Tim GunnTim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style (Tim Gunn's Guide to Style)

I started watching Tim Gunn's Guide to Style on Bravo a while ago and loved the show so much, I decided to buy his book. I think it's one of the best purchases I have ever made.Some of the other reviews say this book is a waste of time, that it's all such obvious advice. That may be true for some people. But for me it was not. I felt I was stuck in a fashion rut. I'm 22 years old, almost 23, about to be married to a graphic designer, and I feel like I look like I just walked off my high school campus. I'm a jeans and tank top kind of girl. As wonderfully comfortable as those clothes are, that's just what they are: "comfort clothes", items I wear because I'm afraid to step out of the box. When I get married I want to be able to be the stylish wife on the arm of my husband, not someone that looks like a teenager. I want to be taken seriously.Well, Tim's book was an easy to digest read. He has a lot of great advice that even made me feel better about myself. Like his views on being a certain size. He says, buy the dress that fits well and makes you look great, don't beat yourself up about the fact that it's a 10 and you're "supposed to be a 5!" He says, go home and cut the tag out if you must, but you're going to look so much better in something that actually fits, than something you try to squeeze into simply because you don't want to admit to yourself that you have to wear a 10. And he has some good information on department store sizing that makes a lot of sense.The book flows a lot like the style of his show. He teaches you how to cull the clothes in your closet, explains how things should be fitting your body while offering tips for ladies who want to minimize their large bust, or downplay their tummy, etc., offers some style inspiration from some famous ladies, and then preps you for shopping by explaining the 10 most important and basic items you should have in a wardrobe, he goes on to explain the different places for shopping (the mall, the outlet, boutiques, etc.) and what each store does best, he ends with fashion ideas for special occasions (weddings, funerals, cocktail parties, etc.) and in the back their is a glossary of fashion/fabric terms, so if you don't know what blouson means, it explains it there.Bottom Line: I found the book extremely helpful. It was like having a good friend counsel me and hold my hand the whole way. If you fancy yourself stylish and in need of no fashion help, then this book is not for you. But if you're like me and interested in trying to update your look by learning how to form a basic wardrobe and what works and doesn't, then I would highly recommend the book.

You can almost hear Tim Gunn's distinct voice as you read this book. His thoughts translate as well on paper as they do on television.In the "Who You Are" chapter he sets you at ease with his characteristic warmth as he tells you that you are who you are for a reason and he is here to help you accentuate your positive features and mitigate the negative ones. He recognizes that there is a connection between inner and outer beauty and encourages you to think hard about who you are.This book doesn't contain lots of details about what to wear or not to wear. He zeroes in on the basics - he provides a top ten list of wardrobe essentials (he convinced me that ballet flats are necessary, for instance) - and doesn't overwhelm the reader. There is a chapter devoted to posture and walking. A chapter devoted to style icons ranging from Katharine Hepburn to Kate Moss to Patti Smith. Instructions for how to dress for various special occasions. There's a chapter about the challenge of finding the right fit. There's much more to style than merely the clothes and his book addresses this very well.The most helpful section is the one that addresses Creeping Closet Syndrome. He gives specific instructions about editing your closet and every woman should heed them. The New York apartment in which he lived for 15 years had seven linear feet of closet space so he knows how to edit.He praises stores like H&M and encourages quality over quantity. Every woman would do well to read his chapter on shopping before succumbing to the urge to go on a shopping spree. He says, "The most important part of your expedition should take place before you leave home. The salient question to ask is: 'Why am I shopping today?'"I finished this book with regret, wishing for more, which is how I imagine I would feel after finishing a conversation with him over lunch. Now, I'm off to buy some ballet flats...

