Even though I have a bookcase and then some full of books I can never resist a good fashion, beauty or advice book, that is if it’s got some quality to it. For the first time in four years I am actually going on vacation this summer so I plan to stock my suitcase with a stack of tomes that are fun, playful and don’t take themselves too seriously. In my twenties I spent many a time on the beach with thick serious books diving into knowledge like a sponge. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t want to learn…it’s just that some vacations demand taking a true break rather than being all business, all the time.
So this year my reading pleasure will begin with “Classy” Exceptional Advice for The Extremely Modern Lady by Derek Blasberg. Blasberg has written about the fashion industry, the New York art scene and the international social swirl for publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, W, V Magazine, Interview, the London Sunday Times and Conde Nast’s Style.com. He is equal parts Midwestern good boy, Manhattan man-about town and an international enthusiast of style.
The books description reads a little something like this: If you’ve ever wondered how to climb the social ladder with grace, how to feel confident in every situation, or even how to make a lasting impression (but not the kind that lands you on the latest “Worst Dressed List”)—Derek Blasberg is here, with quotes and secrets from all the socialites, so girls everywhere can learn how to have class.
This hilarious handbook will provide everything you need to know about fashion, socializing, dating, and etiquette. With tons of practical tips and tools for learning to flaunt what you’ve got, dozens of specific how-tos, common no-nos, and huge blunders that even smart girls make, this tongue-in-cheek book will train you to be a lady, and not a tramp!
Although the book seems directed at the young and fab set, there is plenty of info that women of all ages can glean.
Also in my Amazon shipment: The Art and Power of Being a Lady by Noelle Cleary and Dini Von Muffleing. This book brushes off the cobwebs of the old school idea of tea-sipping ladies from years gone by and makes “lady” relevant to every girl and woman — whether her role model is Audrey Hepburn, Oprah Winfrey, Madeleine Albright, Lauryn Hill, or Mia Hamm. In an era when looking out for one another and taking the high road is too often lost in the shuffle, today’s lady has not forgotten what’s important. It’s perfect for teens and college girls finding their way in a world of “It” girls gone bad but as with Classy any woman can refine her lady-ness and emerge with more grace and confidence.
