The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
It is the present we must reckon with, observes Thomas Cromwell in the final part of Mantels trilogy. You can say that again, mate. At 900 pages, The Mirror and the Light has arrived eerily perfectly formed for the present we are reckoning with and I dont just mean that the hardback version is the perfect size for putting under your laptop to avoid double chin on Zoom calls. Cromwell is a master of optics and power dressing five centuries ahead of his time: he sees the visual messaging in every embroidered cloak and the symbolism in every jewellery love gift. Also, the square necklines are very this-season Rixo.Jess Cartner-Morley
Even if you have yet to surrender to a full day in sweatpants, life probably feels less than glamorous at the moment. What better world to get lost in, then, than one described by F Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is the obvious choice, but if you pine after a cancelled holiday to, say, the south of France, the authors last novel is a good way to get your Riviera fashion fix. From bathing suits and corsages to the notion of dressing for dinner, there is plenty of style inspiration to stockpile.Leah Harper
If you have ever felt sheepish about having an interest in style, I urge you to read this book. It argues that clothes are far from a trivial or superficial pursuit, through potted fashion history and reflection from luminaries such as Jane Austen and Nancy Mitford. Most memorable, though, are the stories of women in horrific circumstances who have used clothing as balm; the image of a seamstress customising her fellow prisoners uniforms in Ravensbrck concentration camp during the second world war has stayed with me since I read it a decade ago. The book is a great read for where were at now joyful, hopeful and free of judgment. It seems to say: whatever makes you feel better, whatever you enjoy when life is otherwise bewildering, you should absolutely go for it. Hannah Marriott
Looking at the intergalactic fashions created by designer Larry LeGaspi is wonderfully escapist. Rick Owens, who curated this coffee table book after realising there was a LeGaspi-shaped hole in the internet, credits the designer as a big influence on his own otherworldly fashion aesthetic. Stage looks for Kiss, Labelle and Divine are just some of the treasures in this warm, magical scrapbook of 70s album covers, interviews, design sketches and backstage photos. Think Close Encounters of the Studio 54 kind.Priya Elan
If you havent read this fashion classic, now is the time, if only for the genesis chapter of the LBD: It was a warm evening, nearly summer, and she wore a slim cool black dress, black sandals, and a pearl choker. For all her chic thinness, she had an almost breakfast-cereal air of health, a soap and lemon cleanness, a rough pink darkening of the cheeks. The book that invented the Little Black Dress is full of sage style advice. Its tacky to wear diamonds before youre 40, and even thats risky. They only look right on the really old girls.Jess Cartner-Morley
If its a complete change of mood you want, look no further than Alexa Chungs 2013 memoir-cum-picture-book. This scrapbook-style collection of the kinds of images beloved by fashion Instagram Annie Hall, Anna Karina, Twiggy and, of course, Alexa herself is ideal to fill the void between Zoom dates and online yoga. A pleasant, if surface-level, dip into the world of the not-yet-designer, filled with fun soundbites such as: I am obsessed with moisturising. I am also obsessed with cigarettes so I like to think the two balance each other out. It feels surprisingly dated at times but thats not necessarily a bad thing right now. Leah Harper
I wanted to see Kim Kardashian dressed up as Big Ben. I hoped Katy Perry would use a sundial as a fascinator. But this years Met Gala, which was to take place on 4 May, has been postponed. Luckily, the set text on which red carpet outfits were to be based is still ripe for enjoyment. Orlando is a funny, surreal, exuberant novel about a poet who lives from Elizabethan times until the early 20th century. It questions the very nature of time, which feels great right now. It is also brilliant on clothes as a symbol of something hid deep beneath The man has his hand free to seize his sword, the woman must use hers to keep the satins from slipping from her shoulders. More than simply keeping us warm, Woolf argues, clothes change our view of the world and the worlds view of us, which makes me think I should raise my Google Hangouts game at some point. Hannah Marriott
Set in the frock department of an upscale Sydney department store in 1959, this book was described as a deceptively smart comic gem by The New York Times Book Review when it was first published in 1993. Hilary Mantel has said it is the book I most give as a gift to cheer people up. The sassy attitude and jazzy aesthetic will appeal to fans of The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, while its thoughtful comedy of manners delivers just the right degree of escapism.Jess Cartner-Morley
If youre after a chilling insight into modern society, look no further than Bret Easton Elliss American Psycho. Not for the faint-hearted, this bitter black comedy depicts stomach-wrenching brutality, although its main focus is the yuppie Wall Street mentality of the sharply dressed protagonist Patrick Bateman. The narrative jumps suddenly from his thrill at purchasing a new pair of A Testoni loafers to scenes of extreme violence. Bateman is obsessed with his image; from the finest clothes, as instructed in GQ, to the wealthy friends he hates, to being seen in the hottest clubs with the most attractive hardbodies he can find. Its a portrayal of dissatisfaction that arises from presenting a perfect exterior but being hollow beneath, something more apt in todays Instagram culture than ever. Not an easy read, but an engrossing one, and you will know what type of suit you can wear with cashmere socks once you are done.Peter Bevan
