Why you need to add Stephanie Simons’s All’s Fair in Love & Wardrobe to your shopping cart immediately
With a crash course on how to date like a fashion “editrix” (“channel a front row state of mind—don’t settle for being a back-row babe who’s constantly shuffled around and buried out of sight under the proverbial exit sign”), guides to the 7 phases of waiting for him to call and throwing the pity party of the season (“do create a stellar guest list; don’t open less than three gift registries”), a history of the relationship between love and fashion, how to master the “signature walk” of shame, a collection of closet confessions (assumedly Simons’s own dating anecdotes), and over 100 cheeky rules, All’s Fair in Love & Wardrobe makes you want to makeover your wardrobe, your romances, and your life to appear as casually cool and easily put-together as an editor off-duty. Here are 5 points why you should pick up a copy, read, reread, and personify All’s Fair.
PHOTO: Malia Carter.
“Love is like a Marc Jacobs show. There’s no telling when it will actually happen, but it’s definitely not going to happen when everybody told you it was going to happen.”
First and foremost, Simons is the voice of reason within reason. She builds up women and gives them hope… as long as they play by the rules (or know how to effectively break them, like black on black or rocking white after Labor Day).
“Chains won’t hold a relationship together. But a quilted chain cross-body bag embossed with Chanel’s Double Cs will show the unpaid interns who’s boss.”
Simons pokes fun at the fashion industry in a way that recognizes the silliness of revolving your life around fashion yet still makes you want to strive to emulate the cool chick heir of an editor.
“Beware of herpés in Hermés. Just because he looks conservative doesn’t mean he’s not contagious.”
Simons is clever and not afraid to Carrie Bradshaw a sex joke.
“Unless you’re a Birkin bag, being hard to get is overrated… In fact, being easy to spot is the new hard to get, so dress accordingly.”
She modernizes the Rules and reminds us why being hard to get does not mean playing hard to get; it means you’re the gal who catches his attention but he knows he has to work for any reward.
“Text messages are the sweatpants of interpersonal communication. Lazy!”
Simons makes a great point here and puts us up to the challenge: When in the presence of company, at least put on a pair of yoga pants. When in the realm of dating, don’t allow texting to replace face time or at the very least FaceTime. She acknowledges the changing landscape of dating and suggests exactly how to navigate it like a pro.
“After a breakup, invest in a pair of Oliver Peoples glasses with rose-colored lenses to keep yourself wildly optimistic.”
Simons inspires us to take on the attitude of the fashion editrix: a breakup is less a devastation and more an opportunity for a new fabulous purchase or an independent woman treat… anything to remind you that life goes on and you have the option to update in more simple yet equally effective ways.
“Every spring, declutter your heart and your closet to make room for better things.”
Reading through her rules and feasting your eyes on Malia Carter’s fashion illustrations will inspire you to make like a fashionista and edit, edit, edit.
The “happily ever after” you read about in fairy tales comes from within, just like shinier, healthier, thicker hair comes from eating at least two daily servings of iron-rich foods. A relationship with a man will not change your relationship with yourself. Your homework? Learn to love dining alone. Take your favorite fashion magazine and a confident swagger. Don’t worry, nobody’s looking at you; they’re too busy worrying about their own food allergies and MIA server.
Simons embraces the superbly single girl in all of us, reminding us that happiness comes from the girl you face in the mirror. No one should sacrifice who she is for who someone else wants us to be.
My parting words…
Sexy. Sassy. Smart. Stephanie Simons delivers the Rules for today’s single (or just superbly single) girl, with a little bit of glamor and a whole lot of hilarity. If you’re familiar with fashion culture from the last few years, you will appreciate Simons’s quick wit and word play… and the bonus is that you find yourself learning something new about dating. Keep it light, keep it fun, and never hold on to anything for too long if it isn’t a classic.
You don’t have to take my word for it, join the Twitter party today with #LoveAndWardrobe to hear more about the book.
Catherine Abalos is founder and editor of The Single Diaries.
