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Shoe Money
Have you ever wondered why even the truly stylish find it hard to do smart casual? Why all men look like James Bond in dinner jackets? Why all four-year-old girls are obsessed with pink? Why fashionable people always wear black? Why blondes have less fun? Or why some people will spend $6000 on a handbag? This book will explain all of these mysteries and many more. And even if you've never pondered any of these issues, Maggie Alderson will amuse and entertain you with her finely tuned observations about everything from global style icons to when to wear that perfect red dress, with the leopardskin shoes, of course. Australia's wittiest fashion and lifestyle commentator delivers a delightful bundle of wicked charm.
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
4 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Alderson
35 books302 followersMaggie Alderson is a British-Australian author (that’s how I’m supposed to write it, but I’m not very good at talking about myself in the third person, so I’m going to can it).
I was born in London, brought up in rural Staffordshire, and educated at the University of St Andrews - and then at the University of Life, Sydney campus.
I spent many years covering the fashion shows in Paris, Milan, London etc which is the best people watching ever (I had to remind myself to look at the models…).
An obsessed bookworm since childhood, all I wanted to do from the age of six was write books. I also hoovered up every magazine and newspaper I could lay my hands on and by the time I was a teenager was determined to edit a magazine and be a newspaper columnist.
I have edited five magazines (including British ELLE) and my Style Notes column ran in the Good Weekend colour supplement for twelve years, as well as being syndicated to The Times.
My first novel Pants on Fire was published in 2000 and was a bestseller in the UK and Australia. I’ve written eight more novels since, which have been translated into many languages.
I’ve also published four collections of my columns and a children’s book called Evangeline, the Wish Keeper’s Helper, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Award in Australia.
My latest novel is called The Scent of You and is the story of perfume blogger Polly, facing up to a crisis in her marriage – and her sense of who she is - told through a filter of her obsession with perfumes (and also featuring very well dressed, seriously damaged, red-hot men, which are my speciality).
The book was inspired by attending perfume events in London and realising just how many fascinating people there are in that world (and a fair few brilliant nutters).
You can read my heroine's blog fragrantcloud.net
I was born in London, brought up in rural Staffordshire, and educated at the University of St Andrews - and then at the University of Life, Sydney campus.
I spent many years covering the fashion shows in Paris, Milan, London etc which is the best people watching ever (I had to remind myself to look at the models…).
An obsessed bookworm since childhood, all I wanted to do from the age of six was write books. I also hoovered up every magazine and newspaper I could lay my hands on and by the time I was a teenager was determined to edit a magazine and be a newspaper columnist.
I have edited five magazines (including British ELLE) and my Style Notes column ran in the Good Weekend colour supplement for twelve years, as well as being syndicated to The Times.
My first novel Pants on Fire was published in 2000 and was a bestseller in the UK and Australia. I’ve written eight more novels since, which have been translated into many languages.
I’ve also published four collections of my columns and a children’s book called Evangeline, the Wish Keeper’s Helper, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Award in Australia.
My latest novel is called The Scent of You and is the story of perfume blogger Polly, facing up to a crisis in her marriage – and her sense of who she is - told through a filter of her obsession with perfumes (and also featuring very well dressed, seriously damaged, red-hot men, which are my speciality).
The book was inspired by attending perfume events in London and realising just how many fascinating people there are in that world (and a fair few brilliant nutters).
You can read my heroine's blog fragrantcloud.net
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 4, 2016
Utterly pointless and boring. There is exactly one half-decent chapter and that's 2 pages long.
January 21, 2017
Loved every second second of it (you can never love all of a book can you)
There are even sections where I laughed out loud. And had to get out my highlighter. And I never get out my highlighter. Such a unique wit that I aspire to meet one day. New favourite humour writer!
There are even sections where I laughed out loud. And had to get out my highlighter. And I never get out my highlighter. Such a unique wit that I aspire to meet one day. New favourite humour writer!
January 7, 2021
A bit dated, but still enjoyable. I miss Maggie's column.
January 3, 2009
I really enjoyed this book! I thought at first that it was a novel, but then I realized it's sort of a girl's version of Jerry Seinfeld! Basically each chapter is a new topic, one she speaks on with great humor and authority. There were so many parts where I thought things like "she's RIGHT on!" or "that's EXACTLY how I feel about *that*" or "oh that's too much -- she's just plain hilarious" that I'd be quoting the whole book if I started inserting quotes.
So suffice it to say this is a great book for girlie girls, and it will make you laugh hard and nod your head knowingly :)
Oh! And I just noticed on the front cover -- the quote is At last we've found her -- the female Seinfeld. Warm, witty, wise and well-dressed, Alderson is the haute couture of humour. So there you have it. It's a great book!
So suffice it to say this is a great book for girlie girls, and it will make you laugh hard and nod your head knowingly :)
Oh! And I just noticed on the front cover -- the quote is At last we've found her -- the female Seinfeld. Warm, witty, wise and well-dressed, Alderson is the haute couture of humour. So there you have it. It's a great book!
June 23, 2010
This is quite a silly light read mostly about fashion. There were moments that were very humorous and caused me to laugh right out loud! I did have a hard time relating to spending oodles of dough on shoes and handbags though since those aren't really my thing, but still a fun read overall. There are a bunchof British and Aussie references that went right over my head, but that didn't detract too much from the main point for me.
September 23, 2011
This is a a hilarious collection of Maggie Alderson's columns for Sydney Morning Herald. Such a fun and witty lady! I totally related to many of the stories, it was like she was writing about me!!! It totally did not matter that they were written over ten years ago, the crazyness of a woman's life is still the same...
June 5, 2014
A collection of short pieces on fashion and lifestyle - I first read it when it came out, but it hasn't really dated at all - in fact, some of it is prescient (Prince William was still at school when she predicted that he would marry a brunette). Funny and clever. I often justify clothes purchases on her "cost per wear" system.
January 20, 2009
I loved this book! It was so funny. It was full of like mini-stories/chapters and they flowed into each other nicely. The author is really funny, and uses a lot of British terminology (where she was orginally from). This lady makes anyone believe that if something fits great, buy two!
February 1, 2012
This book was loads of fun but it made me want to shop endlessly...I'm blaming my next shopping spree on you Maggie Alderson! It was witty, warm and charming though and it was a delightful book to read in the bath :)
February 27, 2013
When I was a regular paper reader I used to enjoy Maggie Alderson's weekly reflections in the Good Weekend magazine and this book is a collection of those. The book was published in 1998 so it is some what dated but still enjoyable.
May 4, 2007
proof that even fashionistas have bad clothes days (or decades, in some cases). maggie is a gem. i have used her 'shoe money' theory to justify too many purchases than i care to mention.
January 10, 2012
I recommend as a good book for the pool/beach.
Read the full review at OurBookClub.
Read the full review at OurBookClub.
September 10, 2016
Funny and witty short pieces about fashion: shoes, packing for holidays, breasts, to name a few topics.
December 11, 2015
Fun, quick, light read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews