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The Cool Factor: A Guide to Achieving Effortless Style, with Secrets from the Women Who Have It
Trendsetter Andrea Linett has that rare ability to distill fashion talk into advice that everyone can follow, and in this book she shares the style wisdom she’s gathered over years of working in the fashion industry. Here is only the content that matters—wardrobe classics, leather, denim, suits, dressing in black and white, dressing up, getting the right fit, layering, accessories, and hair. Linett’s fashion philosophy is illustrated through precise tips and photos of women who do it right, and from them we learn how to develop personal style. Did you think a “Canadian tuxedo” (denim on denim) was an absolute faux pas? Not if you pair the right shades of denim and dress it up with some serious heels. Were you under the impression that your hair should get shorter with age? That rule no longer exists. Do you want to know how to wear black and white pieces together without looking like a cater waiter? The black and white chapter is filled with some ingenious examples. Finally, Linett rounds out the book with checklists, including must-haves for a hardworking wardrobe, how to breathe new life into old pieces, how to make a trend your own, and how to make sure everything you buy actually fits.
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2016
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456 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
July 23, 2016
This book just confirms something that I've always known-I am NOT cool. I do not dress cool and I do not have effortless style. Oh well. Those who do need people like me to make them look even better than they already do. And I'm pretty sure that I am not going to wear black crew socks with high heels, even if someone tries to tell me that it is cool.
August 3, 2017
Lots of denim, jumpsuits, neutrals, and the same old basics (white shirt, trench coat), livened up somewhat by interviews with the author's cool Brooklyn friends. The cool friends tend to say that they don't care about labels AT ALL, no they are not those people, but then will rattle off the names of their favorite niche designers or identify their favorite items of clothing by label. (Like the people in Architectural Digest who say, "oh, we are unpretentious folks who just like to play with the kids and dogs and eat take-out Chinese," and then their living room is all white.) This book is thin on content/ideas/diversity. It is interesting to think of distilling an intangible (NY "cool") down to a set of practices, but I don't think this book quite succeeds.
May 5, 2018
I would have given this three stars if I hadn't travelled to Portugal and seen the genuine effortless style of European women. It made the tips on "classiness" of this book seem silly and contrived.
June 23, 2018
1/2/2017 - I grabbed this book at the library because 1) a friend mentioned it and 2) I liked The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style: How to Wear Iconic Looks and Make Them Your Own and I Want to be Her. Houston, we have a problem. The first chapter is title Why Denim Means Everything to Me. If I wrote a style book, my chapter would be title Why Denim Means Nothing to Me. I do not own a pair of jeans, and I do not see their value.
December 26, 2018
I agree with the reviewer who said that this book was like a car wreck that she couldn't look away from. It's too bad, because this book has some useful tips about how to wear basics in interesting ways I haven't tried before.
The premise is interesting. The author invited women she considered to have cool style to bring their own clothes in for a 4 day photoshoot, 33 women + the author were photographed for the book.
I had to check the publication date (2016) because I couldn't believe it was published the same year as #oscarssowhite. Should I call it #fashionsowhite? 31/34 of the subjects were white (including white latinas), 2 were black and one was Asian.
It was especially jarring because Linett wrote that she strived for diversity. Yes, some of the women were older and larger than size 8. But, how can her sample be so white? I see a lot of cool Asian women on the west coast. Is it that different in NY?
Seeing how Michelle Quan--the impossibly gorgeous, tall and thin model that was the face of Geoffrey Beene--dresses was not especially helpful.
https://www.mandatory.com/living/9294...
The featured women like clothes and tend to buy some pricey designer clothes. They do add vintage and cheap chic things like t-shirts from Walmart. I found that incredibly tone-deaf because the clothes that are supposed to be relatable and real are from businesses that produce their clothes in irresponsible and dangerous factories. There are better producers of affordable clothes. Maybe cool women don't care about the safety and well-being of the women who produced their clothes?
The shoes are mostly not for walking. Stilettos require taxis, which are another tone-deaf note while cars are emitting so much of the CO2 causing global warming.
This is a really bad book with nice photographs.
The premise is interesting. The author invited women she considered to have cool style to bring their own clothes in for a 4 day photoshoot, 33 women + the author were photographed for the book.
