Rachel Zoe Versus Victoria Beckham
[ 18 November 2007 ]
Ahh, yes. ‘Tis the season for style manuals to start arriving thick & fast on the iCiNG Bowl doorstep. (Fa la la la la, la la la la!) I must admit that so far, the two most intriguing ones have been Victoria Beckham’s That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels & Everything in Between & Rachel Zoe’s Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, & Everything Glamour. Now, I understand very well that you might be in the predicament of only being able to buy one of these books. A well-written style manual does, of course, make a superb Christmas gift — but which one should you give? Well my sweet, I am here to help you. Today I present an exclusive heavyweight boxing match — Rachel Zoe versus Victoria Beckham.
I love to read about other people’s perspectives on fashion & style, especially people who know what they’re talking about! Victoria Beckham is widely regarded as a fashion icon, while Rachel Zoe is the hottest stylist in Hollywood right now. From that comparison, it sounds like Victoria would trounce Rachel, but the thing that is amazing about Rachel is that she is almost as big a celebrity as some of the women she dresses. Most stylists work distinctly behind the scenes, but Rachel’s reputation is huge — it has truly preceeded her — & she is a definite fixture in the front row of fashion shows the world over.
I admire the aesthetic of both women. They look completely unique, & their styles are instantly recognisable. Victoria Beckham is queen of the pout, with magnificently fake breasts & a penchant for incredibly high heels. Rachel Zoe is the queen of laidback Californian chic, often seen in 70’s caftans, with her trademark mussed-up mane, deep tan & big sunglasses. Their looks are almost entirely opposite — it seems the only thing they share is a lust for tanned skin.
To be fair, both these women had help compiling their testaments to style. Ms Beckham enlisted the help of Hadley Freeman, while Ms Zoe was assisted by Rose Apodaca. Who are these people? Well, Hadley is the Guardian’s deputy fashion editor & a contributing editor to Vogue. Her column in the Guardian is brilliant. Rose has been writing & editing for two decades, was once the west coast editor of Women’s Wear Daily & now writes a column at Uber. In her blurb on the side, it says: “Her first book, Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty & Everything Glamour, an all-encompassing lifestyle guide written for celeb stylist Rachel Zoe, is now in bookstores.” Did you note the bit where it says for? For celeb stylist… ? Yes, okay, good. Now that you’ve seen that, let’s move on.
From seeing Ms Beckham in moving pictures, I really do get the impression that the majority of this book is hers. It appears to be written in her voice, dishing out her tips — it’s very true to the image she presents everywhere else. I don’t know whether she penned it herself, or whether Ms Freeman is just exceptionally skilled at writing in someone else’s voice, but it is impressive regardless. Unfortunately I haven’t seen a lot of footage of Ms Zoe speaking in public or anything like that, so it’s very hard to know how much of a hand Ms Apodaca had in putting the book together.
The softcover version of VB’s book is described as a “handbag edition”, which is hilarious. It weighs about the same as my digital SLR camera with a big sodding lens on the end of it. I lugged that sucker all over Manhattan & let me tell you, my shoulder wasn’t happy about it. Beware! That Extra Half An Inch may cause irreparable harm if you try to stuff it in your tote!
Okay — enough introduction. Let’s get down to business!
Ready… fight!
FORMAT — Victoria whacks Rachel with a Fendi bag full of nappies
Chapters in Ms Beckham’s book: Introduction; Jeans & Trousers; Tops; Skirts & Day Dresses; Accessories; Parties; Vacations; Winter; Special Occasions; Pregnancy & Post-Pregnancy; Lingerie; Hair & Make-up; Conclusion; Where To Buy.
Chapters in Ms Zoe’s book: Introduction; Excessories; Life’s A Red Carpet; The Day After; Jet Set; Lip Gloss & Mane Toss; Behind Closed Doors; Entertaining; Glamour A To Zoe.
Both books are laden with pictures, which is important, of course, because style is visual. That Extra Half An Inch features photographs by Ellen Von Unwerth — ring a ding ding! Ellen Von Unwerth is my favourite photographer. Yum.
Victoria’s book has twice the number of pages that Rachel’s does, but it is also about 3/4 the size. It took me two days to get through That Extra Half An Inch (not for lack of trying), while it only took me a couple of hours to read Style A To Zoe. I think Victoria’s book is much more compelling & definitely more information dense. I really did walk away from it with my head spinning. There is just SO much to take in. Rachel’s book, on the other hand, gave a fascinating glimpse into her world — the world of glitz & glamour, her gaggle of celebrity friends & whirlwind holidays all over the place.
Both women are trying to present something very different with their books. Victoria’s modus operandi seems to be, “Here I am, I’m famous but really I’m still that weird chubby girl from school. I’ve made mistakes but I love fashion & here are some fantastic tips I’ve picked up along the way.” Rachel’s modus operandi appears to be, “Here I am, my life’s a party! This is how I dress myself & my clients, I’m a professional & I know what I like, & here are some ideas to inspire you.”
CLOTHING — Victoria winds Rachel with a quick jab from her exceptionally pointy elbow
When it comes to pure page count, Victoria devotes 256 pages to clothing, spanning from the chapter on jeans through to her tips on special occasion dressing. In fact, the only chapters which aren’t about clothing entirely are the ones on pregnancy, lingerie, hair & make-up. Rachel has 90 pages on the subject of clothing — the other hundred pages are on grooming, entertaining, home decor & travel.
Writing more words on a subject doesn’t necessarily mean that you are providing more information — in some cases, it just means you’re a bad writer. But when it comes to clothing & putting it all together, the more words you can say, the better. The thing with clothing is that ultimately there is no right or wrong way to do anything, it’s all opinion, so if someone can present you with a lot of options, that’s really the most useful thing. Victoria does this very well. She says what she prefers, & then explains other ways of doing it, as well as providing food for thought on body shapes, quality, & much more.
Most of Rachel’s writing on clothing is about dressing for special events. Of course, dressing celebrities for the Oscars et al is what she does, but your average woman doesn’t do a lot of red carpet dressing. While it’s interesting to read how she puts looks together for big occasions, it isn’t necessarily very applicable to you or I. In her chapter, The Day After, she writes about dressing for work & comfort. Most of this seems to be about various materials, like cashmere & jersey. She stresses the importance of glamour, which I couldn’t agree with more, & also the importance of buying the right pair of jeans for your shape.
Rachel waxes lyrical about accessories (she calls them “excessories”...), which makes sense, because whenever you see her, she’s dripping with bangles, rings, watches, etc. Victoria’s accessories chapter is mostly about shoes & bags, with a bit of extra stuff about hats, stockings, jewellery & tattoos — & this makes sense too, since Ms Beckham is a shoe fiend but doesn’t tend to wear a lot of other jewellery.
BEAUTY — Bronzed, bejewelled fists are thrown but no connection is made
Victoria recommends an absolute truckload of beauty products in her Hair & Make-Up chapter, which is fantastic. I love knowing what people use, & I get the impression that they are honest recommendations, not paid endorsements or anything underhanded. She doesn’t give a lot of direct make-up tips, but does encourage you to experiment & try new things.
Rachel’s book contains make-up tips from Paul Starr & Byron Williams, as well as some hints for matching your face/hair/outfit. She writes about hair (specifically, hair extensions) & perfume.
Both women speak about horrific lipstick incidents in their youth — Victoria’s first lipstick was called “Twilight Teaser” by Boots No. 17 & was an irridescent purple. Rachel’s first experience with lipstick involved grabbing her mother’s tube of red & coating her face with it. Glamorous! It just goes to show that there is hope for anyone, really!
Rachel also says,
“I love a tan. I love a deep, Bain de Soleil-like tan, rich with all the promise of St. Tropez & Ipanema & Marrakesh. I tend to keep bronzed through the year, a consequence of my having olive skin that soaks up the sun year-round in Los Angeles. I don’t fake bake. I soak the rays directly from the source. & I don’t make any apologies for it.”
I appreciate her honesty but I think that even mentioning it is totally irresponsible. Please don’t follow her sun-worshipping lead! Constant sun exposure ages you like mad, not to mention that it’s really dangerous. Fake tanning is fabulous, the technology is getting better & better, & wouldn’t you rather be alive than crispy brown & dead?!
FAME — Victoria gores Rachel with a high heel
Both books, as you would expect, contain little anecdotes about borrowing dresses from famous designers & interactions with everyone from Donatella Versace to Manolo Blahnik. The difference is in the way they’re presented. Victoria tells her stories as if she is almost a little bit embarrassed — she is very vocal about how amazing the experience was, & how much she appreciated it for what it was. Rachel, on the other hand, has a completely different approach. Rachel’s tales are more about name-dropping & her own ego than the actual story. You get the impression that Rachel would tell you a story about going to the convenience store, as long as it mentioned someone whose name was synonymous with the tabloids.
COLLABORATORS — Rachel suffocates Victoria with a long Missoni caftan
Both books feature short pages of text from various fashion names. Rachel Zoe’s book contains wise words from Valentino, Frank Zambrelli, Cameron Silver (owner of Decades), Alberta Ferretti, Francisco Costa, Diane von Furstenberg, Michael Kors, Roberto Cavalli & Margherita Missoni, as well as text from some of her celebrity clients like Molly Sims & Anne Hathaway. They contribute tidbits about flying in style & their views on what being stylish really is. While most of us don’t really wonder much about how Michael Kors travels, again, it’s always interesting to hear new points of view.
Victoria’s book is scattered with quotes from Manolo Blahnik, Christopher Bailey, Roberto Cavalli, Valentino, Roland Mouret & Matthew Williamson. Unfortunately, however, the sole purpose of this stellar line-up appears to be only to pump up Ms Beckham — “Victoria has such a strong personal love of fashion & clothes”, etc. etc. While it must have been nice for her to collect these quotes, they don’t serve any true purpose. We know you have style, honey — that’s why we bought your book! We don’t need to be convinced!
PRACTICAL INFORMATION — Victoria swings her sons around & knocks Rachel off balance
Ms Beckham really has Ms Zoe trumped here. The first half of Victoria’s book is broken down into items of clothing, & in each chapter she talks about the various types of that item. She then treats the reader by giving high & low end options for each item. For example, when it comes to little black dresses, she recommends Azzedine Alaïa at the high end, & lots of low end choices — Miss Selfridge, Topshop, H&M, etc. For this reason, her book is super-practical & she names a lot of great sources. Ms Zoe does not.
However, Style A To Zoe does have some great tips for entertaining guests. She covers how to throw a party, how to book a festive dinner at a restaurant & how to buy special gifts. Her chapter on interior decorating is very good too. There are lots of pictures of her home, which thrills me since I am obsessed with seeing how people live! Her house is big & airy, lots of light, with minimal but comfortable furniture & lots of interesting touches about the place. She talks a bit about how she & her husband overhauled their home & the changes they made, & makes a lot of suggestions for doing up your own home. Definitely worth a read.
The reason Victoria wins in this round is that… well… these books are about style! While home decor & entertaining is part of that, those two chapters seem to be the most useful out of Style A To Zoe — which is probably not why people bought the book in the first place.
Other points:
Ms Beckham’s book is more useful, while Ms Zoe’s is more aspirational & inspirational Ms Zoe’s book is quite anecdotal, while Ms Beckham’s book is practical & stays on task Both books stress that you should work to develop your own personal style, yet neither of them really tell you how to do that That Extra Half An Inch has space for you to make notes at the end of each chapter That Extra Half An Inch is very England-centric. A few American reviewers on Amazon despair over this fact, but really, stop complaining & just hoof it over to London for a fortnight!
Summary:
Both of these books are entertaining reading, but what you select for yourself or your friends will depend on what you’re after. If you’re a laidback, vintage lovin’, Californian glamour girl, then Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, & Everything Glamour is for you. You’ll adore her aesthetic insights & find the whole thing very inspiring. The introduction is about how dreaming big is important, & this book will help you do that. But if you want a real style manual, with tips & tricks, places to buy, how to wear things well & how to put looks together, then That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels & Everything in Between should be your first port of call. For this reason, Victoria Beckham is my chosen winner. Ding ding ding!
However, having said that, both books are a delight to read & I recommend having a flick through both at your leisure. I am all for the sharing of information, which is one reason why publishing online appeals to me so much. I think it’s an absolutely fantastic luxury to be able to read other people’s perspectives on all kinds of topics, & with the internet & the speed of publishing these days, we are in a better position than ever to be able to do so. There’s no point in reinventing the wheel — the most efficient way to learn, progress & develop is to use information from people who have been there & done that. Whenever you come across information from someone whose opinion you respect, or someone whose lifestyle you’d like to emulate, you should pounce on it with all your might! That stuff is valuable — you can never learn too much. Lap it up, baby!
Extra For Experts:
Rachel Zoe styles a girl on the Tyra Banks show. Short but interesting.
Being Rachel Zoe from New York Times.
Rachel Zoe’s style secrets — a slideshow from In Style.
Posh Madness, a Victoria Beckham fansite.
Little Ant & Dec interview Victoria Beckham. Sooo cute & awesome.
Seems that Style.com had the same idea as me! Here is a comparison of the two books against Wife Dressing (1959).
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
Tags: consumption Share this! + Email This + Del.icio.us
+ Facebook
+ Stumbleupon
+ Technorati
Comment
Read more tagged consumption...
False Eyelashes Daily Outfit -- 9th November 2007 American Apparel Discount Code Gala Darling Loves American Apparel! Decorating A Room Daily Outfit -- 29th October 2007 Daily Outfit -- 26th October 2007 Operation Athletic Bling
Yowza! That was some chunk of an assignment, Gala! Good job, I especially love the little Aristo-Cat Fight Play-by-Plays.
This will be helpful, because I hate buying a stylish book, only to read that it’s completely ready for the corbeil!
On a different note, I found a bottle of “Don’t you Lilac it?” from OPI, and based on your recommendation, I bought it. It’s AMAZING. Best nail polish I have ever bought. Works well with pinky skin. :3
Keep up the great work, Mme. Darling!
You’ve solved my problem of the day Gala!!!! I’ve been stressing over what else to get my sister for christmas but now I think she’d love Rachel Zoe’s style book!
Yay yay yay! Thank you for the review. I used to not like (as much as you can ‘not like someone you’ve never met) Victoria Beckham because in photos she comes across as being miserable and snooty and she looks as though she just nibbles on lettuce all day. But the more i’m exposed to her via the internet and TV the more I respect her.
Hope everyone’s having a fantastic weekend xo
Great review Gala, I already own the victoria beckham book but due to my overwheming obsession with other peoples style perspectives (as you said) I was tempted to buy the Zoe version as well. the only thing holding me back was that I don’t necessarily agree with her perspectives on tanning (like you said) and also on slimming pills( which I imagine isn’t talked about in the book). I think I can wait now until the book hits the shelves here.
Thanks!
Interesting article Gala. I love the way you wrote it up. That being said-as much I loved Victoria during the Spice Girls years, now when ever I look at her and her fake tan and unnatural blonde hair it makes me cringe. But she does have one of the most fierce expressions ever, and her book sounds like a good read.
I can’t get over your blog!! Since I found it, nearly a month ago, I log on obsessively every day to check it, & trawl through the archives like a mad stalker-fiend, & I’m STILL finding stuff to read (& dorkily enough, jot down in my new notebook :p)
Victoria used to be my favourite Spice Girl, hands-down. Her fashion & size kinda scares me nowadays, but I do like how much confidence in herself she has!!
I hadn’t considered even reading either book before, but now I want to race out and get ‘That Extra Half An Inch’.
I really enjoyed your review and if you’re looking for material for a similar future piece, I highly recommend the late Athena Starwoman and former model Deborah Gray’s ‘Glamazon- how to be fabulous, famous and flawless’, which is a lifestyle guide-cum-spellbook (both practised witchcraft).
If you stumble upon a copy of Nina Garcia’s Little Black Book of Style please review that too! It sounds great on Amazon:
“advice on how to combine colors and textures, and inspiration on how to achieve your own signature look, you learn how to experiment, storyboard, archive, and play…”
But I always prefer buying a book that’s gotten a trustworthy recommendation!!
I have Victoria’s book already and i really love it. But i do love Zoe’s style, and the way she dresses her clients…the laidback, California, glamour. So i might check it out! Thanks for an interesting article.
style.com did a similar comparison thing! all i have to say is that victoria beckham rocks my boat MAJOR. i think she’s fabulous. she’s a brilliant wife and mom, and she’s so darn funny. i think anyone who’s a good wife and mom and can still crack a mean joke and look that good is someone i can really respect!
coincidently my first lipstick came from a spice girls compact that my mummy brought me for my birthday when i was 8, it was barbie pink and I matched it with yellow eye shadow.
all in all I dislike both of them and think that they have negative connotations regarding weight + the female form, I hate the whole size zero thing.
I love this article…makes me want to go out and read both books. The style aesthetics that appeal to me are all over the place, though I am more likely to enjoy VB’s book, as I am not a tanned glamazon…I am more prone to liking the pale, “curvy-skinny” pin-up style of Dita. Either way, I think both ladies are dripping with style.
Thanks for the reviews. The little play-by-play was very cute.
I agree with Christy, I dislike both of them, probably Zoe more because of the army of celebrity-clones she’s developed. VB is just annoying. I could tolerate her more easily if it wasn’t for all the posing, the scary body and crap attempts (my humble opinion, of course) to be funny.
However, this review has convinced me to pick up a copy of “That Extra Half An Inch” next time I see it in a charity shop (Yes, I’ve seen it in one already. Sitting next to the What Not To Wear guides) as the review section sounds pretty interesting.
