How to Wear Everything: A No Nonsense Guide to Dressing

by Kay Barron

What we wear matters. It matters because looking, and therefore feeling, like yourself is essential. Clothes can be the difference between a good day and a bad day. Clothes have the power to make your mood ten times worse or one hundred times better.

Clothes should give you confidence, and never make you doubt yourself.

Whether you already have a go-to look or feel overwhelmed by choice, How to Wear Everything covers where to start, what you need and what you absolutely do not - whatever your age, body type or budget. Highlights


Mastering timeless classics that you will want to wear foreverWhat to pack and (more importantly) not pack on holiday. Shopping thrift and vintage like a pro, how to find the perfect jeans for your shape. A fun, reassuring, no-nonsense guide, with tips and tricks from the super-stylish, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Law Roach, Monica Bellucci and Nicky Zimmermann, How to Wear Everything reveals the fashion industry's best-kept getting dressed is not that hard.
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Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction

297 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2024

Reviews

[Vanya Prodanova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Отдавна ми се искаше да се образовам на тема дрехи, но след тази книга не мисля, че повече ще си направя труда да се опитвам да науча нещо (или поне ще си дам няколко месеца преди да си го причиня отново това). Когато получаваш информация от някой, който цял живот това му е било страстта и работата, някак си не се чувства ок. Депресираме книгата. Няма какво да го крия. :/

Книгата не е лоша реално погледнато. Моята реакция към съдържанието си е мое. Всъщност книгата е доста информативна и изчерпателна. Разделена е на категории като лято, ваканции, черен цвят, зима, спортуване, бижута и т.н. и не са лоши съветите. Но! Ако я слушам трябва да имам тройно по-голям гардероб и да си поддържам гардероба да ми е работа на пълно работно време. Няма как да стане. Затова казвам, че книга, написана от някой, който обича дрехи и стил, няма как да предаде правилното послание към човек, който хич не му пука за стил и мода и иска просто да се чувства удобно, да са качествени дрехите му и да не трябва да прекара часове наред, нерви и пари да намери нещо и после същото количество време и пари в продукти и подръжка на дрехите си. Няма начин.

Та, за някой любител на дрехи, книгата е разкошна, за такива като мен, които предпочитат всичко друго да правят и повече от един час цялостно не бих искали да отделят на дрехи и облекло - не е подходяща, направо си е опасно разстройваща.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Went through this book in a sudden outburst of desperation at the extent of my wardrobe and with the urge to Marie Kondoh the hell out of my belongings after packing my suitcase for a summer vacation. I found the advice I needed, and apparently the explanation for my distress is this: I own too many statement pieces.

True.

Still, despite practical tips regarding shoe maintenance, jeans washing (there are people who don’t wash their jeans?!) and handy lists of basic pieces I guess every woman needs (whatever that’s supposed to mean), I can’t be convinced there is a universal guide to fashion for everyone. Nice try.

As a girl who went through puberty in the early noughties, I can tell you that I have read almost every bit of fashion advice stated in this book in articles from women’s magazines before, so don’t expect to experience any earthshattering revelations while reading this.

***I received a digital copy from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.***

[Jasmine · Rating 1 out of 5]

immediately closed this and decided to return it after the author forbids readers from ever hanging blazers off their shoulders

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly decent for a brick of a book in inexcusably tiny font. Prescriptive advice (who is this for?) from a cis het white woman who wears a size zero, attempting to be inclusive by highlighting a variety of other experts of different backgrounds. Too many influencers and too much emphasis on trench coats, turtlenecks and attracting men.

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great, practical styling tips. I was reading this while packing for a posh vacation and it sparked lots of perfect fashion ideas! Especially color ideas & bag solutions! The chapter on black was my favorite! But I do disagree with the statement you don’t need espadrille wedges! I find them comfortable and timeless! This is definitely an important style book to have on your shelf!

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a disappointment. How can a book that purports to be a guide to dressing not every discuss proportion, colors, fit, textures? I assumed Barron was a blogger with a following, perhaps she is but she's also the fashion director for two online fashion sites. Perhaps she knows a thing or two but just doesn’t know how to "put it in words"; that’s what good editors are for.
I'm always suspect of non-fiction books that do not have an index. Paging through 300+ pages of text trying to find a specific topic is a fool’s errand. The table of contents isn't much help as it has categories such as Denim, Events, Summer, Bags. One would think a fashion editor might begin with fit, proportion, color, capsule wardrobe (it's there but the first topic so one is reading about 'selecting clothes before knowing about how they should fit, etc.).
I am glad a borrowed this from the library so I didn't waste any money. Now, please don't waste your time.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I cannot tell a lie. I did a bit of shopping after reading this book! Someone like me, an admitted fashion-phobe is not the target audience, but wait... maybe I am? It was interesting to read about fashion because I normally would not. I appreciated the tone, the layout, and that it seemed sensible. I also admit I didn't finish it, because I got overwhelmed and feared I'd end up doing more shopping. Just kidding! I think it is a fine book even for people like me!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I enjoyed exploring new terrain.

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a problem with these kinds of books. I read them and know how to dress kinda cute but what do I wear on the daily? My uniform or my dang stretched out pjs.

I'll still read them.

This one was just okay. Then it threw in some tidbits from stars telling us how to dress. I deducted a star because in what life do the fancy smancy stars give a shit about how I look? Suck it Oprah. I don't like you.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts off with picking the pieces that would make up the perfect capsule wardrobe, from there the author lays out exactly what items should be in your closet, where to wear them, and with what shoes, accessories are needed. There is also a chapter with everything you need to know about denim and one on workwear. I thought the whole book was nicely done and informative. I thank Netgalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Halifax]

Audiobook. DNF

[Angeliki L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not impressed! It was pretty boring and too much of a brick book for no reason. It has some insights but nothing you cannot find in YouTube videos from various creators!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barron has firm ideas about how clothes should be worn, but also seems like it's no skin off her back if you choose to go your own way.

[Rosemary And · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stating the obvious

If you need this book, you're probably still in nappies, but luckily can't read yet. By the time you can read, that is age 5 probably, you won't need this book.

[Edie Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

To begin with, the title is a misnomer. If you are looking for advice on what to wear you could do better.

I recently reviewed, “In Style: Secrets of Style”
I found those tips invaluable. They were also better organized.

This book reads more as a collection of short essays by different authors on choices of attire. Some suggestions were helpful, some I actually thought bad, some were interesting, and many I found so inapplicable I had to skip them. Most were just personal opinions. It was more about what the writer wears rather than identifying good choices for the reader.

As I said, some of the entries were good, but so few I didn’t consider the lot of them qualified for more than three stars.