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What I Wore: Four Seasons, One Closet, Endless Recipes for Personal Style
A COOKBOOK FOR YOUR CLOSET Personal style expert Jessica Quirk approaches getting dressed just as you would plan the perfect With a smartly stocked pantry and a few gorgeous “spotlight ingredients,” inspiration comes easily.In What I Wore, named after her enormously popular blog, Jessica shares recipes for creating a stellar wardrobe to get you through spring, summer, fall, and winter. From delicates (bras, slips, lingerie) to the basics every woman should have (black pants, white shirts, knee-high leather boots) to the dramatic touches that set just the right tone (scarves, jewelry, handbags), she shows you how to take your look from ordinary to outstanding without breaking the bank. Inside you’ll discover how to • remix the clothing you already have for dozens of fresh, pulled-together looks• become a smarter shopper and always get the most bang for your buck• create wow-worthy ensembles for special occasions, weekends, and the office• supplement basics and investment pieces with fun and inexpensive accessories Plus you’ll learn tailoring tricks, handy hints, and packing tips to ensure that you always leave the house looking your best. Loaded with hundreds of vibrant, original illustrations and unique suggestions for combining colors, patterns, and textures, What I Wore will help you feel stylish and confident, each and every day.
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2011
5 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 31, 2013
Utterly ridiculous and impractical - unless of course, you were raised by apes in the jungles of India and then suddenly find you are the heiress to the Earl Grey fortunes. In which case, if you need to start fresh, having never worn clothes before, and have unlimited funds, then this book is for you.
It starts off with some basics - choose your neutral color - either black, gray or brown. And for years brown was my neutral, but now I'm shifting to gray. This makes sense, right? Then you need some basics, and a secondary color - either warm or cool. Okay, that's reasonable.
So you start with a blazer and cardigan in your core neutral color. You also need a blouse, camisole, trouser pants, skirt, jeans and little black (or gray or brown) dress. Then you add a printed dress, and a solid dress. Then a printed skirt and solid skirt. Then a blouse and another cardigan. Okay, that seems a lot just for basics, but okay... i guess.
Then we hit spring. Did you know you need 2 coats, a denim jacket, another cardigan (this makes 3!) and a funky hoodie? Then add 2 more blouses (you're up to 4) a turtleneck, another skirt (4 skirts, now) and another pair of jeans. Then add 2 more dresses, 4 more tops, another jacket/blazer/sweater or cardi and another skirt.
That's just spring.
in addition to the 4 pairs of shoes you have, you will need 5 more for spring. This doesn't even include your accessories - $200 rubber boots, a silk scarf, a cotton scarf, statement necklaces, a belt and a watch. You should also have 4 different handbags.
As you can imagine, you only need MORE clothes as each season passes by... Jessica Quirk lives in New York and I cannot imagine HOW in the world she fits all these clothes into tiny apartments. Basically, you need 7 different pairs of jeans throughout the year. There are more sweaters than there are skirts, and lord, she has a lot of sweaters.
The book started out so promising - think of dressing with style as a fashion "recipe" - start with high quality ingredients, and soon you are making delicious creations that have a different flavor depending on what ingredients you use. Such a useful analogy. But just as I cannot spend all my money shopping at Whole Foods and making my own garam masala, neither can I follow Quirk's recipes for fashion. I have limited clothes, certain fashion restrictions right now (I"m a nursing mother, with a post-partum pooch), and I need to look good (but not fussy) while grocery shopping, doing preschool pickup, nursing, cooking dinner, and the occasional date night out with husband or friends. Listen, if I had as much money as Quirk to spend on clothes, my entire life would be different. I would have a nanny, a larger house with a larger closet and I likely wouldn't even need the promise of a book like this, since my Barney's personal shopper would do all the outfit combining for me.
Quirk drew her own illustrations, and she does know how to draw. But the text often did NOT match up with the corresponding pictures - sometimes left to right, top to bottom, sometimes all first column, then the 2nd column, sometimes totally random. She needed a far better visual editor. Just ANOTHER example of blogger turned author too soon.
Don't bother with this one, unless you have hundreds of clothes that fit you perfectly, look good on you, and you just need to know how to mix and match your hundreds of tops with your dozens of bottoms.
