How to Be Adored: A Girl's Guide to Hollywood Glamour

by Caroline Cox

From international fashion history authority Caroline Cox comes How to Be Adored : the girl’s guide to Hollywood glamour, and a how-to handbook for living a glamorous life! Including fabulous, usable advice from some of the most beautiful, successful, and seductive women in history—from Jackie O and Princess Diana to Gweneth Paltrow and Carla Bruni— How to Be Adored is a wonderful celebration of glamour and the art of being adored.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Caroline Cox, professor of cultural history at the University of the Arts London, is a leading fashion authority whose work explores the relationship between fashion, beauty, and culture. A lecturer and broadcaster, she is also a cultural trends advisor at Vidal Sassoon.

Reviews

[Claire]

In all honesty I am always a little sceptical of ‘beauty manuals’. There are so many of them, and the majority either exist to market some other product (‘watch my show!’, ‘buy my shape-wear/make up range/other books!’ etc) or are so adept at stating the obvious that you feel cheated. This book is truly wonderful though, both humorous and insightful in equal measure. Packed with great photos and hilarious quotes, Cox has collected together titbits from all the old Hollywood stars (who always did shine the brightest let’s be honest), as well as some more recent faces, to create a catalogue of features that are easy to dip in and out of. These range from hair and make-up, how to exude charm, basic etiquette, and even relationship advice. Far from being vacuous, this book can help you achieve your potential both inside and out.

[Lacey Dearie]

I remember reading this about 10 years ago and loving it. I was spring cleaning recently, found it and thought I’d give it another go. I mean, who doesn’t want to be glamorous and adored, right?

Sadly, 38 year old me obviously has a different outlook on life to 28 year old me and while I enjoyed the parts that gave style advice and a bit of ego boosting, there was a hell of a lot of focus on doing it all for the sake of men. Can’t I just work on myself because it will make ME feel better?

In short, I am too old and too tired for this crap. If that means I am not adored by men (yawn), so be it. At least my dog still loves me.

[Karen]

I have no idea what possessed me to buy this book. It's the kind of thing I MIGHT have seen myself buying in my early 20s, semi-ironically, yet secretly hoping it could turn me into a goddess. And yet it came out in 2009, making me already in my early 30s when I bought it. Granted, I now seem to have turned into a misanthropic anti-capitalist weirdo who eschews all celebrity, indeed most popular, 'culture'. But even six years ago, I don't remember being particularly celebrity-obsessed or inspired. Still, it's fairly harmless nonsense, barely better written than a magazine article, vaguely insulting in places, and wildly contradictory. Example? (As the author appears to take a bit of a huff at a negative review...):

Advice for hourglass figures: "DON'T wear all over white" (p.29)
Hourglass must-haves: "An all-white outfit" (p.58)

If it means avoiding reading dross like this, I'm quite happy remaining un-adored.

[Lynn]

I love the velveteen cover and the cutout design. But I didnt quite like what I browsed from the inside. It was a bit too over-the-top hollow, like a chick-lit non-fiction. Not a fave from first glance-through. Granted, I did not do the book too much justice by reading it thoroughly, but I did browse cover-to-cover, and the most valuable tip I got was from the cover in itself - how to make a book coveted. The insides disappointed.

[Lauren McMinn]

A truly adorable and inviting read, with a lovely selection of hints from silver screen goddesses to help average Jane add a little Hollywood glamour to her life, coupled with laugh out loud impractical and outdated beauty standards. If nothing else, it's worth reading simply for the luxurious pink velvet cover and accompanying sensation of flicking through a secret diary and playing the part of a glamour girl just for one afternoon. Best read in a quiet coffee shop with a big pot of green tea.

[Amy Dale]

5/5 stars for the gorgeous layout and designs inside and the real velvet on the cover shapes! The writing sadly felt like some kind of MTV gossip rag, some celebrities were bashed harshly which seems at odds with the topic of how to be an adored woman. Most of the tips are either common sense and manners or the kind of outlandish stuff put in Cosmo magazine that nobody actually does. Some celebrity quotes weren't even accurate.
The thing I loved was the book relies heavily upon actresses from the Golden Age which is what I got it for, the sections on how to do makeup like Elizabeth Taylor or Marlene Dietrich were fun. I loved seeing actresses most young people don't know anymore being brought back into public consciousness and celebrated.

Great idea, beautiful looking, but rather basic and lame in actual execution. Wish it'd stuck only with old Hollywood glamour how-tos.

[Sheryl Faith]

This book is really good as it taught me to adore one self and to appreciate the beauty of celebs and also, treating one another nice and also, understanding many years ago the fashion and their individual values and theories!

[Leo W]

This book offers nothing of substance however I do quite like the old school glamour of the book & I’m always happy to see quotes from Audrey Hepburn. Maybe don’t take life advice from this book & just enjoy it for what it is.

[Rebecca Skye]

Fashion fades, only style endures - Coco Chanel.

[MVR]

A book I've had for several years that I like to reflect on whenever I like a refresher on the beauty of femininity.

[Chelsea]

Not my typical cup of tea but a cute book for all glamourpusses of the world

[Hilde Helseth]

'A Book with a Pink Cover'

[Heather]

I'd like to give 3.5 stars. I love the book physically; its cover is flocked with velvet. So lovely to play with as I read!

Content-wise, there were some interesting things here. I liked reading about the ways various stars put themselves together (and loved the distinction between celebrities like Paris Hilton and true stars) and some of the old Hollywood feuds were delightful.

Actually, the book lost me right at the end, in what seemed to be an admiring discussion of the old French "cinq a sept" custom of everyone going off to their lovers between 5 and 7 PM and then going home to their spouses. One thing to mention it, but I wasn't much fond of it being encouraged.

Still, I read it on a Sunday afternoon, snuggled up on the couch, and it made me feel quite girly. :)

[Helene]

This pretty little book makes a lovely read over a nice cup of tea (or martini!), and will make you feel very feminine! As regards to contents, I loved that the author split up the type of glamourpuss you're most like (Marilyn/Audrey/Mae West, etc.) and gives fashion/make-up advice accordingly. It's quite concise and it's easy to find what you need. I loved little things like 'How to wash your face like Audrey' or jewellery tips by Doris Day. I preferred this book over Jordan Christy's 'How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World' precisely because it's concise yet thoughtfully researched. Hence my four star review!

[Saarah Niña]

I can't believe this was first published in 2009. The attitudes are outdated but also quite insulting.

I really thought this was written as a provocative piece to challenge insensitive and ridiculous beauty standards, by encouraging its reader to question its ideas. It wasn't. Having believed this at first, I thought it to be clever and funny. But by its end, I saw it for what it really was: a punishing, unfunny joke.

[Lionel Marsden]

I loved this book. I bought it for my wife but had a little look inside and was hooked. It's laugh out loud funny. Highly recommended.

[Elaine]

I really enjoyed this! Easy to read, finished it in a couple of days. Content was varied & interesting. Stories from icons & legends. Beautiful pictures. Keep coming back to re-read parts of it.

[Maria]

A beauty and charm book that is beautiful and charming from the cover to the content! A delightful read to make you feel glamourous and sexy.

[Gina G]

Nice but a very quick read.

[Nicola]

Beautiful cover and stunning photos. Repetitive and, at times, contradictory content. Extreme overuse of the word "adorable".

[Janice]

4/11/10