Weekend Review: From the Rez to the Runway

 

From the Rez to the Runway / Christian Allaire 
TO: HarperCollins, c2025.
272 p.

Christian Allaire (author of The Power of Style) has just published a memoir about his rise from Ojibwe teen from Northern Ontario to Vogue fashion writer -- and it's a great read! He's really honest about the trials and tribulations of reaching his goals, recognizing both his own hard work and his luck. As well as the support he received from his family and community. 

He shares how he was always into fashion, reading magazines, watching Fashion Televison & admiring Jeanne Beker, and dressing himself as style-forward as he could with thrift store finds and more. He decided to go into fashion journalism and headed to Toronto, where he found himself one of the few Indigenous students in the journalism program, and certainly in the fashion journalism subset. 

During school he also interned and worked very hard to make connections that might lead to work or further opportunities - he seems to have had endless energy and drive at this time. In this section, he mentions that the professors told him he shouldn't be working, that he should be focusing on academics instead - but that it was all the work he was doing that led to the footholds he was able to get in the industry. This is a great point for many students to think about. 

When he moves to New York to take on some internships, the stories get wilder, until he realizes he needs to take control of his life and manage addictions, so that he can succeed instead of burning out and disappearing. There are lots of entertaining stories during his internship years, including one at a magazine where a roomful of Chanel couture was inadvertently destroyed (not by him), or when a celebrity wore all the designer clothes from a shoot home, and Christian, an intern, had to go get these pieces back to return to the designers in the morning. 

But he also shares stories of how being true to himself and his Indigenous community led to opportunities, especially at Vogue. His pieces on the Santa Fe Indian Market and a variety of Indigenous beaders, designers, jewellers and more were big hits, and he was able to parlay this into the right role at just the right time. And when the book ends, he is giddy, at the peak - he's on the red carpet at the Met Gala, interviewing guests. 

This is an engaging memoir from an important voice in the fashion community right now. I enjoyed the structure and the progression of the book and thought it was well done, incorporating a variety of stories for someone so early into their career. Definitely worth a look!

Weekend Review: The Power of Style

 

The Power of Style / Christian Allaire 
TO: Annick Press, c2021.
96 p.

This is a book aimed at younger readers, the teen demographic. It talks about clothing and style, and how fashion choices can represent identity, signal belonging, and help people express themselves fully. 

Christian Allaire is an Ojibwe fashion writer at Vogue, and he put together this book to show the kinds of fashion, style, and people he didn't see in fashion when he was a teen. He shares Indigenous content -- ribbon skirts/shirts, beading and more -- but also then goes on to cover topics like drag, hijabs, makeup, hair and cosplay, to point out the connections between fashion and social justice. 

This is a photo heavy book, fairly short, so I did find it didn't get into heavy sociological depths -- it is an intro, a survey class if you will, for readers new to these ideas. It's colourful, celebratory, and joyful despite some of the more serious themes. 

I would like to see future volumes more narrowly focused on some of the themes of these chapters, as at times the transitions between chapters felt jumpy because there was so much to cover. But if you have a younger reader interested in cultural identities, gender, and the wider fashion world, this would be a great book to share with them. The many photos really give it visual appeal, almost magazine style, and there are lots of thoughtful threads to follow further. I thought it was very interesting! 

Weekend Review: Taylor Swift Style

 

Taylor Swift Style / Sarah Chapelle
NY: St Martins Griffin, c2024.
352 p.

This book came in to my library recently and I thought I would check it out. I'm not a Swiftie - I don't know much about her songs or persona other than the general stuff everyone knows. So I thought it might be interesting to see how her style works for her. 

This book was written by Sarah Chapelle, a blogger who has been writing the blog Taylor Swift Style for over a decade. There is a note at the beginning that this book is not officially endorsed by Taylor Swift or her team, it's put together by this blogger and it is her perspective. 