It starts off with some basics - choose your neutral color - either black, gray or brown. And for years brown was my neutral, but now I'm shifting to gray. This makes sense, right? Then you need some basics, and a secondary color - either warm or cool. Okay, that's reasonable.
So you start with a blazer and cardigan in your core neutral color. You also need a blouse, camisole, trouser pants, skirt, jeans and little black (or gray or brown) dress. Then you add a printed dress, and a solid dress. Then a printed skirt and solid skirt. Then a blouse and another cardigan. Okay, that seems a lot just for basics, but okay... i guess.
Then we hit spring. Did you know you need 2 coats, a denim jacket, another cardigan (this makes 3!) and a funky hoodie? Then add 2 more blouses (you're up to 4) a turtleneck, another skirt (4 skirts, now) and another pair of jeans. Then add 2 more dresses, 4 more tops, another jacket/blazer/sweater or cardi and another skirt.
That's just spring.
in addition to the 4 pairs of shoes you have, you will need 5 more for spring. This doesn't even include your accessories - $200 rubber boots, a silk scarf, a cotton scarf, statement necklaces, a belt and a watch. You should also have 4 different handbags.
As you can imagine, you only need MORE clothes as each season passes by... Jessica Quirk lives in New York and I cannot imagine HOW in the world she fits all these clothes into tiny apartments. Basically, you need 7 different pairs of jeans throughout the year. There are more sweaters than there are skirts, and lord, she has a lot of sweaters.
The book started out so promising - think of dressing with style as a fashion "recipe" - start with high quality ingredients, and soon you are making delicious creations that have a different flavor depending on what ingredients you use. Such a useful analogy. But just as I cannot spend all my money shopping at Whole Foods and making my own garam masala, neither can I follow Quirk's recipes for fashion. I have limited clothes, certain fashion restrictions right now (I"m a nursing mother, with a post-partum pooch), and I need to look good (but not fussy) while grocery shopping, doing preschool pickup, nursing, cooking dinner, and the occasional date night out with husband or friends. Listen, if I had as much money as Quirk to spend on clothes, my entire life would be different. I would have a nanny, a larger house with a larger closet and I likely wouldn't even need the promise of a book like this, since my Barney's personal shopper would do all the outfit combining for me.
Quirk drew her own illustrations, and she does know how to draw. But the text often did NOT match up with the corresponding pictures - sometimes left to right, top to bottom, sometimes all first column, then the 2nd column, sometimes totally random. She needed a far better visual editor. Just ANOTHER example of blogger turned author too soon.
Don't bother with this one, unless you have hundreds of clothes that fit you perfectly, look good on you, and you just need to know how to mix and match your hundreds of tops with your dozens of bottoms.
January 1, 2012
I’ll admit that I have a soft spot in my heart for this book. Is it because of the author’s daily blog, whatiwore.tumblr.com, where she ignites a profusion of ideas for dressing more imaginatively? Is it because of her contemporary adroitness with vintage garments? Is it her coyness and personal charm, which I experienced directly when I met Jessica Quirk at a central Indiana Tweet up for fashion bloggers early this year? Or is it simply the cleverness of this book, which reads like a series of seasonal recipes for cooking up something special with your wardrobe?
Quirk’s cookbook is loaded with practical tips that only a serious clothes-horse could know. Wanna know how to arrange your vast collection of tights? Fold ‘em in half, wrap them around a plastic hanger and make a loop knot, securing them to the hanger. What to do with those menacing wire hangers in your closet? Her words: “Toss ‘em.”
Rather than conveying her ideas in photographs that reveal her perfect figure, Quirk’s sketches illustrate the endless ensembles you can make from an existing wardrobe. She peppers the book with useful shopping advice on where to spend your money. Hint: You don’t need to feel guilty about the boots that you spent $200 on if you’ll wear them three times a week from September through March.
Read this book and catch the distinct scent of Quirk’s joy and passion for getting dressed, aptly shown in her advice for putting together great ensembles: “Find time to play dress-up and create new outfits (like on Sunday night with a glass of wine)”
I can’t pull off half the ensembles Quirk suggests. But knowing that is one of the most important ingredients for getting dressed in Quirk’s opinion. Wear what works for you, regardless of trends. This is a gem of a book to inspire fashionistas of all stripes.
