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How Not to Wear Black: Find your Style, Create your Forever Wardrobe
Shop better, buy less, and dress to tell the world "this is me"! Anna Murphy, Fashion Director of The Times, shares her tricks for dressing to feel confident and comfortable, look modern and fabulous, and define your personal style - without always resorting to black. Your clothes stake your place in the world to a voice, a path, a future. Choose who you want to be and how to dress well accordingly. As Mark Twain said, "There is no power without clothes". Anna draws on her years of inside fashion knowledge and style experience to help you work out your "clothing happy place". What best flatters your body? What expresses your sense of self? And how do you build a sustainable wardrobe that will serve you day in, day out, for years to come? Explore why less is more; how to layer, the tricks of mixing and non-matching, and how to dress up neutrals. Follow Anna's tips on the 9-5 work wardrobe, what to wear for that special event, and how to carry off athleisure in style. Also discover the best length of dress or trousers for you, your perfect jeans, and how to invest in a handbag that you will use and love for ever.Immerse yourself in this inspiring, realistic, and practical style book and you, too, will be able to throw chic outfits together effortlessly, have something you want to wear for every occasion, and create wardrobe that, with occasional shopping forays, can last forever. Make fashion your friend!
- GenresNonfictionFashion
329 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2018
14 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
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January 10, 2022LIKE READING AN INSTYLE ARTICLE THAT JUST KEEPS GOING
June 11, 2019
For a book about fashion tips there was a serious lack of pictures. This book feels like I am reading a thesis about fashion with a lot of name-dropping and quotes from other people. I almost expected to see footnotes. There were a handful of good advice, I liked the 666 rule to help weed out clothes to get rid but overall the fashion advice did not seem anything that is especially ground-breaking. I would recommend this to fashionable readers older than 40, I don't think the tips will fit a younger group.
November 10, 2019
would have gotten 3 stars except for the multiple digs about avoiding certain clothes and lipstick colors so one doesn't look like a librarian. unfortunately, anna, this reader is a librarian and does not appreciate your outdated stereotypes! also, don't get me started on the chapter about how women need to "dress like women" and embrace our womenness at work. yikes.
June 3, 2019
It needed a lot more pictures to illustrate her points. And some of the suggestions would look so out of place in my small country town i.e. they're more suitable for big city life.
February 27, 2021
Some elements of this book were okay. I especially liked the “if you don’t feel like yourself wearing x item, don’t wear it”.
But some parts were really bad and it ruined the reading experience for me. This part is awful: “in order to look our best we should all be engaged in what I call operation hourglass. This is the most in-proportion look of all”
Um??! This is the opposite of what we should do actually. Instead of all trying to have the “neat hourglass shape” we should embrace our quirks and differences. What makes us unique. Why do so many books about fashion play on women’s insecurities?
But some parts were really bad and it ruined the reading experience for me. This part is awful: “in order to look our best we should all be engaged in what I call operation hourglass. This is the most in-proportion look of all”
Um??! This is the opposite of what we should do actually. Instead of all trying to have the “neat hourglass shape” we should embrace our quirks and differences. What makes us unique. Why do so many books about fashion play on women’s insecurities?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2019
Less about how not to wear black or how to find your own style, and more about how to look young/cool/modern/contemporary/fashionable. (Must have shearling gilet.)
Ironically, detailed instructions are provided on what to wear to look like an "original dresser, original thinker."
Ironically, detailed instructions are provided on what to wear to look like an "original dresser, original thinker."
December 22, 2019
I have re-read this hardcover advice from the illustrious @annagmurphy to keep me on the straight and narrow for two key reasons:
1) to keep on increasing colour in winter
2) to keep working at decreasing the clothing clutter!
It is all about letting go of what I don't need and investing in quality as well. I recycle a lot of my wardrobe, some things are very treasured and some are just fun for a season. But it really makes me wonder whether we need all this "stuff". And I loved that it was more writing less photos - use your imagination to dress, don't rely on the looks of others to get you going!! Re-wearing a coat or dress across seasons isn't bad or a faux pas. Learning how to mix and match is half the fun. Take the challenge!
1) to keep on increasing colour in winter
2) to keep working at decreasing the clothing clutter!
It is all about letting go of what I don't need and investing in quality as well. I recycle a lot of my wardrobe, some things are very treasured and some are just fun for a season. But it really makes me wonder whether we need all this "stuff". And I loved that it was more writing less photos - use your imagination to dress, don't rely on the looks of others to get you going!! Re-wearing a coat or dress across seasons isn't bad or a faux pas. Learning how to mix and match is half the fun. Take the challenge!
