The Power of Style

by Annette & Edkins Diana Tapert

Reveals the inner qualities of 14 remarkable women who define style in ways that have lasted for generations. Witty and fascinating excursions into the worlds of Coco Chanel, Pauline de Rothschild, Diana Vreeland, Elsie de Wolfe, and others are captured in lavish photographs and entertaining anecdotes. We discover not only the preeminent influence that these women held over fashion and culture, but also the wry, often poignant tales of their personal lives. Full-color photographs.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Design, Art

Hardcover

First published November 1, 1994

Reviews

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Makes me want at find a mega billionaire to marry and commence spending all his money in the pursuit of style.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have this on my bookshelf and enjoy picking through the mini-biographies of these women over and over again.

[Hari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book hasn’t aged well and merely scratches the surface of the interesting, complicated, stylish (obviously) and very privileged and often problematic (especially when viewed through a modern lens) women it features. Would love to see an updated version of this.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book because I was interested in Millicent Rogers, having just been to her museum in New Mexico. While all these women had intriguing stories, it was pretty challenging to not view them all as wealthy, spoiled white women (which they all were). I could have no compassion or empathy for them because they were all so privileged. The photographs and drawings were fascinating though and the only thing that redeemed the book.

[Denise Link · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book in a used bookstore based solely on the title. Although Iearned a bit of gossip/bio about a few big names, the book disappoints: the writing is journalistic and pedantic, bringing nothing of the allure of its subjects to the page. The women profiled supposedly had *style,* but this book does not. If you love those long, rambling articles about society people in the back of Vogue or Harper's Bazaar that nobody reads, this book is for you.

[Reading Fury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories accompanied by photos surrounding a group of chic women. Among those included are Coco Chanel and the Swans. Some I did not know: Daisy Fellowes (who really had a mean streak, it seems) and Mrs. Lydig. The Duchess of Windsor did not have an enviable life, and she doesn't look like she enjoyed her meals very much. But she lived her life, such as it was, stylishly dressed, so she had that going for her. I still am not quite certain about the difference between style and fashion. They seem to need each other. But these women wore what they felt suited them and supposedly made the "look" their own, which one can do with money and designers at hand. But for me, I cannot wrap my head around some looks, including Diana Vreeland's style--it's odd rather than charming, in fact I will go further and say her later decor and clothes were just plain ugly to my mind. Millicent Rodgers was by far the most independent and force driving. I used this as bed time reading, and it was pleasant.

[Farrah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. repetitive. Not my area of interest but captivated me for a sec. Especially Rita Lydig: totally reminds me of my mother. Had everything, could have been more than beautiful but chose not to be. Aged poor and alone. Very Grey Gardens

[Brittaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the women who shaped fashion in the last century. This books gives a brief summary of each woman's life and why she is considered a style icon. I do wish the authors had gone into a bit more detail about the how and not just the why. But overall it is an interesting read.

[patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while to finish but what a read. Diana Vreeland’s section along with Jacqueline Kennedy were my favourites since their stories and lives in general were interesting and entertaining. Will most likely read again if I feel cheap LOL

[Gigi Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing I love more than a classic and this is it. It's staple for all fashion lovers.

[Westley · Rating 4 out of 5]

good overview of chic women who were icons.

[Terri Anstett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on style going back to the 1920’s and the women who embodied it.

[Phair · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very long slog to finish this. Text was difficult to read as it was double column and in a font that had little eye appeal. The sentence structure just did not flow except in a few chapters and I'm not sure if that was because I was more interested in those subjects or if the two authors split the work and I liked one's style over the other. The photos were interesting but I often wished that a picture of a signature look or a portrait that was described had been shown as well. The book was written in 1994 but for some reason felt more like a product of the 1930s. I was only really aware of a few of the women covered and was pleased to fill in my knowledge of some of these earlier style-makers. Not so much about fashion as about style in the broader sense including dress, interior design, entertaining expertise and fame.

[MB (What she read) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sort of interesting but scattered. A lot of intriguing things alluded to but not ever spelled out. A lot of jumping around chronologically which I thought was messy (and poorly edited). Although beautiful and 'stylish' none of these women seemed to have happy lives IMO. Basically contained puff pieces with photos. I've read biographies of a few of these women and found more info there and a lot left out here. (I assume because a few of these women were still alive when published and due to content being from interviews with family and friends.)

[LillyBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book while reading another book. This book is of a survey - Wikipedia style - of a dozen or so "style makers" of the late 19th and 20th centuries. All of the expected women are here (Jackie Kennedy, Coco Chanel, etc), but there are also several lesser known women. I enjoyed this book because it gave me brief, limited knowledge on women I knew nothing about; it's fine that the knowledge is limited because I'm unlikely to need this knowledge much in the future. The pictures were especially appreciated; I wish there had been more.

[Barbara]

So, you know about Audrey style, and you know about Marilyn style. I bet you know about Jackie O style. And if you pay attention, you know about Katherine Hepburn style, and Wallis Simpson style, and Coco Chanel style. Good for you. But style doesn't end there and this book will boost you into the varsity league. Daisy Fellowes, Pauline de Rothschild, and the Swans (Slim, CZ, Babe...) are here for you to study. Get started.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The interesting lives of fascinating, stylish women; I turn to this book for inspiration whenever I wish to spice up my own life, or when I wish a feeling of confirmation for pursuing my own path. Beautiful pictures, with well-writen summations of these women's lives. Now I need to go find full biographies for the lot of them.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a lot of substance to go with the style. Rather than being completely fluffy, which is what I expected, it offered interesting biographies and squeezed in some thoughts on why certain people leave an indelible mark on our culture. Very enjoyable. It also made me want to follow up and read some of the books written by the women it profiled.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The gist of this production satisfies a part in me I didn't even realize was wanting. I recommend this book for anyone exploring the creation of their own style. Even if the names of the 14 icons are forgotten, they inspire a spirit to live life as an art.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorites, very old-school.

[Tamara J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the one I take with me every time I travel. It is a must read for anyone interested in past style icons. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book.

[Grizel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some gorgeous illustrations.

[Barbara Osterdock · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it. a great capsule of fashion of the 20s through the 50s. Fashion for women and their homes. I learned a lot.

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surpringly depressing. These women were rich, stylish, talented and wildly unhappy. The chapters read more like cautionary tales than fluff pieces.

Part of the Kitty Pong Reading Challenge