Quirk’s cookbook is loaded with practical tips that only a serious clothes-horse could know. Wanna know how to arrange your vast collection of tights? Fold ‘em in half, wrap them around a plastic hanger and make a loop knot, securing them to the hanger. What to do with those menacing wire hangers in your closet? Her words: “Toss ‘em.”
Rather than conveying her ideas in photographs that reveal her perfect figure, Quirk’s sketches illustrate the endless ensembles you can make from an existing wardrobe. She peppers the book with useful shopping advice on where to spend your money. Hint: You don’t need to feel guilty about the boots that you spent $200 on if you’ll wear them three times a week from September through March.
Read this book and catch the distinct scent of Quirk’s joy and passion for getting dressed, aptly shown in her advice for putting together great ensembles: “Find time to play dress-up and create new outfits (like on Sunday night with a glass of wine)”
I can’t pull off half the ensembles Quirk suggests. But knowing that is one of the most important ingredients for getting dressed in Quirk’s opinion. Wear what works for you, regardless of trends. This is a gem of a book to inspire fashionistas of all stripes.
August 15, 2011
I have been in a slump and tired of my clothes and wanted an entire new wardrobe and I just happened to walk past this book (as I was walking back to the Children's Library) and picked it up to flip through as the kids were looking at books and I liked it so much decided to check it out.
The book is only 100+ pages. It is filled with the basics a girl should have in her closet and then helps us on what to add to compliment the basics. She is a fan of scarves (so am I) as well as belts (not me, but tempted to give it a try) so I liked the new ideas mixed with traditional.
So, 4 stars for getting me out of my Adidas sweats and into "put together" and some daring outfits! :-) I feel better and I know my husband likes seeing me feel better about my appearance (and likes to see me a little more put together).
She does have a blog (google "what I wore") and she has a ton of pics of outfits she has worn.
The book is only 100+ pages. It is filled with the basics a girl should have in her closet and then helps us on what to add to compliment the basics. She is a fan of scarves (so am I) as well as belts (not me, but tempted to give it a try) so I liked the new ideas mixed with traditional.
So, 4 stars for getting me out of my Adidas sweats and into "put together" and some daring outfits! :-) I feel better and I know my husband likes seeing me feel better about my appearance (and likes to see me a little more put together).
She does have a blog (google "what I wore") and she has a ton of pics of outfits she has worn.
September 25, 2021
I never followed OOTD bloggers in their heyday (are they still popular?), so I didn't know anything about Jessica Quirk. The cover caught my eye at the library, and I am glad that I borrowed it.
What I Wore is such a fun approach to dressing, and I love the choice to use illustrations over photographed models.
The book is a decade old, but its recipe approach is still relevant.
What I Wore is such a fun approach to dressing, and I love the choice to use illustrations over photographed models.
The book is a decade old, but its recipe approach is still relevant.
June 6, 2012
Jessica Quirk's blog What I Wore was the first style blog I ever started following, and is one of the inspirations behind my own style blog (twolittlebells.tumblr.com). (In fact, two of the most thrilling moments of my life have been when my co-blogger and I made it on her blog as part of her winter remix and stripes challenge for other style bloggers!) I love Jessica's down to earth style and more importantly, her concept of individual clothing pieces as parts of a style recipe. Jessica has some great ideas on how to switch up your outfits so that anyone can make themselves feel like they have tons of clothes if they just have a few basic pieces they switch up.
I honestly think TLC should give this book as a gift to everyone shown on What Not to Wear, and every other woman who struggles with her style or what to purchase. This book outlines what every woman should have in their closet and uses the analogy of getting dressed as putting together your own recipe of style each day. If you challenge yourself to wear a skirt a little differently each time you wear it, you not only look fresh, but look as if you have a huge wardrobe even when you don't.
I read this book over the weekend, and when I got to her advice on how to know when its time to purge things from your closet, I was inspired to clean out my closet. And she's right, if you didn't feel good the last time you wore it or can't even remember the last time you wore - get rid of it! I ended up cleaning out two whole boxes of clothes thanks to this book. I hope that I can become more targeted and focused when I shop by using her tips on color coordinating and never purchasing anything that won't go with at least a few other existing pieces in your closet. I was also really personally excited to see her advocating wearing slips. I love slips - they eliminate clinging to the butt/wedgies/panty lines etc. Not enough women wear them. Wear slips, everyone! Jessica Quirk says so!
