Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown: Notes from a Single Girl's Closet

by Adena Halpern

The story of a young woman’s life, one outfit at a time.

Tucked inside the fibers and buttons and pockets of the clothing in our closets are the stories of our lives, the lessons we’ve learned, the people we’ve loved. Like so many of us, Adena Halpern has used clothes to conform, to seduce, to console, to show off, and to hide. Her ability to relate fashion to her inner life--in a way that goes beyond the clothes--has endeared her to many readers, one of whom called her, "the real-life Carrie Bradshaw."

But Fashionista, she’s not. Adena every teenage girl who had to have what all the other girls had, whether it looked good on her or not; the college coed who swooned for the boy in the leather jacket; the heartbroken girl who chose a rebound dress over a rebound man; the best friend who borrows clothes and never gives them back; the woman who is 45 minutes late to work because she has nothing to wear. She is a lover of clothes and shopping whose passionate memories are always tied not only to the clothes that she wore, but what everyone else was wearing, too. This is the affectionate and funny story of Adena’s life, an unconventional love story that readers will want to share. Clotheshorse or otherwise, this book is for anyone who keeps an old piece of clothing in the back of their closet, wishing that one day those clothes would get up and start talking about the wonderful times you once shared together.

Genres: Chick Lit, Nonfiction, Fashion, Memoir, Humor, Essays, Biography

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 2006

About the author

BREAKING NEWS: 20th Century Fox has just attained the rights to Adena's most recent novel, 29! Look for it in theaters soon!


Adena Halpern is the author of a memoir TARGET UNDERWEAR AND A VERA WANG GOWN- NOTES FROM A SINGLE GIRL'S CLOSET and the novel THE TEN BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE. Adena has also written for Marie Claire, Daily Variety and The New York Times. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dramatic writing from New York University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in screenwriting from The American Film Institute. 20th Century Fox has attained the rights to THE TEN BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE with Amy Adams to star. A proud Philadelphia native, she resides in Los Angeles with her husband, screenwriter Jonathan Goldstein.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

god damn it, i might as well admit that i am kind of into chick lit. UGH. i don't know what's happening to me, it's like some fucked up coming of age thing i guess, and that is way depressing. ANYWAY. i saw this book in the self help section of the bookstore that empolys me (the self help section is my favorite section to hang around in because the books and the people who buy them amuse my favorite coworker and i to no end. seriously.) so i saw this book as i was chuckling at the "how to hypnotize him into marrying you" MANual on the same shelf, and i got all warm and fuzzy thinking about my mom and her love of target underwear. i picked it up and leafed through it and decided that based on the title and the fact that she's about to become single herself, my mom totally needed this book. also she digs sex and the city and while i think that show totally blows, someone who likes it would like this book. this girl could be one of those characters, only she knows how to keep her pants on once in a while and she isn't some pathetic slave to the scent of aftershave and a dick, and the ever present stereotype that women must be married by the age of 30. so i bought it for my mom and i read it and i liked it and i am pathetic THE END.

[Spoon Popkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Big Mac meal of reading. I enjoyed it, devoured it quickly and then felt real sick with myself for having done so.

[Sierra Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is funny and makes you think differently of the clothes you wear and WHY you wear them. It can be a little slow in some places but otherwise a quick and fun read.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this today in between other things. My book club friends told me to "get past the title and just read it" so I did. It was entertaining in so many ways. Clearly I am of similar vintage to the author, as I went through many of the same fashion, ah, evolutions. Dolphin shorts, Madonna (both Lucky Star and Material Girl, but then a girl has to move on...) and even the Bermuda bag. It was also perfectly annoying in some ways. Maybe it's just sour grapes - I never was a princess and I started buying my own clothes when I was 10 - and I just don't think I could write a book about my personal fashion life. OK, well, I don't have a personal fashion life. I think I might own 10 designer things, but I promise you, they are ALL shoes. The thing about shoes and earrings is skinny, or fat, they fit. I think I nearly had a heart attack every time she had a personal crisis and off loaded her entire (hugely expensive) wardrobe. It's quite alright to love clothes, but...

[Christina, Join Me on Storygraph! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this quick book. That said, it made me feel so very frumpy too. But, it's nice to step into someone else's world for a day (yes, the book was THAT quick) and hang out in her closet so to speak--whether that closet is 1980s Philadelphia, or 2000s LA premiere. Adena Halpern is a very likeable narrator.

[ElenaE · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that overall the book is not bad, the author writes well in simple language, it will be useful for women who feel insecure or want everything from life, value their feelings and favorite things. Thanks to this book I am looking at closet with confidence, taking the risk to wear bold accessories like leather lingerie or harness for woman

[Vitrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank! Following the book I understood how important my underwear is and how it can affect my confidence! I am in love with my underwear and I now choose only the best for me purchase the leather lingere. Miya is the one I consider to be the top in my collection, and I am in love with it to the greatest extent in my wardrobe!

[Selami]

I choose to date and have the most sexy lingerie I have preferred is definitely Full Body Harness definitely buy this from myalingerie.

[Sari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining, especially because I can remember/relate to so much of the fashion she talks about. Total fluff. Super easy and fast read.

[Marcie Holcomb · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started out great and then it just became a chore to finish.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun! But actually a good read and well written.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked her writing style. Funny and so relatable. My favorite chapter was the Juicy Couture Black Linen Drawstring Pants.

[Kate]

DNF

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny, heartwarming memoir!

[M.G.Mihalko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very comforting read during my quarter life crisis

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

""

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you ever wonder what the life of a posh magazine writer is like? Do you wish that you had the money/class/courage to pull off outfits much like Carrie Bradshaw? Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown - Notes From a Single Girl's Closet is a fanciful twist on real life, depicting the story of Adena Halpern, who wrote for Marie Claire. Written as a memoir, but artfully blended with the unique angle that every single one of her memories is tied to a specific outfit, Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown is part fashion, part comedy, and just a tad heartwarming to keep you on your toes.

I'm not opposed to memoirs. Not in the slightest. In fact, I like them a good bit. Sometimes the most fascinating stories are the ones involving the mundane tasks of everyday life, but a person's unique perspective makes all the difference. When I stumbled across Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown, I knew I had to read it. It's a fun story, chronicling Adena Halpern's journey from everyday teen, to a college girl, to a successful (and might I add fashionable) woman in her own right. There are great twists of humour, touches of sadness because, let's face it, everyone has their lows in life, and an engaging story about finding oneself and one's passions.

The writing, however, was not as fluid as I had hoped. At times, I felt the wit was a bit forced, and while I enjoyed the overall story, it definitely lagged at points. I think the book could probably have been condensed for easier reading, to be honest. All in all though, I give Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown a 3.5 out of 5 , and I would recommend it to those who are fans of chick lit and memoirs.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall not a bad read for anyone who likes realistic stories and fashion.

Adena Halpern brings us through her life one outfit at a time, describing the trends she tried to follow and the mishaps or miracles that ensued. Starting from her earliest years to mid thirties, each chapter in the book is a particular moment (and ensemble) that stuck out to Halpern as an important moment in her life.

As a humorous autobiography of snippets, the book does have a lot of laughs and a lot of moments that young women can identify with (vicarious embarrassment being something our mothers teach us early). And for the first third to half of the book, readers can easily relate to Adena's misadventures and insecurities.

After about college though, I find the rest of the story difficult to compare with everyday life. Halpern doesn't really describe having difficulties in the job world, or gaining friends, or family drama, or how she pays for all of her designer clothes. The book is mostly about shopping, making friends with other people who have their pulse on fashion, and the trials and tribulations of dating (and having to add to her wardrobe for each man). I think she might have been happier if she had found her own style rather than trying to be the first on fashions, but perhaps people who like to keep their eyes on the newest trends would disagree.

A light laugh but probably not one that I'd go to again.

[Putri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a fashionista yet I love fashion and yet sometimes a fashion's victim.
Like Adena Halpern, the author, my clothes are also carry stories with them, one thing that I didn't realize until I read this book.
This book is all about the story behind each clothes, one clothes at a time, starting from her torn short, father's boxer underwear, Vera Wang's-broken heart-gown til the oscar night evening gown. Yet she still wears target underwear.
Although she couldn't control her love life but at the very least she can control what she wants in her closet.
Well, having read this boook, I remember my first pair of naf naf shoes and kid size tshirt that I bought in a kid section not because it was the trend of kid size tees but simply because I was too petit to wear any other tees, but not long after that the tight tees became very booming.
Well, at least at that time, i felt like I was the trendsetter.
And yes, come to think of it, I do have stories behind every dress at every phase in my life.
I like this book, really.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the story of Adena the author, telling the tales of her love/hate relationship with her wardrobe, from a young school age through to now when she is in her mid 30's.

Each chapter is a new outfit, a new memory and a new time in her life. This isn't a fashionista book but rather Adena relating back to the clothes she wore and how she felt about herself and life at the time. From the embarrassment of her prom dress she sewed herself, the over the top Madonna phase, the perfume scents those closest to you wear and the memories they evoke to what she was wearing when her partner proposed to her.

I really enjoyed this book it was easy to read and made me smile most of the way through as I felt I could really relate to it. The author is a bit like Carrie Bradshaw and being based in New York and Los Angeles you get that vibe as well.

I would recommend this book to those of us who always seem to remember what you (and others!) were wearing on a certain day and a certain time in your life - you'll absolutely love this book.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hello.

I understand that the subject matter of this book isn't anything like global warming or serious literature, however, I would've liked to read more about Adena Halpern the person and not just her wardrobe. It gets tiring towards the end to try to keep up with her wardrobe changes. She gets dumped by the guy who loves her because she's more in love with her clothes than with him, yet accepts the marriage proposal of a guy who doesn't love her as she is but wants to change her into the perfect Hollywood wife with the help of a stylist.

An entertaining read and I laughed out loud at some parts, though I couldn't relate to a woman who shops at Barneys and can afford Juicy Couture sweatpants.

At the end of the book I wondered, "Who is the real Adena and will she please stand up?"

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another one of those girly memoirs. It was entertaining enough but not spectacularly well-written or groundbreaking. I'm not very label conscious, so I wasn't really familiar with a lot of the designers that came up.

I do like the idea that some articles of clothes can be tied to a relationship or a time in your life. I do have a few things I hang onto for sentimental reasons, like a college sweatshirt that is full of holes and covered in bleach and paint stains, or my prom dress, which I do still have and I think it is still reasonably in style (it was not a typical prom dress to begin with). But I've never really understood the need to shop and shop until I found the perfect outfit for any given occasion, which Halpern seems to think is the be all end all.

[JH · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to be friends with Adena Halpern. She is every girl, albeit, a little more privileged and gorgeous than most. But she recognizes her privilege. And at the dame time she recognizes that she's flawed. She makes mistakes. She is (really) shallow at times. But she takes risks. And she values the relationships she has with her family and friends above all else.

I re-read this probably once a year- it's my comfort food. It's not the most intellectual choice, I realize, but it's my choice for now!

For anyone who likes stories about generations of women, fashion, the glitz of LA, a northeastern upbringing, trends of the 80s and 90s, heartbreak, character-growth, friendship, career struggles or family, this book is for you.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, this is fluffy chick lit - the kind of book you read on a plane or only in front of complete strangers because you don't want to admit to reading it, but it was actually quite good.

The author is from Philly and is now based in LA, so the locations were incredibly relatable for me, but that aside, it hit a little too close to home for the comfort of the fluff book it was supposed to be. Any woman that has had a bad relationship, or endulges in a little retail therapy to help quell the wrong doings of the men in her life will be able to delight (and find comfort) in Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown.

[Sasha]

I really enjoyed this book- it is a fun read following a girl through life with memorable clothes. The author used to write and work with Marie Claire. She is a short, clothes obessed and relatable character for me. I can totally relate to the 6 inch heel story as she is short and lives in heels and understand the importance of trying to find the perfect outfit for dates or any event- she plans early. This is totally me! Also, the bond between her and her mom to shop and find perfect items. A book I could really relate to in my life! A friend in my book club recommended this one too me and it was right on! I have now lent it to my Mom.

[Keri Murcray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book...though I will have to read it again sometime. The library copy that I borrowed was missing 12 pages throughout which made it a somewhat unsatisfactory reading. :( But otherwise, I loved the conversational writing style, I loved the descriptions of clothes and how they can be a reflection and memory of where our lives are at the points in time we wore them. I have many articles of clothing that remind me of certain people, certain times, etc. In fact many of them are now in a quilt that I made several years ago. This is a great book and I would highly recommend it.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a really fun book to read. It was great remembering all of the horrible and not-so-horrible outfits that made the '80's so memorable. It was fun to go back down memory lane with Ms. Halpern -- realizing that all of us girls from that era were having the same issues no matter where we lived. I also appreciated how she deals with clothes issues right now. I've often looked at girls younger than me with the same thoughts (hello - belly over the jean look) and laughed when I read that Ms. Halpern did too. If you relate to clothes - you'll love this book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book Adena Halpern shares with us some of the most memorable events of her life with her mother, her family, her friends, her ex boyfriends, and her work "one outfit at a time." Unlike Adena, I just can't relate my life to fashion, but I sure can relate to the humiliation she endured when she had to wear the "wrong" shoes to school due to her flat feet and when her Dolphin shorts split during gym class, hilarious. I enjoyed this book even though clothing doesn't rule my life, quite charming!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, okay. This book is not going to change your life, improve your IQ or give you a new outlook on life, (well, maybe a little more the latter than any of the others), but it's still a good read. If you have worn the wrong dress, loved the wrong man, or looked back on a high school outfit with a combination of stomach-rolling awe and angst and regret, this book is for you. Yes, the author is a bit spoiled and over the top, but here's the redeeming element, she knows it and owns it and so you are left free to just enjoy the voyeuristic ride.