Listmania!
Elegant Living; Learning the code for style and simplicity
By an Amazon.com customer
The Little Black Book of StyleThe Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia
Buy new: $14.39 / Used from: $7.00
This is a wonderful guide to developing individual style. One of the many valuable tips-- 3 ways to avoid fashion victim status: 1 DON'T buy the current "it" bag. 2 DON'T sport too many designer items. DON'T wear more than one trend item. Nina explains how to break "the rules" while developing a genuine personal style.
Secrets of a Fashion Therapist: What You Can Learn Behind the Dressing Room DoorSecrets of a Fashion Therapist: What You Can Learn Behind the Dressing Room Door by Betty Halbreich
Buy used from: $0.01
a terrific book written by the lady who happens to run New York's Bergdorf Goodman personal shopper service and dresses some pretty well dressed people.
Ready To Wear: An Expert's Guide to Choosing and Using Your WardrobeReady To Wear: An Expert's Guide to Choosing and Using Your Wardrobe by Mary Lou Andre
Buy new: $12.71 / Used from: $0.01
Build your classic capsule wardrobe, explore colour, shop your own closet first, and save money. Quietly elegant. Classic.
Dressing Rich: A Guide to Classic Chic for Women with More Taste than Money (Perigee Book)Dressing Rich: A Guide to Classic Chic for Women with More Taste than Money (Perigee Book) by Leah Feldon
Buy new: $11.65 / Used from: $5.60
Dressing Rich is the best book on developing classic style, and it remains a timeless treasure. The advice is NOT dated at all, and continues to inform a new generation.
Frederic Fekkai: A Year of StyleFrederic Fekkai: A Year of Style by Frederic Fekkai
Buy used from: $3.72
Wonderful advice on acheiving quiet elegance in matters of hair, makeup, clothing choice, lifestyle, generosity and manners. A tip a day, several articles per month.
Things a Woman Should Know About Style (Things A Woman Should Know Series)Things a Woman Should Know About Style (Things A Woman Should Know Series) by Karen Homer
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $1.70
Tiny but jammed with good tidbits on how to come across with style and elegance.
Chic & Slim: How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food And Still Stay SlimChic & Slim: How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food And Still Stay Slim by Anne Barone
Buy used from: $23.80
This book is a gem. I HIGHLY recommend it. Look on the web for her site, she still offers this at a reasonable price along with it's sequels. Dieting the french way, wardrobe etc. I got all three in a package deal, and love all three.
Fabulous Fragrances II : A Guide to Prestige Perfumes for Women and MenFabulous Fragrances II : A Guide to Prestige Perfumes for Women and Men by Jan Moran
Buy new: $29.95 / Used from: $12.26
Finding a few perfect for you fragrances is difficult without a guide. This is a terrific field guide to the perfume counter. Find your own best scents with a minimum of costly mistakes.
Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French GirlEntre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl by Debra Ollivier
Buy new: $10.04 / Used from: $2.84
A frothy lighthearted look at the whole french chic mystique that french women project and the rest of us envy. Good little guide, fun, filled with books to read, music to listen to, food to make, and ideas to enrich your life.
The Art and Power of Being a LadyThe Art and Power of Being a Lady by Noelle Cleary
Buy new: $9.60 / Used from: $3.98
Manners are NEVER out of style, and elegance comes from the inside out. No sense buying the right clothes, then spoiling it all with coarse language or bad behaviour.
Better than Beauty: A Guide to CharmBetter than Beauty: A Guide to Charm by H Valentine
Buy new: $10.17 / Used from: $6.97
This is finishing school circa the 1930's but it's jammed with advice that still holds true today about manners, charm and putting your best foot forward in all situations. Classic reprint, well worth it.
A Guide to Elegance: For Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on All OccasionsA Guide to Elegance: For Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on All Occasions by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux
Buy new: $10.76 / Used from: $3.91
Another reprint, timeless and valuable. The directrice of Nina Ricci for years, this french woman shares her advice on looking and acting chic.
40 Over 40: 40 Things Every Women over 40 Needs to Know About Getting Dressed40 Over 40: 40 Things Every Women over 40 Needs to Know About Getting Dressed by Brenda Reiten Kinsel
Buy used from: $0.01
good guide to getting thru the curves and bumps that come with life and an older figure.
Does This Make Me Look Fat?: The Definitive Rules for Dressing Thin for Every Height, Size, and ShapeDoes This Make Me Look Fat?: The Definitive Rules for Dressing Thin for Every Height, Size, and Shape by Leah Feldon
Buy new: $12.78 / Used from: $0.84
I may have weight issues (who doesn't) but I don't have to let them rule my life or enjoyment of clothing. Here is a great guide to projecting style in spite of not being model thin.