I loved this review and the fun way it was written- and I speak as someone who was planning to read neither book! But I totally, 100% agree with this:
“Whenever you come across information from someone whose opinion you respect, or someone whose lifestyle you’d like to emulate, you should pounce on it with all your might! That stuff is valuable — you can never learn too much. Lap it up, baby!”
I’ve recently come to the conclusion that celebrities are absolutely nothing to me; I don’t respect them and I certainly don’t want to emulate their lifestyles. Sure, some of them might show up in magazines wearing pretty clothes I’d also like to own, but that’s about it. I’ve always been immune to hero worship on an unattainable scale, I’ve always been more interested in REAL people.
Finally, I must add, that as a literature student, I think this format of reviewing books on a blog of yours is superb. (Then again I wouldn’t expect anything less of you!)
I would never have even flipped through Rachel Zoe’s book if I saw it at the store, because there is no image on the cover! How superficial of me :-P But if you’re writing about style, please, an inspiring example on the cover of your book! Especially since she has such a layer-it-up kind of style, her cover should be more representative… I’m a bit biaised against Zoe anyway, because all the celebs she dresses seem to just develop the same style… Originality, anyone?
I can’t STAND Rachel Zoe. From what I’ve read she seems like an absolute nutcase trying to clone herself with her famous clients. She essentially advocates mindless tanning and anorexia.
Ugh!
Poochie
thanks to you, i reallllly want to pick up these books and read now! i’ve been looking for some inspirational material because my fashion sense has been sort of drained by all the work i have for school D: maybe between these books and continuing to read the lovely gala darling it’ll come back! here’s hoping :D
i haven’t taken a look at rachel’s book, but i did peruse victoria’s book whilst at the barnes and noble in NYC’s union square the week before last, and i wasn’t all that impressed with it. i felt it was very dictatorial, one woman’s view on style, “do as i do and you’ll be chic” sort of fare. the book was packed with photos, but without more instructional passages on how to achieve her suggestions, her book, to me, sort of fell flat.
i know she’s beloved and people think she’s fabulous, but eh, i don’t know if celebrity necessarily makes a person an expert on a subject, in this case, fashion. i guess i am like the other commenter…not much of a celebrity fan in general…their fame won’t sell a book to me, but content will. especially if they write it themselves.
i did look at nina garcia’s book (that someone else mentioned), and got the impression that it was much more accepting, with gentle suggestions, lots of humor, inspirations, and bits of advice like “you don’t have to be beautiful to be stylish,” which i really loved. in this case, nina’s been a fashion editor for a major US monthly for many a year, she likely has a very actute eye for this sort of thing, and really wasn’t a celeb in the sense of victoria, at least until the advent of “project runway” here in the states.
also, to just “hoof it over to the UK for a fortnight” is getting more expensive for us americans, unfortunately. :( i wish it were the opposite but the dollar is garbage at the moment.
nice review though, very creatively written! :)
I agree. Heck, Victoria was a Spice Girl! That’s like an automatic win every time!
Ahem. On the slightly more serious side though, her book sounds more useful.
Thanks for the review (Although now I have the urge to go out and buy the book with no money. Shakes fist)!
Reading this I felt like you were leaning toward Victoria the whole time. I agree with you though, her book seems far more useful for my purposes.
& P.S- I looove your writing style. It’s simply delicous to read! You could type 3 pages about paper bags and I’d be intrigued. :]
Fantastic read, dear! I simply adore the way you write; I never get bored or even tempted to skim through anything. ♥
I have only recently become interested in fashion & the like. The only draw-back? I don’t have the money to dress to my liking. So you’ve intrigued me! I’ve added “That Extra Half an Inch” to my Amazon shopping cart! It shall be my first attempt to give in to my fashion craving, and perhaps the beginning of a career dream. Who knows! I’m only 16, after all. But I’m excited, nonetheless! Thank you, Gala!
That’s scary, Gala! Just yesterday I went and loaned out a copy of ‘That Extra Half an Inch’ (to the derision of my peers). I really enjoyed it – the illustrations resemble fashion design drawings and are absolutely gorgeous, and she really does address everything. I wasn’t actually planning to read ‘A to Zoe’, because it isn’t available for loan in London yet but you have really intrigued me. Who doesn’t want to dream big? I’ll keep a lookout for it. :)
This has nothing to do with the article, but I just wanna tell you that today my boyfriend and I are celebrating one year together :D I’m super happy!!! You really helped me with some of your articles about couples and love, so thanks a lot! :) :)
after reading this i was thinking…
Gala, have you ever consider writing a book?
