I am clearly not even stylish enough to read a book about getting style.

Sadness. ( )

Mostly basic ideas. I got the most use out of the provided website links.

This is a terrific little book. It's very short, so you can read it in a couple of days, and it's entertaining and packed with information. Granted, you may have seen this information in other places, like Philip Bloch's "The Shopping Diet" or Kathryn Finney's "How to Be a Budget Fashionista," but Nina Garcia puts her own spin on how to stay fashionable and trendy during the Great Recession. She recommends shopping in your own closet, editing your wardrobe, keeping your clothes in good condition by having them tailored or repaired, and washing them enough, but not too much. She has a list of basics for every woman's wardrobe. Unlike Bloch or Finney, she doesn't come up with a list of exact activities or things you can do (like freezing your credit cards); she leaves that up to you. But she does talk about repurposing and reusing the items that you have in your wardrobe and she gives resources where you can shop for good fashion on a budget. She lists brick-and-mortar stores in different cities, as well as on-line retailers and fashion resources. Ms. Garcia also shows you where to splurge and where to save.

This is a well-written book. I like Ms. Garcia's lucid, breezy and engaging style of writing, and I enjoy Ruben Toledo's illustrations, which I think really add to her books. It's a great partnership. Ms. Garcia also references the other "Project Runway" alumni, Tim Gunn, Christian Siriano and Heidi Klum and Michael Kors. Clearly she enjoys what she does, and that comes across in her writing. She keeps her perspective fresh and new and vibrant, which makes her books worthwhile reading.

Good job, Nina Garcia! ( )

While The Style Strategy contains no earth shattering advice for women on a budget (invest in classics, skimp on trends, work with what you already have, etc...), I can't describe how nice it is to hear Nina Garcia advocating questioning expensive impulse items and plugging Target. Though I have no doubt that Garcia may never had to economize the way some of us do, it is evident that she really thought out her advice to the rest of us. If you already own Garcia's other two books, is is definitely a retread of the same concepts, but the stylish illustrations by Ruben Toledo are always a treat. ( )

This book was every bit as good as the other two she's done. Following her advice to remake things in our closets that we love but are no longer in fashion has led me to something I smile over daily. The two skirts I've kept for nearly 20 years because the fabric is so beautiful are now pillow cover on the chairs in my office. I can see them in bright daylight instead of the dark corner of my closet. It's oddly liberating.

Grab the book, throw open your closet, and have fun! ( )