I liked that this book has drawn images of faceless women so that every reader can imagine themselves in the clothing, however, I missed seeing the great photos that are on the What I Wore blog every day! I would definitely have enjoyed more real pictures. Additionally, the book just covers the basics. If you're already pretty advanced or looking for advanced style help you may need something more advanced. Maybe J. Quirk can write a more advanced style guide next??
A really quick read that any woman trying to look professional and yet still stylish while on a budget can appreciate.
I honestly think TLC should give this book as a gift to everyone shown on What Not to Wear, and every other woman who struggles with her style or what to purchase. This book outlines what every woman should have in their closet and uses the analogy of getting dressed as putting together your own recipe of style each day. If you challenge yourself to wear a skirt a little differently each time you wear it, you not only look fresh, but look as if you have a huge wardrobe even when you don't.
I read this book over the weekend, and when I got to her advice on how to know when its time to purge things from your closet, I was inspired to clean out my closet. And she's right, if you didn't feel good the last time you wore it or can't even remember the last time you wore - get rid of it! I ended up cleaning out two whole boxes of clothes thanks to this book. I hope that I can become more targeted and focused when I shop by using her tips on color coordinating and never purchasing anything that won't go with at least a few other existing pieces in your closet. I was also really personally excited to see her advocating wearing slips. I love slips - they eliminate clinging to the butt/wedgies/panty lines etc. Not enough women wear them. Wear slips, everyone! Jessica Quirk says so!
I liked that this book has drawn images of faceless women so that every reader can imagine themselves in the clothing, however, I missed seeing the great photos that are on the What I Wore blog every day! I would definitely have enjoyed more real pictures. Additionally, the book just covers the basics. If you're already pretty advanced or looking for advanced style help you may need something more advanced. Maybe J. Quirk can write a more advanced style guide next??
A really quick read that any woman trying to look professional and yet still stylish while on a budget can appreciate.
September 29, 2017
Cute, short book with some good fashion advice. The author is a blogger (ugh), but she actually has education and professional experience in her field. I found myself liking her personality. :-) I liked the idea of the book and loved her introduction. A real person (even if stylish) photographed in her in daily clothes seemed very approachable and made fashion seems doable. I didn't like all her styles, but I was still inspired.
She advises against buying head-to-toe outfits together because they might not match anything else in your closet. I'm not good at coordinating outfits, and a couple head-to-toe completed looks sound heavenly right now. She does recommend finding time on the weekends to have a glass of wine and experiment with combining your clothes into outfits. I am overdue to do that.
This goes against the idea of the book, which is to mix up your wardrobe in various ways. But these are my thoughts at this point in my fashion journey: My goal is to build 5 complete outfits initially that I can just rotate wearing. Eventually, I'll build up to 10-14 looks. I've already purged my closet, but I fear I'm buying more of the same. (Or so my husband said today.)
My challenge is finding better fitting & styled clothes in the store. I don't have time, patience or energy needed to find truly great clothes. Shopping is a mad dash for me these days, trying to find something that physically fits while juggling kids. I just spend $380 (yikes!) at Banana Republic yesterday in a mad-dash before preschool pickup. The results were a bit bland and underwhelming in quantity and quality. I need to just take most of it back. I could see myself purging what I just bought, if better options were available. Despite my fashion ambitions, clothes are very utilitarian and time is a precious commodity during this season in my life. :-/
I would buy this book and reference it later. This has been an odd week and I don't have the creative spark necessary to enact any fashion changes - beyond organizing my scarfs on hangers. (I liked her advice for that!) It's not the book's fault. I'd like to re-read it later when I have more energy.
She advises against buying head-to-toe outfits together because they might not match anything else in your closet. I'm not good at coordinating outfits, and a couple head-to-toe completed looks sound heavenly right now. She does recommend finding time on the weekends to have a glass of wine and experiment with combining your clothes into outfits. I am overdue to do that.
