Naturally Tan: A Memoir

My 10yo son and I both absolutely adore Queer Eye, and watching it together has led to so many fantastic conversations about acceptance and loving kindness and self-care and self-love. I'm so grateful and happy that this show exists and that the cast are all so loving and open. And so this memoir-loving gal was delighted to get her hands on this book; reader, it doesn't disappoint. France tells us about growing up as South Asian and gay in the UK and about the struggles inherent in negotiating those qualities with the world, then moves on to moving to the states, starting multiple businesses, battling the immense stress caused by running those businesses, and finally, of course, getting cast and being a member of the QE show. He manages show more to be honest about himself and the world as he sees it in a lovely and gracious way, and walks the humble-and-grateful line without tipping over into humble-brag territory or insincerity at all. It's well done and engaging, and (as all honestly-written memoirs are, I believe) brave, and I'm grateful to Mr. France for sharing a bit of his life with us. show less

I adore Tan on the show and I enjoyed learning a bit about his childhood, first businesses, and his personal life; however, the lack of any kind of literary structure got to me at times. Fashion tips, 9/11, representation...these are all lovely things to talk about but the book jumped in and out (and back to) them without any sort of order or transition. Also, I know he tried to portray a humble tone but the “it’s nice to be rich” talk really turned me off.

This book as taught me that Tan France and I have irreconcilable differences: mainly I think Olive Garden is a national treasure. Anyway, enjoyable memoir peppered with some strong style opinions. Expected nothing less from Tan!

The reality tv show Queer Eye is about makeovers for straight guys. Each show features a different man that has been nominated for the makeover. The "Fab Five" arrive to help him with home decor, grooming, cooking, fashion, and culture, and at the end of the week, the guy goes solo hosting a party or attending a significant event.

Naturally Tan is the memoir of the fashion guru, Tan France. He is from northern England, and the first chapters of the book are about growing up a gay Pakistani in a small English town. Next Tan talks about his career in fashion, from following his grandfather around the family clothing factory to owning three successful fashion businesses simultaneously. He writes about the toll work stress can have on show more oneself and one's family. Tan works hard to maintain a work-life balance in his relationship with his husband, who is a rancher's son from Salt Lake City. Finally, Tan writes about being asked to audition for Queer Eye and what it has been like to be on the show.

If not for a friend's recommendation, I would never have picked up this memoir, but I'm glad I did. I was mesmerized by the twists and turns of Tan's life, and how grounded he has remained through adversity, business success, and now fame. The book is written in a straightforward, unpretentious manner, and I admired both his candor and his desire for privacy (for instance, he refuses to talk about being Muslim, saying religion is personal). An interesting and enjoyable read, great for a summer day relaxing with some lemonade. show less

What a f*kcing great book ! BUT... Tan has such the potty mouth!@!@! I loved that he told his whole story from living in the UK as a kid struggling with racism, to sneaking off to the U.S. as a teen, to meeting the love of his life, a Utah Morman cowboy (I love it!) to getting to audition for the show and meeting, and completing the Fab Five! Tan sees both sides of everything. Most of the book tells one side of a story or his opinion and is followed by "but" and he tells the other side. He's funny and honest and loves kind people and curvy women. I had no idea he brought back the high waisted 2 piece bathing suit, let alone had multiple successful clothing lines.

I didn’t know what the show Queer Eye was about until I saw everyone talking about it on twitter last year and then I decided to binge watch the two seasons ... wow was that an experience. I sobbed in almost every episode and fell in love with the Fab 5 and it’s been wonderful getting to know them better since then. It was also very surprising to see a gay South Asian person on such a mainstream popular show and he quickly became my favorite and I’ve really wanted to know more about Tan. So I was so so excited when I got approved for the advance copy of his memoir and I think it’s awesome that I’m able to review this today, the premier of Season 3.

Tan has always come across as the more reserved one among the Fab 5, so I show more definitely was expecting to get a better read on him through this book and I wasn’t let down. His narrative style is witty, sassy and charming and this is a memoir you won’t mind finishing in a single sitting. He is also quite self deprecating, pointing out his own flaws and owning them while also being very forthright about some of his own opinions. Peppered among the anecdotes from his life are some of his signature fashion tips and I definitely loved them. Some of his advise felt out of place within the context of the chapters (or the book) sometimes, but I think we can’t expect anything different from a designer/stylist.

Despite the lighthearted way he tries to convey his story, there are many things he dealt with which are painful and heartbreaking to read about. Especially the racism that he had to encounter for being one of the few people of color in a small town in England, and how the little things like walking back home from school were a lesson in survival were both unpleasant to read, but unsurprising because I think much has not changed since then in some places. His particular mention that brown people can’t run in airports (even when you are late for your flight) just hit me hard because that’s so true and unfair. There are many such observations that he makes about what brown people can or can’t do and it’s painful to realize that we have to keep all this things in mind just to live our lives peacefully. Though I live in the US now, I grew up in India among people who looked like me, so seeing myself represented in media or other aspects of life was never an issue. I realized the importance of it only after moving to a different country, so his issues about representation since childhood felt so much more profound and I think this is such a harsh reality for most of the people of color who live in the west. He is also quite forthcoming about a very painful episode in his life and I commend him for it, because it just goes on to show that just because someone is successful and making money doesn’t mean everything is great with their life. He is also pretty frank about the non glossy side of his celebrity life - the incessant travel, innumerable press junkets, being away from his husband and feeling lonely, the toll it takes to keep up appearances in public - while acknowledging how privileged he is.