This was so helpful to me. I’ve been asked by my boyfriend for ideas for Christmas and after reading your reviews on both books I now know which one to ask for!! Thankyou!! :o) xx
Oh we new you would choose MAJOR over ZOE any day. But thanks for justifying it nonetheless! Also thanks for mentioning the sun icky-factor. I want all the lovely tanned fashionistas of the world to live long lives without cancer.
Why don’t YOU write a style manual? I’d buy it.
Frankly, I have zero interest in Rachel Zoe and Victoria Beckham, style-wise, but your review of their books was so enjoyable to read.
I am a sad sucker for style books and I have both Victoria and Rachel’s books. I have the hardcover of Mrs. Beckham’s which doesn’t give space for notes and I think there are more pictures of her in the paperback version too.
Whilst they both love the designer names, I think Victoria’s book is more for everyday wear and everyday people, whilst Rachel Zoe’s is good if you’re planning for a huge “red carpet moment”.
Thanks for this Gala! You seriously are the best. Neither of these books caught my interest AT ALL...until I read this! After reading through it and taking note of the differences I have decided that I might as well pick up Victorias book, it sounds interesting and something I could take some notes from.
Thanks.
xx
I love book reviews! Thank you Gala. I’m probably more prone to Posh’s book, only because Rachel Zoe tends to promote unhealthy living standards in the girls she styles.
xoxo!!
The Rachel Zoe thing is interesting. Some of the girls she styles do drop weight, that’s true… But not all of them do. In fact, not even most of them. Just a couple.
Any stories about her dealing pills or meth (?!) are totally unsubstantiated. There is no proof, it’s just idle gossip — no one knows what really happens in her personal life. & of course being healthy is important, but where does personal responsibility come into it? If Nicole Richie starts to lose weight, surely that’s because of whatever SHE is up to, not anyone else’s doing? Obviously we should all strive to be positive influences on one another, but sometimes it’s not quite that simple.
Just some food for thought ;D !
True: Choices are solely one’s own decision, however, Rachel Zoe is a big name and thus has a lot of power to wield. It goes beyond just girls losing a lot of weight. Tanning is terribly unhealthy, yet she promotes this activity as something to do for style? That’s just dangerous. I’d just be wary, that’s all! :)
Ya, I find the authentic tanning thing really bizarre. Then again, you can see the side-effects of tanning just by looking at her. I like her, don’t get me wrong, but I think she has really caused herself irreparable damage by spending so much time in the sun!
I myself only own a mere 1000 or so books on style (give or take a few) and I totally agree that Ms Beckhams book is the superior one. The point that you made Gala about the books telling us that we should have a personal style but not how to get one, is true of many of these books.
If anyone is interested in looking at other style books I would recommend “A Guide to Elegance” by Genevieve Antione Dariaux (written in 1964 but still available) and The Cheap Date Guide to Style by K Jolliffe & B Garnett
JakJak — Glad you agree, honeypuff! I really did like both books, but in terms of doing what it said on the front, Ms Beckham’s book totally delivered. & I wrote a review on Cheap Date Guide to Style! & Kira linked to it, hee! http://www.kirajolliffe.co.uk/morepress.htm
http://galadarling.com/article/the-cheap-date-guide-to-style-book-review
((dumps sunscreen all over both ladies))
i’d rather have a beautiful (well-preserved!) face than good style, anyday! if beauty starts from within, then the second step would be our very own skin— right?!
I reckon you should write a style manual, Gala- I’d buy it!
I agree, Jem!
thank you sooooo muhc for this article….the other day i was at the book store with both of those books in my hands…i had no idea which one to buy….VB’s seems more practical and i loved the layout (it was also cheaper) and rachel zoes was more aobut the Hollywood look and dressing for events…i left the book store empty handed!!! but after reading your article i am now wanting to put VB’s book on my christmas list~!~~
you saved the day….
Oddly enough, I just mailed Beckham’s book off as a gift. I found it rather unreadable. I like a book to be visually pleasing and easy to read, but the visual impact of Beckham’s book made it largely unreadable to me. 10pt Times New Roman as the typeface? Too small, my dear. I’ve not looked at Rachel Zoe’s book. I am generally not inspired by the styling she does for Nicole Ritchie, but I will still give this book a gander at the bookstore. I’m currently making my way through Nina Garcia’s book.