The Lucky Shopping Manual: Building and Improving Your Wardrobe Piece by Piece

by Kim France and Andrea Linett

What to wear, how to buy, when and where to spend: finally there is a book that does away with the inconsequential information found in other fashion manuals, and tackles these questions head on,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592400361
• Release Date: November 2003
• Publisher: Avery
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 2.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 1.1" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Amazing fashion wisdom in this book!

The content seems very basic, almost too elementary even. Although I keep thinking it dumbs everything down (which it does) I am reminded about how seemingly obvious yet completely overlooked this advice is. I'm reminded that I didn't necessarily know their advices, which stuns me, lol. I am 29 years old and have had the realization that I never actually learned fashion advice/guidelines (because it's really hard to realize you have to transition out of teenaged/young people clothing). I wanted to start dressing more like a respectable, dignified and chic young woman and actually putting in effort to dress nicely (instead of having a lazy approach to clothing or only buying trendy pieces that I probably won't end up wearing much). This book is definitely helping me do so. I was clueless with style advice but now I feel so confident in knowing what will look the best on my body, and the quality and quantity I should have in my wardrobe at any given time. This book held my hand through not knowing much to really feeling like I can take on a stylish world. The series Halston came out on Netflix over the weekend as this book arrived and needless to say I was already inspired to buy a Halston dress, as per the advice from this book. Although the content is outdated, the advice is timeless, surprisingly! Please overlook the outdateness of certain items and apply the same teachings to its modern counterparts and this book will do wonders for you.

Explaining fashion from the ground up

I have never felt like I had so much direction with shopping and style as I do now. This book has been very helpful to me. I am usually the kind of person that finds one thing that works and can't quit buying the same thing... the 10 Favorite GAP t-shirts in my closet are a testament of that. I have really felt inspired to go out and shop for a variety of things that aren't just a shot in the dark-- they're stylish and lovely and flattering in the fit thanks to the new information I have. I really appreciate that the concepts are presented without highlighting any particular company. I shop at thrift stores, DownEast Outfitters, TJ Max, and very seldom at retail stores since my husband is in school and I'm at home with three children. I've read the opinions of many that this book is only geared toward certain ages/walks of life, but I think that's debatable. Perhaps some styles recommended won't work for everyone, but if you study the concepts and reach inside for your own style and creativity, you can hone each idea to suit your taste. Color schemes and overall fit is are subjects worth studying for any age. Another instance: I am not going to put heels with jeans unless I'm going out with my husband. A flat of some sort works better when your carrying a 3-month old around, tying shoe laces, running errands with children, or whatever. But I look at the style and concept of the heels and look for that in lower shoes for everyday use. I'm very impressed with the way that exceptions are noted and personal style is respected, too. I expected the "handbag" section to be propoganda for having a handbag for every outfit. Not so. It first asks the question, "Are you a handbag sort of person?" If not, they recommend just having an everyday bag that's versatile, practical, and structured even when filled, in addition to a tote and an evening bag. Anyway, that's it. I love the book. One of the most worthwhile purchases I've made in the past 10 years. Thank you Lucky!!

I wish I'd bought this a long time ago

This book has changed the way I look at my own body. See, when I used to go shopping for clothes - while there were things I loved on the shelves or hanging on the models, they looked awful on me. Similarly, clothes that suited my friends did not suit me. I always though this must just be proof that I was ugly and terible and had a crap body. The usual teenage anxiety. If only I had this book when I was a teenager. I've only had it a month, but already I've revamped my wardrobe - got rid of things that never really suited me, built up the basics, and picked out cuts of shirts and jeans that do suit me - and now I keep intentionally wandering past mirrors just so I can catch a glimpse of how I look. I'm so incredibly happy, and I feel utterly gorgeous. This book goes through different garments - shirts, jeans, skirts, jackets, accessories, etc - and demonstrates how to put outfits together, what cuts suit what body shape (including ratio issues, like someone who has a long torso and short legs, broad shoulders and so on). There is a lot of sensible advice that can be tailored to suit your own personal style, and if you follow the guidelines in the book you're practically guarranteed to have something in your wardrobe to suit every occasion. This book has done more for my self estem and personal style than years of angsting and fruitlessly searching through clothing stores without assistance. I am going to purchase some more books like this as a basis for comparison but really, this is more than I ever thought I could get out of a book on dressing well! Another added bonus is that I now am much more confident about asking for help at clothing stores. I know what to call different cuts, I come into a store with a clear idea in my mind of what I like and what looks good, and communicate exactly what I'm after, which has resulted in me finding a few really great items I would have missed without assistance!

All a woman needs

This is the book I always wanted to write. The Lucky Shopping Manual, together with "What not to wear", is all a woman will ever need. "What not to wear" will teach you exactly what clothes are right for your body shape and the Lucky Shopping Manual will help you transform this information into a functional wardrobe. The book is written with the same passion for helping women develop their shopping skills as the magazine. Andrea Linett has an extremely discriminating eye for what looks cool, relaxed, and put together on the street and she generously shares her observations with us. I believe the real value of the book is to demystify sales, over-abundance, and high-end fashion magazines; and to keep your eye, mind, and budget focused on the gaps in your wardrobe and how to close them. Linett and France manage to nail down the essence of cool, sophisticated street dressing into easy-to-get formulas with room for experiments. Every high-end fashion designer that I admire but cannot afford claims that their only goal is to make women look beautiful and desirable -- Linett and France, together with the authors of "What not to wear", fulfil this mission in a smart, street-wise, and sophisticated way; and for every budget.