STYLE & IMAGE: What do books have to do with style?

It’s a book week here at JDS and I’m here to talk about more of them.

What does style have to do with books and vice versa?

A lot, considering there are so many out there telling you how to dress, how to walk, how to talk, how to present yourself to the public. Put your best foot forward and all that.

I have raided my local library and borrowed every book on style, jewellery, bags, shoes and all matter of clothing and accessories. Raid your local libraries, antique stores, op shops and any other places for books on your favourite passions too.

I have found some real prizes amongst the hundreds I borrowed and ended up buying many from eBay, Fishpond and Awesome books. They contain the most amazing pieces, from well-known name brand shoes to simple Chinese made slippers, antique jewels to modern handbags, old fashioned bodices to today’s trend.

If you’re like me and love all of them, then the list could be never-ending as each book is released. That’s why getting them from your local library or standing in a book shop to have a look through is so important. It gives you a chance to see if it covers the details you want. Do you like the book? Does it provide you with that you want? Does it cover the subject in its entirety or just the basic parts?

I have read many books on fashion that are really just for the clothing designer in you. Ones are for the lover of designers, and others were an insight into fashion from the decades. I can be rather picky when it comes to things I love. I can like it all or only half, only some or none at all. It all depends on whether it peaks my interest on many levels, and many don’t. I’m not into designers themselves, so I leave those books behind.

Style, shape, colour, uniqueness. That is what these books I have read or bought in the last few years have got. I am a very visual person. If I love what I see I want it. And I loved the pics in these books which is why I bought them. I absolutely love the pieces photographed for the books. Especially the jewellery, bags and shoe books. They are artistic pieces of art within themselves and are amazing to look at.

As for the style and fashion books, they cover a variety of areas from shopping your own closet to detailed lists of what each term means in clothes and accessories, with photographs and how, when and what to wear. Now that I’m talking about them, I will definitely go back and read them. Compiling a list and then having those books on your shelves is rewarding, especially when you love just looking at the pretty pictures. And it always pays to have a few books around that you can reference and get advice from.

There are also fashion design sticker books, journals, notebooks and such a wide variety of designs it’s hard to keep up with such a broad list.

Here’s just a few of the books I’ve bought.

Accessory books