I had to check the publication date (2016) because I couldn't believe it was published the same year as #oscarssowhite. Should I call it #fashionsowhite? 31/34 of the subjects were white (including white latinas), 2 were black and one was Asian.
It was especially jarring because Linett wrote that she strived for diversity. Yes, some of the women were older and larger than size 8. But, how can her sample be so white? I see a lot of cool Asian women on the west coast. Is it that different in NY?
Seeing how Michelle Quan--the impossibly gorgeous, tall and thin model that was the face of Geoffrey Beene--dresses was not especially helpful.
https://www.mandatory.com/living/9294...
The featured women like clothes and tend to buy some pricey designer clothes. They do add vintage and cheap chic things like t-shirts from Walmart. I found that incredibly tone-deaf because the clothes that are supposed to be relatable and real are from businesses that produce their clothes in irresponsible and dangerous factories. There are better producers of affordable clothes. Maybe cool women don't care about the safety and well-being of the women who produced their clothes?
The shoes are mostly not for walking. Stilettos require taxis, which are another tone-deaf note while cars are emitting so much of the CO2 causing global warming.
This is a really bad book with nice photographs.
October 10, 2016
Jen I couldn't finish this book. I'm okay with saying "I'm not cool enough" but I don't think that is the only issue. The whole first chapter is dedicated to blue jeans, including "The Canadian Suit" which is blue jeans paired with a blue jean shirt. This book felt like a big time warp to the Eighties. I flipped back to the publishing date just to verify it really was a new book. Not my style.
October 3, 2018
Andrea Lee Linett has been telling me what is cool since I was 12, and honestly, she's right.
This book is kind of like an updated Cheap and Chic, in that she recommends regulation French military shirts and consults with actual cool women on what they like to wear. I appreciate her candor in appraising details (too small front pockets on a denim jacket make it look 'cheap and junior's department' -- TRUE).
Sassy magazine readers will nod sagely to see her career-long biases come thru (clogs! vests!) yet again, but not in a 'you are tacky' kind of way.
This book is kind of like an updated Cheap and Chic, in that she recommends regulation French military shirts and consults with actual cool women on what they like to wear. I appreciate her candor in appraising details (too small front pockets on a denim jacket make it look 'cheap and junior's department' -- TRUE).
Sassy magazine readers will nod sagely to see her career-long biases come thru (clogs! vests!) yet again, but not in a 'you are tacky' kind of way.
March 7, 2021
This book is for white women who are tall and have no curves or chest area. The affluence is overwhelming.
Yes, there were a few people of colour, but they were minimally featured.
Kudos for boosting thrifting and longevity of pieces in your closet, but if you want readers to know how to style them 1) GIVE US VISUALS for more than a select number of items 2) promote body and ability diversity.
For those of us who are more curvy and well endowed, layering (for instance) may look extremely different than the bodies described above.
Yes, there were a few people of colour, but they were minimally featured.
Kudos for boosting thrifting and longevity of pieces in your closet, but if you want readers to know how to style them 1) GIVE US VISUALS for more than a select number of items 2) promote body and ability diversity.
For those of us who are more curvy and well endowed, layering (for instance) may look extremely different than the bodies described above.
Read
September 14, 2019Read it and confirmed that I'll never be one of the cool kids. But that's okay.
February 13, 2017
Most of these style books are the same but I can't seem to resist them so here I go again. This was one of the best and I thoroughly enjoyed the approach taken by Andrea Linett in writing this guide to achieving effortless style with secrets from women who have it. It had great photos and suggestions and all the women were fairly mature which in itself was positive. They all had great stye and showed it modelling their very own outfits and how they get their individual looks. Some I liked more than others but they all had a look that was uniquely their own and they all owned their looks with the confidence of women who know what works for them. A great addition to my style fashion library.
July 3, 2016
I took a quick run through the epub version of this book on my desktop. It's got some useful advice about layering and shoe types. I don't think it will age well, which is a problem shared in this genre.
Also, the advice boils down to needing money, and lots of it, to buy the very best simple basics you can afford. Also you want to spend a lot of money on your hair. Oh, and you'll need to be skinny, too.
Also, the advice boils down to needing money, and lots of it, to buy the very best simple basics you can afford. Also you want to spend a lot of money on your hair. Oh, and you'll need to be skinny, too.
