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“Despite opinions to the contrary, I am not high maintenance. According to Charla Krupp, I am medium maintenance on most things and low maintenance (!) on others. Ha!
Of all the fashion books I’ve read of late (and there have been several!) this is, by far, the best. Krupp is practical and informative, she gives “real world” examples that even those of us who live in the Midwest can follow. Well, all except for that “go barelegged even in the winter” thing. Anyone who lives in Michigan and goes barelegged in winter would a)freeze and b)cause people to wonder about her. But not in a good way.
Krupp writes this book in an entertaining, but serious, manner. None of that flippy “Oh, we all know appearance *really* doesn’t matter” business. She is one of the few who recognizes – and says – that appearance DOES matter. If not to your mate, then to the rest of the world. People make judgements about you based on your appearance, so you might as well have a good one. Take work, for example. Men can “age gracefully” but women do better if they look younger. There are many examples of this, but let’s look at newscaster. Diane Sawyer is till blond, still young looking. Her male counterparts? Who cares if their hair is gray? It may not be “fair” but it is a reality. Let’s not ignore it.
Since we aren’t ignoring it, Krupp explains all about “maintenance” and what a woman needs to do. Okay, “needs” is a strong word. You may decide you don’t need to do any of this, but if that’s the case, you probably will just skip the book anyway. In each area, she explains the high-, medium- and low-maintenance versions. You find yourself on the continuum, which may be different in some areas, and there is your blueprint. She encourages you to modify, modify, modify to make it work for you.
There is none of that awful advice often given to women older than 40. Only wear long sleeves no matter how hot it is, for example. (I honestly read that in another book and I just couldn’t stand it. In Michigan, in summer, anyone wearing long sleeves would look ridiculous. Not a look a woman wants!) She talks about how to adapt fashion trends to suit you. Helpful.
As with most books of this sort, you should take what you like and ignore the rest. Not everything is for everyone but at the very least you’ll leave this book knowing what it is you’re ignoring!”
