Monday, July 11, 2011

Posh Knows Best

As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, yesterday morning Posh and Becks welcomed their fourth child – their first daughter – Harper into the world.

Can we pause for a moment and consider how fashionable this girl is going to be? Her father is the most dapper guy on the planet, and her mother wrote the book on style.

Literally.

You know what I’m talking about. That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything in Between by Victoria Beckham.



Those who know me (and those who have read any of my Royal Wedding blog entries) know that I adore Victoria Beckham. She’s smart, funny (anyone who has seen Victoria Beckham: Coming to America can tell you that), and just about as glam as you can get. It only makes sense that her book bears those same characteristics that make her so fabulous.
That Extra Half an Inch is a must-have, comprehensive guide on true style. Citing her fashion icons as Audrey, Grace and Jackie O, it should come as no surprise that the advice Posh offers on the page is timeless, and will be just as valuable twenty years from now as it is today. Never once does she focus on fads or trends, but instead, she shares with us tips she has picked up throughout the years on the fit of clothing, hair and makeup basics, and key pieces every girl should own. She covers everything from what to look for when trying on jeans to how to stay chic and comfortable during pregnancy. The pointers she gives are practical, helpful and sprinkled with her signature wit, whether she’s discussing what to bring on vacation (resist the urge to bring everything), what time of day is best for trying on new shoes (evening, when your feet have had the chance to expand), or what to wear underneath those fabulous clothes you’ve spent so much time picking out (perhaps Posh says it best when she says, “I have other things to think about than whether my bra is properly coordinated with my knickers.”) A self-described “girl-next-door who got lucky,” Posh ends each chapter with a list of her favorite places to buy certain items, including both high-end designers and affordable stores you can find in any mall, because as she frequently points out, being fashionable is not about having money.
Being the true style maven that she is, Victoria never once tries to dictate what’s “in” or what’s “out.” That’s not the point of the book, and if you truly love fashion as she does, you know that there’s really no such thing. The message she so importantly conveys is that what you wear should speak to who you are, so have fun with it. As she says in the concluding chapter: “Listen to your inner voice, not to the comments other people might make. No one knows better than you what makes you feel good about yourself and look fantastic.” That’s some sage advice we should take about style, and life in general.
So congratulations to Posh and Becks on the new addition to the family! And congratulations to little Harper, too. If your fabulous mom can give so much great advice in one “handbag edition” of a book, imagine what she can give you in a lifetime.

1 comment:

  1. Sold. This book sounds fabulous. Her attitude of “No one knows better than you what makes you feel good about yourself and look fantastic," is such a welcome message.

    Not to get all preachy, but I hate the culture of fashion how-to guides that are all about tearing down someone's sense of personal style before building it back up with "good" style (I'm looking at you, What Not to Wear). I absolutely believe that there are style guidelines that can help people look and feel their best. But I don't really believe in this new wave of "help" that includes shoving those rules down someone's throat while you berate their fashion choices.

    Fashion is a choice, style is a choice, not a law. Plus--although certainly not everyone who breaks the rules is a fashion maven--we would never have new and exciting additions to the fashion world, however, if some people didn't boldly step out of the box. It's kind of a little elitist, if you think about it, this attitude that only people who "understand" fashion can bend or break convention in an acceptable way.

    Anyway, thank you Victoria Beckham for acknowledging that we are all equally entitled to our own sense of style. And for the tip about trying on shoes. And thank you, Steph for introducing me to this book. I'm totally going to go out and buy it tomorrow.

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