First let me say I love Tim Gunn. I was excited about his book when I saw him on Oprah. I love that he has high standards, and that he can cut through the superfluous when talking about fashion and how to dress. Maybe that's why I expected so much and was disappointed after reading this book.For me, it didn't deliver. I anticipated wisdom and insight. In Chapter 1: Who You Are--I found out more about Who Tim Is. Chapter 2: The Fit Conundrum can be summed up--don't expect to buy clothes off the rack that fit, and you have to have clothes that fit or you will not have style. True. Chapter 3: Diagnosing the Common Closet--purging your closet is better covered elsewhere IMO. Chapter 4: The Fashion Mentor--I found this helpful. Tim points out that most pictures of style icons often are dated to their times (Jackie O., Sophia Loren)--we need current mentors. He offers a few different style types with examples of women today who exemplify them. This was the biggest aid for me to identify Who I Am, and a look that would be comfortable for me. As well as people I can google to get more ideas (there are no photographs in the book). The shopping chapters are minimally helpful, I've gotten more info from magazine articles on wardrobe basics.I do not enjoy giving a negative review to a book written by someone I like very much. But I am tired of wasting money and making mistakes on clothes and I need guidance from an expert with the style wisdom I lack. I am studying this (dressing to look great if possible and good at the least) as if it were a college course; I am determined to do a better job. I didn't expect a duplication of the specifics of what to do for short legs or narrow shoulders, but I did hope for insight, inspiration, or wisdom from someone I think is great in the field. In fact I changed my rating from 2 to 3 stars just out of respect.By the way, my best resource yet is Style RX. I checked it out from the library. Don't know the author and have no connection to the book.

You'll discover a new world of hints about fashion, details about a series of good taste information. There is just one problem. There are too many names of famous people, involved with fashion or art, , so you will need to check on the laptop frequently if you never heard about them. besides that, no problem!

英語が少し難しい（表現が独特？）のか、ファッションの語彙が私に少ないのか、何を言っているかわからない箇所もたくさんありますが、それでも参考になる教え（！）がたくさん載っています。本当にやさしいティム・ガンです。まず自分らしさを見つけること。人間は中身で勝負、でも第一印象がやっぱり大切だということ。どんな人間と見られたいか？を考えること。体型別のおしゃれの方法、H&Mでのショッピングから、高級ブティックでのショッピング、またオンラインショッピングなどで気をつけることも参考になりました。性別、年齢で服を決めてはいけない！そうです。お金がないなりに賢い買い物をするには？や、バッグの選び方というのがとっても参考になりました。最後にファッション用語の解説もあります。ストレスがたまってついつい洋服を買ってしまった・・なんてことがないように、ストレスがたまったらまず歩きなさい、そして友達に何に悩んでいるのか相談しなさい、というところも面白かったです。何度も読み返すつもりです。写真など一切ありませんが、こういう服を着なさい、というよりも、こういう考え方をしなさい、そして後は自分で探してごらんというアドバイスでした。そのほうが自分らしさで洋服を探せるかもしれません。ブックカバーをはずした中の、ピンクの表紙がとってもきれいです！

I admit to being an avid devourer of style books of any kind, and this is a great one. No, there aren't any colour photos, but this is probably a positive thing. Particular looks and ways of wearing things date very quickly and illustrations can appear passe within a year. However, what Tim Gunn is describing is something far more valuable and lasting - that is style. Wear the trench (if it suits your body shape) the way its being worn or cut this year, but the essence of it as a concept doesn't date. I like the way Gunn's advice is built upon real working knowledge of how clothes are designed and made; so many fashion advisors have never even sewn a garment and know very little about the mechanics of what they attempt to talk about. This is not obvious stuff in the form of wear this with this, this season, but goes deeper than that. I like the way he encourages you to dress as yourself - and no one else, to be as you already are but slightly improved. This is about developing a personal sense of style rather than following transient fashions. There are many pearls of wisdom in this book, for instance he says if you try to persuade yourself that the sleeves are long enough on a garment, then no, they probably aren't! Some great perception and lots of intuition go hand in hand with sound knowledge to make this a fascinating read that women (and men) at any age can learn from.

Helpful and well presented. I wish it had some relevant photos. It is a book from 2007 and the layout is kind of dated.

a good book. has a different approach from other style books . its also funny.