This goes against the idea of the book, which is to mix up your wardrobe in various ways. But these are my thoughts at this point in my fashion journey: My goal is to build 5 complete outfits initially that I can just rotate wearing. Eventually, I'll build up to 10-14 looks. I've already purged my closet, but I fear I'm buying more of the same. (Or so my husband said today.)
My challenge is finding better fitting & styled clothes in the store. I don't have time, patience or energy needed to find truly great clothes. Shopping is a mad dash for me these days, trying to find something that physically fits while juggling kids. I just spend $380 (yikes!) at Banana Republic yesterday in a mad-dash before preschool pickup. The results were a bit bland and underwhelming in quantity and quality. I need to just take most of it back. I could see myself purging what I just bought, if better options were available. Despite my fashion ambitions, clothes are very utilitarian and time is a precious commodity during this season in my life. :-/
I would buy this book and reference it later. This has been an odd week and I don't have the creative spark necessary to enact any fashion changes - beyond organizing my scarfs on hangers. (I liked her advice for that!) It's not the book's fault. I'd like to re-read it later when I have more energy.
June 9, 2017
A style book for skinny people with no "problem" body parts and a very large budget. It didn't really present any new information, and I really wanted to see photos of the outfits, but the illustrations were interesting, at least.
April 24, 2018
Not 100% practical to my lifestyle but still a fun read.
February 23, 2020
Made me want to rip everything out of my closet and go shopping haha. But also made me think closely about my wardrobe.
October 22, 2012
How I Came To Read This Book: I wish I could remember how I came across Jessica Quirk's fun fashion blog, What I Wore. I know I've been reading it for over a year (as of now), but around the time I started to read it she released her first book. I recently decided to check out on a whim if the library had it, and they did!
The Plot: The gist of Jessica's blog is to post 'daily outfits' and break down where the pieces were from, where she wore the outfit to, and a couple of notes about why it works. The gist of this book is to highlight some rules and ideas for your wardrobe, with a few seasonal notes. There are illustrations throughout (as opposed to photos) to showcase the combination of different ensembles, plus tips, Q&A, and general wardrobe shopping lists / buying guidelines.
The Good & The Bad: To be fair, Jessica had an uphill battle writing this book. Style is SO subjective, and writing a book about how to style your wardrobe is just plain tough and incredibly 'of the moment'. Here's what worked: the core basics about how you should build your wardrobe (in other words, the intro was smart), the tips throughout, and a few of the ideas were inspiring.
Here's what didn't work: some of the content was directly lifted from the blog. I remember reading her vintage buying guide before I read it in this book, and while helpful, cheapened the book's overall content. I'm quite certain there were another snippets of text grabbed from her site as well. Normally I wouldn't gripe about this, but the layout of the book was really, really terrible. You'd read about things on one page and it would reference "As you can see" or "Look below and see how...", and the illustrations would be on the next page. It just made for an annoying reading experience to have to flip back and forward. If you're going to write a fluffy book like this (see:That Extra Half An Inch), at least make it glossy and well laid-out and fun to page through.
Finally the writing style of What I Wore has never been my favourite. Over the course of her blog's history, it became increasingly...I don't know...not condescending per se, but just kind of vapid. The early days of her blog, when it was just something she seemed to do for fun, made her seem like a fun, relatable NYC girl that was doing her best to look stylish in the big city. As time went on, things started to feel calculated, and there was no real soul to her posts anymore because she had big business interests in mind. This book tips toward that latter feel - not that she's pumping up any businesses, but just that her writing style posits her advice as this Big Important Information and it's really just kind of...not. Also the illustrations just served to make things really specific, which is where I say she had a serious uphill battle to contend with. You basically have two options when reading the book - take things verbatim and try to buy the exact types of pieces she outlines, or take very little from it (like I did) other than a couple of interesting outfit combos.
All of this to say, I don't know that I'm necessarily the right demo for this book either. I've got a pretty defined sense of style, and while I certainly admire the way Jessica puts things together, I don't know that I needed a lightly written, poorly laid out (not her fault!) book to educate me on it.
The Bottom Line: Good for fashion newbies, but seasoned fashionistas need not apply.
Anything Memorable?: Nope.
