True Style Is What's Underneath: The Self-Acceptance Revolution

Bravo to Elisa Goodkind and Lily Mandelbaum for proffering both a “manifesto” of sorts as well as compiling a celebration of the independent spirit when it comes to how we present ourselves to the world or in other words what we wear, why we wear it, and how we put it all together. Once again this is a book that speaks to style and not to that concept we believe to be fashion since there are no trends and no “ins” or “outs” that are discussed; this is all about self-expression.

“True style is a reflection of the nonconformist spirit the person underneath the clothes.”

The authors espouse a sort of political commentary when it comes to the state of fashion as we know it today. Without equivocation, their points are quite well founded, more valid than most and should be discussed more often in print. As many a follower of fashion knows, it takes a lot of courage and great conviction to be this honest and speak the truth which directly corresponds to how the topic of style is addressed by each subject.

The cross section of interviewees is most diverse. Some will say it is one of the most controversial and thorough of assemblages that have ever been put together in any book of this genre. It is a testament to the authors that the subjects are quite literally from around the world and just about as culturally diverse as you can imagine. Some of the personalities might be recognized, but most will be new and so delightfully forthright in what they have to say when it comes to each of their individual style preferences.

Without question, this is a book that is relevant to our times on many levels. The title is just a tad misleading as each of the subjects speaks from the heart so one would say inside rather than underneath.

“Our manifesto forges a path toward a Self-Acceptance Revolution, providing a roadmap for each of us to begin using our style as an expression of personal power and self-love.”