The Fashionista Files : Adventures in Four-Inch Heels and Faux Pas

Rating:
Summary: FASHION: BOTH FUN AND FUNNY
Review:
If you're serious about getting fashion or wardrobe pointers - look elsewhere. Melissa de la Cruz and Karen Robinovitz are two wicked gals - wicked senses of humor and wicked (sometimes wacky) ways to get what they want. (Melissa, Karen, that's a compliment!) They've penned a fun and funny look at women who are obsessed with the latest and the best in dress and accessories. It's a light look at the luxe, and thoroughly entertaining reading.

Who can resist chapter titles such as "Makeup, Not War: Beauty Skin Deep? Ha!" or "Cocktail Fodder: What To Read, Watch, See, and Do to Chic-up Your Schtick!"? The authors have developed a patter that's both pleasing and unputdownable.

Opening pages tell us perhaps more than we wanted to know about Melissa and Karen's moms. Maybe it's their way of explaining how they turned out to be forever fashionistas. The authors are sometimes battle scarred (when the look they longed for turns out to be lowless), but they're always unbowed, pointing their four-inch heels toward the next scene to be seen at.

Now, while some of their suggestions (such as cutting holes in T-shirts to make them into trendy tops) seem pretty outre to this writer, many work and are helpful. One suggestion was to invest in one really, really good piece, such as a handbag, and then not worry about the rest of your outfit being designer duds. It works! I've tried it, and eyes always focus on that Prada bag rather than my Target skirt.

The authors are different in appearance, although mated on most viewpoints. As one soon learns, "Karen is the type of fashionista who thrives on "event" clothing. `If it doesn't scream `Look at me!' then I don't want it,' she has said. On the other hand, Melissa opted for a very traditional wedding gown (forgetting the white boots and mini).

Nothing is beyond the ken of these two - they offer tips not only on clothing but on hair, makeup, skin care, how to air-kiss, walk, and even how to avoid bill collectors. The latter is where the sad part comes in. Being a fashionista is not cheap, so both got themselves deep into debt. Candidly discussing this problem, they gave solid suggestions about how to keep your desires for Dior under control.

"The Fashionista Files" is a light, fun read leaving readers wondering what in the world this pair will be up to next.

- Gail Cooke

Rating:
Summary: For Fashionistas ONLY
Review: As the title suggests, this book is for fashionistas. It is not going to teach you how to better coordinate your wardrobe or develop your own personal style. If you're a fashionista, that is already second nature to you. If you want to have good, campy fun with designer clothing and better walk the walk and talk the talk of the fashion-obsessed, then you have hit on a goldmine. It's light-hearted and fun, full of good girlfriend-type tips about buying jeans and getting a bikini wax - stuff that Vogue doesn't tell you - that will enhance your fashionista-ness.

You can love fashion and you can LIVE fashion. Fashionistas are the latter ilk. If you can't tell the difference between a Choo and a Lou at 100 paces, then this book isn't for you.

Rating:
Summary: The Fashionista Files
Review: Fun, sassy and informative-Smart and clever-for any woman interested in fashion-this is the book to get. Well written with humor and knowledge-you learn how to not make fashion mistakes while at the same time have fun with the whole idea. A clever must read.

Rating:
Summary: Really Sad
Review: The only thing this book did for me was make me sad. I read it because a friend thought it was funny....but the authors just seem so pathetic with this self-obsession. And the fact is, in all of the pictures they don't even look good....you wouldn't look twice at these women on the street. The book is completely about obsessive/compulsive spending (and obsession with your own self), which they continue to joke about. There was some witty writing and on the surface it seemed like it could even be a fun read. But if you scratch beneath the surface it just says a lot about how shallow our society has become that this would be so popular. I can't believe I wasted the few hours and gave them $12 more towards their designer handbags. Sick, sad stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Outtakes from the Carrie Bradshaw school of fashion
Review: These fashionistas elicit a response that is "Oh ! ??" not Jackie O! Anyone who reads this book in the hope of cultivating an individualized sense of style will not find much helpful information.

The book is amusingly written; the authors eloquently describe the adrenaline high of finding a jazzy item. But the text and photos do not convey that the individual items they rave about fit into any coherent style. In fact several outfits pictured in the book look very amateurish and the T-shirt slashing gimmicks come across like a rainy-day project for 8th grade girls.

The photos (and descriptions) of the girls' mothers, however, tell a different story. These ladies really seem to have an eye for glamour! I wish that the two moms had written a book on style.



Rating:
Summary: Tres Chic
Review: This book was great. A must-read for every fashionista. I thought I knew about fashion, but I guess everyone can learn from Karen and Melissa. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: Really Fun Read
Review: This book was really entertaining read. I just finished a couple of heavy duty classics and this was the perfect follow up. Reminded me of the Preppy Handbook for the new millenium! Really funny stuff. (And I won't feel so badly about myself the next time I make a crazy impulse shoe purchase...)

Rating:
Summary: Curl up with a cosmo and read...
Review: this fun, lighthearted and (surprisingly) informative book! A friend bought it in New York and insisted I read it when she returned to London. I was pessimistic at first but have completely come round now. It's easy to read (I like the way it is split into well labelled sections so that I could skip around) and I have learned the answers to questions I a) was too embarassed or b) never thought to ask. Tweezers - slanted or pointy? What's a Brazilian wax? Hose or no hose in winter? I've even turned down certain pages so that I can refer back in future! Highly recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Please don't buy this book!
Review: This has to be one of the worst "fashion" books I have ever forced myself to finish reading. Although it received many good reviews as a fun and light-weight read, I found it harder to finish than breaking in a brand new pair of stilleto boots during an eight-hour work day. If you have ever read a fashion magazine, don't bother wasting your money supporting these vapid fashion victims unless you would like to spend time reading about their fashion disasters over and over. This book is three hours of my life that I will never get back.

Rating:
Summary: THE REAL TRUTH!
Review: This is such a fun and enjoyable read! I giggled all the way through. The authors are hillarious in their truthful tales of what women go through to look fabulous. It is in not easy being stylish all the time; 24/7! This is anyone's guide to being "in the know" of what to do when you have a fashion dilemna or disaster! I gave to book this book to all my male friends; giving this book, helps them to understand what women go through, as well as getting them to be more in touch with their "feminine side". I do not have a doubt in my mind that this book will do well!