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kdurham2's review
4.0
What an interesting take on personal style! A new approach that I really appreciated because it was something I had never heard or read before. Coming from an artistic approach, Jennifer Robin advises that everyone understand their colors and body before they step foot in a store.
To understand one's colors, Robin advises that everyone take into consideration their skin tone, hair color and what colors they are drawn to. A lot of her theories revolve around the idea that everyone is drawn to the colors that naturally work for them. As well, she believes that we naturally gravitate towards the fit that best works for our body type. I like this idea because she believes that we instinctively know the best colors and style for ourselves.
At times I thought this book was a little to artsy for me as I am a practical thinker. But I loved the overall concepts that a woman should be in control of her wardrobe and shop sensibly. I would pass this book along to all women of any age because whether you are just out of college starting a wardrobe or on the older spectrum where they may need a re-working of the wardrobe.
To understand one's colors, Robin advises that everyone take into consideration their skin tone, hair color and what colors they are drawn to. A lot of her theories revolve around the idea that everyone is drawn to the colors that naturally work for them. As well, she believes that we naturally gravitate towards the fit that best works for our body type. I like this idea because she believes that we instinctively know the best colors and style for ourselves.
At times I thought this book was a little to artsy for me as I am a practical thinker. But I loved the overall concepts that a woman should be in control of her wardrobe and shop sensibly. I would pass this book along to all women of any age because whether you are just out of college starting a wardrobe or on the older spectrum where they may need a re-working of the wardrobe.
catrev's review
Growing More Beautiful by Jennifer Robin is a fresh way of looking at style and figuring out how to dress your best. Robin helped revolutionize fashion books with Clothe Your Spirit: Dressing for Self-Expression, and runs her own personal style business, but her love of painting has changed how she views clothing, and she wants to bring her knowledge to readers in desperate need of a makeover. Each chapter opens with a painting by Robin and a short essay about how she came to create it, and that helps to create the mood for the rest of the chapter. Robin isn't so worried about body style as she is readers' personal style. She believes that readers are usually naturally drawn to the colors and styles that best flatter them. She encourages readers to cut out images from magazines to help discern what we like and are drawn to. I can't see me creating the collages she recommends, but I'm sure that more artistic readers will enjoy the hands on projects. She does have a large focus on how vital color is to readers, and while I understand that she feels that determining a person's pallette is too complicated for a book, I wish she would have included a bit of it rather than encourage readers to hire a coloring consultant. Due to a recent weight loss, I have been reading a lot of books to help figure out what I look best in, and while I know that V-necks and jackets that hit on the top of the hip are good looks for me, I still haven't been able to figure out what clothes are "me." The Spirit Term Exercise at the back may seem a bit trippy, and I was hesitant at first, but when I committed to it, I was able to discover what I really do love in myself and what that means for how I want to dress. It inspired me to tear my closet apart today and only keep what could be described as: clean, feminine, refined, classic, and simple. I know that Robin's writing will help me as I shop in the future, because I've been able to really figure out what I love to wear. Robin's writing is always encouraging, and it's obvious she wants every reader to feel beautiful in everything they wear (even lounging around the house clothes), and that is inspiring to read. This is one of the few books that I truly believe will have a long-lasting impact on my life, because I will never look at my clothing the same way again!
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