IN THE KNOW: Required Reading

My favorite place on earth is to be is sitting on the floor between two shelves of a chosen subject in a library.  I am a textbook introvert indeed.

Over time, I’ve read and re-read some awesome and not-so-awesome books about the fashion industry.  I’ve jotted down a few of the bunch, editing down to a list of the books I thought were most helpful in my career journey.

I would love to know if you’ve read any books that pointed your career in any direction. Your book selections don’t have to be non-fiction like my choices, that’s just a preference of mine. All that matters is if they were either impactful or informative.

A Few Books Worth Reading:

The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever

by Teri Agins

I read this book twice as well and I own 2 copies; one soft cover and one hard cover. My favorite chapters was about lesser known designer, Zoran.This book belongs on your shelf.

Hijackingthe Runway: How Celebrities Are Stealing the Spotlight fromFashion Designer

by Teri Agins

This book was a spoonful of sugar. You gain invaluable insight and analysis from and industry vet, and yet is relatable and fun to read. I carry Hijacking the Runway on my kindle app so that I can have it with me at all times, fyi.

Secrets of a Fashion Therapist: What You Can Learn Behind the Dressing Room Door
by Betty Halbreich

This was also a fun read. This was most generally a styling tip book and the gist of the book is to get over your clothing monotony and try new things. I took her book as a how-to guide to selling clothing, which I think is a valuable skill to have. But if what you get out of it is a great outfit, it's totally up to you. 

In Fashion: From Runway to Retail

by Annemarie Iverson

This book is a ton of fun to read. I read it twice. It starts off with a self analysis and then a breakdown into four career paths and then dishes out great advice. Annemarie doesn't offer just superficial advice either (work hard, be on time, blah, and blah); she offers up the type of advice I wish I had gotten back in my earlier years that would saved me a heap of time. 

Fashion: TheIndustry and Its Careers
by Michele Granger

This book is the fashion industry’s version to the US Government’s Dictionary of Occupational Titles. This is a great reference book for job research and career path charting. This book includes each sector of our industry from Accounting to Window Merchandising and then proceeds to describe the responsibilities, typical characteristics of ideal person in that role and challenges of that job feild.

Women in Clothes

by Sheila Heti and Heidi Julavits

This book is a collection of stories, poems, photos, interviews of women's personal experience with their own bodies and clothing and this industry. These women came from varied backgrounds and their insights reflected that. This book is not successive, so you can pick a story, any story and enjoy.