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The Triumph of Individual Style: A Guide to Dressing Your Body, Your Beauty, Your Self
This text aims to teach the reader how to assess her body type and then choose clothing. The process involves what the authors call an individual's "design pattern." This pattern is made up of lines, shapes, proportions, body particulars, scale, colors, and textures. How they fit together in harmony and how an individual infuses them with her innate creativity is what authors call "style."
- GenresFashionNonfiction
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1940
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 25, 2012
As a heretofore hopeless dresser, I really enjoyed this book. With any luck it will enable me to dress a bit better; but the surprise is how much it's enhanced my people-watching hobby. The last few times I've gone through airports (people-watching glory, all that mandatory loitering), I've seen the well-turned-out completely differently. I have a vocabulary now for thinking about what they are doing with their clothes and accessories. If naming something gives one power over it, maybe there's hope, even for me.
This is not fashion advice. It isn't one of those dire books pronouncing that every woman should have a crisp white button-down shirt, a beige pencil skirt, and a pair of 2-to-3-inch-heeled peep-toe shackles. Instead, it talks about design concepts that are useful no matter your personal style or the current decade. Which is fortunate, since based on the illustrative line drawings, it was published early in the Reagan administration. No matter; the important illustrations are by the likes of Ingres, Picasso, Renoir, and Modigliani. "Dated" doesn't apply to those guys.
If only the authors had included a Munch or two.
This is not fashion advice. It isn't one of those dire books pronouncing that every woman should have a crisp white button-down shirt, a beige pencil skirt, and a pair of 2-to-3-inch-heeled peep-toe shackles. Instead, it talks about design concepts that are useful no matter your personal style or the current decade. Which is fortunate, since based on the illustrative line drawings, it was published early in the Reagan administration. No matter; the important illustrations are by the likes of Ingres, Picasso, Renoir, and Modigliani. "Dated" doesn't apply to those guys.
If only the authors had included a Munch or two.
July 8, 2012
Without a doubt my absolute favorite book on style. Frustrated that most books and how-to's are all about hiding supposed flaws? Don't necessarily want to look more like an hourglass, which is the goal of pretty much every body shape tip? This is the book for you. It teaches you how to play up what makes your look unique and uses examples from the art world to show how you can deviate from the "ideal" and still look fantastic. No shaming, no telling you that you need to make your boobs look bigger or try to look 6 inches taller and 20 pounds slimmer.
The best part of the book, in my opinion, is the fact that there are both tips to highlight and tips to minimize every feature of your body, from your feet to your neck. The authors didn't make any assumptions about what you want to highlight/hide, so if you have a not-typically-attractive feature that you'd like to show off they will gladly tell you how. They even have guidelines on how to highlight a big tummy instead of hiding it, if you so desire -- imagine hearing THAT from Stacy and Clinton!
Be warned that most of the clothing example images are very dated (we're talking hammer pants tucked into boots) and I wish it was updated to current taste, but the guidelines themselves are easily adaptable to more modern clothing.
The best part of the book, in my opinion, is the fact that there are both tips to highlight and tips to minimize every feature of your body, from your feet to your neck. The authors didn't make any assumptions about what you want to highlight/hide, so if you have a not-typically-attractive feature that you'd like to show off they will gladly tell you how. They even have guidelines on how to highlight a big tummy instead of hiding it, if you so desire -- imagine hearing THAT from Stacy and Clinton!
Be warned that most of the clothing example images are very dated (we're talking hammer pants tucked into boots) and I wish it was updated to current taste, but the guidelines themselves are easily adaptable to more modern clothing.
December 11, 2020
This is an older book - but it is an excellent book. This book details how to determine your body shape, body symmetry and body balance.
For anyone who isn't sure - this book is definitely what you need. It provides details on how to take your measurements, what measurements are important and how to best define and put your assets front and center. It also provides excellent information on how to disguise your less than perfect assets.
My only wish is that the authors would do an updated version.
For anyone who isn't sure - this book is definitely what you need. It provides details on how to take your measurements, what measurements are important and how to best define and put your assets front and center. It also provides excellent information on how to disguise your less than perfect assets.
My only wish is that the authors would do an updated version.
March 17, 2025
One of the most enlightening books I've read on personal style and image.
August 7, 2025
Quite informative!
June 22, 2015
Finally finished this after a long break. I got stuck on the part where you have to determine your colors, because I kept waiting for a sunny day when I didn't have anything else to do. On the whole, it was really fascinating though. The point of the book is to teach you about concepts of harmony in dress and style, such as proportions of your face and body, scale of your features, and colors found in hair, skin, and eyes. There are a lot of exercises where you measure various facial features and such, which is kind of fun. The authors also use famous portraits to illustrate many of their concepts, and I felt like I learned just as much about art as I did about clothing. It would have been better to own a copy of the book, rather than using a library copy, as you are supposed to write down a lot of info and even cut and paste pieces of the book at certain points. However, it's out of print and expensive to obtain, so it was worth working around the limitations of a borrowed copy.
April 12, 2012
This is a really thought-provoking book on fashion and beauty. Instead of attempting to teach everyone how to dress like Hollywood clones or fit into the latest trend, the author guides you through an artist's understanding of line, space, shape, color, and scale. She presents a wide variety of female body types throughout art history. The book works from the historical context that different body types and features have been popular at different times and therefore does not presume we all should aim for legs that look long or waists that look tiny. It is refreshing to see a list of possible attributes (thick ankles, small breasts, large tummies) and directions on how to HIGHLIGHT or camouflage, whichever you prefer. This is a workbook that you write in and mark checkboxes; definitely a book to purchase and spend a lot of time going through!
May 9, 2011
On the book's first page is this: "The Triumph of Individual Style ... a book for women on self-acceptance and personal style."
Well, I was hooked!
If you are willing to spend time learning what your body actually looks like then you will like this book. Basically it teaches you how to see your face and body the way an artist would see it which is quite different to other style books I have read.
I found it thoroughly interesting and informative and helpful.
Quote from the book: "Self acceptance and selectivity are the basic prerequisites to the development of individual style."
Well, I was hooked!
If you are willing to spend time learning what your body actually looks like then you will like this book. Basically it teaches you how to see your face and body the way an artist would see it which is quite different to other style books I have read.
I found it thoroughly interesting and informative and helpful.
Quote from the book: "Self acceptance and selectivity are the basic prerequisites to the development of individual style."
September 9, 2014
The analysis of physical proportions, using examples from art throughout the ages, is fantastic. I really, really loved the book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews