Clothes... and other things that matter
On sale
23rd April 2020
Price: £16.99
‘Clothes is the perfect isolation read – clever, emotionally intelligent, revelling in style without making us yearn to shop’ – Hannah Betts, The Times
‘Self-deprecating and stylish, this is sure to become a classic.’ – Vanity Fair
‘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
Chosen as ‘book of the week’ by the Observer –
‘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.’
‘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
‘She has written about her clothes, and given us some scintillating reading. […] hugely engaging memoir.’ – Emily Bearn, The Spectator
‘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
‘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
‘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
‘Such a great read – so open and honest and funny. I devoured it in one sitting.’ – Kirsty Wark
‘It’s so wonderful, and has kept me beautiful, nostalgic, wry, clever company during this time. I love it.’ – Sophie Dahl
‘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
Chosen by Evening Standard as one of the best books to look forward to in 2020 –
‘a must-read memoir for even those beyond the fashion set.’
Chosen by Stylist as 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.’
‘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.
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Reviews
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.
Such a great read - so open and honest and funny. I devoured it in one sitting.
A must-read memoir for even those beyond the fashion set.
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.
Clothes is the perfect isolation read - clever, emotionally intelligent, revelling in style without making us yearn to shop
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.
She has written about her clothes, and given us some scintillating reading. [...] hugely engaging memoir.
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.
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.
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.
It's so wonderful, and has kept me beautiful, nostalgic, wry, clever company during this time. I love it.
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.
Self-deprecating and stylish, this is sure to become a classic.
One of the best books to look forward to in 2020 - 'a must-read memoir for even those beyond the fashion set.'
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.'
The book's relatability is one of its chief merits. So is its smart interrogation of what different clothes mean and why.
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.
An entertaining blend of fashion and personal anecdotes from the idiosyncratic former Vogue editor of 25 years.
For the audiobook:
Alexandra Shulman's Clothes...and Other Things That Matter - which she narrates herself - sheds a spotlight not only on her 25 years as editor-in-chief of British Vogue, but on the 556 pieces of clothing and accessories that fill her own wardrobe and the associations they yield. It's a far more moving book than that precis suggests, keying into exactly why certain outfits make us feel more like ourselves than others, to our own often uncertain relationships with our bodies, and to the memories that clothes unlock. There's also a terrific passage on why it is quite possible to be in possession of a staggering number of bras, and not like a single one of them.