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Refinery29: Style Stalking

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THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING BOOK ON THE COOLEST STREET STYLE CAPTURED BY REFINERY 29
 
Get set to build your best ever wardrobe featuring the hardest-working looks from around the globe with Refinery29—the world’s leading style destination—as their editors break down the essentials of the everyday chic, straight from the street.
 
What transforms a look from on-trend to trendsetting? Editor-in-Chief Christene Barberich and Executive Creative Director Piera Gelardi deconstruct their favorite outfits to reveal what trailblazing looks like on the real-life fashion front,
 
• HOW TO WEAR modern metallics, mixed prints, everyday ladylike, tomboy chic, lots of layers, and more.
 
• CLEVER TIPS such as wearing one piece in three fresh ways, building blocks for discovering your own signature style, and updating your closet each season.
 
• AND A ZOOM LENS on all the details and accessories that totally make the look.
 
Featuring the fashion world’s coolest tastemakers, designers, stylists, and editors, these fearless iconoclasts challenge conventions and inspire a whole new generation of women to dress for themselves and discover their true inner style stars...just like YOU.
 

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 21, 2014

24 people are currently reading
253 people want to read

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5 stars
34 (17%)
4 stars
56 (28%)
3 stars
69 (35%)
2 stars
29 (14%)
1 star
8 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for 7jane.
826 reviews367 followers
February 28, 2018
3.5, would probably be more if I was younger and more inclined towards feminine clothing 8)

This is the book of Refinery29, US indie fashion and lifestyle website. It focuses on street styles the two women authors find cool, fun, creative, and daring. The styles are divided into themes: brights, layering, ladylike, black, mixed prings, denim, cool vintage, ugly pretty, metallics, and tomboy. Not all style spoke to me, but most had at least something in there for me to life.

The style focus is on women, though men might benefit from reading this, also. The weather seems generally be on the mild side in the photos, and ages generally in 20s-30s, though some older women appear here and there. Each of the styles are divided within with how to wear each type, closer tips, how it can be applied through the seasons, and a zoom on some details, closing with an interview of a woman wearing this style regularly.

I think I perhaps got less out of reading this mainly because I don't go for the feminine styles much - plus of course the style sites often reflect the author(s) tastes that don't always match mine - but even so, even I got something more to add to my knowledge out of reading this. Not exactly essential, but no waste of time.
Profile Image for J.
999 reviews
June 2, 2018
Looking through fashion books to update my spring/summer wardrobe -- LOL. These ladies' sense of style is NOT my sense of style. The women featured frequently look homeless or like they have mental issues. Think bad thrift store clothing, clashing colors/prints, tattoos and florescent hair.

I was trying to find a book on wearable fashion, but this "street fashion" took on a whole different meaning.

There were a handful of cute outfits scattered throughout the book; even a stopped clock is correct twice a day.

I skimmed the fashion advice in the book because I didn't trust the authors' sense of style or judgement.

This book made me feel a good about my own wardrobe - not an easy feat. Even my worst day is better than these monstrosities. I mean, you have to work really hard to look that bad!
Profile Image for Bel.
655 reviews15 followers
May 5, 2015
I liked that this book had pictures of women in different age groups and sizes but the fashion styles it features seems more avant-garde. I could see fashion students and creative types in these outfits but not the average woman (it has chapters like hot to dress "ugly pretty"). It's an ok read or browse but there's nothing especially enlightening that you cannot find in other similar books or fashion magazines.
Profile Image for Jonii.
353 reviews2 followers
June 5, 2018
On one hand I found the succinct presentation of style tips really well laid and consistent.

On the other hand, I found the photographed style choices a little bit too trendy. I can see this book not dating very well because a lot of the looks were so specific to this time period.

It's a quick read though and I borrowes from the county library vs actually buying a copy so I'm no too put out with the uneven quality of the book.
Profile Image for Marissa Morrison.
1,873 reviews22 followers
February 17, 2019
I don't think the authors really found these people on sidewalks. I think they hired models and had each person reach her hand into a big box of mismatched clothes. The outfits are fun to see, but not because they look good.
Profile Image for Sabrina.
5 reviews
January 24, 2018
Helpful and fun

