Personal Style is what this book is all about.

Cheap Chic by Carol Troy and Catherine MiIlinaire, was published in 1975 and has been a bit of a bible for me since I picked it up two years or so ago at Battersea Boot Fair. It’s based on the premise that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to look great - that knowledge, thought, a sassy attitude and a smile can get you much further than your mastercard.

It features big names (YSL, Jerry Hall, Betsey Johnson, Rudi Gernreich) alongside unknowns and friends of the authors talking about what style means to them. Here’s Lauren Hutton in a pair of Levis, a man’s shirt and a cashmere sweater:

“Ninety-five percent of my clothes are in navy blue, white or Khaki” says photographer Helene Gaillet talking about her ‘layer theory’ and daily uniform of five-year-old YSL boots and bag, cheap jeans, boys monogrammed shirts from Brooks Bros and an army surplus jacket. What she saves on clothing she spends on a collection of delicate gold jewellery and her first layer - a lithe supple body.

Ingeborg Day is another favorite who has a ‘cost-per-wear’ system (cost divided by number of times worn) and minimal wardrobe. I am taken by the way she dresses to complement her stature with flowing clothes and two signature pieces around her neck: a strand of pearls and Guatemalan bag - what a perfect contrast!

Duggie Fields represents the UK with a wild pair of saddle shoes and one of the first mentions in a book of Malcolm and Vivienne’s shop SEX:

Nancy Crow is super-sexy in wrap skirts, vintage smocks and bed jackets over little t-shirts. Like Helene and Ingebord she spends more on jewellery, shoes and bags and wears the rest as cheap finds or vintage.

I think this look is perfect. It illustrates the virtues of shopping for local artisan goods on holiday - in this case mexican cotton and baskets. I wish I was there.

This French Jewellers smock hasn’t changed in design for hundreds of years and is worn elsewhere by the same woman but under a fair isle vest and tweed jacket with knee high brown leather boots. If anyone knows where I can find one please let me know!

The moral of the story is be creative and have fun. I often refer to this book when I look at a pair of shoes I can’t afford or when I get the urge to go spend. It’s a lesson in looking at clothes as just one aspect of your existence and making the most of what you’ve got.

Tags: 1970s, Carol troy, Caterine Milinaire, Cheap Chic, Helene Gaillet, Ingeborg Day, Lauren Hutton

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 16th, 2010 at 3:38 pm and is filed under Covetable, Fashion, Favorite books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.