Audrey Withers, wartime editor of British Vogue, earned herself the nickname Austerity Withers for her gung-ho, can-do spirit. Beginning her editorship the day the blitz began in London, she achieved no mean feat in keeping the print magazine on shelves throughout the war. Vogue, she liked to say, was put to bed in a bunker like everyone else in London. This recent biography features jolly cameos from Cecil Beaton and Elizabeth David, but it is the stories of how her Vogue adapted its lifestyle to the zeitgeist, with features on growing your own vegetables and cutting your own hair, that make it perfect for today.Jess Cartner-Morley
When The Beautiful Fall came out in 2006, Karl Lagerfeld took author Alicia Drake to court for invasion of privacy. This fact should be enough to make anyone want to read the tale of Lagerfeld of fellow designer and frenemy Yves Saint Laurent from the 50s onwards. A mixture of gossip, hedonism, glamorous muses and fashion history, you will finish this with more knowledge of Parisian fashion over a key 40-year period, yes, but also an unmistakable desire to go disco dancing till the sun comes up, once quarantine is lifted. Lauren Cochrane
Continued here:
Shelf isolation: stylish reads to keep your spirits up - The Guardian
- Home - Wild Women Vacations - December 23rd, 2016 [December 23rd, 2016]
- Hedonism - New World Encyclopedia - December 26th, 2016 [December 26th, 2016]
- Hedonism II (Negril, Jamaica) - UPDATED 2016 Resort (All ... - January 3rd, 2017 [January 3rd, 2017]
- Hedonism II Resort Negril, Jamaica - January 8th, 2017 [January 8th, 2017]
- Hedonism II Community | Home - January 30th, 2017 [January 30th, 2017]
- Hedonism and healing - Independent Online - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Dark side of hedonism: a rock journalist's battle with drug addiction - The Guardian - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Rainbow Serpent turns 20: a weekend of boundless hedonism - Mixmag - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- 'Dream Boat': Love Comes In All Shapes And Sizes In This Candid Berlinale Documentary Set On A Gay Cruise Ship - moviepilot.com - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Black Wave review: From hedonism to the apocalypse - Irish Times - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Feminism, ambition, hedonism: drama explores lives of university's privileged - The Guardian - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Leftism: From Bloody Tragedy to Therapeutic Parody - FrontPage Magazine - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Science: How to Get into the "Flow" and Do What Makes You Happiest - Big Think - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Weekend Arts: Find the Beethoven Music Festival, 'Avenue Q' and more in Tulsa this week - Tulsa World (blog) - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Now We Are 40 by Tiffanie Darke review a generation lost to hedonism and irony? - The Guardian - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Chefs to Watch for 2017 - Hedonism II, Negril - Jamaica Observer - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Hicks column: Schools should stick to the facts, as should everyone else - Charleston Post Courier - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Berlin Syndrome - The Upcoming - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Tears in the Club - PopMatters - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Chefs to Watch for 2017 - Hedonism II, Negril - Food ... - Jamaica Observer - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Hedonism II | CheapCaribbean.com - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Book review: 'The True Story of Guns N' Roses' will rock your world - Times LIVE - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- Pleasures: the desert of life - Tulsa World - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Living Like a Hedonist - Daily Trojan Online - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- How dirty do you like it? Revel in hedonism with You Pull It, the new EP from The Byzantines - Happy - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- When did Britain stop being a nation of hedonists? - The Guardian - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- What is Hedonism wines? Mayfair vendor owned by Russian exile counts Jose Mourinho among its clientele and ... - The Sun - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Pastor's column: Hedonism: Self-driven life of pleasure - Gridley Herald - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Look around the wine store where Ranieri's future was decided Mourinho loves this place! - Daily Star - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- The Gooch Palms are a handful of hedonism - Mandurah Mail - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Jose Cuervo's Apocalyptic Vision Encourages Hedonism 03/08/2017 - MediaPost Communications - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Europe conquers itself - Arutz Sheva - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Hedonism alone didn't kill George - Irish Independent - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Hedonism II All-inclusive Resort Reviews & Deals, Negril - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Phoenix: 'The purity of French identity is an illusion; it's never existed ... - The Guardian - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- First-rate musical performance & production that's hard to fault: Garsington's Semele reviewed - Spectator.co.uk - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- Guest Post: Bhante Suddhso Guidelines for Happiness - Patheos (blog) - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- 'I trafficked women at a famous Hong Kong nightclub' - South China Morning Post - June 11th, 2017 [June 11th, 2017]
