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

However, I will admit I was pleasantly surprised by The Lucky Shopping Manual. Kim France, et al., have some great fashion suggestions for all figure types. The authors encourage you to mark up their manual as you would one of their magazines and also to carry it around with you as you shop. The one thing I really liked about The Lucky Shopping Manual is that it offers it's readers stylish yet classic fashion advice. I think there are some excellent suggestions for building a work wardrobe and incorporating style into your weekend clothes. My advice to you is to skip the magazine and buy this manual instead. I'm looking forward to future editions and I feel this book is a good investment.

* It gives straightforward, practical shopping and fashion advice.
* The presentation of the outfits a la Chic Simple (clothes, shoes, accessories, by themselves minus a person modeling them) are elegant in my opinion
* The book gives you an idea of which staples of item (skirt, tops, shoes, etc) to own to keep you covered and which ones to add if you already have the basics
* A lot of the outfits presented are actually chic and wearable by most everyone. Options on a per season basis are presented too.
* The color combinations of the outfits are also great. While the book shows outfits in timeless neutral-and-color combinations, there are also color-color combinations that do not overwhelm.
* The book also shows outfits in interesting mixes of textures as well as prints.
* The sections on packing for a three-day trip, streamlining your wardrobe, and rules of shopping are good bonuses too.

The following are the reasons why my rating is one star away from the perfect rating:

* I've been a fan of their magazine for years now, and I must say that I've already seen some of the featured clothes in the book in previous issues of the magazines
* The pieces of advice on fit are ok, but Christa Weil's Secondhand Chic gives a more comprehensive advice on this topic. Both visual and feel cues are discussed in detail in that book. Secondhand Chic also offers advice on how to make the most out of one's figure which would complement those of Lucky Shopping Manual's.
* They could also do a separate section on shirts next time instead of integrating it in the Tops section.
* Perhaps they could also feature sections on watches and jewelry.

This book is extremely useful as an "idea" book. Maybe you're bored with your look and want something different. This book is great in helping you visualize how different pieces may go together. They give you tips about how to wear certain fabrics--leather, silk, tricky sweaters and lengths. I feel that I can be a little bit more adventuresome in my look. I found that I was able to take things that were already in my wardrobe and wear them in a different way. It's also a good book to look through before you go shopping if you're in a rut.

I feel that this book is geared more toward women who already have a sense of their personal style and what looks good on them. The tips provided go beyond the basics to things that take a "good" outfit to something more polished and chic. It might be a little overwhelming for those who are just starting out in creating a new wardrobe or look. With all of the ideas provided, I could see how a beginner might start buying without a driving principle and wind up with clothes that she does not feel comforable in. I would recommend a book like the "Pocket Stylist" by Kendall Farr in addition to this book for someone jsut starting out.