60-Book Challenge?: Book #50 in 2012
The Plot: The gist of Jessica's blog is to post 'daily outfits' and break down where the pieces were from, where she wore the outfit to, and a couple of notes about why it works. The gist of this book is to highlight some rules and ideas for your wardrobe, with a few seasonal notes. There are illustrations throughout (as opposed to photos) to showcase the combination of different ensembles, plus tips, Q&A, and general wardrobe shopping lists / buying guidelines.
The Good & The Bad: To be fair, Jessica had an uphill battle writing this book. Style is SO subjective, and writing a book about how to style your wardrobe is just plain tough and incredibly 'of the moment'. Here's what worked: the core basics about how you should build your wardrobe (in other words, the intro was smart), the tips throughout, and a few of the ideas were inspiring.
Here's what didn't work: some of the content was directly lifted from the blog. I remember reading her vintage buying guide before I read it in this book, and while helpful, cheapened the book's overall content. I'm quite certain there were another snippets of text grabbed from her site as well. Normally I wouldn't gripe about this, but the layout of the book was really, really terrible. You'd read about things on one page and it would reference "As you can see" or "Look below and see how...", and the illustrations would be on the next page. It just made for an annoying reading experience to have to flip back and forward. If you're going to write a fluffy book like this (see:That Extra Half An Inch), at least make it glossy and well laid-out and fun to page through.
Finally the writing style of What I Wore has never been my favourite. Over the course of her blog's history, it became increasingly...I don't know...not condescending per se, but just kind of vapid. The early days of her blog, when it was just something she seemed to do for fun, made her seem like a fun, relatable NYC girl that was doing her best to look stylish in the big city. As time went on, things started to feel calculated, and there was no real soul to her posts anymore because she had big business interests in mind. This book tips toward that latter feel - not that she's pumping up any businesses, but just that her writing style posits her advice as this Big Important Information and it's really just kind of...not. Also the illustrations just served to make things really specific, which is where I say she had a serious uphill battle to contend with. You basically have two options when reading the book - take things verbatim and try to buy the exact types of pieces she outlines, or take very little from it (like I did) other than a couple of interesting outfit combos.
All of this to say, I don't know that I'm necessarily the right demo for this book either. I've got a pretty defined sense of style, and while I certainly admire the way Jessica puts things together, I don't know that I needed a lightly written, poorly laid out (not her fault!) book to educate me on it.
The Bottom Line: Good for fashion newbies, but seasoned fashionistas need not apply.
Anything Memorable?: Nope.
60-Book Challenge?: Book #50 in 2012
July 19, 2019
This book offers a good approach to getting your closet into shape with then end goal of having a more versatile wardrobe, where all the pieces can be (relatively) interchangeable and offer many different looks simply by changing the way you combine the pieces.
It starts with establishing your basic and secondary color palette, then moves to building a good foundation for a wardrobe, adding on more colorful pieces and accessorizing well.
I liked that the outfits shown were in drawings and that models drawn were faceless, so it was easier to visualize yourself in the outfits. Still, everyone's taste is very individual - there were some outfits that looked like the person got dressed in the dark, while the outfit itself was OK the colors looked positively awful together.
Also, the author seems to be a huge fan of "winter weight" shorts with tights, which I think looks ridiculous.
My biggest complaint is that the writing itself was disjointed. The writing didn't seem to flow like a book would - instead it seemed to be a bunch of blog posts that were slapped together, without consideration as to how one topic would flow into the next topic.
The most valuable thing I took away from this book is to stop seeing a dress as simply a dress - and to start seeing it as a top/blouse and a skirt that can be combined with other separates. That alone gave me any new ideas for what I already have in my closet.
While none of the information is particularly groundbreaking, it was still a worthwhile read.
It starts with establishing your basic and secondary color palette, then moves to building a good foundation for a wardrobe, adding on more colorful pieces and accessorizing well.
I liked that the outfits shown were in drawings and that models drawn were faceless, so it was easier to visualize yourself in the outfits. Still, everyone's taste is very individual - there were some outfits that looked like the person got dressed in the dark, while the outfit itself was OK the colors looked positively awful together.
Also, the author seems to be a huge fan of "winter weight" shorts with tights, which I think looks ridiculous.