- Sydney Festival Film Review: Axoltl Overkill (Germany, 2017) burns up Berlin with heavily stylised hedonism - the AU review (blog) - June 11th, 2017 [June 11th, 2017]
- Fun Fair Shot Bar By Claudia Comte Brings Seor Frogs-Style ... - ARTnews - June 13th, 2017 [June 13th, 2017]
- On 'Ti Amo', Phoenix Combat Dark Times with Fun and Gelato - Vulture - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Honey-glazed, hedonistic, and hyper-real - Cherwell Online - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Review: True to the original, 'Cabaret' revival trades in hedonism, horror - Seattle Times - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Spanish Party Town Publishes 64 Rules to Stop Hedonism of Drunk Tourists - Heat Street - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- WIL DARCANGELO: Hedonism has its advantages - Sentinel & Enterprise - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- Comme des Garons' spring collection designed for a warehouse rave - The Guardian - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Considering a weekend in Ibiza? Our guide to the White Isle tells you where to eat, sleep, rave, repeat - Mirror.co.uk - June 29th, 2017 [June 29th, 2017]
- Norfolk makers of Wild Knight vodka score first London stockist - Norfolk Eastern Daily Press - June 30th, 2017 [June 30th, 2017]
- Hedonism II - Negril, Jamaica The Swinger Cruise - July 3rd, 2017 [July 3rd, 2017]
- Comic Legends: How Did 9/11 Change Strangers in Paradise's Ending? - CBR (blog) - July 3rd, 2017 [July 3rd, 2017]
- The kids are all white: can US festivals live up to their 'post-racial' promise? - The Guardian - July 4th, 2017 [July 4th, 2017]
- Cakes Da Killa on Clubbing, Labels and His Shanghai Debut ... - That's Online (registration) - July 4th, 2017 [July 4th, 2017]
- Claude Speeed is the trance-inspired ambient nomad documenting Berlin's rave sadness - FACT - July 5th, 2017 [July 5th, 2017]
- Reporter strips naked to quiz nude swingers on their love of wife-swapping in bizarre telly segment - The Sun - July 7th, 2017 [July 7th, 2017]
- Steve Vizard's Vigil at Arts Centre Melbourne reveals trauma ... - The Age - July 7th, 2017 [July 7th, 2017]
- Party Report: Hideout Festival 2017 - Deep House Amsterdam (press release) (blog) - July 11th, 2017 [July 11th, 2017]
- Wimbledon 2017: The tech behind the world's top tennis tournament - Ars Technica UK - July 12th, 2017 [July 12th, 2017]
- Exploring the world's first dog glamping site at NOS Alive music festival - Metro - July 12th, 2017 [July 12th, 2017]
- Hyundai has come a long way with its outstanding Ioniq Hybrid - Philly.com - July 14th, 2017 [July 14th, 2017]
- Why campus boys make the best husband materials - The Standard - July 15th, 2017 [July 15th, 2017]
- I demand a critical reappraisal of Kesha's brilliant, brilliant music - Salon - July 15th, 2017 [July 15th, 2017]
- Norfolk vodka brand joins London's jet set - Business Weekly - July 15th, 2017 [July 15th, 2017]
- Clean raving: how club culture went wild for wellness - The Guardian - July 16th, 2017 [July 16th, 2017]
- News Bites | Loewe Releases Ibiza-Inspired Record, Erdem x H&M - The Business of Fashion - July 16th, 2017 [July 16th, 2017]
- Crisis in leadership as bright minds avoid public service - The New Indian Express - July 16th, 2017 [July 16th, 2017]
- Woman seriously injured after falling off stage at Guns N' Roses show - The Times of Israel - July 16th, 2017 [July 16th, 2017]
- What's the Best Song, According to Science? - Gizmodo - July 17th, 2017 [July 17th, 2017]
- We Asked the Happiest People at Lovebox About Their Worries - Noisey - July 17th, 2017 [July 17th, 2017]
- Dance Like Nobody's Watching To Shock Machine's Unlimited Love Video - The FADER - July 17th, 2017 [July 17th, 2017]
- Gig review: Catfish and The Bottlemen at Don Valley Bowl, Sheffield - Yorkshire Evening Post - July 18th, 2017 [July 18th, 2017]
- Montreal's Ancient Future Festival Reveals 2017 Lineup with Hudson Mohawke, the Underachievers, Sam Paganini - Exclaim! - July 18th, 2017 [July 18th, 2017]
- Coexistence at the beach - Opelika Observer - July 20th, 2017 [July 20th, 2017]
- Ibiza: Where To Eat, Party And Beach - HuffPost UK - July 20th, 2017 [July 20th, 2017]
- Film Streams, Joslyn team for screening of 'Marie Antoinette' - Omaha World-Herald - July 20th, 2017 [July 20th, 2017]
- Hedonism II Hotel - Jamaica | Oyster.com Review & Photos - July 20th, 2017 [July 20th, 2017]
- Fiction review: Living the Dream - The Sydney Morning Herald - July 21st, 2017 [July 21st, 2017]
- Arcade Fire - 'Everything Now' Album Review - NME - NME.com - July 21st, 2017 [July 21st, 2017]
- Dream Hoarders - HuffPost - July 22nd, 2017 [July 22nd, 2017]
- PS Spotlight: Remembering celebrity fancy dress for the grand Cointreau Ball - The Sydney Morning Herald - July 22nd, 2017 [July 22nd, 2017]
- Last Night Guns N' Roses Played An Epic Set At The Apollo, Today Appetite For Destruction Turns 30 - Stereogum - July 22nd, 2017 [July 22nd, 2017]