“Style may sound superficial, but you really can’t escape the fact that your style is a visible expression of who you are and what you’re feeling about yourself. Your style tells your story to the world. What story are you telling about yourself? Think about that!”
“In fact, you should avoid dry-cleaning cashmere – the chemicals can make it brittle…. The best cashmere is made from extra-long fibers. Cheap cashmere is made from short fibers that will pill.”
“We, as a society, have managed to get out of balance. When we aren’t working, we’re obsessively watching others live their lives through social media. This leaves very little time for real connection or the ‘right now’! Every spiritual text has been saying this since the beginning of time. What you seek is in you. Well, that’s fine to understand as a concept, but it is much more powerful to actually experience it every day.”
“My dad would always say, ‘If you walk down the street and fall in a hole, and then you walk down the street and fall in the same hole – what do you do the third time? You choose a different street.’ There’s something about the surprise of doing something different, taking a chance, pushing yourself. The next time you don’t feel like facing the world for whatever reason, choose the contrary action, pick a different road, and see what happens.”
I had seen Lawrence Zarian on TV several times on everything from “Entertainment Tonight”, to “Rachel Ray”, and of course, doing live coverage during my favorite event of the season – the Oscars! So I was really excited when Bird Street Books sent me an advanced copy of his new book, (out February 25th people!) Lawrence Zarian’s 10 Commandments For A Perfect Wardrobe.
Normally I’m a bit hesitant to read ‘style’ books, as I have found them to be very superficial, and focussed on a very rigid, and suffocating set of rules i.e., ‘don’t wear white after labour day’! (What does that even mean!?) Fortunately, this book was NOTHING like that, and as you can see from my featured quotes, discusses the spiritual and emotional side of looking and feeling great, just as much as it does the physical. Mr. Zarian (aka LZ) obviously really cares about how a woman (and a man – there’s a wonderful section for men as well!) looks, and more importantly how she feels in what she’s wearing, which I really respect and appreciate. This is definitely the best book I’ve ever read on style, because it’s not about fitting into a cookie cutter mold, it’s about really honing in on your personal style, and honoring both that, and who you are as a person. Not to mention it is full of really awesome tips on how to get the most out of your clothes, and other goodies like what cashmere is best (see above).
His fashion ‘commandments’ never feel stuffy, or restrictive, and in fact really foster a creative and flexible environment to have fun with styling your outfits. The tone in which it is written is direct, conversational, funny and genuine, as if LZ is talking to you and just you. Despite coming from one of the top styling gurus, it never feels rude, condescending or pushy, and one of the best things about this book? LZ gives you tons of advice on where to purchase many of the items he discusses, from (and here’s the key word) AFFORDABLE stores and websites.
This book is about so much more than a perfect wardrobe; it’s about self worth, and living your life to the fullest, and looking fantastic while you do so. Loved it LZ!
Until next time,
OMPP
1,000,000 Page Princess 