I Love Your Style: How to Define and Refine Your Personal Style – An Illustrated Style Bible for Fashionistas and Fashion Inspiration

I have lots of style books - both Lucky manuals, the InStyle guide, Rachel Zoe's book, etc. - and Brooks's book is a good addition to the genre. She's doing something slightly different here: though she's divided the book into the standard styles (classic, bohemian, minimal, high fashion, street, and eclectic), she has lots of new things to say, and the text is more substantive than I expected. Brooks has an engaging and personal writing style; she talks about her life and includes lots of pictures of herself in different style phases. Though the book is clearly aimed at average women, Brooks is writing from the perspective of someone who works at Vogue (or is at least friends with lots of people who work at Vogue). She doesn't bother with the standard list of basics everyone should own (trench, white button-down, blah blah blah) and thankfully does not include a section on flattering different figures. She does include specific outfit ideas and advice about how to wear the items associated with particular styles. The best part of the book, though, is definitely the pictures. There are lots of fantastic photos of stylish women from the last hundred years that I had never seen before. As Brooks points out, they all still look great today. All in all, this one is worth buying, even if you have several style books already. The photos and advice are inspirational and Brooks has a likable voice.

This book is so amazing it's pushed me to write my first Amazon review. I've collected a number of style and fashion books and was losing heart - there's only so many times I can read the same boring tips on what to wear to look thinner/taller/hide your flaws/show off your assets. Yawn. This book is different - the author discusses style. True style - with images from now and the past to help you not just identify the different styles discussed, but to identify your own style icons (for example Brigitte Bardot? Ali McGraw?). This book is so great if you're looking to develop your own personal style, to be noticed for always looking pulled together and stylish or if you want to look like you're working with a stylist. The book also helps you to understand your own style, your personality and better ways to express the kind of person you are (or the person you feel like being that day) to everyone you pass. You'll feel like 'yourself' if what you're wearing expresses how you feel and who you are, or want to be. The author covers off a few traditional styles - such as classic and bohemian, which she calls 'identifiable styles'. Each chapter shows examples of clothing and styling for that style. The chapter also shows you different variations of each style - for example in bohemian she covers off different kinds of bohemian - vintage bohemian, rock goddess bohemian, ethnic bohemian; to show you the different takes on each look. She also looks into indefinable styles (such as street style, which she smartly advises people look at books like Nylon's Street Style; and high fashion). This book is great for if you're looking to define your style, or to style your looks beyond the basics of looking 'good' to looking 'styled' and 'stylish'.

At first glance the book might seem a bit subjective. Like one of the reviewers has said it's all about ME. I went to the book store after reading the reviews and got the same impression after flipping through the pages of the book for the first time but I ordered it anyway for entertainment purposes. I mean, if I am willing to read someone's memoirs or biography about their life or work accomplishments, why not read someone's fashion history, especially someone as stylish as Amanda Brooks. But I have to say, the book turned out to be much more than I expected and I did pick up plenty of inspirations from there. Especially i enjoyed the part where Amanda gives advice on how to find your style. Some find it irritating how often Amanda changed her look and style, but isn't it the best way to find who you really are? How can you ever truly know unless you've tried nearly everything outthere? For some style comes naturally, during the first couple of decades of life, but for others it takes a lot of soul searching and a lot of changes. Amanda recommends go through books and magazines and make cut outs of what you found the most appealing. Out of those images one can create a fashion book where you could see how your style and taste evolves over time. Will you like the same thing a year from now, 5 years from now etc. According to Amanda, there are 6 style types, 3 definable: Classic, Bohemian, and Minimal and 3 undefinable: High Fashion, Street, and Eclectic. She describes different periods of her life when she identified with each one of the above, illustrating it with photoes of herself, people she knew and various celebrities, whom, she believed, reflected particular style the best. I wouldn't say it's a story of Amanda's life, more like a guide to finding your own style, illustrated by exaples from her life and her experiences. Last part of the book talks about types of shopping: Basic, cheap Chic, Designer and Vintage. Unlike other books, this book tells us that our basics do not have to be classic, but more of a reflection of our particular style. If basic item is a t-shirt, it does not have to be classic black or white t-shirt, it could be ripped or torn etc., whatever suits one's particular style and personality. I must say, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely keep it in my style library.

I bought this book for my younger 'fashionable' sister for Christmas but since it didn't come wrapped in plastic I found myself flipping through the pages and reading Brooks' words avidly. As most reviews would have stated. It's a wonderful, personal read. I've flipped through Nina Garcia's style guide and found it too cold and dictative. Brooks manages to keep her tone warm, helpful and not condescending at all. As mentioned, she also does not impose guidelines on you but mentions other people's style tips, preferences, and encourages you to wear clothes in a manner that suits you, not in a manner that mimics supermodels. Say, for example wearing a crisp white office shirt slighly rumpled instead of pressed. She divides the book into a few sections, such as Minimalist, Bohemian, High Fashion, etc. The pictures will definitely interest and intrigue you, even if that's not your style. This book will not tell you what to wear, but how to wear clothing to flatter your personal style. What else can I say? This one's a keeper.

