Blog: Crossroads Style

If you not only love fashion as a form of self-expression, but also find the ins and outs of the industry itself fascinating, you may find yourself wanting to go beyond blogs and fashion magazines. Good news: it’s easy to delve further!

I’ve rounded up my five favorite books about fashion and style below. These books give a behind-the-scenes look at the industry from those who have essentially created it from the ground up, and from those whose lives it has deeply impacted. From development to photography to marketing, you’ll get all kinds of influential fashion commentary.

1. Women in Clothes, by Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits, Leanna Shapton, and more
Get thought-provoking perspectives on fashion from those who know it best: women like you. The authors of this book surveyed over six hundred women about their views on fashion, giving us wonderfully revealing conversations about what fashion can say, and how it can impact your life.

2. Mario Testino: In Your Face, by Mario Testino
This book is filled with photos of the most fabulous fashion moments and will make the most gorgeous coffee book table. You’ll want to open and read it over and over again.

3. The Sartorialist: Closer, by Scott Schuman

I love street style shots more than any high fashion or runway photography. I love seeing how real people in this world dress and express themselves. If you do too, then this book—from renowned street style photographer Scott Schuman—is for you.

4. I’ll Drink to That: A Life in Style, with a Twist, by Betty Halbreich
Betty spent forty years of her life as a personal shopper at Bergdorf Goodman, and she has the stories to prove it. Hilarious, charming, and personal, Betty chronicles how she has been able to help women learn how to find their true selves with the help of fashion.

5. Champagne Supernovas: Kate Moss, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and the 90s Renegades Who Remade Fashion, by Maureen Callahan
There will never be another decade like the ‘90s. In my humble opinion, it was the best decade for fashion and music, and the last before technology overtook our lives. This book chronicles the best of the best in its unique fashion culture.

Forget delivery and ordering into the office every day; there’s no better time to experiment in the kitchen, try new flavors, and get your Iron Chef on! Step up your cooking game with these four cookbooks that belong on your counter:

1. Cravings: Recipes For All the Food You Want to Eat by Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy is pretty much everyone’s spirit animal and a total beast in the kitchen, so it’s no wonder that her cookbook is spreading like wildfire. The book is divided into sections like “Party Time,” “Sh*t on Toast,” and “Things That Intimidate People but Shouldn’t.” You’ll fall in love with her wit and recipes like John’s Famous Fried Chicken with Spicy Honey Butter.

2. It’s All Easy: Delicious Weekday Recipes for the Super-Busy Home Cook by Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth shares more than 125 of her most healthy and delicious recipes from lazy breakfasts to easy dinners. My favorites include the Moroccan Chicken Salad Wrap and Pita Bread Pizzas.

3. The Love and Lemons Cookbook: An Apple-to-Zucchini Celebration of Impromptu Cooking by Jeanine Donofrio
This book features more than 100 simple vegetarian recipes starring fresh and delicious seasonal produce. It’s the perfect inspiration for quick and impromptu cooking!

4. Orange, Lavender & Figs: Deliciously Different Recipes from a Passionate Eater by Fanny Slater
Fanny makes one-of-a-kind recipes approachable yet stunning enough to earn you the title of “Top Chef” among your friends and family. Try her Butternut Squash Tacos with Apple-Fennel Slaw, and you’ll never look back.

Hungry yet?