I love reading and I love clothes, so it is no surprise that I absolutely adore books about fashion. I bought a copy of The Little Dictionary of Fashion by Christian Dior while at the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit at the de Young, and it is too much fun. The book is a charming “accent to zest” guide to womens dressing. First published in 1954, some of Dior’s commentary is, of course, a bit antiquated. Take for example the quite long entry about hats and how whether or not to wear them is the most “pressing problem of this time.” Well, I guess we know which side of thought won out on that one… Yet some of Dior’s advice is timeless, such as his entry on zest, “anything you do, work or pleasure, you have to do it with zest. You have to live with zest… and that is the secret of beauty and fashion, too.

Whether or not you agree Dior’s words of wisdom, the book is a lot of fun to read by yourself or out-loud to fashion-minded friends (my roomie has gotten a kick out of some of the snippets I’ve shared with her). Better yet, it would make a great gift for the fashionable girl-who-has-everything.

Image Source: My Elegance