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.

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We love this Riviera-ready look that Amelia of Clotheshorse LA put together so much, that she (and those amazing pants) immediately became the inspiration for styling summer stripes from our closet!

Because this week’s newest arrivals feature so many fantastic stripes, I picked my favorites and headed straight to the styling closet. You can look forward to shopping for striped pieces similar to these at all Crossroads locations.

Our simple Striped Crop Top ($9.50) is the perfect place to start. Pair this 100% cotton tee with high-waisted shorts and platform sandals, and finish off the look with a brightly colored purse.

Add a pop of red with our Mini Stripe Collared Tank ($16.50). I upped the cute factor by adding a black bow tie and cherry red bag.

Go neutral with our ‘70s Striped Tunic ($18.50). Achieve this look with light wash jeans, a pastel tote, and minimal flats.

When the temperature climbs into the hundreds, you’ll want our High Neck Striped Tank ($9.50) handy. Just add your trusty denim cut-offs and let your brightest sandals complete the look.

Amelia makes styling summer stripes look easy, and we hope our looks have inspired you to give this look a try too!

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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?

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The model off-duty look is the epitome of casual and comfort chic. In between runway shows and magazine shoots, models have a way of taking simple pieces and making them look effortlessly stylish. While it’s not as easy as hopping out of bed and throwing on your favorite tee, creating your own ‘off-duty’ style is entirely doable.

Follow the tips below to master the kind of effortless street style we love seeing on the likes of Kate Moss, Gigi Hadid, and Karlie Kloss.

Basics are BestKeep it simple and build your outfits on your best basics. You can never go wrong with a worn-in tee and your most flattering denim.

Keep it UndoneDon’t overdo it! Messy tucks, rolled hems, and unpolished top knots are key to an effortless look.

Invest in Wardrobe StaplesFast fashion is useful for trying out new trends, but invest wisely in staples that are timeless: a leather jacket, a chic blazer, and your favorite pair of shoes.

Keep it CasualModel off-duty style is most attainable when it is kept casual. Think booties, simple prints, and neutral colors. If you’re more apt to dress girly, tone it down with some tomboy elements like sneakers or a bomber jacket.

Denim is #1When it doubt, throw on your best denim, whether it be jeans, a jacket, or a top.

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As a style and fashion enthusiast, I have always been drawn to the real stories and behind-the-scenes look at how everything comes together. As a stylist I am truly in awe of how fashion empires, whether it be a publication, a design house, or a photographer, came to be, run their daily operations, and how they plan on expanding and innovating for the future.

Check out my list below of 5 films every fashion lover should watch and let us know what your favorite is or what you are most excited to watch! Do you have any other must-watch fashion films on your list?

The September Issue
The September Issue takes us behind the scenes of the American offices for the fashion magazine, Vogue, and right into Anna Wintour’s daily duties, for an up close and personal look at the making of, you guessed it: The September Issue. The 2007 issue was the largest in Vogue’s history at the time, with 820 pages.

“There is something about fashion that can make people very nervous.” – Anna Wintour.

See the trailer for The September Issue here.

Coco Before Chanel
Based on the early life of Coco Chanel, born Gabrielle Chanel, Coco Before Chanel tells the true story of rags to riches, from an orphanage to the heights of the fashion world.

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” ― Coco Chanel

See the trailer for Coco Before Chanel here.

Iris
Iris gives us an intimate look into the life of fashion icon, Iris Apfel. From 1950 – 1992, Iris and her husband took part in interior design renovations for 9 Presidents; during this time of international travel and design is when Iris rose to fame in the fashion world as a true icon for her daring and carefree style, which she continues to this day at 94 years old.

“There’s no how-to road map to style. It’s about self-expression and, above all, attitude.” – Iris Apfel.

See the trailer for Iris here.

Bill Cunningham New York
Bill Cunningham has been a fashion photographer for The New York Times since 1978 and has revolutionized what we now know as “street style”. Before bloggers or Instagram, Bill Cunningham was using his keen eye to discover and shed light on fashionistas, celebrities, socialites, and new designers. Bill is currently 87 years young and is still photographing in New York for The Times.

“The wider world perceives fashion as frivolity that should be done away with. The point is that fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. I don’t think you can do away with it. It would be like doing away with civilization.” – Bill Cunningham

See the trailer for Bill Cunningham New York here.

The True Cost
The True Cost explores the world of fashion and the impact it has on people and the planet, focusing on the effect of “fast fashion”. Fast fashion is a heavy note that we do not typically highlight in the world of fashion; more importantly the working and negative environmental conditions of factories. Go behind the scenes of the biggest fashion companies and learn more about how to support and be a part of the change for the better we are on the verge of.

“I believe these clothes are produced by our blood. I want the [factory owners] to be aware and look out for us, so that no more mothers lose their kids like that.” – Shima Akhter, a Bangladeshi factory worker in the film.

See the trailer for The True Cost here.

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