The Silhouette Solution: Using What You Have to Get the Look You Want

by Brenda Cooper, Fran Drescher (Foreword)

A radically simple and universally flattering system for getting dressed, from the Emmy Award–winning stylist who turned Fran Drescher of The Nanny into a fashion icon

“Brenda’s capsule wardrobe system is a lifesaver. I will never look at my clothes the same way again!”—Fran Drescher, star and co-creator of The Nanny
 
Using your existing clothes plus a splash of something new, The Silhouette Solution provides a method that transforms how you’ll view your wardrobe, your style, and ultimately, yourself.
 
With just four tops, four bottoms, and a few pairs of shoes, Brenda Cooper shows you how to create the foundation for a fabulously functional wardrobe. Regardless of your age, size, body type, or budget, you’ll have a set of modern, versatile, mix-and-match pieces that work for every occasion of your life. Learn how to
 
• Coordinate comfortable, stylish outfits
• Discover your true style ID
• Accept your body with loving kindness
• Reinvent your wardrobe
• Know exactly what to shop for
• And enjoy a newfound fashion freedom

With The Silhouette Solution ’s strategy, you’ll get out the door in a fraction of the time, feeling beautiful and at home in your body. That kind of empowerment is always in style!

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published February 8, 2022

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good guide for most, although I don't really care for it for myself. Cooper suggests buying a staple of basic shapes of shirts, pants and skirts. They are the tank, the t-shirt, the elegant neckline (I forget what she calls it but it's basically like a line going straight across until it meets the sleeves at the armpits and you need to wear a strapless bra with it) and the turtleneck. Then for skirts it's pencil skirt and mermaid basically, and for pants it's straight leg and so on. She suggests neutrals like black, brown, etc. and then she talks about staple extras to dress them up in lots of styles like a duster, big statement earrings, etc. You can do the extras with flair like a gold sparkly jacket with your well made tank over your mermaid skirt and so on.

It's all great advice and she also goes into how to get the right fit (what fabrics, shapewear, go up a size, etc.) and has illustrations of lots of women in these clothes with good diversity (other than for age). Curvy women are included often, though sort of "ideal" curvy.

My issue is that I've finally found what makes me look my best (and makes me happiest to wear) and it's not this. I have a very personal style that I love and my basics are not these. I'm very short and handkerchief hems are magical on me. They're super flattering and also really fit my aesthetic. I'll buy any dress or skirt that has a handkerchief hem. My style makes me happy but it's not like anybody else's -- kind of nature fairy-harlot style? 😉 I'm all about cleavage and tie-on shrug sweaters (she recommends shrugs but they're not what I call shrugs and are just tiny jackets that cover your arms -- the ones I love tie at the waist with the fabric that hangs down and give you a teeny tiny waist) and flowy fabrics and really unique shapes. I'm also all about comfort and I really don't want to wear a pencil skirt pretty much ever. I would if I had to dress up and go to work or if I went to lots of cocktail parties or something, but I don't. I have a drawer full of colorful print dresses that are elastic bodice (no bra! great cleavage! super comfy! yay!) with flowing handkerchief skirts (flattering to legs and tummies, perfect for my fairy vibe) that I honestly tend to get at roadside and musical fair pop-up stands and even occasionally truck stops for $15 max. In warm weather I get dressed each day by slipping on one article of clothing besides my underwear and I'm dressed, and I feel pretty (in cold weather it's pretty much long cozy sweaters and fun leggings).

So this is great advice for other people, but I'm still sticking with me.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

[Kristy LaMariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Silhouette Solution is now one of my favorite books!

You see, I’ve always had a love for fashion! As a matter of fact, I thought it was going to be my career path until the healing arts drew me in. The funny thing is, Brenda has creatively, magically & thoughtfully bridged the 2! Brenda is a Sage of Soul & Style!

She’s deep and spiritual and she’s brought awareness to that fact that our style can assist us in accepting ourselves and our bodies, thus empowering us to serve the world in style and in spiritual synchronicity!

Brenda has done such a great job at showing us that austerity in a wardrobe can and does offer one a new found freedom. She helps readers to recognize elements of their “inner closet” and she’s included some fantastic exercises for healing.

In the Silhouette Solution, Brenda leads us on a journey of Joyful Self Healing through and with Style!

I follow Brenda on Instagram and she inspires me to reinvent my wardrobe with her tips and tricks. Her posts are great examples of the Silhouette Solution. My go to has now become a silhouette and I don’t even have to think about dressing. I’ve gotten more compliments than ever on my fashion and how I’ve upgraded it with Brenda’s system! Dressing is now easy and takes minutes to put together outfits that make me look and feel fabulous!

For me, The Silhouette Solution looks like a combo of a high fashion magazine meets an art gallery! The layout and the content are simply beautiful.

Bottom line…I love this book and I think you will too!

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This is an excellent guide to not only the "how" of building a basic wardrobe, but a lot of the "why" as well. Explaining the thought process behind how the basic pieces are selected helps readers make informed choices when applying the principles to themselves. This includes an excellent buying guide, plus organizational tips and exercises to help readers understand their beliefs and preferences surrounding wardrobe and style.

The illustrations are very helpful and effective. It is easy for readers to envision how the basic pieces mix and match and how to add extra pieces to truly customize looks to fit one's personality. I appreciated the body diversity in the pictures and the general commitment to positive self-image. This book definitely affirms the idea that style is for everyone, regardless of age, size, budget, etc.

