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Style by Kate Spade $14.40 on Amazon

“Style is the sum of so many things – beginning with a sense of who you are and having self-confidence. It’s about getting the most mileage out of what works best on you. I’m a firm believer in wearing what makes you happy. And the only style rules I’d encourage anyone to follow are their own rules.” – Kate Spade, p 11

Kate Spade’s beautiful book, simply titled “Style” is a gorgeous collection of things that inspire her, movies she loves, colors that she can’t live without, etc. The ideas that inspire her beautiful and colorful designs and clean, modern aesthetic are clearly seen in this book.

I love this little book. I love how she considers the importance of feeling confident in your style and wearing things you love. She emphasizes that style is deeply personal, and that it evolves over time. This philosophy resonates so much for me. And she words it so well:

“When you are defining your own style, it’s so important not to be nervous. Part of style is confidence – you need to own your sense of style and be relaxed. If you’ve already pulled off a simple, clean look, then you can add just one great piece: shoes or a brooch. Find something you’re drawn to, something you can’t stop thinking about. Enjoy it. Play. I’m a big proponent of owning pieces that you cannot wait to wear. You want to find something that speaks to you in a totally personal way.” (p 24)

Her section on various colors she loves and different combinations to try them with is excellent. I love that she considers the color turquoise a wardrobe staple (p 40)

She also offers wonderful advice on what to wear to the office, to parties, while traveling etc. Her tips on caring for clothes, shoes and jewelry and also really useful, as I’ve found that there’s a lot of garment care aspects that many people don’t know about.

Overall, I found this book to be a beautiful collection of bits of inspiration and advice. It’s not particularly heavy or deep, but it’s excellent when you want to read a few snippets to get new ideas.

Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping

While I did buy something this week, I didn’t have time to take any pictures before leaving for San Diego. So instead, I thought I’d review a book that I read a few months ago, that relates to my shopping ban.

The author, Judith Levine, decided to go on a full-on shopping ban for an entire year – not just clothes, but everything that isn’t considered a necessity. It’s interesting to see what she defines as needs vs. wants (for instance, fancy varieties of rice are considered needs, but q-tips and wine are considered wants). It’s really interesting to watch her journey, especially since she lives for part of the year in New York City, which is one of the most consumer driven cities in the world.

Without spoiling too much, I also found it interesting that the two times she broke down and broke her ban, she bought clothes. She doesn’t come to the book from a fashion perspective per se, but she makes some keen observations about feeling like all the current styles are passing her by, with her unable to participate in them.

Her ban is far more extreme than anything I will probably ever do. But I love thinking and learning about society and how it ticks (my Bachelors was in Sociology) so this book really appeals to me. Plus, it lets you discover what the experience of not shopping for a year is like, without the pain and withdrawal of actually doing it. I highly recommend this book for anyone curious at taking a closer, personal look at consumerism and it’s effect in America.

(I’ll catch you up on what I bought in my regular shopping ban post next week.)