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March 21, 2008 7:30 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Meaning of Sunglasses by Hadley Freeman

Despite having no discernable interest in fashion (I work from home, mostly in pajamas, so there's no real need), I absolutely love Hadley Freeman's Guardian newspaper column. She's so dry, funny and down to earth. I think I gave a little squeal when I heard she'd written a book.

The Meaning of Sunglasses is subtitled "A guide to almost all things fashionable" and it's certainly that. Set out in alphabetical order (which took me a shameful amount of time to work out - I kept wondering how the topics had been organised. D'oh.), the book features everything from Accessories to Yoga.

The thing I love about Ms Freeman is that she often says just what I've been afraid to admit (sometimes even to myself) about fashion (see Coats, stuck at the nexus point between dull and stressful). She's totally straightforward in her criticisms of magazines (the products are featured because the companies have paid for the advertising - I know this and yet I still always fall for those "must-have" or "products of the year" articles) and even certain designers, and she's practical about the ridiculousness of much fashion.

And yet ... I didn't enjoy this book anywhere near as much as her column. Often, either me or my husband (yes, my utterly fashion-ignorant husband loves her too) will read bits out to each other. I didn't feel the need to share any of this book with  him. Her column frequently makes me laugh out loud. The book had me smiling once or twice. Granted, I did read it straight through and it may be a better book to dip in and out of.

If you haven't read any Hadley before, I'm confident you'll enjoy it as a common sense explanation of the madness of modern fashion, but Hadley fans may be disappointed.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Fashion Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones

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Posted by Keris on March 21, 2008 in Fashion-Lit, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink

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