January 19, 2021
Nice guide and reference of dressing.
However, it provided a half page on panties and bras. Even though they aren't visible and come in multiple colors and styles it would be a nice topic to cover since they may affect the final appearance of how you look.
However, it provided a half page on panties and bras. Even though they aren't visible and come in multiple colors and styles it would be a nice topic to cover since they may affect the final appearance of how you look.
June 30, 2019
BASIC
It won’t change your life. Still a not boring reading for people interested in fashion. If you are starting this topic, it is good.
It won’t change your life. Still a not boring reading for people interested in fashion. If you are starting this topic, it is good.
October 10, 2019
Skimmed this in the Dr.’s waiting room. Would have benefitted from more pictures.
October 13, 2019
The print edition is titled "How to Not Wear Black."
November 23, 2019
This is a wonderful reference book on fashion and style. I borrowed it from the library and would like to renew the loan but there are others who also want to read it.
January 7, 2020
There's a lot of good ideas in this book, but there aren't many visuals to assist with the ideas brought forward by Anna Murphy.
January 12, 2020
I actually really like wearing black...
Maybe more pictures in the book would have helped a bit.
Maybe more pictures in the book would have helped a bit.
February 8, 2021
I expect even more but it turns out just kind of collective magazine articles
March 2, 2021
Haiza, không như kì vọng chút nào.
September 4, 2021
Definitely felt like some of the references were-- perhaps unintentionally-- offensive.
February 12, 2022
Part manual, part manifesto, a stylish and beautiful take on what works right now.
January 21, 2024
A real treasure trove of very follow-able fashion advice - fresh and up to date - with a smattering of sustainability values. Also an easy good read.
June 27, 2019
This has something new to say about fashion and style and that's a good thing. Even if you've read a lot of these type of books, give this one a go.
The good bits start with the title - so many women default to black and it's boring, depressing even. But check out the photo on page 8 of Anna Murphy - that is how it is done! Then, this appears to be written for women over the age of 35 who wear clothes - who knew they even existed right? There are references to Elena Ferrante, Iris Apfel, Maya Angelou and others instead of just overly recycled quotes by Coco Chanel. Not all the advice is stock standard (I'll quibble with some later) but the standard rules and wardrobe staples are mostly avoided. There's snippets of new info and common sense eg 'Find Your Food Happy Place' or don't wear belts if they don't suit you (gasp!). The photos are good and illustrative of the points being made. There's a chapter on Sustainable Fashion that provides a decent overview of the issues. There's a chapter about flourish.
So, the quibbles. The Sunday supplement phrase 'bang up to date' or similar was irritating from its very first appearance. And it was repeated. A lot. The 'Doyenne's Dozen' has been replicated a billion times and no-one needs to talk about Breton tops et al ever again. Most people do not need a shearling gilet nor will they look good in it. And trainers (sneakers / running shoes) always, always, make an outfit casual bordering on unimaginative / sloppy. Wear them to a special event if you want to offend the hosts / are young enough for it to be still cute you don't have a clue. Otherwise wear shoes (if you don't believe me, flick through all the photos in this book where white trainers appear = proof positive they downgrade an outfit).
Overall - worth a read in preference to 90% of books on this subject.
The good bits start with the title - so many women default to black and it's boring, depressing even. But check out the photo on page 8 of Anna Murphy - that is how it is done! Then, this appears to be written for women over the age of 35 who wear clothes - who knew they even existed right? There are references to Elena Ferrante, Iris Apfel, Maya Angelou and others instead of just overly recycled quotes by Coco Chanel. Not all the advice is stock standard (I'll quibble with some later) but the standard rules and wardrobe staples are mostly avoided. There's snippets of new info and common sense eg 'Find Your Food Happy Place' or don't wear belts if they don't suit you (gasp!). The photos are good and illustrative of the points being made. There's a chapter on Sustainable Fashion that provides a decent overview of the issues. There's a chapter about flourish.
So, the quibbles. The Sunday supplement phrase 'bang up to date' or similar was irritating from its very first appearance. And it was repeated. A lot. The 'Doyenne's Dozen' has been replicated a billion times and no-one needs to talk about Breton tops et al ever again. Most people do not need a shearling gilet nor will they look good in it. And trainers (sneakers / running shoes) always, always, make an outfit casual bordering on unimaginative / sloppy. Wear them to a special event if you want to offend the hosts / are young enough for it to be still cute you don't have a clue. Otherwise wear shoes (if you don't believe me, flick through all the photos in this book where white trainers appear = proof positive they downgrade an outfit).
Overall - worth a read in preference to 90% of books on this subject.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews