Classic Style: Hand It Down, Dress It Up, Wear It Out

by Kate Schelter, Andy Spade (Foreword)

A gorgeously illustrated guide to "the classics": the essential clothes, accessories, beauty products, and timeless everyday objects that define your personal style. In Classic Style, fashion expert and illustrator Kate Schelter curates a collection of more than 150 iconic, essential classics-- clothes, accessories, beauty products, objects, and travel items that exemplify great design, simplicity, and timeless style. Balancing the trend toward minimalism with a dose of charm and personality, Kate shows you how to develop (and celebrate!) your own style by following an easy buy less, buy better, reinvent what you already have, and own your look. Now in her first book, she guides readers through these principles in a mix of stunning watercolor illustrations, stories, memories, quotes, and advice from a collection of friends and mentors in the fashion world. A visual gem, Classic Style will inspire you to pare down those stuffed closets and storage units, find joy in simplicity and usefulness, and rediscover the one thing that is truly essential to personal style--you!

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion, Lifestyle, Coffee Table Books

413 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 30, 2017

Reviews

[Cheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

So it's a pretty book, but so mind-numbingly boring it's now sitting sadly on my endtable. Unfinished. Over halfway done, and I'd rather clip my toenails than finish.

I was looking forward to it when I learned I was being gifted a copy, but in the end it just doesn't deliver what I thought it would deliver - a discussion on how to build a wardrobe that has classic style.

I mean, it kinda does, and it highlights the "classic style" of a bunch of apparently famous (and, I think, wealthy?) people I don't recognize... who have things I've never heard of... often really expensive things, which I learned when I looked some of that stuff up. Why does "classic style" mean $150 dollar sweaters? Yikes. Too rich for my blood. And therefore doesn't feel relevant.

So, clearly this book is intended for a reader who walks a different path than mine.

It's a pretty book, but just... boring to me.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: 3rd or 4th read. I come back to this every few years and enjoy it more every time.

—-

I surprised myself by loving this. And it's not a fashion book. It's about design; the perfect, simple objects in our lives and histories; the evolution of an artist and an artist's life; the creative experience; celebrating the material while rejecting materialism; simpler living, and more. Also there's some sartorial style advice here and there from the author and myriad style-interested people she features every few pages. The watercolor illustrations throughout (by the artist-author) are delightful.

[Kara Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming book on style!

I loved the playful wisdom and beautiful watercolor images in this delightful book. It is more about principles of style and design than it is about do's and dont's and specific instruction. Read it for inspiration and reminders about the true meaning of style.

[Suellen · Rating 1 out of 5]

A self-indulgent bow to the author's charmed life, personal connections, and fashion sense. We can figure this out ourselves.

[Anne White]

Not going to rate it because mileage might vary a lot. Kind of Alexandra Stoddard meets Tassajara Cooking, decorated with watercolour shoes, pencils, and shampoo bottles. Some sadness (and some language). Some things that most of us will never relate to (photographing celebrities). Some things that lots of us will (hanging on to the things that matter). This may be more of a library borrow than one you want to run out and buy, but interesting anyway.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a major letdown. It was wishy washy in it's direction. "Save, spend, splurge, buy cheap, buy expensive, buy only classics, buy what you want, wait to buy, buy on a whim". No thank you. It was also very obviously written from a place of privilege with no thought to the average clothes wearer. The "fill-in-the-blank" surveys throughout were done by people whom, I can only assume, would be well known in specific fashion circles. It was also disappointing to see Woody Alken referenced so many times in a book published in 2017. The only thing I enjoyed in this book were the watercolor paintings and even those seemed random and out of place. Some lined up with the text, others just seemed to be there for the sake of being there? I would not recommend this.

[Am Y · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author does watercolour illustrations for many big (luxury) fashion brands and magazines, and if the book had just been a showcase of these illustrations, without the text, I wouldn't have had a problem with it - they were colourful and pretty. Unfortunately the author tries to, as the title says, tell us what "classic style" is, and how to "hand it down, dress it up, wear it out". Here it is a huge fail. At least, for me.

Aside from the author droning on aimlessly (and sometimes nonsensically) about herself and her family, especially her father, and what he liked to wear, some habits of his, and so on so forth, throughout the book we also get short interviews with random people (e.g. designers, fashion stylists, marketing/communications people, editors, photographers, writers, etc). They answer things like "favourite bag, restaurant, watch, shoes, etc" and sometimes tell us the "contents of [their] bag", "favourite wardrobe item", and so on. Not sure what the purpose of this was - maybe to tell us what the "in-crowd" (read: pretentious arty-farty snobs) fancies, which therefore equates to "classic style"?

We get it - it's not "classic" unless it's your LV duffel bag, vintage Mercedes car, Rolex wristwatch, Gucci loafers, Chanel perfume, or, as one lady says, "anything from Dolce & Gabbana".

