The Way We Wore: A Life in Clothes

by Daphne Selfe

Daphne Selfe has been photographed by Mario Testino, Nick Knight and David Bailey. She has modelled for Dolce and Gabbana, Red or Dead and high-street chains such as TK Maxx, and regularly appears in newspaper fashion pages and glossy magazines. She is one of Britain's most in-demand supermodels and has worked non-stop for almost twenty years. But what makes her really rather extraordinary is that she is now in her late eighties. Daphne grew up in an age when dresses were lovingly run up for you by your mother, when needlework for even the most basic outfit was an art form, and when a new Simplicity Pattern was almost more exciting than a new dance tune. Perhaps as a result, she has had a lifelong love affair with clothes and fashion. The Way We Wore is a heart-warming account of that love affair, taking readers from the organdie party frocks of a 1930s childhood to the pages of Vogue. In it, Daphne shares a wealth of anecdotes from her peripatetic childhood, following her teacher father from school to school, from her modelling career, which began as a department store house model, and from her long and happy marriage. The result is a vivid and inspiring memoir from a woman who has always embraced life and who continues to do so in her ninth decade with as much zest as in her first.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Fashion, Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2015

Reviews

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Selfe, by her own admission, has had a very nice life indeed. She has been lucky, charmed and despite in her own eyes, not having wealth, actually comes from enormous privilege and a decent amount of money compared to most people. She seems like a really nice person. That doesn't necessarily make for a riveting book, as I am sure she would be the first to agree. I could have done with a lot less on the growing up and mucking out stables and a lot more about the really interesting stuff about her which is her late career as a mature model working with all the great names in fashion and photography. That all gets crammed into a couple of chapters at the end and I would have been much happier if at least half the book had been about that instead.

[Lucy Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this memoir of Daphne Selfe, not one of the top models like Twiggy, but a an impressive also-ran, who tells an interesting story set on a fashion time line. I loved the way each chapter begins with a clothes sketch and the narrative keeps popping back to the world of fashion in a clever way, which holds the reader's interest. I loved the author's committed positivity and can-do approach to everything, including standing in a freezing swimming pool in her 80s! Overall, greatly enjoyed the memoir, although I was struck by what a smooth trauma-free life Selfe lived, which probably explains her longevity.

[Kimberley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed with this book.
While she did talk about clothes and modelling, going on about her parents and horse riding and all that just side tracked away from it all.
Was hoping for more photos of her modelling and hell maybe even some tips and tricks about models or sewing.
But was a nice quick read.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.75 stars

A really interesting book but I think there were too many chapters spent on her childhood. I would have much preferred more chapters on her later modelling career from the late 90s but I still enjoyed it.

[Daydreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to learn about her modelling and life but I felt it lacked depth. Everything was nice, lovely dinners and beautiful clothing but no real essence to anything. The stories were just a telling of events with no real colour added.

[Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story, bit repetitive. Interesting to hear about being a model back in the day though.

[Sally Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

an autobiography - also the history of clothes and fashion design as well as her life.

[Beatrice Hogg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story about her life and her experiences as a model.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this little memoir, the author Daphne Selfe tells us about her life with her growing up through some of the clothes she and her family wore. After some modeling in her twenties, she had a long and happy marriage and brought up her children, before finding fame as a senior model, and now in her eighties is more in demand than ever. With her long grey hair and dancers figure she now travels the world for ad campaigns and magazine photos and is a much needed vision of woman that we need in the media.


I enjoyed her stories, such an interesting period to write about and somehow I wonder if there will be such interesting books from the youngsters now, if in sixty years they will be writing poetically about converse sneakers, skinny jeans, beanies and flannel shirts?

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book.....you choose to live your life seeing the positive or the negatives and Daphne is one of the wonderful positive people.....
Daphne is a working model in her 80's and that was one of the reasons I was prompted to read this; I saw her on t.v. a few years back and loved the way she presented herself (both visually and intellectually)...she's just so upbeat and wonderful. You can't help but admire and like her.
Daphne, I hope you continue to work for many more years to come. I really enjoyed your story...I hope there are many more chapters yet! Thanks for sharing....