Good read lots of good tips and tricks about be stylish what looks good with what and what to do to break from the norm !!!!!!!
Profile Image for Cindy Theodosis.
16 reviews
August 7, 2020
Not for me... then again, I am not much for bright colors, prints, or super feminine clothing. This book seemed to emphasize all three...all the time.
255 reviews
June 3, 2021
Amazing the different pairs you can make with just one item of clothing. I never knew there were so many different styles.
Profile Image for Hannah Rose.
54 reviews1 follower
January 30, 2025
I LOVE looking back on fashion from when I was in college/high school/etc. but this book is still very applicable today. Great advice for those who want to either find their style or try new things.
Profile Image for Rosa.
406 reviews15 followers
November 12, 2018
Not much readable substance. Great street style photos for fashion inspiration. Saved a lot on my Pinterest. It’s funny to see old street style photos. A lot of these women, changed their style, hair, cities, and had babies.
Profile Image for Martha.
357 reviews34 followers
January 16, 2015
This book was kind of a big disappointment for me. It's definitely aimed at twenty-something young women who really, really love fashion and fashion blogs. While I do like fashion and street style, I don't get into such high-fashion labels and looks as this book seems to embrace, so a lot of the looks shown just weren't "me". If you really enjoy street style blogs like The Sartorialist or Man Repeller, this book might be a great fit for you. If you've ever read one of those blogs and scratched your head in confusion at something a blogger was wearing, then...it's not.

With that said, if you're new to dressing or are just in a wardrobe rut, this book does offer a lot of tips for creating your own look: how to re-wear pieces, how to mix prints, etc. Sprinkled throughout you'll find advice from frequently snapped celebs like Solange Knowles on how to look fashionable and unique.

Unfortunately I felt like most of what was said, I'd already learned by reading Glamour and Lucky magazine. I also feel like this book is a little dated: obviously any fashion manual is going to appear slightly so, but some of the trends shown in the pages (flatform sandals, anyone?) make me think that future readers will not just be able to date this book's decade--they'll be able to pick out the exact year. I prefer a slightly less trendy approach to dressing, so that was just another point that made this book not the best fit for me.

Overall, like I said: perfect for the crowd that already reads this type of blog religiously. Not such a great fit for everyone else.
Profile Image for Meredith.
363 reviews43 followers
February 19, 2016
**I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.**

I gave this 4 1/2 stars.

What fun book to receive in the mail! A book from the fashion forward blog, Refinery29… anyone who loves fashion and the blogs that inspire them will love this book. With different styles featured throughout the book, anyone who is a fashionista will be inspired by this book. Anyone who clipped images from Vogue, Elle, an all those glossy magazines will feel like they are flipping through their own fashion journal. I recommend this book to anyone who loves street fashion and love seeing how different women come up with their unique style by combining unlikely pieces together.

What I loved about the book is that there wasn't one outfit that was the same. Sometimes as a society we get stuck wearing what everyone else is wearing and not what we are inspired to wear. With Refinery29, these jazzy gals really inspire women and men to dress in what they feel comfortable with and also what is already in their wardrobe. Whether you shop at a consignment, vintage, or big name brand store anything is possible so long as you don't allow rules to define every outfit. break the rules and have fun!

The pictures are bright and inspiring and lot of care was clearly put into this book. I highly recommend this book.
12 reviews
January 17, 2015
As a longtime follower of Refinery29's site, I was excited for this book. In all honesty, if you're active on social media and follow fashion and fashion bloggers closely, you probably won't benefit from reading this book. The dressing tips alone are great, easy to understand and replicate. As much as I enjoyed the tips (they are useful), they're fairly basic style tips that anyone can learn and pick up just by perusing any fashion magazine or blog.
Also, don't be turned off by the photos. Yes, the photos do skew towards an urban, young, modern woman. I appreciated that the women photographed ranged in size, race and age, but majority of the pictures were of young 20-something women. Also, keep in mind that this is precisely what street style is all about. Standing out in a crowd and expressing yourself through your clothes. Street style doesn't have to be realistic or functional. But, you can filter down elements of an outlandish outfit to suit your lifestyle such as choosing a bold accessory or adding texture to a monochromatic outfit.
This book displays a snapshot of what fashion has been for the past several years. There is more freedom and flexibility in rules and more ways to express your individuality. I'd recommend this to a fashion novice or someone who likes to collect and display fashion books because the photos are cool to look at.
Profile Image for Edythe.
331 reviews
January 12, 2015
Refinery 29, Style Stalking offers fashion know-how to pull off any combination of clothing styles and wear them with pride and confidence. Each style section includes basic training through year-round to zoom lens. There are ten style topics that bring bold outfits to those who may be fashion fierce or totally meek pertaining to style while encouraging “ultimate rebellion” in “style liberation.”

Brights, Good Vintage, Ugly Pretty, and Mixed Prints are a few styles covered within this book that guides you into a fashion forward makeover. The year-round section under each style headings shows how to wear your garments in fall, winter, spring, and summer.

Refinery 29, Style Stalking is for anyone who loves fashion will enjoy indulging into this guide learning more tips and tricks in dressing the way you want including “going against the grain.” Also, this a great gifting opportunity to any Fashionista you may know.

