I am maybe the least fashion-forward person in real life. For example, after we’d been quarantined for a while, my mom said she wished she could go back to the beginning and wear a different t-shirt every day, just because she has so many. I, on the other hand, wanted to go back and start over because I would have worn the same t-shirt every day. For 77 days. Because I could. See what I mean. Not fashionable. But in Book World, I love to read about fashionable things. Here are a couple of fashionably good reads that somehow found their way across my desk.

Some of the stories in this book are almost unbelievable. If I hadn’t worked in the music industry for as long as I did and seen similar antics, I don’t think I would buy it. But friends, some people are crazy (and when you include creatives, like designers, they get even more so). I will admit that I got a little tired of the author ALWAYS being right, but hey, it’s her book. Also, she got a little better towards the end. This book did not make me want to drop everything and become a fashion designer, but it was a fascinating read.

If you had asked me to name fashion people I know, Betsey Johnson would have made the list. I’ve never actually gotten to own a Betsey Johnson dress, but there has been some coveting going on. My style is mostly classic, but I like how Betsey is funky but still simple at the same time. Before reading this book, that was all I knew about her. I didn’t realize she’d been around since the 60s or that she was married to John Cale (among others). This book pulled me in, and I managed to polish it off in one afternoon. She also has great illustrations to go along with her story. Once a creative, always a creative.

I love color. As a little girl, every year I begged to buy a new box of crayons for school even though my old box was still perfectly usable. There was just something magical about opening a new box and seeing all those flat-topped, unused crayons that made me happy (and still does to this day). I feel like Kassia St. Clair understands this. She started by writing a column about color for Elle Decoration that then morphed into this book. In it, she discusses the history of colors and pigments and how they came to be. This book is engrossing, and I loved it. If you need a new topic to entertain your friends with at dinner parties (you know, once we can start having dinner parties again), you can’t go wrong with this one. Just don’t ask me what my favorite color is. (It’s cerulean. No, tangerine. No violet. AHHH! Can I just say, “Yes”?)

Ok, friends. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. At the very least, I promise I put on a clean shirt today. You’re welcome.

Happy fashioning…

:) Amanda