February 17, 2019
The photography was well done.
Easy flow to the book, colorful pics and writing.
So much denim.... denim, denim, denim.
No mix of body types. Every model was the same.
Socks with sandals and dress shoes??? I lost all trust in the “expert” at that point.
Easy flow to the book, colorful pics and writing.
So much denim.... denim, denim, denim.
No mix of body types. Every model was the same.
Socks with sandals and dress shoes??? I lost all trust in the “expert” at that point.
September 17, 2021
Don't waste your time unless you're SO insecure, that you need some wealthy white women in NYC to tell you that you, too, can be "cool" if you wear $800-$900 leather jeggings!
I dislike this book for some of the same reasons as others have posted. There is a distinct lack of diversity in age, race, size, ethnicity, income, and location. It would appear you can only have a "Cool Factor" if you make $250K or more a year, live in NYC, and hang out with Linett!
Books like these irritate me when they advocate for ridiculous things like socks with sandals (?!) and cutting off your jeans and slip dresses with scissors and leaving the hems ragged. The claim that it's "cool" can only be made because they're living in NYC; anywhere else in the country and a person dressing like that would be derided as a rube, a hick, a mess! And the aforementioned $900 leather jeggings?!? Please!
Want the "cool look"? Wear half-dozen $300-$400 necklaces over your white t-shirt. There! That's quick/easy enough, amirite? I didn't even care for MANY of the looks in the book. One look touted as evening-ready (wear it to the office, then out to dinner) made the woman look like she was freaking Amish!!! ...hardly a look anyone but the Amish are aspiring to!
A much more USEFUL book is "The Curated Closet" which will help you find your OWN style in which you're comfortable and feel good instead of aping rich white women in NYC while feeling like a kid in a Halloween costume while you're at work.
I dislike this book for some of the same reasons as others have posted. There is a distinct lack of diversity in age, race, size, ethnicity, income, and location. It would appear you can only have a "Cool Factor" if you make $250K or more a year, live in NYC, and hang out with Linett!
Books like these irritate me when they advocate for ridiculous things like socks with sandals (?!) and cutting off your jeans and slip dresses with scissors and leaving the hems ragged. The claim that it's "cool" can only be made because they're living in NYC; anywhere else in the country and a person dressing like that would be derided as a rube, a hick, a mess! And the aforementioned $900 leather jeggings?!? Please!
Want the "cool look"? Wear half-dozen $300-$400 necklaces over your white t-shirt. There! That's quick/easy enough, amirite? I didn't even care for MANY of the looks in the book. One look touted as evening-ready (wear it to the office, then out to dinner) made the woman look like she was freaking Amish!!! ...hardly a look anyone but the Amish are aspiring to!
A much more USEFUL book is "The Curated Closet" which will help you find your OWN style in which you're comfortable and feel good instead of aping rich white women in NYC while feeling like a kid in a Halloween costume while you're at work.
February 5, 2018
Meh. This was just okay, mostly because it didn't feel very original to me. Also, some of what she calls classics actually seem like pieces that are trending again right now (like jumpsuits, stripes, denim on denim, etc.). For example, Target's new line, Universal Threads, is following a lot of these cues.Perhaps it's that trends right now are moving more towards "classic" staples, or maybe she is actually a style influencer. I think it's more likely she's following trends herself. I've been watching a lot of youtube videos on fashion lately, and many of them on capsule wardrobes draw from similar inspiration. Regardless, I enjoyed some of the pictures but didn't feel particularly enlightened or inspired by anything in the book.
September 14, 2019
Way too much denim - but somehow I found this a refreshing style book. I think the writing style and layout were a bit lacking at times, but the concept is great. I wish more people would reduplicate it: getting a lot of stylish women to bring trunks of their favorite items then style them for photos. I flipped through it and didn't read cover-to-cover. Kind of like reading a style magazine. Wouldn't buy it, but got some great inspiration from the outfits these stylish ladies put together.
February 24, 2020
Jammies? Where is the section on jammies? Jammies can be cool... or warm and fuzzy... or sexy... LOL!!!