Harper's Bazaar Great Style: Best Ways to Update Your LookHarper's Bazaar Great Style: Best Ways to Update Your Look by Jenny Levin
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $6.42
Elegance made easy, fresh ideas to add verve and style to a classic wardrobe. A little newer than the Lucky shopping manual, and my top choice in that category.
The Lucky Shopping Manual: Building and Improving Your Wardrobe Piece by PieceThe Lucky Shopping Manual: Building and Improving Your Wardrobe Piece by Piece by Andrea Linett
Buy new: $19.80 / Used from: $4.01
This is a lovely book with loads of pictures explaining how to add panache and current style to a classic wardrobe without going over the top. While it is great, the Harper's Bazaar book is gently replacing it as a newer fresher update book.
Burda ModenBurda Moden
Buy new: $80.00
Ahead of ready to wear by 2 years, this fashion magazine also includes the patterns to make every single garment. Save money; spot fashion trends first, and make your own patterns.
Lucky (1-year)Lucky (1-year)
Buy new: $12.00
A nice fashion magazine showing how to wear and accessorize your clothes and what is in. Browse first, not all issues may appeal. Most issues are safe re "family content" which I appreciate!
The Martini Diet: The Self-Indulgent Way to a Thinner, More Fabulous You!The Martini Diet: The Self-Indulgent Way to a Thinner, More Fabulous You! by Jen Sander
Buy new: $9.56 / Used from: $0.30
Fun and fluffy, but really good look at the french "diet". Life is about pleasure and diets don't have to be boring or restrictive.
French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For PleasureFrench Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $0.01
Great advice. Enjoy life, enjoy your food, practice moderation, all elegant approaches to life.
French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, and PleasureFrench Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, and Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano
Buy used from: $0.05
A year round guide to seasonal eating, wines, and clothing. Great sequel to her first book.
Wear More Cashmere: 151 Luxurious Ways to Pamper Your Inner PrincessWear More Cashmere: 151 Luxurious Ways to Pamper Your Inner Princess by Jennifer Sanders
Buy used from: $0.01
Gin is a joy to read, this is how to make life more fun, and it's a delight.
Joie de Vivre: Simple French Style for Everyday LivingJoie de Vivre: Simple French Style for Everyday Living by Robert Arbor
Buy new: $22.80 / Used from: $8.96
Robert Arbor's book takes you to France, and lets you experience a snapshot of daily life. Lovely and inspiring. Not limited to France, but living a quieter, more conscious simpler life.
Bobbi Brown Beauty Evolution: A Guide to a Lifetime of BeautyBobbi Brown Beauty Evolution: A Guide to a Lifetime of Beauty by Bobbi Brown
Buy new: $14.78 / Used from: $0.39
Makeup for the seasons of your life. Nothing strange or attention grabbing, just healthy barely there makeup techniques that don't leave you looking "made up".
Sonia Kashuk Real BeautySonia Kashuk Real Beauty by Sonia Kashuk
Buy used from: $0.01
This is a wonderful easy to use guide to using cosmetics to look your best, naturally.
Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without MeDon't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me by Paula Begoun
Buy used from: $0.01
Get the new version coming in January 08 (Paula says it is the last edition she will write) and hang on to it. Paula's advice will save you tons of money at the cosmetic counter. Hated by cosmetic companies, she forced changes that benefit consumers.
Off the Cuff: The Essential Style Guide for Men--And the Women Who Love ThemOff the Cuff: The Essential Style Guide for Men--And the Women Who Love Them by Carson Kressley
Buy used from: $0.01
If you choose clothing for a man, and he wants a classic but up to date look, this book can help. Not at all flamboyant in style in spite of the author's reputation.
Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent FashionDressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion by Alan Flusser
Buy new: $32.97 / Used from: $24.50
More on classic menswear. On my wish list for my husband and adult son both.
Chic Simple Dress Smart Men: Wardrobes That Win in the New WorkplaceChic Simple Dress Smart Men: Wardrobes That Win in the New Workplace by Kim Johnson Gross
Buy used from: $1.51
Another on my wish list.
Boundaries:  When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your LifeBoundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud
Buy new: $10.19 / Used from: $2.47
how to live a more peaceful dignified life, by learning to say no. Life changing.
The New Dare to DisciplineThe New Dare to Discipline by James C. Dobson
Buy new: $15.63 / Used from: $0.01
raising children without losing your cool. A field guide to serene child rearing. No screaming, hitting or losing your cool. Techniques that really work.
Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the ChaosHouseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos by Cynthia Townley Ewer
Buy used from: $6.71
A guide to the practical side of life, so you can have a relaxed, serene and elegant life without appearing frantic or rushed in any way.