I bought Amanda Brooks’ 2009 book,  I Love Your Style, a few weeks ago after casually flipping through it at  Borders.  I was sold due to a sweet discount and after being to the inspirational pictures and tidbits scattered throughout the book.  Admittedly, I had no idea who Brooks was in the fashion world, but found out via her autobiographical account that she was the Creative Director and Muse of Tuleh and recently  appointed to Barney’s VP, Women’s Fashion Director.

I really like how Brooks broke down each chapter by style genre/type and further went on to highlights key closet staples, style icons that represent the genre and sources for further inspiration.   There are also many of great tips and quotes scattered throughout the book.  As for the photos,  Brooks showcases just about every stylish celeb/icon from Sophia Coppola to Brigit Bardot and Diana Ross.

I wouldn’t call I Love Your Style a “how-to” guide per se, because I think that style is much more organic than a paint-by-numbers guide, but I do think that it’s a nice source of inspiration.   Or to put it this way, it’s one of those books that you put on your coffee table and you leaf through on a lazy Sunday.

One of my personal goals this year was to begin reading on a regular schedule again. I used to read a couple of books per week, but now I’m lucky if I can read half of a book in a week.  I still go to Borders and buy new books frequently.  Most of these books have been recommended to me by friends, book club choices or nosing around on Amazon.

I read right before bedtime and you can guess what happens next…after 10 minutes or so, I’m down for the count and I wake up the next morning with the book mysteriously resting on top of my face.

I am determined to change that this year.I’m no longer in a race with myself to see how fast I can finish a book.This is why I was happy when I learned about and eagerly signed up for the  Slow Readers Forum, founded by Diana of our.city.lights. We are currently reading Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (the author of The Glass House).   After I finish Half Broke Horses, I will be reading The Glass Castle.  I recommend joining The Slow Readers forum if you are looking for a book club and you are pretty busy and devote time to reading a new book every couple of weeks.

Do you enjoy reading?  Do you have any recommendations?

It’s a lazy day for me and I’m on my way to a ball game, so I thought I’d leave with some musings:

What I’m Reading: In the Woods by Tana French.  It’s our current book club selection and I have until Monday to read all 400 something pages.  I started on Friday evening and now I’m on page 155.

Listening To: Lots of “fun” music.  M.I.A., Santigold, and “Bitches–Hood Internet Remix” by My Gold Mask, a band from Chicago.

What I Want: Every summer I go through the pain of looking at the other cool girls riding their bikes through the city. Unfortunately, my apartment space barely has room for me, let alone a bike, so I just keep on dreaming of what it seems never will be: riding my bike while wearing Vivienne Westwood+Melissa heels:

What I Do Have: I don’t think any summer is complete without a nice, cold cup of gelato:

Happy lazy Sunday!

Image Source: The Sartorialist, Foodista’s Blog

Comme de Garcons

Azzedine Alaia

Dries Van Noten

Jil Sander

And there are lots more.  Go on over to Paper Mode to see more looks.

Source: Paper Mode

Photo from Concrete Loop, Obama Magazine

As many people know, Vibe magazine, which was launched by Quincy Jones in 1993, shut down immediately on Tuesday.  There was a statement from Vibe Editor-in-Cheif Danyel Smith that was released  about the closing of the magazine:

On behalf the VIBE CONTENT staff (the best in this business), it is with great sadness, and with heads held high, that we leave the building today. We were assigning and editing a Michael Jackson tribute issue when we got the news. It’s a tragic week in overall, but as the doors of VIBE Media Group close, on the eve of the magazine’s sixteenth anniversary, it’s a sad day for music, for hip hop in particular, and for the millions of readers and users who have loved and who continue to love the VIBE brand. We thank you, we have served you with joy, pride and excellence, and we will miss you.

Danyel Smith
the former Chief Content Officer VIBE Media Group
& Editor in Chief, VIBE

And  this article by the New York times explains the history and the prominence of Vibe magazine over the years.

