Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown: Notes from a Single Girl's Closet

by Adena Halpern

Book Overview

The story of a young woman?s life, one outfit at a time.Tucked inside the fibers and buttons and pockets of the clothing in our closets are the stories of our lives, the lessons we?ve learned, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592402216
• ISBN13: 9781592402212
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: Gotham Books
• Length: 245 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.6" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Loved it!

I loved every little bit of this book. I felt like the story line flowed well. It was a quick read, and I really couldn't put it down. It was funny and light hearted. I just went through a really sad breakup, which has left me in the dumps and a friend suggested I read two books... Persuasion by Jane Austen and this book. Both were great! The book talks about Fashion, yes, but it's mush more than that. It talks about not being a follower, finding yourself, making and keeping best friends, having a strong relationship with your family, and finally it talks about dating. What I really respected about "Dean" was that she never settled. And being born and raised in LA, and now living in PA, I really related to this book geographically especially the fitting room story at Bloomingdales at the Bev Center!

More, please!

This was one of the most enjoyable memoirs I've ever read. Ms. Halpern is a fantastic writer and memoirist, humorous, self-depracating, knowing, insightful, and brave. I reveled in all the '80s-decade fashion and pop culture references, and could really relate to her mishaps in school, as most will. Her family descriptions were utterly delightful, heartwarming and memorable. The chapters that she shared her experience with her powerful producer boyfriend/fiance were super-brave. He definitely did not appreciate fully what he let go. The chapter/essay about fragrances and how certain scents remind her of certain people were really relevant to me. I will forever think of my Grandma when I catch a whiff of Downy and White Shoulders. I can't wait to see what Ms. Halpern does for an encore. I look forward to it expectantly.

Give Halpern a chance to win your heart over; you'll bond with this fun-loving, self-satirical narra

Halpern will win you over if you give her a chance. From the title and the cover art, I wasn't sure if this book would be my cup of tea. The opening chapter is a grandiose attempt to define an entire life by formative childhood experiences in elegant downtown department stores. It's a forced thesis about an entire life via a shopping metaphor, but, fortunately, it is the weakest link to the whole book. The following essays really pick up and let the reader bond with Halpern. Bonding is precisely what this book is about. I bonded with Halpern on her specific body flaws, her ridiculous attempts to compensate for her height with platform shoes and hooker heels all throughout her adult life, her female friendships, her off-the-wall dot com job, and her relationship struggles. Despite the cover and the subtitle, don't expect this to be a whiny female rant about personal flaws and interpersonal drama. It's a witty, over-the-top, self-satire that any modern gal will relate to. Halpern writes with the wisdom that comes from experience, so she is able to analyze the flaws in her logic during her younger years. One of the turning points in the essay collection (which follows Halpern's life in a chronological fashion) is her long-term relationship with a down-to-earth, fun-loving guy. Obsessed with presenting a perfect image for him and meeting his every need (or her imagined version of his needs), Halpern buries her true self so deep that the perfect man breaks up with her due to her superficiality. After a year of depression and unemployment, Halpern picks herself up and makes positive changes. Upon reading about this period in her life, I thought, a-ha! Creating that perfect image was exactly what Halpern tried and failed to do in her opening essay. She's not cured, after all, and I'm even more endeared to her as a result. Halpern writes about depression with wit and candor, and not a trace of self-pity. In fact, she never uses the word depression, and it was only in writing this review that I realized there was no other word to describe that period in her life. The collection concludes with Halpern's marriage to a high-profile film industry member. One could take away the message that single-life is full of trials and tribulations, and all your problems are solved if you just snag Mr. Right, but I'm hoping that Halpern just found that to be a convenient stopping place for volume one of her life story. Adena, I'll be here, waiting to hear more.

Men's boxers....how I loved them too!!!!!

I couldn't believe it, some of my favorite items of clothing growing up described better than I could have ever dreamed up. I loved this book! I found the author very funny in her stories of fashion through the years. I found myself fondly remembering many of the items that Adena writes about, and also wondering why I did not hang onto those items myself. This is a great book for anyone in their 30's, since they too will be able to relate to the many adventures that Adena goes through. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!!!

Couldn't put it down!

When I picked up this book, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I pretty much went into it with no expectations; however, as soon as I started reading it I found that I couldn't put it down. It's a very easy, entertaining, true to life read. I think that it really shows what life is like for women living and growing up in a world obsessed with looks and material things and how this affects the way we feel about ourselves and our bodies. I recommend this book to any woman who's ever felt insecure about the way she looks or dresses.