Style Guides Old and New

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Style Guides Old and New

There has been an explosion in the number of style guides on the market in recent years, so it’s no wonder that over the past few months several of these books have found their way to Bookarmy’s post box. Flicking through them got us thinking about the evolution of the style manual; it seems in many ways a thoroughly modern genre, but surely even our ancestors sometimes felt like seeking out hints and tips on fulfilling their fabulous potential? Actually yes, as it turns out, they did. We've combined our pick of 2009’s style guides with wise words (well, words anyway) from some little-known fashion and beauty gurus of yesteryear.

Since the phenomenal success of his How to Look Good Naked TV series, Gok Wan has rapidly become known as the king of feel-good fashion guidance. He won’t tell you to hit the gym or invest in liposuction to even out those wobbly bits; instead, he dispenses advice on how to make the most of exactly what you were born with, without changing a thing. Looking good, he says, doesn't have to mean trying to look like someone you're not. Work Your Wardrobe, his latest book, aims to help readers reinvent their personal style using the clothes they already own. Recession-appropriate indeed!

When it comes to men who know how to make women look great, Gok may be the first name that springs to mind, but Sir Hugh Plat came first by a long way. Who? Well, Sir Hugh was a gardening enthusiast first and foremost, but he was also the author of Delightes for Ladies (1609), which contains a wealth of recipes and remedies for the resourceful woman to make at home. Alright, so he probably wasn’t quite as fun as Gok (we know who we’d rather have accompany us on a televised shopping spree) but he was certainly in the know when it came to beauty advice. Next time we’re suffering from a face that is red or pimpled, we’ll be sure to give this tip a shot – after all, it cureth in a few dressings:

To help a face that is red or pimpled: Dissolve common Salt in the iuyce of Lemmons, and with a linnen cloth pat the patients face that is full of heat or pimples. It cureth in a few dressings.

If dabbing lemon juice on yourself isn't the sort of beauty ritual that appeals to you, you may prefer Caroline Cox’s decadent new book How to be Adored. It's all about how to harness the power of old-school glamour, and urges ladies to reject the boob jobs and emaciated figures favoured by many of today’s female celebrities. Instead, Caroline suggests looking to the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly for insight into the true meaning of glamour. Between the bright pink (velvet!) covers of this book is a treasure trove of hints on making yourself more glamorous inside and out, including quotes from some of Hollywood’s most iconic ladies.

Frances Mary Steele was a bit like a 19th Century Caroline Cox, except, well, much much crueller. Like Caroline, she dismisses the fads of the day in her book Beauty of Form and Grace of Vesture (1892), giving an especially vehement account of the evils of corsetry. While Caroline draws inspiration from Hollywood greats, Frances Mary Steele considers the 'classical' look to represent the most desirable physical proportions. She includes a variety of pictures of ancient Greek and Roman statues to illustrate her point. In addition, she offers practical advice on the best way to dress one's curves (complete with handy diagrams highlighting the similarities between the female body shape and a vase):

Any kind of underwear that makes a supple body look smooth and woodeny is displeasing, because artificial. A noble thing is made to resemble an ignoble one. On the contrary, such looseness and flabbiness as suggests hasty-pudding or the rolls and folds of fatted swine is extremely distasteful. Both the woodeny and roly-poly effects are wholly unlike the firm, elastic substance of healthy human muscle.

While Frances is quite right in her observation that none of us desires to look like ‘fatted swine’, she could probably stand to learn a thing or two about tactful delivery from Caroline and Gok.

Following on from their two cookbooks, Jewish princesses Tracey Fine and Georgie Tarn have released The Jewish Princess Guide to Fabulosity. It's more of a lifestyle guide than a straightforward style guide, dealing with everything from handling teenage children to the pros and cons of getting a spray-tan. And of course it's got lots and lots of indulgent recipes - because, as the Jewish Princess stresses, fabulosity is not about self-denial.

The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, Fashion and Manual of Politeness, by Florence Hartley, is another style guide that covers multiple bases. Etiquette, fashion and politeness in one volume - what more could the chic 19th century lady ask for? First published in 1860, it's still available for purchase online - however, judging by the following extract, we can't help but suspect that some of its fashion advice may be the slightest bit dated:

A wrapper made with a handsome trimming, open over a pretty white skirt, may be worn with propriety; but the simple dress worn for breakfast, or in the exercise of domestic duties, is not suitable for the parlor when receiving visits of ceremony in the morning.

All of this leaves us wondering just one thing: what exactly are visits of ceremony, and why have we yet to receive any?