Sheila HetiWomen in Clothes

just received this book from amazon on friday. finished it sunday afternoon. i didn't really know what to expect from this book...the write up in a magazine made it sound interesting.it is without a doubt one of the best books i've ever read. i felt so emotionally drained yet revitalized at the same time. i found myself veering off into my own thoughts time and again. the book is cathartic, whether you want it to be or not...sad and funny and just so damn human or should i say woman? plan on crying or at least getting close, especially if your own mother is gone.i wish i had the words to describe it. you just have to read it..you really NEED to read it. i have this overwhelming urge now to document my whole life and send it to the authors.my one tiny critique would be that the print is very, very small and the layout on some pages defies any real ability to read them without a ruler in hand to go from line to line. i found that extremely frustrating and gave up on a few pages before i even read the first word. thankfully, the whole book is not laid out that way or i would have sent it back unread.

I purchased this book for two reasons -- first, Leanne Shapton's memoir "Swimming Studies" was a gorgeous piece of writing, poignant, intimate, one of the best I have read. I have re-read it several times. Second, the premise of this new book, Women in Clothes, was intriguing. The list of questions presented to the women made me want to read their responses. But the book itself was a great disappointment. It contained lots of un-edited transcripts of conversations among the editors that could have been removed. Lots of full page illustrations of individual women's collections (such as "Veronica Manchester's earplugs used over the course of one week" page 96) that made me think "seriously? I paid money for this book?"While there were a few interesting bits along the way, (depressed people wear brown, not black . . . .????) much of the book, like many of the illustrations, were just annoying. Part of the problem may be that there seems to be a relatively high quotient of very young responders, and a great deal of camp, quirky, transgender, edge, cute --- and I myself am just a rather ordinary middle aged woman with a definite interest in the style, trends, self expression through clothing, but a predisposition to the classics.This is the kind of book that I would expect to see stacked in piles at Anthropologie (and I predict that those piles will eventually be moved to the sale room shelves.) So, if you're curious flip through it there or at a book store. Buy yourself a lip gloss or two with the dollars you save.

This book is great for one’s own writing prompts through the authors’ extensive questionnaire. It’s also an art book with photos of people’s collections. Fun to devour or dip in and out of. You’ll look at your wardrobe and others differently and be more open to experimentation. So. Much. Fun!

This book deserves to be read and shared by those with an interest in fashion. I have largely recommended it to my friends who have a strong historical and industry interest in style, fashion and beauty. The interview format of this book results in very intimate perspectives of self-expression, and it also made it possible to address topics which I think go unspoken in fashion magazines and real life because they're sensitive--clothing budget, body image, social class. This book emphasizes women's experiences as the primary point of access for fashion and beauty, and their related concepts, rather than a single perspective that elevates fashion and takes it to a point of abstraction where it's only relevant to the lives of a very few.I do wish I purchased this book in print, and I may, still, because I think the photos and the layout might be more rewarding in that format--reading it on Kindle, however, solves the "small type" problem to which other reviewers allude.

This is a collection of conversations, surveys, projects, and quips from women all over. Some are funny, some are quirky, some are sad, but together they add depth to the idea of fashion. I felt as if I knew women better after reading this book; sitting in a coffee shop, I felt a certain unity, or at least an understanding, with the minds of everyone else sitting there. I even looked at myself differently after reading this, not feeling so neurotic for some of the things I do in my daily (or traveling or shopping) routine-- the book normalized my experience of choosing and wearing clothes. For being such a large collection, it was really easy to get through. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in clothes, fashion, psychology (of women in particular), or even in relationships, because this book touches on far more than the superficial subject of just 'clothes.' A really great read.

This was recommended on the Into Mind blog along with some other wardrobe/personal care reads. I checked out most of the books on the list from the library, but this one pulled me in and I couldn't put it down. I ended up keeping it past the due date because I didn't want to send it back! Then Christmas rolled around and I bought it as a gift for my older sister and *almost* bought a second one for myself. Shortly after I gave it to her I caved and bought a copy for myself.I have seriously considered buying 3 or 4 copies just to have on hand to give to girlfriends that would appreciate it.

I loved this book. I read it for a feminist book club and it gave us so much to discuss! I also appreciate that the book is inclusive of people of various race, class, sexuality, nationality, ability backgrounds, and also inclusive of trans and gender non-conforming people---(however, because it incorporates transmasculine voices, I think they ought to rethink the word "women" in the title.) There are some parts that feel like it wasn't edited ver well---just too much without any streamline organization. But that's what made it great for a book club---we each read different parts and were still able to have a great discussion. I definitely recommend!

If you find the subject matter to be of curiosity then you should like it. It does what it says on the tin - it is women talking about their clothes. The portions are generous as there's a lot of content. It's not a small book. There were a lot of stimulating insights so it's well worth reading. Although perhaps not in one continuous go. I broke it up with other reading.For me there were two complaints.Firstly, I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be about "normal" women. It seemed to me that almost everyone interviewed was in the arts or journalism. How many times did I read words like "when I'm at a book reading"? Who cares what "artists" think? We hear more than enough from them and similar media people so I was far, far more curious about the thoughts and opinions of housewives, office workers and other working stiffs. The types of people who never get interviewed by magazines. Overrepresented media and arts people, those who are usually well documented, dominate once again.The second downside was the amount of pointless sections. Pretentious or just plain meaningless chapters take up quite a bit of the book. Some of these were purely visual and others had text. I read it on the Kindle so I spent a lot of time hitting the page forward button to get past these bits. If I was to estimate I would say maybe every fifth section was aimless tripe.I don't feel seeing the pictures in black and white on a Kindle screen did any harm.For me personally I would have liked more from the surveys. Presumably anything worthwhile was included leaving only the banalities unused.A reviewer elsewhere complained that the two sentence biographies of the women were hidden away at the back. There are so many of them that on the Kindle it's pretty much unreadable. If you care about who specifically is speaking beyond their name then you will need the physical copy. Note: I've never seen the physical copy with my own eyes.It is a very good book. The pretentious sections are cordoned off into their own separate chapters so they don't infect the other parts. You get good bang for your buck as it's a big book. I'm giving it five stars but there are significant flaws so perhaps technically it's closer to four.

Fabulous book. I saw this whilst in the library and just had to have my own copy. It's full of chapters by women about their clothes, how they make them feel, a smellologist sniffing coats In a cloak room and revealing so much about the wearer, photos of mothers when they were younger. All so interesting and fascinating, and so much to relate to.

It's hard to describe this book except to say that it is fascinating. Real women talking about their relationship with what they wear. This book gives you the chance to be a fly on the wall in grand salons and sweat shops alike. The interviews are intelligently curated and beautifully presented. A must-have for anyone with an interest in fashion.

Bought as a gift for my friend after hearing about it on Women's Hour. She found it very well written and researched. Really enjoyed it.

Somewhat disappointed! Very American and a bit too much navel gazing for my liking.