My biggest complaint is that the writing itself was disjointed. The writing didn't seem to flow like a book would - instead it seemed to be a bunch of blog posts that were slapped together, without consideration as to how one topic would flow into the next topic.
The most valuable thing I took away from this book is to stop seeing a dress as simply a dress - and to start seeing it as a top/blouse and a skirt that can be combined with other separates. That alone gave me any new ideas for what I already have in my closet.
While none of the information is particularly groundbreaking, it was still a worthwhile read.
February 2, 2012
I am currently living in the same Indiana town that the author hails from, so she's rather much a local sensation. I am wanting to build a small wardrobe that can pull off a variety of looks, so this book was helpful in helping me to figure out what basics I needed and giving me guidelines to shop. I wish the author had been clearer about add-on items and how they were to function, particularly in light of the seasons. I also would have appreciated more advice on how to not have four wardrobes, one for every season, but how to make one that can flow between them a little more seamlessly. Still, her advice was largely very good and I may return to the book once I have bought more of my wardrobe.
April 6, 2015
The Amazon excerpt was as helpful as the book itself. I've followed What I Wore the blog for a while and was inspired to read the book by my need to clean out my closet. I found the advice on how to clean out your closet (2 paragraphs) helpful. I also appreciate the upbeat tone. Otherwise, it was not great. If you are exactly the same as the author - same preferences, style, lifestyle, economic background - then it would be great! Otherwise, I found it frustrating. I don't like to get so dressed up on weekends. I don't like wearing tights and skirts all the time. I don't like the aesthetic of some of these looks. And it's not actually helpful if you feel any of those things. But, it's quite short so I still finished it.
August 11, 2011
Not a complete style-guide, but does what it sets out to do. For figuring out what colours and shapes suit you you'll have to look elsewhere ("What not to Wear" books by Trinny Woodall & Susannah Constantine worked wonders for me). But if you, like me, have a closet full of clothes you like on their own, and still find yourself a bit puzzled in actually putting together an outfit, What I Wore can definitely be an inspiration. For me I realised some basics are missing to pull together the eyecatchers. I probably won't follow Jessica's advice to the letter, but will apply some of her (re)mixing tricks.
March 16, 2012
For those of us who are fashioned challenged, it can be difficult to figure out what to wear every morning. Jessica Quirk has put together a handbook about building outfits. Her rules are simple: 1) Have a good set of foundation pieces based on one neutral colour and a solid colour that works on you. 2) Add in some seasonal pieces to refresh the looks. And 3) buy nothing unless it works with three other pieces in your closet.
Quirk then goes on to lay out how to do this, with examples from a mythical closet. This is a good book to buy and keep in your purse when you shop. Or maybe as an app on your smartphone?
Quirk then goes on to lay out how to do this, with examples from a mythical closet. This is a good book to buy and keep in your purse when you shop. Or maybe as an app on your smartphone?
July 22, 2012
I have been following Jessica Quirk blog for a couple of years now and my dear friend Hannah got me this book last year for my birthday. I finally read it cover-to-cover this week and it makes putting an outfit together so easy-peasy. She teaches you what you need to get rid of and what you should have on hand and how to prioritize your purchases to get the most bang for your buck. I hardly ever go shopping, but I love thrifting and her book gave me a lot of inspiration and ideas for what I currently have in my closet, which to me is the biggest thrill. I highly recommend it to any female who feels "blah" about the clothes in her closet and needs some new ideas.
June 24, 2014
Featured in
35 Budget Living Picks for National Book Lovers Day on ShoestringMag.com
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"Even before hosting her book signing at our clothing swap [for The Swapaholics], I admired Jessica Quirk's unfussy approach to fashion — and her dedication to making secondhand clothing mix with serious haute couture. One of the original style bloggers on the Internet, Quirk's illustrated book is a super handy guide to defining your own personal style."
"Even before hosting her book signing at our clothing swap [for The Swapaholics], I admired Jessica Quirk's unfussy approach to fashion — and her dedication to making secondhand clothing mix with serious haute couture. One of the original style bloggers on the Internet, Quirk's illustrated book is a super handy guide to defining your own personal style."
August 11, 2011
A surprisingly engaging and useful fashion book centered around dressing for the season without spending a bunch of cash.
