Great Fashion Reads

I grabbed a magazine at the gym a couple of years ago to enliven my uninspired workout. Usually I enjoy reading cheesy gossip magazines at the gym, but I wanted something a bit deeper (which should not have been hard to find) that day and liked the cover without noting the magazine's title. After awhile I thought to myself, "This is the first woman's magazine I have really enjoyed--and can relate to--in ages." Then I read the cover, and the subtitle which read, "For Women Over 40." Oh, that would be me! No wonder I liked it.

Since that time, as a part of my Santa Barbara wardrobe consulting business, I have found loads of great books and magazines to keep me current on trends and styles. Of course there are some real losers out there as well, ones that sounded good in concept but fail miserably in execution. What I appreciate is that sometimes others read what is out there for me and ferret out the best of them. Slate Magazine did just that earlier this month in "What to Read about What to Wear." I am especially eager to read Autobiography of a Wardrobe, by Elizabeth Kendall. She write about her life experiences and personal evolution from the point of view of her clothing.

I'll add here that one of my very favorite magazines is little known in the U.S.: Easy Living. Yes, it does fall into that category of being for women my age, but it is way hipper than the American take on this genre. Easy Living has outstanding articles on fashion and style and the photos are always inspiring and fun. I have a subscription, but if you are lucky you can find one of the few copies that Barnes and Noble and Borders seem to receive every month.