OK, being serious now! I am vertically challenged and slightly round... so, "cool" is not me! BUT, I do love to flip through books like this (or Pinterest) and find an outfit that will fit my body shape and appeals to my sense of style... then go THRIFTING to find the pieces that I need, that I don't already have in my closet, at a price I can afford ... *grin*
OK, being serious now! I am vertically challenged and slightly round... so, "cool" is not me! BUT, I do love to flip through books like this (or Pinterest) and find an outfit that will fit my body shape and appeals to my sense of style... then go THRIFTING to find the pieces that I need, that I don't already have in my closet, at a price I can afford ... *grin*
January 14, 2018
Competently put together, goes down easy in an appealing way. Good enough for the kind of light reading I like to do while blow drying. Not particularly memorable nor inspiring. The obsession with jeans and leather jackets and white shirts and t shirts is not as universally useful as Linnet seems to think.
December 27, 2020
A good book if you're trying to rethink your personal style. I gave it three stars because a lot of the advice ends up being somewhat formulaic or generic. Still, there are plenty of solid tips in here, particularly about understanding fit and qualities to look for in wardrobe staples like a jean jacket or button-up shirt.
December 20, 2016
Lots of great tips, but most useful
p. 209 Things that should fit small
Ankle boots -around the ankle so legs don't look heavy
Cardigans for layering
Long Tanks
Skinny Jeans
T-shirts
p. 209 Things that should fit small
Ankle boots -around the ankle so legs don't look heavy
Cardigans for layering
Long Tanks
Skinny Jeans
T-shirts
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2017
An impulsive waste of money.
December 5, 2017
This was disappointing. It should be called "Only Read This if you Have LOTS of Disposable Income for Clothes." Also, there was a definite lack of diversity in the women profiled.
May 29, 2018
I liked the fashion tips in this book and thought it was full of practical and valuable information. Only four stars because I was dying to know more about the featured women!
January 9, 2019
Style books are always a snapshot of what is in style at the time of publication...
February 24, 2020
Worth flipping through
April 18, 2021
All the same sized women. All with large bank accounts.
January 11, 2017
Pretty basic.
September 13, 2016
The "effortless style" this book promotes is modern, contemporary, clean, and mostly for female white-collar professionals in their 20s-50s. It's mainly attire for the workplace. There's tons of denim (because the author is a fan), even denim on denim - which the author insists works (but I thought otherwise - ick), and lots of jumpsuits. The jumpsuits were terrible - none of them looked good, the author herself admitted that finding one that fits is a headache, and all the women who wore them in the book looked like janitors. But I liked that the women who modelled the outfits were "regular" women (mostly the author's colleagues) and not models, and I did manage to glean some ideas and inspiration from some of the outfits featured, though I felt others were huge misses. (Another I remember being awful on the eye were the "black on black" styles - just no.)
December 25, 2016
Common sense
July 8, 2016
This was a fairly average style guide. There are the usual tips for wardrobe basics, plus short interviews with some of the women Linett has asked to model in her book. My main problem with it is that everyone's style in it is exactly the same. The style role models that Linett has asked to feature in the book all share her own sense of style. I guess that is to be expected, since it is Linett's book, but it is not very inclusive if your own style does not fit her mold. Therefore, everyone wears black, white, or neutrals, and denim and jeans are worshiped. There are very occasional pops of colour. The chapter on hair and makeup is nearly exclusively about hair as Linett does not wear makeup, and neither do her friends.
In short it is good book if you love Linett's style, but if you don't, it just makes you feel left out.
In short it is good book if you love Linett's style, but if you don't, it just makes you feel left out.
June 17, 2016
Linett went to a sale at one of her favorite boutiques and noticed a bunch of "cool" women there, which she defines as women with their own style. So she arranged a photo shoot and asked them to come in with some clothes they love. Sounds promising, except that they all look pretty much the same to me-- despite different ages and ethnicities, they have similar body types and the same style.
Boring.
She promises that she will not tell you what pieces you absolutely must own and what you must not do, and then she does exactly that. (You must have a denim jean jacket, and it must have pockets. And you must have a white button-down shirt. And you must...blah blah blah)
Boring.
She promises that she will not tell you what pieces you absolutely must own and what you must not do, and then she does exactly that. (You must have a denim jean jacket, and it must have pockets. And you must have a white button-down shirt. And you must...blah blah blah)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews