The Power of Style

In 'The Power of Style,' writer Annette Tapert and Diana Edkins, then curator of photography at Conde Nast, have created a short history of self-invention --- specifically, the transformation of English, French and American women into society figures and "style icons." You may know nothing about most of these women except their names: Daisy Fellowes, Rita Lydig, Millicent Rogers, Pauline de Rothschild, Mona Bismarck, Elsie de Wolfe. Others you know mostly as auras: Diana Vreeland, Coco Chanel, the Duchess of Windsor and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Good. The less you know, the better. Why do I say this? Because if you have your nose pressed against the glass at all, you see only the woman in a dress --- not how she got there and the price she paid to get what she thought she wanted. In other words, you see someone who, if you're honest, you might like to be, just as you once fantasized about being a princess. But you're not a kid any more. You know that life is deals. You may even suspect that rich men aren't always so nice to their women. And so, reading 'Power of Style' fresh, you can have a pure reaction --- some admiration, to be sure, but also pity, also compassion. Dailsy Fellowes, for instance. She married a prince, who "did her the favor of dying during World War I." (They'd had three children. One was like her husband, Daisy said. The other was "like me but without guts." And the third "was the result of a horrible man called Lischmann." Pretty blunt, huh? But then, seeing a pretty child in the park, she asked the nanny, "Whose is that?" The nanny replied, "Yours, Madame.") On her yacht, she liked to hurl dinner overboard, shouting "Oh my, it's gone bad!" What was great about her? Her fashion sense. Whatever she wore, others wanted --- even the necklace she had made of corks. And she could write: "Isn't it time you let your furs out for an airing?" And her baubles were so brilliantly designed that jewelers would go to the opera and train binoculars on her neck, then rush home to make copies. But then there were human qualities. Her husband went broke; she quietly replenished his funds. She paid for cosmetic surgery for less rich friends. When she wrote a book, an orphanage got the royalties. A complex woman. Or Diana Vreeland. We recall the one-time editor of Vogue for her ludicrous pronouncements --- "Pink is the navy blue of India" --- but almost no one knows how loyal she was to her husband, an empty suit who couldn't make a living and had a keen eye for other women. She pretended she was rich; in fact, she desperately needed to work. Her entire life was thus an act, and she was a brilliant performance artist, a kind of society impersonator. Which begins to suggest her extraordinary discipline. She had her shoes --- including the soles --- shined every day. She injected herself with vitamins. She famously arrived at her office at noon; in fact, her phone calls started at 8 AM. When she was fired, she kept her mouth shut. "I loath

and tastefully illustrated with photos and illustrations of 15 extraordinary women who lived the elegant life without effort. I liked the brief biographies of Rita Lydig, Elsie De Wolfe, Babe Paley, Jackie Kennedy and Coco Chanel. Each lady have an unique style that cannot be duplicated. It can be imitated by many people but not duplicated. For example, Elsie De Wolfe's home decorating has influenced many interior designers such as Martha Stewart. Martha has a unique perspective on interior home decorating and entertainment similar to Elsie's. Jackie Kennedy's trend-setting fashions have influenced many American women during the turbulent 60's and beyond. She really taught American women how to live with grace and elegance. The ladies have endured hardships, abusive and unhappy relationships, public scorn, and even scandal to be themselves and not having people, not even their husbands or boyfriends, tell them how to live. This book is for those who want to learn about the unique lives of 15 upper class women. It's the ultimate insider book.

Never have I come across a book that is a simultaneous delight and delicious read. Every profile of each trendsetting lady brims with founts of information and inspiration on how and why these 14 remarkable women became icons of style. Describing them as style pioneers would be an understatement. They created classics born from their lifestyles and tastes, grand or modest --- 'living like an indelible individual' and leaving for the whole world to emulate and regard what they've created as style references to themselves and their images. What even made the book poignant is the well-incorporated pacing and focus into the particular situations of their personal lives. That is an important and integral part that provokes and makes every reader, design and style enthusiast comprehend well why these women, however unconscious they are, became icons. They carried themselves well. They had natural panache. They knew what fitted and worked for them. They stood firm with their orientations and preferences. In the end what they left the world was more than staples in design, but lessons on effortless originality, dignity, self-esteem and self-confidence all inevitably contribute to an image that is revered and will never be rusty. These women and this book is fabulously classic!

This book has become my very favorite. There is an incredible diversity in the women profiled but they all maintain that common thread - a love of beauty and style. This book delves into their personal lives, what shaped them and how they took these events and crafted themselves into such glamourous creatures. If you truly appreciate the "art of living well" then reading this book will put you in the very best of company.

This has become one of my fashion bibles. Although it does not necessarily offer specific advice about fashion, it throws into high relief the ambition, desire, wit, determination, discipline, and natural talent necessary to develop imitable style. This book transcends the trendsetters and celebrates the true pioneers of elegance. It is more about the essence of chic than a "how to dress/act" manual. The title is very appropriate since every one of the 20th Century Cinderellas profiled recognized the value of style and appearance as a means of acquiring personal power.