cover image How to Win at Shopping: 297 Insider Secrets for Getting the Look You Want

How to Win at Shopping: 297 Insider Secrets for Getting the Look You Want

David Zyla and Eila Mell. Workman, $12.95 trade paper (192 pages) ISBN 978-0-7611-8382-2

This friendly, pocket-size guide is geared at people who don’t put any thought into clothes shopping and have a closet full of unworn things. Chatty in tone, this brisk manual advises readers on how to shop successfully for items that fit—and fit in with the rest of your wardrobe. First, the authors, stylist Zyla and fashion writer Mell, suggest shopping your closet as if you are picking out costumes for a film you’re starring in: “Ask yourself what [your clothes] say about your ‘character,’ then make sure that all future purchases connect with and illustrate that vision.” Chapters explain how to navigate department stores and retail outlets, when to get tailors involved, and how to shop online. The guide lists 10 wardrobe staples that not all readers will agree with. The most helpful sections are the most specific: “How to Shop for a Job Interview,” “How to Shop for a Date,” and “What Hue are You?” For readers who love clothes but dread buying them, Zyla and Mell offer the keys to a dynamic wardrobe. . [em](Feb.) [/em]