Kate Spade (1962–2018)

Best for: Someone looking for a book of miscellaneous etiquette tips and lovely little watercolor illustrations.

In a nutshell: Iconic fashion designer Kate Spade offers some tips for being gracious in your daily interactions

Line that sticks with me: “But might doesn’t equal right, so to all ad hoc experts and lecturers please don’t pontificate on the paint. Lecture halls have seats; museums and galleries don’t.”

Why I chose it: I bought this at least two years ago. I reviewed the show more second in this little serious of books, ‘Style,’ during one of the Cannonball Reads. Plus, it’s an etiquette book.

Review: You all know I love etiquette books, right? I find manners fascinating. I know that some things we view as good manners are just classist ways of being, but I also think that manners are also a way to be respectful of others. I think this line from Blast From the Past sums it up perfectly:

Troy: “He said, good manners are just a way of showing other people we have respect for them. See, I didn't know that, I thought it was just a way of acting all superior.”

I have three bookshelves full of etiquette and style books. One of them is from the 1920s. I find them fascinating. To the point that now I have my own etiquette website (shameless plug here: https://www.hownottobeanassholewhen.com/). This book is a bit of a hodgepodge, with only the loosest idea of organization or theme. But that’s okay. It’s fun to look at, and for the most part the tips were spot on.

However, throughout, Ms. Spade includes some quotes from herself and from her husband. And one (from her husband Andy) I found to be extremely distasteful: “Have you ever seen an 80-year-old woman look great with a tattoo?”

First off, why limit this to women? As written, Mr. Spade seems to be suggesting that perhaps there are men who look great with tattoos, but not women. That’s sexist, and certainly not a sign of good manners.

But also … I have. Check these folks out https://www.buzzfeed.com/alisoncaporimo/24-reasons-to-never-get-a-tattoo?utm_ter.... (There are a lot of pictures of dudes here, but also of women, and they are awesome. It’s just a graceless comment, and is particularly out of place in a book on manners. show less

Last night I was yearning for the forbidden books currently locked in closed libraries. So today I'm trying unread books that I already have at home, as there are plenty. This one was a Christmas present and felt very surreal to read during lockdown. It comes across as a compilation of exceedingly superficial fashion magazine articles, beautifully presented yet entirely lacking in any content beyond 'green is a pretty colour'. I did not disagree, but found the tone and content distinctly show more trite. Kate Spade has never been one of my favourite fashion designers, because her style (as the book demonstrates) is very conservatively feminine. There's nothing excessive, severe, gothic, or outrageous about it, unlike my favourite designers Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler, Vivienne Westwood, etc. In pre-pandemic times, I would have merely been underwhelmed by unoriginal style advice like, 'Neither you nor your clothes will appear stylish unless you stand straight and greet the world with a sure and smart demeanor.' At the present time, however, the concepts of 'office style', 'packing for a holiday', and 'dressing for a party' seem bizarre and outlandish.

I've been working entirely from home for ten months, usually wearing pyjamas with a cardigan or jumper over the top. Recently I acquired extra sweatpants to alternate with my pyjama bottoms, which I layer with wool thermals and blankets to keep my heating bills down. Dressing for a meeting means ensuring my hair is combed and turning my dressing gown into a lap blanket. In the dim and distant past, I used to wear pencil skirts with blouses and ankle boots to work every day. It turns out that when you dress for comfort at home and ease of movement when outside for daily exercise, pencil skirts are entirely useless. Occasionally I put on several evening dresses at once for morale. Lockdown style is characterised by comfort above all else, though. Accessories have become pointless: who needs a handbag when you're just taking a half hour walk around the park? Sunglasses, hats, leather gloves - in this economy?? And jewellery, what could be more pointless at the moment? I'd forgotten it even existed, although in theory I do own some. Clothing and style are still of interest to me, but the pandemic has shifted my perspective on them considerably. Perhaps my personal style will turn away from oversized fuzzy cardigans, sweatpants, and wool socks when the plague abates and I start going outside for nonessential purposes. I suspect my disillusionment with pencil skirts will last, though. They really do constrain your stride length.

In any case, Kate Spade's style advice and practical tips on caring for clothing are unlikely to be new if you've ever read a fashion magazine or book before. I liked the watercolour illustrations, while not getting much from the text other than low-level irritation. More interesting style books that I'd recommend are [b:Women in Clothes|20821251|Women in Clothes|Sheila Heti|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403174895l/20821251._SX50_.jpg|40167119], [b:The Curated Closet: A Simple System for Discovering Your Personal Style and Building Your Dream Wardrobe|28364022|The Curated Closet A Simple System for Discovering Your Personal Style and Building Your Dream Wardrobe|Anuschka Rees|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1465676327l/28364022._SX50_.jpg|48435763], and [b:Stitched Up: The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion|18690352|Stitched Up The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion|Tansy E. Hoskins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1393647667l/18690352._SY75_.jpg|26536148]. show less

I was drawn to this book because I usually like Kate Spade’s designs. The color combinations aren’t always my thing, and I wouldn’t wear everything she makes, but she definitely has a point of view. I figured this book might help me out as I try to sort through exactly what my own style is, beyond dresses with pockets. Aren’t dresses with pockets are the best? I don’t understand why more shops don’t sell them.

But back to the book. I’ve finished it and I’m still not entirely show more clear what Ms. Spade is going for with it. It’s too small to be a coffee table book, but the content is too sparse to be an actual guide to style. There are sections, sort of, but it’s mostly just a mixture of quotes from Ms. Spade and her husband Andy, some lists of things that fit whatever category she’s discussing, occasional collections of movies and books to check out, and some (admittedly lovely) illustrations. In fact, the illustrations are the best part, but there aren’t enough for this to be just a book of lovely fashion illustrations.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I wish I could get my money back; the final section on clothing and jewelry care is really quite useful, and I can see myself referring back to it on occasion. There are also handy conversion charts to refer to if you find yourself travelling a lot and needing to buy clothes overseas. But beyond that, I don’t think this book has really done much to help me sort out how I want to approach personal style. I was looking for a different book, but that’s okay. I’ll find it, and hopefully it’ll have a secret page full of all the designers who make dresses with pockets. show less

It has some interesting and helpful tips, but Kate Spade's Style is really about precious layout & graphics. I love to just page through it when I'm feeling funky, write down or just commit to memory a few fun ideas, then put it back on a side table to be pretty.