I've never really looked at my wardrobe scientifically before or really even planned much while shopping beyond 'oh, I like that shirt AND it's on sale. Score!' but now I may start to.
Recommended reading for those who have trouble putting together a work-ready look in the morning.
August 30, 2011
THis was reviewed by a Berea Librarian ib the local weekly. Got it from the library and really enjoyed it! I was thinking of buying a copy because it is a good reference to remind yourself HOW to shop and not sabatoge your wardrobe but impulse buying. I like the way the book was broken down into seasons. Everything kept building. Since this writer lives in New York and has similar weather to the Cleveland area, her seasonal choices were relavent.
October 7, 2011
I loved this book. It was a very quick read, but I've read it several times now. She walks you through the year for what wardrobe items you need and ideas of how to wear it all. I don't like the variety of shoes she advocates, but that is more of a picky dresser problem rather than a dismissal of her style. I think she is a fabulous resource for anyone that is wardrobe-impaired and doesn't really know where to begin. Her guide is comprehensive, but still fairly 'beginner level.'
October 25, 2011
Not really literature, but more like the ultimate fashion mag. It had practical tips and inspiration for a twenty or thirty something who works in a casual office and hangs out on weekends. Thought it was gonna be the same old rules everyone writes about Mom jeans and pony hair, but she assumed the reader already knew that shit (which I'm sure most did). She also had tips on how to use your current wardrobe which is much appreciated!
January 3, 2012
I've always enjoyed Jessica Quirk's daily blog, What I Wore, and love how she puts herself together. I thought this book was going to be a lookbook of her blog outfits, but it's not, at all. I was happily surprised to find a bona fide style manual with NEW ideas. Jessica puts together an easy-to-follow recipe for your own closet with re-mixes that are inspired and fun. A good fashion resource for any age, body type and budget.
March 15, 2017
Pretty good for inspiration. This book doesn't fit my life style, but it totally could for you. As a person who is trying to find her "style" and has a lot of clothes that doesn't fit it, I have to kind of start from scratch and this gave me some ideas. Your liking of this book will entirely be based on what you want out of it to begin with. I enjoyed reading it and I liked how she used different kinds of illustrated models.
November 19, 2013
I found this book very useful, and blessedly free of patronizing asides about dressing to "look thin" or "catch a man." Excellent no-nonsense checklists for shopping. Have used this book a lot in my quest to express myself through fashion while still dressing like an adult woman and not a pre-teen who fell asleep underneath the merch table at a Weakerthans show.
July 24, 2013
Quirk's well-written book has good methods for developing a wardrobe for all seasons, but some of the ideas seem wildly impractical/silly, like the trend of wearing shorts with tights in the winter.
If you like this kind of straightforward fashion, the blog "Putting Me Together" is excellent. (And more accessible for non-fashion people.)
If you like this kind of straightforward fashion, the blog "Putting Me Together" is excellent. (And more accessible for non-fashion people.)
March 3, 2016
I'm not sure if it is because the authors style and my own aren't far off, but I found this book pretty helpful.
Some parts of it are essentially useless if you don't have similar taste though. However, some of the advice was good. I buy almost all second hand items. Which meant some aspects of this book were more helpful than others.
Some parts of it are essentially useless if you don't have similar taste though. However, some of the advice was good. I buy almost all second hand items. Which meant some aspects of this book were more helpful than others.
April 19, 2017
Yay! I love Jessica's daily outfits and her advice is spot on. I also love that this is not a book giving advice only to people with unlimited funds- she shows how to have a great wardrobe on a budget!
September 28, 2012
I don't know if it was because it was too specific or if it was because it was too unspecific. Sort of a weird combination of the two where the drawing were so specific that you had a hard time imagining what items you had or might want to have you could use instead.
April 21, 2012
I bought the book because I love the blog and I wasn't disappointed. Jessica does a great job of showing that you can feel confident and have a stylish, "remixable" wardrobe without spending a lot of money.
November 8, 2015
This book had some really good tips on how to wear things in different ways. Helps in my mix and match semi-minimalist tendencies. This was a great book to share with my teen-age daughter as she's trying to piece together a wardrobe that is mix and match.
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