Also, kudos to the author's style conclusions from a huge bunch of first-world problems, one of which was, and I quote from the book:

"I once hosted a black-tie party at the CFDA Awards (the Oscars of fashion) at the New York Public Library on Forty-Second Street. I wore an ethereal orange floor-length gown of silk chiffon that I had borrowed from Hermes. It was the exact dress Kate Moss had worn in Vogue... The afterparty, held at the nightclub Bungalow 8, was packed with every bold-faced name in fashion. As we celebrated, my gorgeous dress dragged across the floor and puddles of spilled drinks. Unbeknownst to me, the hem soaked up the stiff cocktails. I woke in the morning to find the gown had shrunk three inches. The liquid had dissolved the fabric completely! The drinks ate my dress... Horrified, I immediately called their PR department, explained what had happened, and apologised profusely... They graciously said not to worry, that it would be sent to their seamstress, hemmed and worn again; no problem. When I told this story to a designer friend of mine, he said he was happiest when a dress came back from a shoot destroyed - gowns worn by models diving into swimming pools fully coifed - because it was the one they really loved and wanted the model to wear. The one that was lived in. Anything can have a second life."

Insufferable. Seriously.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! Witty, charming, and true--the illustrations are also A+. On par with Amanda Brooks' work--with a bit more whimsy!

[Katetreitman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the simple way she writes! I will come back to this book many times a year.

[NancyS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everything that was said in the 255 pages of this book could have been said in 30 pages.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl after my own heart. We’re exactly the same..except for her fabulous fashion career and mine being in Insurance and all..😘😁

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a book helps me look at myself from a twenty foot view. Not in a self-help way but in a get to know yourself better way. It's the type of book you read on a long, relaxing vacation or a lazy Saturday because you want to linger and think about some of the water colors, stories and posed questions.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more of a personal manifesto, or creative memoir, than a style "guide." If you enjoy learning about the lives of creative people and appreciate winsome illustration, it's worth the time. I was amused to find Quaker meeting guidelines included midway through the book - I think this is a first! I also appreciated Schelter's insistence on simplicity-in particular paring down, repurposing or reinventing what she has.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fine read, I suppose, but I had some issues with it.

-It should have been billed as a style memoir rather than a practical guide. Most of it is just a string of personal stories with some super-vague advice scattered throughout.

-Too much of it came off kind of braggy. We get it, you were brought up upper middle class and you've had an exciting career. This was at times more annoying than inspiring.

-She tries to differentiate between classic and preppy style, but the book reads like it's ticking off boxes from the Official Preppy Handbook. Why bother trying to convince us that your obviously preppy mother isn't actually preppy? It's like Andrew Eldritch claiming not to be goth.

There is definitely a time and place for books like this that are light, entertaining, and more style than substance. If that's what you're looking for, then go for it! I didn't dislike it. I just think calling this a classic style guide is a bit of a misnomer.

[Tehya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so amazing!
On a lot of occasions, Schelter’s opinions are a lot different than mine but she did give a lot of life changing advice. Like,
Less is more, and how to do more with less.
Being yourself in everything you do and good fashion advice so as not to come off as a trend follower.
To have slow style, rather than fast fashion.

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, all for the beautiful illustrations. I loved them and they really made the book. The text felt very vague to me- nothing very specific, just a lot of "here's some things I love".

[Lan Đinh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Một cuốn sách nói về thời trang. Nó không dạy cho bạn cách phối đồ nào đi với đồ nào là hợp lý nhất, màu nào sẽ hợp với da của bạn. Nó dạy bạn hãy thử đi, thử nhiều và tìm ra những thứ thuộc về bạn. Những món đồ kinh điển chưa chắc đã là những món đồ hợp thời và nó cũng không chạy theo một xu hướng nào cả. Những đồ vật kinh điển ở mỗi người là khác nhau. Bạn thấy nó thật đẹp, mình sẽ dùng đi dùng lại nó nhiều lần mà không biết chán, đó là kinh điển. Những món đồ Kinh điển chưa chắc là những món đồ đắt tiền. Đôi khi dùng lại đồ cũ, chỉnh sửa nó một chút hay phối nó theo một cách mới thì những món đồ đó cũng sẽ đẹp hơn nhiều đồ mới. Đồ vật không thể hiện giá trị của nó dự trên giá tiền mà dựa trên công dụng của chúng.
Mục đích ban đầu khi tôi đọc cuốn sách này là muốn mình mặc đồ đẹp hơn, hợp thời hơn. Sau khi đọc song cuốn sách này, thứ mà tôi nhận được là “ tin và yêu những đồ vật, mọi thứ mà mình lựa chọn. Khi bạn tự tin, bạn luôn luôn đẹp”.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange book. I adored the illustrations. I appreciated the main themes of the book: do more with less, be yourself, have confidence, go after things, surround yourself with things and people you love, and learn to value things that are functional and reliable. You demonstrate your style in everything you do... not just your clothes. However it had the weirdest structure... it felt like the author's random thoughts, in no particular order. It was very disjointed. I also felt like she bragged about her life -- summers in Cape Cod, glamorous life in LA, being a high profile fashion stylist in NYC and knowing everyone and wearing designer clothing. We get it... you were a big deal. I think humility is in style, and she did not have it. I would not recommend this book to others. However I will try to apply the lesson 'do more with less' by paring down my wardrobe. (Maybe.)

