Description

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‘Warm, thought-provoking and honest.’ – Victoria Hislop

‘Clever, emotionally intelligent, revelling in style without making us yearn to shop.’ – The Times

‘Self-deprecating and stylish, this is sure to become a classic.’ – Vanity Fair

‘Thoughtful, wry and candid.’ – Mail on Sunday

‘A must-read memoir for even those beyond the fashion set.’ – Evening Standard

‘It’s funny, honest and in typical Shulman style mixes high and low effortlessly. We don’t know many people who can write about bras, Donald Tusk and Madeleine Albright all in the same sentence.’ – A Little Bird

‘Scintillating reading.’ – The Spectator

‘Alexandra Shulman’s style is unaffected, immediate and hilariously dry. She’s brilliant at observing everyday feelings in a joy-sparking turn of phrase.’ – Helena Bonham Carter

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‘Clothes… and other things that matter is a book not only about clothes but about the way we live our lives. From childhood onwards, the way we dress is a result of our personal history. In a mix of memoir, fashion history and social observation I am writing about the person our clothes allows us to be and sometimes the person they turn us into.’ – Alexandra Shulman

In Clothes… and other things that matter, Alexandra Shulman delves into her own life to look at the emotions, ambitions, expectations and meanings behind the way we dress.

From the bra to the bikini, the trench coat to trainers, the slip dress to the suit, she explores their meaning in women’s lives and how our wardrobes intersect with the larger world – the career ladder, motherhood, romance, sexual identity, ambition, failure, body image and celebrity.

By turns funny, refreshingly self-deprecating and often very moving, this startlingly honest memoir from the ex-Editor of British Vogue will encourage women of all ages to consider what their own clothes mean to them, the life they live in them and the stories they tell.

Publisher Review

It is an enjoyably blunt, witty read from a woman who knows that clothes are not the only thing that matter - but who understands that they teach us a lot about pretty much everything else that does. * The i * The book's relatability is one of its chief merits. So is its smart interrogation of what different clothes mean and why. * Financial Times * One of 2020's best non-fiction books: 'In the funny and opinionated Clothes... and other things that matter, former Vogue UK editor Alexandra Shulman explores the meaning of clothes and how we wear them. From the little black dress to the white shirt and the bikini, she takes pieces of clothes and examines their role in her own life and the lives of women in general, touching on issues including sexual identity, motherhood, ambition, power and body image. A must-read for anyone, like Miranda Priestly, who knows that clothes might not maketh the woman, but they certainly help.' * Stylist * Self-deprecating and stylish, this is sure to become a classic. * Vanity Fair * For those to whom clothes are a source of happiness this book is possibly the perfect lockdown pick-me-up. It is the chance to meander quietly through the golden years of fashion, accompanied by the one woman who has been there, done that and definitely worn the t-shirt. * A Little Bird * It's so wonderful, and has kept me beautiful, nostalgic, wry, clever company during this time. I love it. -- Sophie Dahl Shulman can craft a good story and has an eye for great pictures [...] it will make perfect lockdown reading, an opportunity to shut out the real world and meander through the Arcadian years of fashion. * The Sunday Times * Its jacket of bubblegum pink letters on grown-up navy certainly suggested to me that it might just be the perfect lockdown pick-me-up [...] among its pages, there are some lovely, resonant set pieces. * Book of the Week, Observer * A life beyond Moss, mwahs and Manolo Blahniks - by the fashionista that really knows [...] a wry and candid part-memoir, part-fashion history, part-social commentary. * Mail on Sunday * From the hat that went to the a Royal wedding to a life-changing bathrobe, Alexandra Shulman tells her life story in clothes ... in her hotly anticipated memoir. * You magazine * A must-read memoir for even those beyond the fashion set. * Evening Standard * Such a great read - so open and honest and funny. I devoured it in one sitting. -- Kirsty Wark I loved this book. It's great company and a Corona comfort. Alexandra Shulman's style is unaffected, immediate and hilariously dry. She's brilliant at observing everyday feelings in a joy-sparking turn of phrase - but better still she has made me feel so much better about owning too many clothes. Instead of doing a ruthless edit I find myself curating my own private exhibition - inside my wardrobe hang not just clothes, not just stories but my own autobiography. -- Helena Bonham Carter I really loved this book- it's warm, thought-provoking and honest. In the end, I had to ration myself because I didn't want to finish. In these frankly strange times it was wonderful and comforting. -- Victoria Hislop She has written about her clothes, and given us some scintillating reading. [...] hugely engaging memoir. -- Emily Bearn * The Spectator * Clothes is the perfect isolation read - clever, emotionally intelligent, revelling in style without making us yearn to shop. -- Hannah Betts * The Times *