The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style: How to Wear Iconic Looks and Make Them Your Own

by Kim France, Andrea Linett

On the heels of the fabulously successful Lucky Shopping Manual comes the complete handbook for creating a great look based on ten iconic styles —packed with more than 450 color images .

With a circulation of 1.1 million, Lucky magazine has taken America’s most dedicated shoppers by storm, offering real-world advice and first-rate finds. Now the Lucky experts show how to put it all together in an inspiring collection of ideas that go beyond the basics and yield endless innovation for year-round reinvention.

Based on the techniques used by fashion designers for years, The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style features ten versatile archetypes that can be customized to fit varying moods, personalities, and body types. Applying these enduring styles to a dazzling spectrum of possibilities, The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style deconstructs each look, with components including clothes, shoes, accessories, patterns, and colors. Just as designers use swatches and images to spark creativity, readers will have access to hundreds of photographs from style setters. Must-haves for every closet, foolproof instructions, profiles of real-life Lucky Girls, and money-saving Lucky Breaks make this the indispensable resource for complete chic.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Reference, Self Help, How To

312 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2008

Reviews

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful if you're looking to redesign your wardrobe a/o your life to make a statement. I, personally, could not imagine adopting just one of these iconic looks and wearing nothing but that for the rest of my life, but there are certainly helpful hints -- almost lookbooks, if you will -- on how to achieve any given style on any given day. Okay, maybe with a few days of shopping in advance. Mostly, though, it's a helpful guide to good basics for any wardrobe, depending on your style, and a welcome addition to the oeuvre. Reading this cover to cover has the unfortunate drawback of making you want to go out and buy stuff, though, so go into reading it with fat pockets.

[Mmars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sensible guide to putting together an outfit, if you've an eye for color and shaping and a bit of imagination. Lots of pics of basic pieces grouped on a white background - reminded me of paper doll cutouts - that can be mixed & matched. This book has already inspired several unrecognized combos from my closet and $10 outfits from second-hand stores.

The expensive store stuff is unobtrusive & can be ignored.

[Sonja Isaacson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this enough that I wouldn't mind adding it to my shelf at home. It does of course have some flaws. I don't feel that they explain enough why each of the real-life ladies falls into once category over another. Plus all their little bio info - what music they listen to and movies they watch is pretty useless since it generally seems to have nothing to do with what they actually wear. Instead it should contain more about their life - their roles outside of work and how that also influences their choices. Also while generally the textural descriptions are broad enough (a-line minidress could have different details, colors, etc) the images they use seem to be awfully trendy in some cases.

The other problem is that this proves the difference between styles and items I like... and what I actually wear. Thus I fall into a least common denominator shirt, pants, flat shoes. Go slacker mom style!

I do love a shopping list though... so maybe someday, no doubt right before I go on retirement, I too will fall into a more stylish style category.

[Renitta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the books I've read and own on style and wardrobe styling, this is easily my favorite. It breaks down the archetypes further than most to include oft-overlooked categories. There are staple items - apparel and accessories - as well as sample outfits. As is the standard with Lucky,the shopping guide is top-notch.

[Liz De Coster · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Don't fit into a fabricated, preapproved box? Fuck off and die!"

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read while eating snacks. Lots of photos and ideas here, and I appreciated learning what some types of clothes are called and getting shopping tips and suggestions. I do wish more styles were included here though.

[Bloodorange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful (it gave me an idea of how to cleverly fix the holes in my wardrobe), but not a must-have. If you're wondering where to find it, try Open Library.

[Ciara · Rating 3 out of 5]