I’ll admit that I haven’t picked up an issue of Vibe magazine in a long time myself.  I found other sources for my urban music and gossip fixes online. However,  when I was younger, Vibe was definitely on my list of “must buy” magazines every month, and I was always anxious to read about what was going on in the urban music/gossip/fashion world.

As I got older, I started looking at other sources for my urban media fix and my interest in Vibe waned  I read a couple of issues of Vibe Vixen during its short tenure, but I wasn’t surprised when it folded.  I was used to magazines targeted towards  young, professional women of color such as Honey and Suede.

However, I never thought Vibe would fold.  I’d heard about the shortened hours of their staff and other cutbacks.   But I thought they’d stay around or worst case scenario, publish online only.

Now, as the New York Times also points out, the only large circulation magazines to represent the Hip-Hop  and R&B culture are The Source and XXL.   However, they didn’t have the same cross-over appeal as Vibe.

I think the gap that Vibe magazine will be leaving is huge for the artists, publishing industry and staff.  It is definitely a sign of changing times for print publishing.   Whether Quincy Jones buys the magazine back and puts the magazine online or not, the the state of the print magazine industry continues in its downward spiral with this latest casualty.

Images from Shine at Yahoo

That’s right, Eva Herzigova, Monica Bellucci, Sophie Marceau, Charlotte Rampling appear in French Elle with no makeup or Photoshopping.   It’s shot by Peter Lindbergh and the women are already completely gorgeous as is, but I still say it’s a refreshing view from the insanely airbrushed covers on US stands.

And to quote, Shine’s author, Jennifer Romolini, it’s once again a sign that the European mags have taken steps leaps and bounds ahead of their US counterparts:

And, honestly, French Elle’s April ’09 issue is not the first time our women’s mags have been out-classed by the Europeans. Last year–in protest of the serious lack of diversity on catwalks, ads and in women’s magazines–Italian Vogue published an all-black issue featuring models of color from around the world. It sold out in days.

Amen.  Let’s also not forget Paris Vogue’s cover with a Black male dressed in woman’s clothes and he was working a full beard.

But I digress.   Would women be open to seeing  beauty represented at face value without all of the tricks and manipulation?  Or is the escapism and fantasy that we may feel when we look at a dolled up model/actress what we want to see, because hey, it is Elle/Vogue/Bazaar, ya know.

Photo from Gawker

So it seems the cover of the  Vogue May issue traditionally  features models has been revealed.  Liya Kebede, Natalia Vodianova, Anna Maria Jagodzinska. Isabeli Fontana, Stone, Jourdan Dunn, Raquel Zimmerman, Caroline Trentini, and Natasha Poly are the chosen ones to grace the cover.  To tell the truth, I’m not surprised by the choices.

Well, I actually thought maybe Sessilee Lopez might sneak in.  Also, I thought Chanel Iman might be included since she has been something of an “It” model for a couple of years now, but she is in the issue in an editorial with her boyfriend:

Photo from The Fashion Spot

However, I am glad that Jourdan Dunn, a rising newcomer, did have a spot on the cover.  With the influx of new models,  I never really keep up and I do care more about the clothes than the models, in general.  However, Jourdan Dunn is the one model that I always look for in shows and editorials because the girl always works it.  I believe she has a long and successful career ahead of her.  Don’t believe me?  Check out this vid:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPzVZKwGzrE]

Chicago Social magazine is a part of the Modern Luxury magazine group and I can usually find it throughout the city for free in various locations.  It’s not a magazine that I keep an eye out for, but I grab it when I think to do so.  Well I was looking through last month’s issue, and I found this editorial titled “Hollywood and Divine”.  I love the look of the model they used and the editorial that harks back to the 50′s-60′s glamor.   No comment on the blond wig, though.  Either way, I thought I would share some of the images:

Both images from The Fashion Spot.