Style A to ZOE, The Art of Fashion, Beauty, & Everything Glamour - written by Rachel Zoe

Quite a while ago I bought this book by leading international stylist, Rachel Zoe, who has worked with the likes of Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton, to name but a few. Rachel seems perhaps too keen to let the world know, through this book, that her life is filled with nothing but glamour. That said, I admire a woman who has been able to embrace her passion and turn it into a lifestyle.

Zoe justifies her obsession with glamour saying, "A life of glamour and style makes everything that much more electrifying, that much more engaging. Think about how we just can't get enough of the brightest icons of Hollywood, past and present.... Glamour can come in the form of a suggestion, a hint - like a pair of oversized sunglasses - or it can appear in all its unapologetic glory, blinding bright from the pile of gold bangles on a bronzed wrist or at an informally chic dinner you throw for your friends at a favourite restaurant. It isn't about fashion. It's style. In my book, glamour is pure lifestyle."

The book is filled with beautiful illustrations of the stylist herself, and lovely pictures of her own impressive and extensive clothes, shoes and accessories collections.

If Zoe had an ethos, it would go something like "buy less, spend more". Although she does give a quick list of her essentials under $50, the rest of the book seems to focus on buying quality, not quantity. This is a good idea providing you have the money to start with, so it is fair to say that this book is not ideal for those on a budget.

Although the majority of Zoe's advice is sensible ("Makeup with glitter in it? No. Feather boas? No.") and her tips for getting ready before a big event and for shopping are particularly interesting, some of her book comes across as pretentious - she claims to feel "naked" without her huge, gold Cartier Roadster watch, and she finds her Neil Lane snake rings "mysterious and spiritual". As well as this, just in case we didn't understand that Zoe is a very successful stylist, there are pages and pages full of photos of her and her celebrity pals, which I found a bit excessive.

Overall, this is a great book if you are a fan of the stylist and her work, but if you're looking for general style advice, you'd be better off spending the money on a subscription to Elle or In Style, because this book is very much focused on glamorous Zoe and her very beautiful clients.