Cute, and sorta mildly entertaining. ( )

For someone who neither follows nor dresses in “fashion” per se, this book was an interesting peak into the mindset that’s willing to pay four figures for a bag. While Freeman is certainly willing to mock many traditions of the fashion world (like referring to copying as an “homage”), she is serious about things that seem nonsensical to those of us with less disposable income and more common sense. My JC Penney purses always last a year or two, so I am unconvinced by the argument that designer bags are worth 20 times as much because they’re higher quality. Is she going to carry it for decades? Then there’s her defense of fashion that “girls get, but boys don’t.” Sure, you don’t have to always dress for men. But when you wear something that men find ridiculous, remember that you’re writing off half the human population—and probably more, since half the women you meet will probably also think you look silly. On the other hand, her send-up of high heels is both hilarious and sensible. ( )

This is a fantastic book about fashion. Note, it is not about how to dress yourself - in no way has Freeman set out to write a 'what not to wear' or 'what is required to look good if you have thick arms' or some such. So if you are looking to read a self-help manual for the fashionably perplexed, this book may not be for you.

What it is is a collection of Hadley Freeman's very witty, sometimes catty, writings on the nature of fashion. While acknoweldging that fashion may not be as important in the grand scheme of things as trying to achieve world peace or ending world hunger, Freeman eloquently refutes those who try to demean fashion as a meaningless interest. To quote from the book itself:
'Sweep past the naysayers and have faith in your own taste: all that matters is whether you like it or not. For anyone out there who might still feel qualms, this book will selflessly, fearlessly demonstrate the proof of this tenet'.

In summary - we have found the MFK Fisher of the fashion world. And for that, we should rejoice. ( )