As a colour and image consultant (I'm also a decorator) I own a lot of books on style, fashion, body shapes etc. I totally agree with A.K. that so much is repeated in most books, that it is rare to find anything of value in them. Most writers start out with the goal of inspiring women - but merely descend into lists of wear this/don't wear that. BUT this book is a CORKER! It fills in the gaps, joins the dots, makes that gigantic leap from theory to very do-able practical in a way I have never seen before. And it is INSPIRING!! I felt so excited when I started this book - it is unique and will speak to you no matter where you are in your style journey. It also covers unique styles of dress. As the book quotes, style doesn't just happen - you need to study it. This book is the perfect text - and a highly readable and up-to-the-minute one at that.

Yeah, go to the library. It's definitely a fun book to look through, a pretty book, and if you are really into high fashion and photography and Vogue and all that, you might like to own it. But for us ordinary mortals who would like to "Define and Refine Your Personal Style" - the book's subtitle - it's useless. I found The Color of Style by David Zyla to be similar. He does costume design for daytime television. He could have written a fascinating memoir about how he developed styles for particular actresses and the characters they played, but instead he tried to offer advice for normal women and fell flat on his face. The Color of Style: A Fashion Expert Helps You Find Colors that Attract Love, Enhance Your Power, Restore Your Energy, Make a Lasting Impression, and Show the World Who Y If I dressed in ways recommended by these books I would be deeply in debt. And here in Pittsburgh, especially in the "upper-lower" class neighborhood I live in, where people are just getting by, people would say "Who the hell does she think she is."

This book is unique and will speak to you no matter where you are in your style journey. The information in this book applies to all women and is timeless in its approach. This book is great for if you're looking to define your style, or to style your looks beyond the basics of looking 'good' to looking 'styled' and 'stylish'. The author discusses a few traditional styles - such as classic and bohemian, which she calls 'identifiable styles'. Each chapter shows examples of clothing and styling for that style. The chapter also shows different variations of each style - for example in bohemian she covers off different kinds of bohemian - vintage bohemian, rock goddess bohemian, ethnic bohemian; to show you the different takes on each look. There's a wealth of info inside this book. I often think of the information in this book as I prepare for my day.

I have read every book on fashion since the 60's, and own most of them. I know the rules, and follow them (mostly), but somewhere along the way I had forgotten how much fun getting dressed used to be. There are a lot of books that go back over the same old basics but this book helped me rediscover the fun of putting new looks together. As another reviewer stated the pictures show tall, model thin women. I am neither, and no longer young, but I got excited about style again. This book is about developing my own look, not about copying anyone else, including the women in the pictures. As I was reading each chapter my imagination was racing. I had to get up and start putting together things from my closet in new ways. I'm having a wonderful time playing with what I already own. When I go shopping next time I plan to try on everything in the shop, and to try some new stores too. My husband's closet is no longer safe from my search. You should know that the author is an unabashed advocate of wearing fur. If you can't get past that this may not be the book for you.If you want specific rules you won't find them here. But you will have a lot of fun and start looking at clothes differently.

Très bon livre , petite bible du style, bien écrit et qui peut se lire d une traite ou bien piocher dans les chapitres individuellement

Loved every single page of it!

この手の本にしては珍しく、読み応え満点でした！ ハウツーものではありますが、肉付けに使われている情報や写真が著者の個人的な懐から出てきたものなので、自伝的な面もある作品です。 それがいちいち自慢に聞こえて鼻につかなくもないのですが、アメリカの平均的な上流階級（？）の世界を垣間みる機会だと思えば気になりません。 少し大きめのソフトカバーで、一見文学作品のような表紙のデザインもはしゃいだところがなく、内容によくマッチしていると思います。

I loved this book. Its not the typical "guide book" to style but more of a personal account of finding one's style, which i really appreciate because i didnt want a book to tell me how to dress and how to match pieces, but to inspire me to find my own ways of doing so. I like how this book brought different eras together to create the "big picture" of all the possibilities out there in creating your own style. I read it every night before bed and had images of most interesting creative outfits floating in my head afterwards. It also opened my mind to new ways of styling my outfits: vintage, clothes i thought i didnt like and wanted to give away, my grandma's closet, ebay, etc.

Me envanta eñ estilo de Amanda y este libro es muy inspirador. Da nociones básicas sobre diferentes estilos y cómo combinarlos para inspirarse a la hora de vestirse y jugar con las proporciones y colores. Muy entretenido.