the overwhelming majority of folks who reviewed this books seemed to give it three stars, making it thoroughly average. this was my opinion as well--definitely full of some cute ideas & good advice, but not the most relevant across the board. the idea here is that the editors of "lucky" magazine (it is important to note here that they both used to work for "sassy" magazine) showcase ten iconic looks & create portfolios that are essentially look books, explaining how to achieve each style. i think few women actually completely fit into one specific category, but it doesn't matter because there's a lot of overlap here, even if the editors of the book seem to willfully ignore it. this is especially true in their profiles of "'lucky'girls," each of whom supposedly embodies a specific style, but when they start showing off the items from their closets, you're like, "wait, wasn't this piece a staple of the last chapter?" & for all the references to the importance of developing a style that perhaps incorporates trends without being a slave to them, there was A LOT of trendiness in this book. try to sell me on the fact that stovepipe jeans & ballet flats aren't going to look costume-y &/or dated in ten or fifteen years. there's also the fact that while a look like stovepipe jeans & ballet flats bespeak a specific kind of french 60s style that can potentially be timeless, it's not flattering on all bodies or all ages. there was pretty much nothing in this book about selecting a style that acknowledges your body type & age. some of the mod looks were very cute, but let's face it--i'm thirty & i'm not a size two. how realistically would i really rock a horizontally-striped sweater over a mini-shift? one the essential pieces for the "gamine" look is a bubble miniskirt. really? REALLY? size-four teenagers can barely make that look work, let alone anyone else. (i'd argue that bubble skirts in fact work on no one, not even the poor catwalk girls forced to model them--& they could not be trendier...if we are talking about trends that went kaput six months ago.) how is this an "essential"? not that the book claims to be a hard & fast style rulebook--the whole idea is to adapt style ideas into your wardrobe to give yourself a stronger & more iconic look, & certainly you can apply some the "gamine" ideas while leaving the bubble skirt on the discount rack at tello's, where it belongs.

anyway, this is certainly worth paging through if you're sick of your look & seeking an upgrade. it's full of ideas, & i especially like their tips on how to combine wardrobe pieces to achieve different looks according to activity or season. who knew a frilly asymmetrical pink skirt could work all year round (oh wait...it can't...but at least they tried)? seriously, i am coming across as more negative than i intend...this book really is full of interesting tips & ideas.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing life- (or wardrobe-) changing, but fun to look through. This has the typical Lucky magazine writing style, chock-full of adjectives and over-the-top superlatives. Basically what this book is is a breakdown of certain fashion archtypes--the Gamine, Euro chic, California Casual, etc; who's famously worn the look, movies that inspire it, real "Lucky Girls" who wear each look, and the "Essential Pieces" needed to pull it off. I enjoyed it mainly because this is the way I tend to think about the clothes I wear--as a certain very specific look I'm trying to pull off. In Lucky parlance, I'm one part Bohemian (early 70s Stevie Nicks, or Ali McGraw in Love Story), one part Bombshell (curvy, 40s and 50s inspired, think Sophia Loren or Ann-Margaret). It was hilarious and slightly off-putting to me that the most specific clothing items, like "hot pink suede booties" or "patent leather bomber jacket" were considered "Essential Pieces," as if you dare not attempt to look Rock-and-Roll or Mod without them and the 40 or so other items deemed essential for each look. It was helpful, however, to look at all the ideas for combining pieces into unique outfits.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kind of agree with everyone else on this book - it's pretty mediocre. However, as a fashionably challenged person, I appreciate what it offers. I like the defined styles. I'm very type A and I like knowing what category I fit into. However, the way they "modernize" each look runs together and every style feels very similar to the one before it.

Generally, I fall under the Euro Chic + American Classic categories. I picked up the book wanting to better define my style and learn what pieces will work well with how I feel comfortable and at my most powerful. So, I very much appreciate the definition and the key pieces. Some of the advice is helpful, but annoying. And most of the world likes to buy one or two pieces from other categories, just because. At least now I can follow these categories in defining my unique style uniform to wear on a daily basis.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how this book gave 10 different styles instead of the typical 4. This helped me to find a style I actually liked, since I don't really fit into the main styles you usually see in fashion magazines. I did think that it needed more styles, though, especially since these are all "iconic" styles and not modern.

I liked how the book encouraged you to combine styles, since I don't really know anyone who wears one style exclusively.

The book gives "essential wardrobe pieces" for each style, as well as tips on how to pull it off, and places to buy that particular style. I found these helpful, but not amazing.