I received this book free from Crown Publishing through the Blogging for Books reviewer program in exchange for an honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.
Profile Image for Tiffany Gladney.
133 reviews1 follower
June 16, 2020
I'll be the first to tell you that I know absolutely nothing about fashion. It's kind of pathetic actually. I have to be in a certain mindset to have a successful shopping trip, and I've never been hung up on brand names. My wardrobe is pretty plain, and I'm okay with that.

That's not to say that I don't enjoy fashion. I love looking at style books and fashion blogs and my fashion Pinterest board is out of control. This is why I was so excited to pick up Refinery29: Style Stalking by Christene Barberich and Piera Gelardi.

Not only are the pages filled with gorgeous pictures, there's also lots of good tips and tricks for someone like me who has little to no fashion knowledge and for the people who already consider themselves fashionistas.

Check out the rest of my review on my blog.
Profile Image for Silvia Quesada.
38 reviews16 followers
February 26, 2023
Resumí las 16 lecciones de moda que aprendí en este artículo:
https://www.soysilviaquesada.com/post...

Hace poco leí este manual, una especie de guía maestra para aprender a vestirse de maneras distintas y lograr verse bien con cada estilo, sin esfuerzo. ¿Cómo? Con capítulos exclusivamente dedicados a trends diferentes (negro, metálico, vintage, ugly-pretty, ladylike, tomboy, etc.) y divididos en secciones con tips y fotos que explican y muestran cómo rockear el outfit sin complicaciones.

En general, es una buena guía para explorar diferentes estilos (de hecho, me dieron ganas de abandonar un poco el negro para incorporar más colores). Tomé notas sobre los tips que quiero recordar y eso es lo que les comparto en el artículo completo.
104 reviews39 followers
April 30, 2016
Upon first seeing this book's jacket quickly in passing, I thought perhaps it was a third edition of Scott Schuman's 'The Sartorialist'. Once I looked a little closer, I realized bloggers from Refinery29 had actually published this latest fashion exposé. Since I largely enjoy Refinery29's blog and Schuman's last books, I figured I should add this book to my TBR shelf.

In the end, once opened, this book did not wow me or really keep my interest. There were definitely some visually striking images throughout the pages ... Read More
Profile Image for Susannah.
573 reviews6 followers
December 11, 2015
Another style guide based on a blog - I just can't keep away from them! Authors Baberich and Gelardi, of Refinery29, have written a hip style guide to dressing all year round. Their topics are slightly different to the usual style guides, covering: Brights, Layering, Ladylike, Black, Mixed Prints, Denim, Good Vintage, Ugly Pretty, Metallics, and Tomboy. These are accompanied by pictures of women out and about, Sartorialist style, exemplifying these different style ideas, and providing inspiration for putting these ideas into practice. Recommended for fashionistas.
Profile Image for Aja.
Author 5 books459 followers
July 2, 2016
These books are really hard to rate because the nature of style is that it is constantly changing. The streetwear snaps are amazing but eventually the photos will become dated. But I do think this book will become a good reference. It did a very good job of covering all the unique fashion niches of 2016. Most of the outfits are so spot on. And even if the style isn't what you normally go for, you can still pick up a tip here and there. Which means this book definitely has value.
Profile Image for Metalpig.
54 reviews3 followers
April 8, 2015
I really enjoyed this one. I don't follow the fashion blogs, but every fashion book I've read lately (except for Simon Doonan) seems to be all about the luxury innocousness aesthetic, or basic as hell. Really nice to see street style taken seriously. The variety of women featured is really nice to see, too.
Profile Image for Nancy.
1,377 reviews23 followers
April 14, 2016
I will buy a white wedding dress and make it short and wear it with a belt, thanks to this book. Love the categories (especially Good Vintage, Ugly Pretty, Tomboy), and the consistent breakouts in each, and the skimmable text. And especially especially the phrase, "Fearlessness in fashion goes a long way." YAY
Profile Image for Trish.
3,718 reviews3 followers
November 14, 2015
This book has lots of pictures and advice. The styles in the book weren't my personal but overall a good book if you are into the styles the book offers.
Profile Image for Marcy Graybill.
551 reviews7 followers
December 29, 2014
Sadly this book is not for a middle aged woman. I looked at the information and pictures and wondered if I was looking at the "Fashion Don'ts" from Glamour.
Profile Image for Louise Kirby.
Author 4 books2 followers
March 30, 2015
Although I am not the target audience for the book I thought it was fab. Some fun inspiration and a good guide to keep on the shelf. I don't follow the blog but I will now.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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