyn Monroe and an All-time favourite of mine Audrey Hepburn, to Singers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Artists Peggy Guggenheim and Frida Kahlo, First Lady Jackie Kennedy-Onassis to Queens Cleopatra and Queen Elizabeth I (The Golden Age)and for all those who love the fairytale endings our wonderful Cinderella concludes the muses of the month.

For all those bookworms out there, each month provides a different book to read and explore from classics such as George Orwell’s Animal Farm to The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Perfume by Patrick Suskind (This has recently been made into a flick starring Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman) and every little girl’s favourite The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett to unknown books in the likes of The Kid Stays in the Picture by Robert Evans and The Black Violin by Maxence Fermine.

And to conclude each chapter, for all those Shoe-Lovers out there, pun intended a foot note; this discusses a particular footwear item. These range from The Ballet Shoe to the Stiletto/Wedges to the good old Wellington Boots. Included in the footnote tells us all the details from what occasion the shoe is suited to, to the how it got its name. An excerpt of the Wellington Boot explains What it is good for and How the Wellington Boot came to be named “Essential for those April showers and any rainy day in particular . The gumboot, the wellie, the rubber boot, whatever you call its indispensable for the rainy season. It is so named and famed thanks to Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington”.

Whatever your interest be, may it be Drama, Literature, Music or Fashion. This book has a bit of everything for all those girls out there. A must-read for all and all ages appropriate.

[Katsu · Rating 1 out of 5]

At least I've ended this book! I had got it as a present and decided to read it whole no matter what. And it was hard trip..
I really do not know for whom it was written. If you have no interest, about nothing, no purpose in your life, no friends and personality you may like it... Maybe it was thought for young girls, 9=10 years old, but on the other hand is instruction how to practice burlesque or get married is appropriate for them?
You may find some anecdotes and interesting recipes there, but it would fit on less then 10 pages...

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set out with annual traditions and historical events over 12 months. Some of these events in certain places or culture may not be a relevance to you at all. The title is a bit misleading and has very little of shoes, I would’ve rated this book as a 3 star but it’s obvious the author has done some deep research that has paid off as a 4 star book.

[Mona Aljilani · Rating 3 out of 5]

الكتاب فيه معلومات خفيفة سهلة عن مشاهير الفن والموضة والشعر والادب والتاريخ والموسيقى
احس ان الكتاب عبارة عن قصاصات جمعت من عدة كتب ومجلات وصحف وتم ترتيبها بطؤقة حلوة سهلة خفيفة شيقة
استمتع به وبالمعلومات الموجودة
في نهاية كل فصل سوف الخص المفيج منه مع رايي في الفصل

[Zsa Zsa]

A fabulous find indeed! A little bit of history, interesting real-life characters, some great advice on fashion, great quotes and did-you-know sections on different types of shoes!

[Jam Hezeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely the girls guide to everything fabulous for the whole year round. Specially the knowledge i now hold over shoes, places, movies, books and important events!

[Katieeoh Lacanlale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good! I loved it! I thought at first that this was like "Devil Wears Prada" or something but I was completely wrong, turns out this books is really something for everyone.

[Maria Rosanna Ioannou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely!

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinderella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life. Do not be mislead by the title into thinking complete frivolity follows. This book not only provides tips on shopping, stealing the limelight in the best thrift store vintage wears, and planning for the best party seasons, but it also serves as a thoughtful companion and informative guide through history via the innovative and courageous artists that shaped it.

A gem to return to and a useful reference guide. Loved it!

[Elena Cristina · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so...I can’t find a word. Apart from some interesting information about Jane Austen, Marilyn Monroe and a few others, this book was just useless and boring. I don’t know how did I managed to finish it.

[Adinushk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Super dated, did not finish it

[LAILA · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the concept, but the history of shoes was random.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book free from B&N and didn't think I'd like it, but she managed to pull me in and get me to read Northanger Abbey as well.
A college literature teacher decides to take a year, visit 6 South America countries and have average people read a Jane Austen book (in spanish) and see if the different culture reacts like the Americans do.
Along the way her spanish improves, and she falls in love. The falling in love part may be what kept me reading at first, I wanted to see who she ends up with! I know it sounds dry, but it is interesting and a good read.

