Fashion Manifesto: The Guide for the Style-Savvy Paperback – Import, 8 May 2013

The first part of this book is about how the author stopped buying clothing for a year, something I have tried and failed at, but this book makes me want to try harder. I agree with the previous reviewer, pictures in this section would have been great, but still...I really enjoyed this part and I don't regret buying the book for that reason.The second half of the book is made up of "recipes"...ideas for re-using clothing and accessories to create new items. There are some goofy ideas here..(I don't think the "daring fishnet jeans" would look good on anybody, but there are always a few duds in every re-fashion book). The directions are super-vague in some cases, and sometimes it is kind of obvious that they were translated into English, and not very well. I was intrigued by the Recycled Chain necklace tutorial, but the directions don't make much sense. Maybe they are called "locks" in Europe...but I think what they are talking about are called "clasps" in the U.S., and since this edition is published in the States, it would've made sense to use the proper term for the U.S. edition. Also, diagrams would've definitely helped make things clearer in many cases. I also love the idea of the decorated shoes that are on the front cover, but it's very hard to see the shoes in the picture.Many of the photographs are lovely, though, and the people featured in this book are quirky and interesting. I also really like the quality of the book itself. Nice paper, and great printed hard cover.Overall, I like the book, especially the first part. I just think the "recipes" could've been edited better and could've been a lot clearer.

Une journaliste de mode nous raconte comment elle a réussi à décrocher de son addiction au shopping (parcours d'un an jalonné de rechutes et de citations d'ouvrages sur l'économie domestique datant des années 30 et 40...toujours d'actualité) et nous présente quelques astuces de récup' ou d'aménagement de sa garde-robe collectées à travers ses voyages et rencontres.Pas révolutionnaire (le ménage du dressing ou la réparation de vêtements - tiens ma grand-mère faisait déjà cela par nécessité...), mais éclairant sur la capacité de nos contemporains à se goinfrer de 'junk-clad' comme ils se goinfrent de junk-food. Et éclairant aussi sur la puissance des grands groupes industriels de l'habillement à nous en vendre toujours plus, au détriment d'une production éthique (de proximité, de qualité, respectant la nature et les droits des travailleurs).Interessante intro de Vivienne Westwood qui prône depuis des années cette approche et cette réflexion.

I really wanted to like this book but it lacked depth. I enjoyed the stories from other people and how they are creatively reusing and revamping clothes but as a manifesto there was not much substance. The formatting as an ebook was poorly done so maybe as a paper book it might come across better. If you are under 25 and are an adventurous dresser you may love this book- just avoid the digital edition.

This book is the outcome of Sofia Hedstrom's one-year shopping ban, and while it's an interesting book, it fell a bit short for me. I envisioned Hedstrom sharing the results of her no-purchase and refashioning exercises in both words and photos, but the relevant section has zero photos. Why not give readers a peek into Hedstrom's closet, as well as a proper view of the wardrobe refashioning she did during her no-buy year?The "recipes" for refashioning that comprise the last section of the book are a mix of easy and more difficult. I am a imaginative person, and I found the directions to be a bit vauge and lacking for some of the recipes. Also, and this is just a matter of personal style, quite a few of the recipes are for fashions that I consider to be either too hippy-dippy or just a tad vulgar. I could easily find similar inspiration on any number of blogs devoted to wardrobe remixing and refashioning.

I loved this book, although I must admit that I was so inspired by the ideas of reusing/adapting that I did go out and buy some things especially so that I could upcycle them (which I think defeats the whole premise of the book!!!! - but I did get them from thrift shops so it's not like I bought new). I also remade/made over/refashioned six things in my current wardrobe - five came out brilliantly and I'm thrilled to bits. The sixth one didn't quite turn out as planned, but I didn't much like it to start off with anyway, so the dud result (my fault, not the book's), was a good reason to pass it on to somebody else. Some of the ideas in the book are a bit too weird even for me, but I love the whole philosophy and outlook of both women. I've always adored Vivienne Westwood - as a woman and some of her collections are just sublime. There are so few books available (to me, anyway) on her fashion philosophy it was really great to have her feature in this book. I also definitely had an attitude change towards shopping for more stuff (apart from the thrift store lapse ...), so I really do recommend this book for the thinking fashionista. It's easy to read, and while it advocates ethical buying/using of fashion, it's not preachy or po-faced about it. The book does seem to be lurking in the shadows a bit - doesn't come up under Amazon Kindle's fashion/style/recycling category searches and I don't even recall how I found it, so goodness knows where they've put it ... (Their categorisations are really rubbish - you won't believe some of the titles that come up in highly specific searches.) If you venture upon this listing and reviews, the book obviously isn't for everyone, so try a sample before you buy.