How to Have Style

by Isaac Mizrahi

The king of real-world chic shares his tips and award-winning flair in a colorful guidebook designed to unleash every woman’s inner fashionista. A twenty-year veteran of the fashion industry, Isaac Mizrahi has become a unique icon in the world of style. He doesn’t do “makeovers” or take pleasure in berating the way a woman dresses. Instead, he is a problem solver—and a titan of trendsetting who believes that fashion should be seriously fun. Showcasing his singular approach to looking great, How to Have Style begins with the premise that all women should wear what inspires them. Using twelve real women facing real wardrobe dilemmas, Mizrahi walks readers through the fundamentals of finding a personal style that reflects their authentic selves. Other features include: • A personal fashion questionnaire and how to create an inspiration board that unlocks the secrets to individual style• Hundreds of fashion tips on everything from clothes and accessories to expert advice on skin care and makeup to mixing patterns and wearing color • How to become a collector instead of just a shopper Dubbed a “one-man brand” by BusinessWeek, Mizrahi shares his style rules on everything from boots to bags, from skirt length to the right undergarments. With more than 400 dazzling photographs as well as Mizrahi’s own sketches, How to Have Style makes it simple to look your best.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Reference, Self Help

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2008

Reviews

[Nora]

Nice in theory. Crap in reality. I mean, who dresses like this? Girls who work can't use their bra as the focal part of their wardrobe..unless they are working the streets..

[Emily]

This book is what I call ‘magazine-y’. Easy to read, lots of pictures, & lots of expensive stuff. I picked up a few tips. For example, I will try to wear skirts that hit at the skinniest parts of my legs (currently my pregnant-lady legs are chunky all the way down, so I will start this in a few months. Actually, my whole dang body is chunky. Except my toes, I think. I don’t know anymore. It is hard to see them.) So, I enjoyed the book as a casual read, but not something that I would go to for actual style help. And I don’t know quite how to rate this book. How do you rate an issue of ‘Seventeen’, ‘In Style’, or ‘Vogue’??? So the 4 stars is a rating of ‘fun-ness’ of the book, not necessarily usefulness.

I know that you all would laugh at me if I followed the book’s advice and a) wore a zebra print coat with plaid pants, b) wore a big fur hat (even though it might be whimsical and fun), or 3) purchased a tuxedo from the boy’s department and wore it to a classy affair. Seriously, there were quite a few ‘yes’ styles that I was positive were mislabeled. I looked up and down for a NO-DO NOT EVER WEAR THIS note.

There was one lady in the book who wore jeans every day to take her kids to school, soccer games, etc. They replaced the jeans with a denim jacket, flouncy skirts, and kitten heels. Are you kidding? I need to wear jeans to cover my pasty white (& chunky) legs. And also, kitten heels get stuck in the grass at soccer games. Anyways, she looked cute, but the look was not functional.

And there was one girl who had just graduated from college and was working in her first corporate job. They dressed her in nylons and shorts, together. Um, I would not exactly consider that corporate wear.

And just a thought on personal styles: I think it is really hard to change a person’s style. If they are a socks-n-sandals person, it means that they like that style. Style comes from within. Some people are nerds within.

[Jennifer]

oh, Mr. Mizrahi. How I had such hopes for this book after hearing your interview on NPR. How excited I was by your intro "Before you can think about having style, you have to learn to look in the mirror and like what you see." That you said you "don't believe in makeovers" but then proceeded to alter the hair, eyebrows, make-up, clothes, and shoes of each woman in the book, and recommended dieting to one! (and it wasn't even the big girl!)

I had hoped for something like Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality Taste and Style by Tim Gunn. What I got was make-overs with bad neck scarves.

[Cole]

I was actually really enjoying this book (particularly his approach to drawing out your personal style and emphasis on thinking visually and experimenting) and then Kelly pointed out that the clothing choices looked dated... because the book is 5 years old. I did not notice. Where's my hoodie?

[Sara]

I didn't like the styles pictured, but it's the best guide to really finding your own style, regardless of rules or trends, that I've seen. I want to make an inspiration board!! :D

[Bonnie Doran]

Where do I start?! First of all, the book has great photography and I like how it’s organized. It follows several women through makeovers and has before and after pics. The layout is nice.

Second, I think some of the “after” styles are poorly fitted, poorly chosen, and not fashionable or attractive. Examples are wearing a button down white shirt over a red bra that is literally bursting open. The top buttons are intentionally unbuttoned but the top literally doesn’t fit. It looks like she didn’t button it because it didn’t fit, not because she was trying to be sexy. Another outfit has boots that are visibly cutting into the woman’s calves. These kinds of attention to detail are necessary to make any outfit fashionable, in my opinion.

He displayed obvious favoritism to some women but not others, mostly in the way he wrote about them. I don’t think he has to find them all equally attractive/ smart but it’s weird to read that in a fashion book.

[Susan]

I got absolutely no information from this book at all. I have no idea what he was talking about. To me, a lot of the models looked better in their before pictures than in their after pictures. Not in all, but in some of the chapters it seemed like he was criticizing people who looked great but who felt dissatisfied with themselves (maybe after talking to him) and then making them look TERRIBLE and taking lots of photos of them and saying they looked good. It was very confusing. I had to stop reading it.

[Suzanne Rogers]

Self-help fashion book. He takes normal people and answers their varied questions and concerns. Lots of pictures and practical advice, but flaunt your favorite body part and sexy I don’t think belong in my covenant way of dressing. He also stresses spending money on quality, lasting pieces - it goes against my grain but maybe my grain is wrong. Love the section on the basics for every wardrobe. I still am wanting modest fashion advice, but I learned some good principles.

[Jay Rose]

A fun quick read, big lettering, lots of break outs, and tons of photos. Easy to follow along with especially if you are like me and have AD/HD. Not sure just how much advice can be found, but it does have a few treasures here and there. Worth reading but take some of his stuff with a grain of salt.

[Lynnea]

Fun book, holds up even though styles have changed some. I was happy to read and learn from this book and didn't feel the book aged poorly. Some similar books I have looked at recently definitely have not held up. I think the personal style aspect helps in this regard.

[Liilaa]

I'm broke and all the outfits in here cost $100+, so...
A fun read, just not something I could really do.

[Beka]

Some interesting insights, though as you might expect, a fashion designer's idea of "on a budget" is laughable. Still, lovely clothes and good tips.

[Dee Roll]

Good tips

[Trish]

This book has some helpful tips.

[Ann]

Always love books like this. We need a 'how to have style in 2021 when shoes, accessories, and even pants are irrelevant.'

[Cathryn]

I really like Isaac Mizrahi so I feel guilty giving this book only 2 stars but I found it "just OK."

[Nadine]

I break this book or every few years when I'm recalibrating my style. But bad for a book from 2008.

[LMTZ]

I really get a kick out of Isaac Mizrahi!
Loads of advice and photos.

[Goldenrod]

No, eating less and exercising more is not a good strategy for losing weight. Eating less will downregulate your metabolism. Eat healthy, whole foods, and exercise moderately.

[Becca]

I am a complete fashion dummy-- maybe something beyond "dummy." Fashion vegetable? I am in a fashion coma? I still wear my Phish concert t-shirt from 1996. I don't own any makeup. It's not that I'm opposed to the idea of having style, of looking nice, it's just incomprehensible to me. Just as I'm not opposed to the idea of being German. Go ahead, be German! But I'm not gonna understand a word of it. So, "exfoliate?" "false eyelashes?" "stilletos?". Ich sprechen die nicht, liebste. The whole premise of -put in some effort, look nice- sort of makes my palms sweat.

So obviously this is the first book about fashion I'd ever read, and... wow! It is inspiring! The pictures are so clear, the women so ordinary, the premise so inspiring, I could suddenly see how clothes, jewelry, hair can be expressive and creative and invigorating.

I like the author's point that each individuals' style is unique-- you just need to learn to SEE. Funny that a fashion book would dovetail with my other current book, Drawing on the Artist Within. Learn to see, learn to look, wake to an awareness and an openness to the world around you. It's not about makeovers or reinventing yourself, it's about blossoming what's already there.

So will I go out tomorrow and spend $500 on clothes and makeup? Uh, nope. But maybe I'll look at what I have differently, be willing to incorporate the color and creativity from other parts of my life into my -- dare I even use the word? -- personal style.

[fried.rambutans]

How many times do you hear people who bought this book say: I love Isaac! Maybe they're on to something.


I've seen Isaac on TV, and he's not one of those bitchy Project Runway wannabe who refuses to dress any woman sized 4 and over. I mean, real women wear size 16, dear.. I meant, me of course.. So it's refreshing to see how Isaac treat her models, including the only plus size of the bunch, in this book. Some of his take on style is probably too much for me, but most of them are down pat attainable. I bought the book partly because I dress like a mechanic since high school, and once in a blue moon, I'd like to dress daringly like Isaac's ladies. Maybe someday some humble designers would create another book like this, specially made for the size 16 crowd.. *wishing, wishing*

[Kerfe]

Looking through the fall fashion collections on WWD.com got a little tedious--black, black, grey, black and white, black, maybe a touch of red or royal...solid, solid, fur, sheer, solid...and then there was Isaac Mizrahi. Fun, colorful, you might actually wear it.

Isaac's book, "How to Have Style", focuses on a group of women of all ages and sizes who do not look or live like models or celebrities. He asks them to try to get out of their fashion ruts and see themselves differently. It works pretty well.

The basic philosophy is: if you're wearing something you think looks good, you'll feel good, and will carry yourself with confidence, which will make you look even better. Isaac says: don't be afraid to be yourself. In fact--be more of yourself! Be the most of yourself you can be! Enjoy yourself, enjoy life.

"Confidence and knowing what's right for you is 95% of style."

So how do you decide "what's right"? Isaac cautions that it takes time and thought. You need to try on a lot of different things and trust your instincts. But once you've found what works for you, style becomes easy.

A fun book, with advice suited for a wide variety of (normal)lives.

[Cory]

First off, I love love LOVE Isaac Mizrahi!!! If you like things like Project Runway but have not yet seen his fabulous documentary, Unzipped you should run right out and rent it. Okay . . . down to the business of this book. It's not your average makeover book, which is why I liked it so much. Isaac doesn't just say "You have big hips and here's how to hide them" as usually happens. Instead, he focuses on finding your own personal style . . . on what interests you and makes you happy and makes you feel beautiful. Then he incorporates this personal style into different life "events"--being plus-sized, or changing your entire look, or going to a black-tie affair. Although I didn't always like the clothing choices he made for the women, I did appreciate his different take on fashion. And Isaac's personality always shone through, which I loved. The introductory chapter alone is worth reading for any woman who has questioned her look. I love Isaac!

[Tara Carpenter]

The biggest thing I learned from this book is that I need to be chosen as the subject of a book or television show about makeovers. Because having a group of professionals on your side makes a world of difference. The style team for this book includes a fashion stylist, hairstylist, makeup artist, and Isaac Mizrahi himself. I guarantee they could make me look fabulous. And I suppose the point of a book like this is to glean some of the expertise they use on the subjects in the book and apply it to yourself. Not as satisfying, but financially a much more viable option.

How to Have Style starts with some basic information and concepts in the introduction, then jumps to chapters featuring one lucky woman each. Isaac and the team polish up each woman, making changes where needed . . .

TO READ THE REST OF MY REVIEW, VISIT: http://www.thewell-roundedwoman.com/2...

[Mel]

I like Mizrahi's message to women to be comfortable in their skin, but also to take care and be healthy. What I didn't like was that some of the style choices seemed to be leaning toward the runway ridiculous. But I wondered how much of his personal opinion/taste intervened with the choices; like which shoes were a no, when they weren't even on a woman. But that being said, I also liked his message about women trying a little harder to dress up instead of putting on the old stand by of jeans and dressing it up for a night out on the town. It takes less effort to put on a cute dress.
And just as a side, I think women should be more supportive of others and not give the evil eye when a woman has dressed nice and made the effort. Especially when the evil eye owner is wearing sweats. ;-) I'm just saying.

[Rachel Boling]

I enjoyed this book because I love Isaac Mizrahi from Project Runway All-stars; he had a really strong voice in this, and I liked hearing him talk to me while I read.

I also really enjoyed his message, that all women are beautiful, and that you should embrace who you are, and stop obsessing over "faults" and instead play up your assets.

I thought all the pictures of people changing in the book were unnecessary (which were probably to emphasis the need to try on lots of clothes to find YOUR style); I also disagreed with him on bras, since I think they should stay underwear, and he thinks they should be an accessory. His first looks had the poor girl showing off her bra by leaving her shirt undone past her bra.

Overall I really enjoyed the book; there is a questionnaire to help you think about style and lots of advice on how to find your style on your own. Very positive book.

[Kater Cheek]

This was on my list of "no thinker" books I needed after the past three. I like to read books like this to get an idea of how to improve my looks, and then get frustrated at how stratospherically expensive the designers' concept of "reasonable" is. (Ie. One dress costs more than I spend on clothes in three years.) I was also baffled by some of Mr. Mizrahi's suggestions, like when he took a woman who said she liked to hide her breasts, because they were large and made her self conscious. Mizrahi clothed her in several work outfits where the front of her bra was showing. On what planet does that look classy? It does have plenty of illustrations, and clearly outlines some basic fashion concepts, like how to find the right hemline for you, etc.

[LM]

Eh. This was fun, because it was like one long magazine and I love (lurve!) how Mizrahi writes (just like
he talks). However, he just took a bunch of women, none of whom are like me, and gave them a style make
over so it wasn't exactly helpful. (ie Don't go thinking I'm all full of style now.) Also I am mad that this one
eye make-up look he gave one woman was not well described so now I can't learn how to do it. Major star
loses for that one. I think I did learn or relearn some things, but now I have forgotten what they were.
Something about color theory. Every new hair style was a big improvement which doesn't often happen on
make over shows in my opinion so kudos, MIzrahi, kudos.

[Kristie J.]

This is a good book to start with to get ideas about creating your own personal style. There are 12 women who get fashion makeovers. Most of them are fairly tall and slim (but there is one petite, one plus size, and a couple middle-age women). There are lots of colorful pictures, most of which also contain the author. I wish there was more information about how to choose the best style and colors for particular body types and shapes. Mostly the author has a good eye for style and tells women to try on lots and lots of clothes and shoes until you find the ones that look good on you. This assumes that women can recognize what looks good on them. And he recommends wearing black and white a lot. It's basically trial and error and layering different pieces and adding accessories.

[Desiree]

Eh.
I love Isaac, especially now that he's on Project Runway, and several of the outfits he puts together are lovely, but some of this was a little bit ridiculous.

*Spoiler alert*

Actual quotes:

"Lose ten pounds for FUN!" WOOHOOO!

"I don't believe in makeovers, so all of the women chosen for this book were good-looking to begin with."

...Not to mention several rather frightening ensembles and haircuts that added years or made the women dowdy.

A fun read, and I suppose I learned a few 'rules' for myself I hadn't considered, but I'm certainly glad I picked this up used and didn't pay the list price.