[Walkyria Vegel]

This book was a good surprise. A friend gave me it in 2010 the first time I went to London and since then it was forgotten in a shelf cos I judged it by its cover. I just looked at it and had no doubt that it was all about fashion, shoes and things like that plus a foreword written by Manolo Blahnik just reinforced this idea. So these days I gave it a chance and wow! It's pure culture! It goes from history of art and cinema up to classic music and other relevant books.
As the author herself said on the last page: "Never judge a girl - or a book - simply by its cover".

[Pia · Rating 3 out of 5]

So... This book is entertaining, as much as non-fiction can. It has light elements as well as heavier information. Book recommendations, history (both world and fashion), letters from actually fashion people...

And of course it's very much white - you celebrate Columbus, authors of recommended books are white, most mentioned people etc. If I remember correct, Frida Kahlo is pretty much the only person of colour written widely about.

I'd recommend this to a fashion blogger or fashion enthusiast. It isn't badly written either, just boring the second time. I guess it's time to sell this book.

[Haley]

This is a light fun read. I would recommend reading it month by month and not all at once. She gives good tips and fun ideas for ways to celebrate the holidays and seasons. While I understand she's a British author some of her suggestions about places to go or trips to take were much more UK centered, not a problem just not completely relative. I think my biggest qualm was at times the writing was a bit juvenile or seemed like an article out of 17 Magazine.

[Mirte · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's lovely to have a book that you can read a little from every few days. This book is compiled of interesting little facts, fun stories about Hollywood diva's, book group suggestions, party ideas, shoe history, and so much more. It's entertaining, though a little too superficial for me too, at times. While How to Walk in High Heels manages to strike a good balance between practicality, independence and glamour, this collection tends to haul toward the dramatic slightly too much.

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

""

[Alyssa]

It's not that it was a terrible book, it just wasn't exactly my style. The plot seemed a little cliche and the writing didn't seem incredibly mature. It was a light read, great for the beach or vacation. I haven't read any of her other books, so I am not sure if this is just her style, or if this is only characteristic of this book.

[Naturegirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who liked "How To Walk In High Heels" this book is a must. Camilla Morton literally goes through every day of the year and gives the history of what happened on that day, relating to fashion, entertainment, and just about everything else you can think of. Ab fab reference for girly trivia!

[Wsclai · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting guide for women like me. There are bits of everything ... from celebrities, fashion, poetry, books, films, arts, history ... and down to the different types of shoes. I love the quotes from all those famous women like Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn etc. Will keep it on my bookshelf as a reference!

[Cassandra Javier · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites again! I barely read non-fiction, but Camilla is just so witty and she has this way of explaining things in an entertaining way. I learned so much from this book--even my boyfriend thought it was quite informative. If you love fashion, movies, books, and just about everything, try reading this book. Trust me, you'll love it to pieces.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far it's told me to write thank you notes and given me some book recs!

It's formatted like a year.. so it has random dates and what happened then and what you should do then.. etc.. like I learned that the 5th of January is Twelfth night and that i should read shakespeares play and eat cake!

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Excellent guide if you're the type of person that needs a guide to live your life: truly useful subjects and advice in here. I don't like my encyclopedias to give me opinions as much as I like them to inform my knowledge though, and god knows why I picked this book up in the first place.

[Samyuktha Ell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure trove of knowledge. My personal favorite sub-section is where Heidi Klum shares with us how she views the world and how the whole travel experience works for her. Each and every page is an enchanting education. I salute the author for this work.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired me to widen my horizons. I signed up for Shakespeare Sonnet A Day and bought a set of classical music CDs while reading this book!

[Rachel Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such fun, highly recommended! I know all kinds of useless facts I didn't know before now. Awesome :D