Where the book lets itself down a bit is the inclusion of adjectives like "slimming" and by emphasizing long and lean lines as the ideal. If "slimming" is good, it must mean fat is bad, no? The book makes so many positive statements toward self-acceptance and celebrating the body you're in that these jarring off-notes really stick out.

That said, there is still a lot of valuable information here. I know I'm definitely going to be trying out some of these ideas!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book at Chapters browsing through the fashion section. I found a style system I haven't heard of yet and was immediately intrigued.

I think this book is for someone who wants to look good, doesn't have deep fashion knowledge, and wants guidelines to follow that will let them look pretty good and express their personality without having to acquire deep fashion knowledge. It's like a fashion and style 80/20. The 20% fashion knowledge it provides will get you 80% fashion success. To elevate further is beyond the scope of this book.

I wish BC addressed why it's important to wear a top and bottom that match in colour in this solution. How many sets does she think make sense (besides a dark and light colour?) Do you wear the same colour every single day? Fine if you wear black or white, but if you go for a shade, how closely should it match? For such a foundational part of her solution, this deserves more explanation and FAQ.

My main criticism is the consistent emphasis on looking long and lean. It's outdated and contradicts her emphasis on body positivity.

The illustrations are more plentiful and helpful than I have seen in other books (eg Wear It Well and Dress Your Best).

An unexpected gem in this book is her recognition of clothes you bought to camouflage something about yourself and clothes you bought to fit in or impress people. I also loved her take on "personality pieces."

[Irene Adler · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for the first part, the interesting quotes and the first paragraph of the acknowledgements. There should be more of this.

2 stars for the 'solution', where I started flipping the pages ever more quickly:
- The illustrations are instructive. They are all of women that are either slim, hourglass or pear-shaped. If you are not of those proportions you're going to find the advice... questionable. It's not every woman that wants to cover her hips and thighs.
- If you are not a stylist / fashion industry type you might instead describe the monotone base as boring, unimaginative, forgettable and safe rather than chic.
- Tops that you need particular scaffolding for (eg 'ultimate' neckline = strapless bra) are not faff free enough. How does this make getting dressed easier?
- 'Personality' pieces that are the generic Western woman's capsule / essential items - recite with me: trench coat, white buttoned shirt, black jacket and then - hoodies? Caftans? Dusters?
- And 50% of your shoe collection as heels? No thank you.

Not my solution.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This absolutely gorgeous book provides inspiration and instructions for creating a fabulous wardrobe based on eight foundation pieces, along with an assortment of shoes and personality pieces. The author empowers women by inspiring them to look their best, because when you know your look your best, your confidence makes you perform your best.

She gives auxiliary advice on shopping, organizing, wearing shape wear, etc. One area I wish she’d devoted more attention to is determining which colors flatter you. If I had a good eye for that, I’d know already. The author’s writing style is breezy and friendly—like having lunch with a good friend. It’s a fun read even if you don’t need clothing advice. #TheSilhouetteSolution #NetGalley

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Radical” is definitely the word to use here. In a consumerist world, the idea of the silhouette seems so foreign and alien to us. The idea of owning less is almost offensive! It’s uncomfortable and unfamiliar and genius.

I see people aren’t thrilled with some of the language used, like “slimming” and “elongating”, but I didn’t have that reaction when reading. It was clear to me the Silhouette Solution isn’t about conforming to one body type, but is about feeling your best, no matter how you look.

This book totally changed my view on fashion and what makes my style mine. If you’re looking to flatter your shape, condense your closet, spend less money, be more environmentally conscious, and feel more confident, read this.

[Anathea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciate that this book tries to make dressing easier and fun. It gives simple templates and you don't even need to buy new items if you already own most of the suggested basics. The silhouette pieces are described well but the description about the personality pieces felt lacking. This book focuses on building monochrome outfits with few colored personality pieces, but I don't understand why it avoids mixing different colored top and bottoms so much. It also doesn't consider different body types at all, it basically just suggest same pieces for everyone. Overall, the book works well for those looking for a simple wardrobe, but you need to adapt it to suit your personal style and body type.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting book. While not for me, there are some interesting thoughts in this book.

Cooper walks through finding your style, sorting your closet, choosing the style that suits you the most, and different fits and materials. There's a lot of details and drawings of different silhouette's and styles. There aren't any pictures and it's a little hard to figure out your style without seeing the clothes on yourself, but there are nice suggestions for starting to find your style. There's also tips on starting a capsule wardrobe which can be helpful.

Overall an interesting find.

[Emily Kleykamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a bad fashion/style book and would be a good jumping off point if you're just dipping your toe into the fashion world. My problem is that it completely disregards that different silhouettes look better on different shapes and that not everyone wants or needs to own half the clothing suggested here. It just feels like a very narrow view of what a fashion and style book should be.

[Sue Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Clarkson Potter, the author, and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I loved this book, and as a complete failure in anything clothing-related, I felt I learned a great deal, and I was able to use a lot of the advice. Definitely recommend this one.

[Marcellina Digiovanni · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) Such a fun author for a sometimes daunting subject but a lot of the outfits or pieces she suggests just wouldn’t really work for my lifestyle. It’s a great basics guide though and I got so much out of it!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy, helpful read from Fran Drescher's Emmy-winning dresser!

[Livia Fajkusz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers a simple and easy to follow system to put together a minimalist wardrobe. Saved me tons of time getting ready for work. Bonus, that the book has lovely hand-drawn illustrations!

[Alissa Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have been an email.

[Evelin]

cute