Fashionable Reading for Fall 2012

Does the fall season make you miss book reading lists? If you’ve got some nostalgia going on for a good, interesting, enlightening read, forget about whatever is happening with 50 Shades or the Hunger Games Trilogy; jump off the trendy reading list bandwagon and get thee some fashion-related reading instead! Here’s our top picks from books that have come out recently- – enjoy!

AKRIS by Valerie Steele

One of my favorite fashion historians has penned a new book, AKRIS, focusing on the 90-year old Swiss luxury label  that has dressed a variety of celebrities over the years and continues to establish itself as a reputed, quality, high-end brand. Discover the brand’s understated appeal through an interesting discourse led by Steele and of course, gorgeous photos of the clothing!

Wear This Now: Your Style Solution for Every Season and Any Occasion by Michelle Madhok and Eileen Conlan

With up-to-date trends, must-haves, and practical advice on how to cull the latest looks without breaking the bank, Madhok and Conlan offer up down-to-earth language in a  casual and encouraging approach to dress yourself how you deserve to look. The authors, found and editor of SheFinds.com,  implore you to take a good, hard look in your closet, evaluate what you’ve got and how you can rework it, or let go of the pieces that are collecting dust.

Already Pretty: Learning to Love Your Body by Learning to Dress it Well by Sally McGraw

One of my favorite sites to check out for relevant, interesting, and original topics with positive dress-for-your-body advice, McGraw’s book is an extension of the best aspects of her popular blog.

Some Girls, Some Hats, and Hitler: A True Love Story by Trudi Kanter with an introduction by Linda Grant

Did the title grab your attention? This true story, a memoir written by Trudi Kanter (who has since passed away), shares how her fashion-related contacts in Europe (Kanter was a milliner with her own hat shop), were the agents for her and her family to escape Vienna during the time that Hitler’s army had invaded the city. This book is a remarkable, first-hand account of life during the time, and the importance that fashion played in the survival of Kanter and her loved ones.

Schiaparelli & Prada: Impossible Conversations by Andrew Bolton and Harold Koda

If you loved the exhibit at The Met (or if you missed the exhibit) this book is for you! It perfectly tells the story of the exhibit, the interweaving of the two Italian women’s lives and work, plus elaborates on the connections, while the book itself, is a great example of surrealism with trump d’oliel images and 3-D features.

Detailed: The Complete Man’s Guide to Personal Grooming by Richard Maloof

There’s no shame, or anything feminine about looking your very best! Richard Maloof, with self-deprecating humor and an informal approach to the subject breaks down by category and steps how men can cut down on the unwanted hair, improve the look of their skin and nails, and easily maintain the new, cleaned-up aesthetic.

-Julia DiNardo