Terms of Adornment: The Ultimate Guide to Accessories

by Deborah Chase

What's the one thing almost every woman owns that regrettably goes unworn? The answer is quite the accessory. It's the scarf you bought, but always forget to wear; the handbag you had to have but somehow only take out once or twice a year; or those earrings or shoes you never wear because your style has changed. Fashions may change, but one thing remains constant--our love for that accessory. So why must our accessories immediately seem outdated? Why should they unnecessarily hide in the dresser? It almost seems like accessories should come with a set of instructions. Now they do. Terms of Adornment is the ultimate guide to accessories. Full of tips and hints, historical fashion anecdotes, and complete outfits for each accessory, Terms of Adornment is a must for every woman seeking to maximize her scarves, hats, handbags, shoes, and jewelry. Terms of Adornment will show you how to wear what you like without dictating what is right and wrong. With Terms of Adornment all of those forgotten accessories that once held so much promise will once again find a cherished place in your wardrobe. Deborah Chase, a health and beauty writer, is the author of six other books, including The New Medically Based No-Nonsense Beauty Book, Fruit Acids for Fabulous Skin, and the upcoming Every Bride is Beautiful. Her articles have appeared in Glamour, Redbook, and Ladies Home Journal. In 1998, she toured the United States as the national spokesperson for the Pond's "Educated Face" program. Deborah is a native New Yorker and still resides in New York City.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1999

Reviews

[Ligaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is an encyclopedia of fashion accessories, with a short paragraph or two explaining the item, then a listing of “How to Wear…” the item. There is sometimes a photo or illustration, too. Despite reading this 20 years after publication, it only really shows its age is due to the items that are not included, Jewelry for piercings and cell phone accessories are two modern accessories I can immediately think of. It would have been really helpful to have some clear photographs for many of the items she’s talking about, like marcasite or the Verdura shell, and many photos aren’t very sharp. Captions would have been very appreciated - I think I know who some of these starlets are, but not for certain! I would have liked the first photo of each section to be the first item in that section, instead of having a duplicate of that first photo used again somewhere in that section. And sometimes the same photo, just different sizes, are on facing or near pages. What a waste! I found the “How to Wear…” lists unnecessary. It says what you should wear with what. Photos would have been so much better here… So that trims the content that I’m reading by about half, but I found the remaining text interesting - basically the history of that particular accessory. This way, this book became an easy read.

[Lois Lewandowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're like me you probably have books displayed in your home that you've never read. This clever book has been in a pile of fashion books in my bedroom for many years.
The author covers all aspects of accessories, often with glamorous black and white photos of iconic Hollywood film stars. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it as a gift for the fashion obsessed woman who has everything.

[Son · Rating 1 out of 5]

So BLAH! This book for is people from 1982...it gives a long list of how-to wear certain accessories, but without pictures of the outfit together, just photos of celebrities from movies. It wasn't helpful on how to dress for today and it wasn't useful if you wanted to make an outfit your own, just to wear a certain hat with a certain ribbon with certain black skirt and black shirt, etc. Just skip it altogether.