Fashion Literacy for Non-Fashion Majors

First published in ELEQT on 30 May 2012.

If you are like me and haven't had the luxury of going through formal fashion training, where can you pick up some foolproof tips on styling? Here are some of my bedtime reading materials:

Parisian Chic - a Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange is an all-in-one French style and beauty guide by their beloved celebrity model Ines de la Fressange. Through this book, she lists out Parisian women's well kept secrets on being effortlessly chic, with her daughter Nine d'Urso modeling out different fashion staples that every French woman has tucked in her wardrobe. This book is well worth the money I put in, as there are quite a few tips that I found particularly useful. One of those would be when you shop in H&M, people would easily be able to identify which piece you are wearing is from that particular brand. So how can you stand out from the crowd? Instead of shopping at their women's section, why not check out their men's collection? You might just be able to pick up something that is fashionable yet a bit less commonly worn, giving you a touch of a boyish look that the Parisian women are just so proud of.

She also points out some very obvious beauty tips that we tend to neglect. For example, you must get your teeth professionally cleaned twice annually. If you can spend that much time and money doing facials and makeup, surely you can spare an hour every six months to keep something so blatantly on your face sparkling white. She also hands you her rundown on how to be a charming hostess without slaving away behind the stove, then goes on a bit further in offering tips on home decor, as well as where to shop, eat, stay, and sight-see around Paris, including a few in-the-know online shops. This book guarantees to be of great help, whether or not you intend to visit Paris anytime soon.

衣慳飾儉 - 超實用置裝術 (in Chinese), on the other hand, is a locally published fashion guide by academics

Professor Elita Lam and Dr. Wing-sun Liu. A gift from my Dad, this book focuses on how you could make the most out of a tight budget. It covers everything from work wear to casual clothing, with the staples listed out clearly so you know what are the must-haves for your daily look. It is a great book for those who are shopping on a shoestring. What's more? It also lists out a few tips on how to dress according to your shape to bring out your best assets. It makes a terrific place to turn for some interesting fashion trivia and suggestions on what to wear for a normal workweek.

The Fashion Dictionary, edited by Guido Vergani, is a gift I got from the Swank at their joint event with the Italian Chamber of Commerce, and it has become my reference point whenever I bump into any fashion jargons I have never heard of before. I especially love the delicate sketches it has for illustrating fashion trends and who's who in the industry, all in alphabetical order. From the origins of fashion to the current artistic styles, over 100 renowned contributors strive to explain more than 4,500 fashion related terms in concise journalistic language. That is what makes this dictionary indispensable if you are anything from a fashion junkie to a professional stylist.

For example, their definition of ballet flats, something I wear practically on a daily basis, would be "light, flat and very low-cut footwear, inspired by those worn by ballet dancers. They were introduced in France by Repetto, an American firm specialised in dance wear. The idea was taken up by Capezio, who created the patent-leather ballet flats with ankle ribbons. In the 1950s, launched on the cinema screen by Brigitte Bardot and Audrey Hepburn, they were back in fashion, especially for Summer, in colours matching the dress. In 1977, Saint Laurent had his models wear ballet flats. Ten years earlier Roger Vivier had created for him the pilgrim's ballet flat, decorated with a gold metal brooch, which sold thousands of pieces." Now isn't it interesting to find out more about what we just simply take for granted?

Shoe Love - In Pop Up, by Jessica Jones, is a gift I got from Jenny for my birthday, which, with its adorable pop-up shoes, swiftly became one of my Mom's favourites. It explains the history of shoes though some super amazing pop-ups and trivial facts, reminding me of the interactive kiddies storybooks, only this one is more for those with a shoe fetish than a childlike mind. As Bette Midler said, "give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world", so find out where to begin your conquest by studying this fun yet practical guide!