I was actually surprised by the ease with which he seemed to have handled the fact that he was gay while also being Muslim and South Asian but I think it’s a testament to the strength of his convictions. He is also still very traditional in his mindset and that reflects in the relationship with his husband. It feels like a great love story and they seem to be wonderful supportive partners and I loved reading the parts where he kept gushing about his husband. Their first date and subsequent meetings are especially adorable and it really feels like they were meant to be together.

And there are so many things in the book that I found endearing because of the relatability. The conservative nature of the family while growing up, all the nosy family members, the ways we are restricted in terms of dressing up or making friends or going out and how we all learn to lie to do what we want to do - it was so reflective of my own life growing up that I found it very nostalgic. It’s also lovely to see him want to incorporate his culture within his style and I think his mehndi is a wonderful statement in that regard. He is also quite open about the rampant colorism in the South Asian community and our obsession with being fair (essentially white) and associating lighter skin with beauty and his journey about realizing the importance of respecting his own skin color felt so similar to mine. There are many such instances in this book where I thought ... “wow this is exactly what happened to me too” ... and that’s one of the main reasons I really enjoyed this one.

If you are a fan of the show Queer Eye, you should definitely check this out because you’ll love it. It definitely goes along with the theme of the show - finding your own path in life, accepting and understanding yourself and spreading joy around you. Tan’s witty writing style makes for a very fun read and you’ll definitely find something in this memoir that you can relate to. However, the blurb does mention about him coming out to his family and revealing the truth about his marriage - it is not included in this advance copy but I hope it’s a part of the final book. This was a lovely book to read and I definitely recommend to everyone. I promise it’ll make you smile. show less

So I have to admit something. Out of all of the Queer Eye guys, I love Tan the best. I just love his accent, his hair, and his delight he gets in clothes and helping others look their best and be comfortable with their bodies. I always hated clothes shopping with my mother because she loved to just plop me in anything that was pink with ruffles. I was her only girl and I got it, but good grief when I see pictures of me as a kid I want to give myself a wedgie. Back to Tan, this memoir is full of a lot of funny lines but also some heartbreak when Tan recounts having to deal with growing up in England and the racism that people dealt out to him. He also discusses how when it was found out that he was gay and dating a man some of the people show more that he thought were his friends and loved him turned on him. I seriously want to give him a hug. There's a lot of warmth and humor in this book along with a lot of very good fashion tips. I totally took a picture of the one on jeans. I am still looking for my perfect pair. I am also now ashamed I have a lot of bootcut jeans.

"Naturally Tan" has Tan France of Queer Eye fame talking about his life growing up in South Yorkshire, England and the many ups and downs along the way he had. I always judge memoirs on how open the author is. I have to say that Tan is very open about his life and is upfront about saying he does not like to talk about the Muslim religion and having people think that he represents it. I know what he means though. When a person of color is at the forefront of something, people tend to say see, that's how all X is. It drives me up the wall. You know how many times I had to tell someone that Kanye West doesn't speak for all African Americans?

I thought the writing was great and I laughed at a lot of lines in this book while reading.

"So yes, "dog breath" was one of the worst things anyone could have said to me, but it also fucking saved me.

That girl was the queen bee, but she peaked in high school. Go ahead, have that moment Emma. She recently reached out to me on Facebook, telling me how proud of how far I've come. I did not respond. That, dear reader, it the sweetest fucking revenge."

"I also can't dance, but I hide it well in public. What I mean by this is, when I'm dancing in the mirror-and really, who doesn't dance for themselves in the mirror?-I know that Beyonce would be impressed. I know she would say, "Tan I didn't even realize that was you and not one of my backup dancers." Alone, I'm incredible. But when I'm dancing and I see other people, my limbs take on a life of their own and they insist on embarrassing me. "You should not do this publicly," they say. So I stop."

"The best thing about the Olive Garden is that when you arrive, they always ask, "Are you celebrating anything today?" The question they should ask is, "What happened to your life that you're ending up at the Olive Garden? What ailment are these breadsticks and Alfredo sauce attempting to cure?"

The book tells things in a slightly chronological order, but sometimes goes back and forth to the same period in the next chapter so that when you are reading a chapter you go wait, I think we talked about this? So there is some of that going on that may confuse readers. I was able to follow along so I didn't mind it. I do tend to like memoirs that tell things in order.

I thought this was a very solid read though short. I would have liked even more tips and insights from Tan. Once again, I promise I am throwing out my bootcut jeans. show less