[Tram Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice illustration and interesting way of story-telling. I was so obsessed with the color palette that I could spend a few minutes glancing at one picture before moving on. I love her idea of using high quality products over cheaper & more trendy products. That concept really aligns with my philosophy at this moment so I did enjoy the book. However, towards the end or maybe the later half of the book isn't as interesting as the first half. She gave some non-relevant and pretty general advice on life rather than focusing on the style/fashion, which gave me a feeling that she was trying to fill in the book. Fortunately, the advice still sounds very genuine and down to earth so it was not completely a dealbreaker to me. 4.5*/5*

[Lesa Parnham · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the most terrible wastes of money I have ever spent. I saw the book on Amazon and thought it was a book on dressing with classic style. What a got instead was a wealthy woman talking about herself along with little interviews with her wealthy friends.
They seem to want to make themselves seem sophisticated, instead, they were laughable. what was the point of this book? It was certainly not targeted to anyone but the very rich. With that said, this self-obsessed woman and her friends make me glad I am just me and that I can't spend over $100 for a shirt. Yes, the watercolors were cute, but I could have made better use of my money buying an art book of watercolors. Horrible!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn't really a style guide and you most likely picked it up for the art that was in it and that's totally OK because the art in this book is wonderful. There was a peaceful quality to it and Kate Schelter is clearly very talented.

She is also very preppy and most of what she mentions as classic style is the classic preppy look which is fine if you're like and your own personal style leans toward preppy. As our styles are very similar I can't say if her advice can be applied to other styles or not but I would say.

The best part of the book IMO are the profiles she had with other people asking about their classics both in fashion and food and dishware. I would gladly buy a whole book with nothing but that as the content.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations initially drew me to the book. I was hoping for some musings on what makes great design and what gives a design staying power to go with those gorgeous illustrations of well designed, classic items. Instead, I got nostalgic personal stories about the author’s family, a lot of questionnaires filled out by fashion people whom I wanted to slap (Question: What do you eat for breakfast? Answer: An espresso and two Marlboro lights. SLAP!), and a few incoherent ramblings about how to live your life to be as successful as the author. Disappointing and irritating at best. If you must look at this book, stick to the pretty pictures.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Books on fashion are hit or miss for me. Some are really great and inspiring, and others can come off as somewhat out of touch. This book had an added element in the author's watercolor illustrations. This book felt out of touch to me, though. It seemed as though the author came from a more well-off upbringing, and her suggestions of recycling and upcycling don't necessarily play well for those who can't afford the same quality. I agree with her ideas about avoiding fast fashion and trying to wear and reuse clothing for years to come, but overall, I wasn't the right audience for this one. I donated it once I finished reading it, so 2 stars.

[Laurel Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, romantic descriptions of items. Overall, lovely to read and experience, but felt rather out of touch with everyday people. Full of pretension and flush with what a rich person might deem simplicity.

I enjoyed this book in the way I enjoy looking at the shampoo and snacks someone has when house-sitting - a little window into someone else's life, perspective, and priorities. So many mentions of Rolex and Chanel, I should've known from the get go I was not the main audience for this book.

For all its feeling of out-of-reach glamour, it did highlight beauty in a way I appreciated.

[Sarah Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no idea what this book is about. It is meandering, sometimes memoir, sometimes style guide, sometimes bits of life advice. The watercolor illustrations really make it fun to read, and I enjoyed fantasizing about he author’s preppy east coast upbringing and life through the salt-stained chambray shirts and the LL Bean tote bags and the vintage Hermès belt buckle.

Has an honest and crusty bit down to earth tone that I appreciated. And overall fun to consider what makes a classic item and how to find your own set of classics that you love, that will transcend time.

[Jo Skeffington]

Definitely a different type of book than I’ve ever read. Amazing watercolor artist. Several quotes I liked…here is one of them…
‘You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you need to be focused, direct and full of intention and sometimes you need time for stillness, confusion and reinvention. Time to let things come to you naturally, without being forced. Time to play, to just see what happens, to be who you are without labels and step out from the box in which others have placed you or you have placed yourself. A reset. A nonplan plan.”

[Dulce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such lovely illustrations! This is a guide for remembering what being "classy" truly means. There are separate brief sections that show how one's classic style is based on a person's sense of fullness, comfort, and happiness. I found myself thinking about my own wardrobe and organizing habits to which I pat myself on the back. Less is certainly more!

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library after flipping through it and seeing all the watercolor illos. It looks like the author had great fun with this book. She's living a completely different life than mine but I still enjoyed a glimpse into her and the other designers (who she does Q&A with throughout the book) lives.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a beautiful book. I loved all the water colour images throughout. Unfortunately, I did not learn anything particularly new but I did enjoy immersing myself in a world of beautiful design and function. Biggest takeaway was to buy quality (already knew) and to follow/buy what you love/calls to you because that is YOU