Rating: 
Summary: Helpful . . . to a certain degree
Review: I found this book completely unhelpful, since I'm a teenager and the fashion tips Ms. Feldon gives are obviously for women over the age of at least forty. Maybe it's helpful for them, but teens, don't buy this one ;)
Rating: 
Summary: Learning How to Dress Well...
Review: I have been researching fashion/dressing books (about 15 of them) in the last month for a presentation. I can say that there isn't much else available that compares to this book. It is well written/edited, comprehensive, contains useful and practical information for both genders, and is fun to read...I highly recommend it.By the way, it's not written for large women only, it applies to all!
Rating:
Summary: Learning How to Dress Well...
Review: I have been researching fashion/dressing books (about 15 of them) in the last month for a presentation. I can say that there isn't much else available that compares to this book. It is well written/edited, comprehensive, contains useful and practical information for both genders, and is fun to read...I highly recommend it. By the way, it's not written for large women only, it applies to all!
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Book for Short Women, Too
Review: I really enjoyed this one, and learned a lot - for example, now that I know which short sleeved shirts don't look good on me, I can avoid buying them and feeling dumb each time I pull them out of my closet, try them on, and wrench them off. This alone will save me hundreds of dollars this year, I predict. The section at the end of the book about organizing your closet is almost worth the price of the book. I feel like I've got permission to finally get rid of the things I never wear, but keep out of guilt. The book has some flaws, however. Despite the 2000 publishing date, it seems curiously outdated in some places. Does anyone still remember the knee-length knit vests that Bea Arthur wore as Maude, thirty years ago? Feldon apparently does. It's like the low-rise bootcut pant was never invented, either. All the pants shown are high-waisted, pleated and straight (or worse, tapered!). It would be nice to be shown how to wear the new silhouette, which is everywhere, and is definitely a trend, not a fad. (Feldon tells us to buy the trend, and avoid the fad.) Feldon also describes herself as a black-aholic. Most of us probably already have tons of black in our closets, and are possibly wondering how to phase color back into our lives now that the nineties are over. I also agree with one of the other reviewers who found fault with the illustrations. The figures are all tiny, with grotesquely disportionate legs, (the legs look like they are three times as long as the bodies.) It's difficult to see how these mutants could possibly want to look any taller or thinner. Still, they do illustrate the clothing styles discussed in the text, even if they don't represent what those styles might look like on an actual human. I would have liked it if Feldon had given some recommendations on what constitues a basic wardrobe, too, and how to build one that gives you something to wear for any occasion. For that reason alone, it will not be the only fashion book I will be purchasing this year. These detractions don't spoil the book for me, however. Feldon gives advice for women with short-waists, long-waists (and tells you how to decide which one you are!), pear-shapes, large busts, and other variations and most of us will relate to at least one of these types, and can benefit from advice in this book. As a short, sturdy person who is not overweight, but who has always had a hit-or-miss history of clothes-buying, I suddenly find myself looking forward to my next shopping trip. Finally, I know what to look for - and what to leave for my taller, younger, or thinner friends.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Fashion Book!
Review: I Really loved this book! I found the information extremely useful and wonderfully accessible. (The illustrations and quotes are great fun too.) I'm recommending it to all my friends! I Can't believe the reviewer who was going on about how superficial it is to care about what we wear. What planet is she from? She totally missed the point of this book and what the author is trying to say. In fact, it doesn't sound like she read the book at all. The author clearly points out that of course, we should love ourselves as we are, but that it only makes sense to choose the clothes that make us look our best. How we dress clearly reflects the way we feel about ourselves. Why would anyone---execept, of course, the reviewer---want to wear clothes that are not flattering? If she wants to look unsightly, that is certainly her priviledge and she has my blessings. But for the rest of us, who would like to put our best foot forward---no matter how fat or skinny we are--and present ourselves in the best light, this book is a treasure. It really helps you figure out which clothes will make you look great and which clothes won't. It's as simple as that.
Rating:
Summary: Love Leah, Love the book!
Review: I saw Leah Feldon on Oprah and was enchanted. She was not only right on the money with her fashion advice, but very warm and charming as well. This book, reflects all those qualities. You really feel like she's speaking to you in person---fun and funny--and the information is incredibly useful. If you own only one fashion book it should be this one. I loved it and refer back to it constantly. If it's not a classic already it will be one soon.
Rating:
Summary: Great Information and Lots of Fun
Review: I saw Leah Feldon on Oprah recently and was so impressed by the makeovers she did, I had to get the book. I'm so glad I did because, yes it contains a ton of new information, but also I'm pleased to say, it's a whole lot of fun. She has a terrific writing stye and her quotes from celebrites are fantastic. I was reading it on a plane and laughing out loud so often, people must have thought who knows what. In any case Leah, thanks so much and well done. This one's a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe just not for me
Review: I thought the advice was ok, but I dunno...The problem with these sorts of books is that they fixate on everyone trying to be the same way (even if they claim otherwise!). I'm a short woman, curvy, with a big chest, and I always thought that was well, sexy. Really, I did. Leah Feldon however, felt that a shape like mine was "matronly" or magnified every single extra pound. Which is fine, it goes to the theme of her book--making everyone look thinner--but I guess I would have liked some simple dressing tips without so much negative judgement attached to my body as a whole. Keep it in mind that if you're not perfect, this book will have the tendency to make you feel worse about the fact that you're not perfect.
Rating:
Summary: A totally great book!
Review: I've read a lot of fashion and style books (I'm addicted) and this is one of the best. it's witty, informative, and tells it like it is. Plus the illustrations and quotes are new and fresh and happening. If you want the real scoop on what to wear this is it. What else can I say----loved it!
Rating:
Summary: Maybe I've just read too many style books...
Review: I've read quite a few style books myself and I was a little disappointed in this one. All the usual dress thin techniques are in here (black, vertical lines, etc...) and I really didn't learn anything new. But as a general guideline for dressing to appear slimmer and stylish, you could do much worse. It's well written and if you're new to style books, this is a good one to start with.
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