Overall, as most reviews of this book say, it was good for inspiration but not something to live by.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know, I've been reading lots of fashion books, because I am badly in need of new clothes that I actually like, and this one works well. But "works well" I mean "gives me lots of ideas", which is what I think fashion books and magazines are for (not "selling things"!). I am not ever going to just go straight for one particular style, but I am certainly going to cull clothing ideas from pretty much every style in the book. Also, how awesome are Kim France and Andrea Lee Linett? Who (er, who my age) wasn't influenced by the glory days of Sassy? I certainly was.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of the magazine and their first book (which I also purchased), so it was obvious that I would order this book as soon as it came out. I like how this book is divided up by styles, with lovely photos to help you understand the key elements in each and combine the different styles to create your own. It definitely gave me a sense of what my style was (euro-chic and bombshell) and the shopping resources at where to find clothes that fit your style is just fantastic! I just wish they included more different styles though.

[Jen Lawlor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love fashion and found in the pages of the original Lucky magazine under Kim France, fellow lovers of fashion who helped break down looks into key components so that iconic and ‘of now’ looks could be created at any budget. Kindred spirits who understood inspiration can come from anywhere; movie character, rock star, art exhibit, book, travel, etc. This book and it’s precursor, Lucky Shopping Manual are wonderful resources for lovers of fashion, design students, and anyone looking to create their signature style.

[Bethany Lockhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The few times I've picked up Lucky magazine, I've been pretty bored and disappointed with the ads upon ads upon ads. But this book had such pretty pictures. Oooh shiny.... I thought the ensembles were creative and now that I live in a city where I see some people rockin their garbs like they're on a runway, it was interesting to see some of these looks broken down. Overall, fun, and gave me some ideas should I decide to step it up a notch.

[Dori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a helpful style resource for me. When I first picked this book up, I didn't understand what the different clothing styles were, but this book demonstrates a wide variety of styles through its photos. I liked how the book showed both clothing AND examples of real life women who embody each style. This gave me some fun ideas for how to establish my own style as I continue to build my wardrobe, including using pieces I already own.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ooh, pretty pictures. It's fun to look through, but not all that instructive. There's no acknowledgment of peoples' size/shape, age, or geographic location. All the featured people are from NYC or LA. There's some mention of work/play and seasonal dressing, but not much. If I was writing this book, I'd take each style and show "beginning" through "advanced" versions of the looks, so that people could learn how to try out a style and then get more experimental with it.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice guide with some good tips.

Since it covers many disparate styles, chances are a few chapters will be largely irrelevant for you, just because they don't mesh with your personal style.

I particularly enjoyed the tips about "how to buy the perfect tank top / jersey dress / pencil skirt, etc."

[Karena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like this book, but not able to read it cover to cover because it's more of an inspirational, thumb-through-it book. I like how it takes certain styles and gives you current fashions and shoes, dresses, etc. in order to create these iconic styles. I'm currently updating my wardrobe, and find it very useful to define what I'm looking for!

[Dana "DWJ" · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice follow up to the first Lucky Guide to style. This one seems to break down the categories of style (classic, boho, mod...). It's always a great reference guide to have on hand, especially when you're looking to update your wardrobe.

[Srilatha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book lists global iconic looks and tells you how to get your own. I definitely liked the earlier Lucky book better.

The only thing I got from this book was, that I like Bohemian! Never realized that.

[Angeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love clothes and fasion and clothing inspiration. This was a fun read, but there were a lot of 'skinny/cigarette' pants suggestions and these womanly hips don't do skinny pants.

So good I checked it out again.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot afford practically any of the brands and stores they suggest but I LOVE the ideas and essential pieces they suggest for each iconic style and how to mix and match them at the end. I can definitely take some of the ideas and work with them within my budget.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a nice idea book for putting together a signature style. I'd give it five stars, but some of the sections didn't interest me very much, like rock and roll fashion. I think it could have also added more affordable stores to find the same looks.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book because I want new clothes and I wanted to look at the pictures. For those purposes it was good. I didn't try to learn all the style names or combinations, but I thought it was interesting that they have so many categories. Some of the categories look the same to me.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed flipping through this filler fashion book while sitting in my ink stained pajamas in a lawn chair on a weekday at 2 in the afternoon.

[Ashley]

Rec'd on Unclutterer.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Nothing new here. Also, perhaps it wasn't the best editorial choice to list "great boutique stores" for each style. Many of these pricey stores are now closed.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much help. The outfits they put together are crazy! And not in a good way.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, mostly visual, way of identifying and putting together outfits based on iconic styles.