I found it quite fascinating, as I was not familiar with Taylor Swift's varied looks or 'eras' by album. This book does a good job of laying things out chronologically and explaining each album and its matching style, along with Taylor's life circumstances around each one. I feel a lot more knowledgeable about Swift's work and career now, so I don't sound so out of it when talking to music fans ;) 

Chapelle also talks about the haircuts and makeup choices that follow the fashion, and how it all works together. There is discussion of  'easter eggs' even in Swift's fashion that will lead superfans to speculate on what's coming next. It's clear that Chapelle is one of those superfans and sometimes the text here gets a bit fangirly for my tastes, but overall it is very informative and knowledgeable and really interesting. 

I did enjoy most of this book, and the 200 photos included really make it. I would have liked to hear a little more about the fashion houses that Swift works with and find out more about that aspect, but I guess that would have to come from Swift's team in another book. I liked seeing the evolution of her style and the many examples of how she creates personas for each album, and how the fashion is a big part of her messaging. Also I found a couple of dresses that I'd love to recreate for myself!  

A fun read if you're into celebrity fashion and the way that clothes can tell a story. I was reminded of Dolly Parton's book Behind the Seams, and think these two are both engaging fashion stories. 

Weekend Review: Our Rainbow Queen

 

Our Rainbow Queen / Sali Hughes
NY: Plume, c2019.
208 p.

The Queen turned 95 last week, and at about the same time, I found a copy of this book. Written by an English journalist who clearly loves the Queen's fashion, I enjoyed the images and the commentary on the styles, colours and significance of the outfits and accessories ranging over nearly a century of public life.

I'm also a fan of Queen Elizabeth's style -- I think she always looks dignified and royal, while also wearing colour and sparkle. I like her standard dress/coat or skirt suit. This book is mainly images, but has enough comment on each section to make it interesting and also give background on why this colour or occasion it was worn on is significant. The Queen thinks about these things; for example, the book says that she's careful not to wear the colours of any one specific country's flag at international events, so as not to inadvertently show favouritism. And I think we might all recall her brooch messaging when she had to meet with the former president of the US a while back. 

The book is broken up into chapters by colour -- Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, and also Neutrals and Print. There are a mix of images from across her long reign. There are certainly plenty to choose from! Because this is mainly a photo based book, I was a bit disappointed that this American edition is pretty small, about 7x5. Just the right size to pop into your handbag to browse through when you have to wait for something, I guess. I had to examine the photos closely for all the detail, but found that I was interested enough that I still really enjoyed it. 

There's quite a bit about clothing style and colour and the encoded meaning it has for someone like the Queen who has such a public role. Even her preferred shade of inoffensive nail polish (Essie's Ballet Slippers) is mentioned. I found the discussion of her handbags fascinating -- she's had the same supplier for years, and prefers a longer handle so she can loop it over her arm and receive posies and gifts easily. Really fun details to know about.

While I usually follow Kate for fashion inspo, I found this book about the Queen's style really engaging. There's one red and white outfit from the 70s that is super chic and I am thinking about copying now ;) If you want to celebrate the Queen's use of fashion as a means of royal messaging, this is a fascinating and fun book to check out. Happy Birthday to a stalwart monarch!

Weekend Review: A Guide to Elegance

 

A Guide to Elegance / Genevieve Antoine Dariaux
London: HarperCollins, 2003, c1964.
224 p.

I picked up this little book for $2 at Goodwill, thinking it would be an entertaining read. It was -- although there is quite a mixed reception for it over at Goodreads with some readers loving it and some hating it, and quite a few, like myself, appreciating the historical context but not taking it for a useful modern document. 

It is exactly what it says, a guide to style and elegance, from the perspective of a French stylist from the 60s. So you can probably imagine what a lot of it covers -- from the correct day suit to the style of glove to wear for varied occasions, to how to pack effectively for a transatlantic sea voyage. So, a heck of a lot that isn't relevant for today, but is interesting for a look at the complex social norms of a fashionable society that was MUCH more restricted and bound by widely accepted expectations than ours. It's tiring just reading it! 

It's organized alphabetically by topic, from Accessories on down to Zippers and Zoology. It's not only fashion that is discussed, but also grooming, behaviours, event protocols, and more, although it does cover mostly wardrobe and what is and is not chic and elegant. There are lists of the small wardrobe needed by the elegant woman, and this is what I found very intriguing -- there aren't many clothes there at all. A day suit, one pair of trousers, a plain skirt, a few blouses and a sweater, should do you for most things. Plus one white day dress, one black dress a little more formal than the first, and one evening gown. You're set! Don't forget the colourful winter coat (never black) and some expensive accessories, though. 

