How to Not Wear Black: Find Your Style and Create Your Forever Wardrobe

This informative guide to dressing stylishly by Murphy, the fashion director for the Times of London, guides readers through a wardrobe overhaul. Readers are instructed to find out whether they are small-, medium-, or large-framed and whether their shape is, for example, an inverted triangle, a column, or the “neat hourglass,” which, Murphy declares “is the most in-proportion look and we can all come closer to presenting as such if we develop a few tricks.” She also encourages readers to start “The 666 Approach,” which involves sorting one’s clothes into six piles and asking oneself six questions about them—such as “Does it fit me now?” and “Do I feel good when I wear it?”—and discarding any that don’t get four or more yeses. The author advocates for such classic pieces as a trench coat and the “perfect” pair of jeans, alongside “passion pieces” that “make you happy just to look at your closet,” and believes “there’s a dress out there that will make every one of us look our best.” Photographs and illustrations abound, suggesting a variety of ways individuals can make their clothes more versatile, more stylish, and more practical. This beautifully designed book and Murphy’s authoritative approach will give hope to stressed, stylistically challenged readers. (Sept.)