It's also very amusing, sometimes unintentionally, but sometimes due to the author's arch tone. There were some bits that made me laugh out loud. Beach wear for example: the author notes that no matter how much like a goddess you may appear in a swimsuit, the only appropriate place to wear it nevertheless is the beach. I'd have to agree with that one. She recommends only plain red nail polish for the feet in summer, but most importantly, "Your legs should be perfectly smooth. Nothing can destroy the charm of a woman in a bathing suit more completely than careless leg grooming." I'm not sure why, but this was one of the most memorable lines of the book for me. I laughed a lot and laugh again whenever I recall it. 

It gives a sense of a world of the past where rules and judgements were strict and easier for people to use to draw lines between classes. I can see the danger of people finding this appealing and wishing for a lost world where how to be one of the "in" crowd was both clearer and a much more limited option. The appeal of a restricted cool circle, which one of course is a part of, will always be there for some people. 

I enjoyed reading this for the whiff of the past and the bits of humour. However, I reject the kind of wealth based, classist interpretation of Elegance portrayed here, in which women and men exist in very particular roles, and racial, political, and gender equality are so very far from consciousness. So while this is still worth reading and has some interesting fashion tips and historical context to learn from, I am not a reader who could say that it is currently relevant. I'm afraid that to be Elegant in the ways shown in this book would also kind of by definition have to include other elements of the social conditions it was written in and for, and I certainly don't want to go back there. 

Take it with a grain of sartorial salt, and a view to history, and you'll likely enjoy the read. Just promise me you won't start judging someone for their careless leg grooming after you're done!

Weekend Review: Tim Gunn: a Guide to Quality, Taste & Style

Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style / Tim Gunn & Kate Moloney

New York: Abrams, c2007.

201 p.

Although not a book with patterns like the last two I've shared, this slim little style guide from the early days of Tim Gunn's style guru status is also quite dated! It is lightweight but not too bad overall. It covers a bit of closet diagnosis, style mentor discovery, posture, affordability, identity and finally also shopping.

I actually found the chapter of posture and fit most interesting. He notes that standing correctly will always make your clothes look better on you, and I definitely have to work on that. Like most North Americans (in his judgement) I do slump and lean a bit too much!

This book provides an interesting look back at style from over a decade ago -- not for the actual clothing discussions but for the assumptions. Things have really changed in the last decade. He states right out, early on, that good clothes should make you look slimmer and taller. I think even Tim Gunn is far more aware of body positivity and the changes in perception about clothing that has occurred over the last few years.

I did like his differentiation between style and trends. He recommends against buying fast trends that will languish in your closet after one wear, and also against being sucked in to buying overpriced and inefficient purchases like the "It" bag of the moment. It's a bit unusual for a fashion guide to say so.

He does talk about body shape and what clothes are 'best' for short chubby people like me -- but I don't agree with never wearing big prints or bright colours. So I will dispense of that advice; once again, it's tied to the desire to make a person look taller and slimmer, neither of which are primary goals in my own closet. I'm not ever going to magically become taller, and I am perfectly happy with my shape. In this section he also mentions that the tall, long-legged, slim figure has hit the lucky jackpot... clearly it is the ideal. Despite that, he does say that sizes are just numbers, and in wardrobe building you should be focusing on fit and not a random number. I think most sewists would agree that fit is paramount!

He also talks about tone, ie: making sure your clothing and makeup/hair styles and accessories all match, in the sense of being at the same level of casual or dressy. I agree with this -- for example, I dislike seeing gorgeous gowns on the red carpet on someone who is wearing normal everyday hair and aren't really dolled up with any makeup or jewelry to go with it.

Anyhow, for a book so old, I still enjoyed it. He is so entertaining, and I like the erudition in his books. He invokes Kierkegaard and the dilemma of choice in his chapter on closet cleanouts, which amused me. But it also kind of makes sense!

As an addition to my study of personal style and wardrobe building this year, this one had some useful tidbits.