Clothes... and Other Things That Matter

Clothes is the perfect isolation read - clever, emotionally intelligent, revelling in style without making us yearn to shop. – Hannah Betts * The Times *She has written about her clothes, and given us some scintillating reading. […] hugely engaging memoir. – Emily Bearn * The Spectator *I really loved this book- it’s warm, thought-provoking and honest. In the end, I had to ration myself because I didn’t want to finish. In these frankly strange times it was wonderful and comforting. – Victoria HislopI loved this book. It’s great company and a Corona comfort. Alexandra Shulman’s style is unaffected, immediate and hilariously dry. She’s brilliant at observing everyday feelings in a joy-sparking turn of phrase - but better still she has made me feel so much better about owning too many clothes. Instead of doing a ruthless edit I find myself curating my own private exhibition - inside my wardrobe hang not just clothes, not just stories but my own autobiography. – Helena Bonham CarterSuch a great read - so open and honest and funny. I devoured it in one sitting. – Kirsty WarkA must-read memoir for even those beyond the fashion set. * Evening Standard *From the hat that went to the a Royal wedding to a life-changing bathrobe, Alexandra Shulman tells her life story in clothes … in her hotly anticipated memoir. * You magazine *A life beyond Moss, mwahs and Manolo Blahniks - by the fashionista that really knows […] a wry and candid part-memoir, part-fashion history, part-social commentary. * Mail on Sunday *Its jacket of bubblegum pink letters on grown-up navy certainly suggested to me that it might just be the perfect lockdown pick-me-up […] among its pages, there are some lovely, resonant set pieces. * Book of the Week, Observer *Shulman can craft a good story and has an eye for great pictures […] it will make perfect lockdown reading, an opportunity to shut out the real world and meander through the Arcadian years of fashion. * The Sunday Times *It’s so wonderful, and has kept me beautiful, nostalgic, wry, clever company during this time. I love it. – Sophie DahlFor those to whom clothes are a source of happiness this book is possibly the perfect lockdown pick-me-up. It is the chance to meander quietly through the golden years of fashion, accompanied by the one woman who has been there, done that and definitely worn the t-shirt. * A Little Bird *Self-deprecating and stylish, this is sure to become a classic. * Vanity Fair *One of 2020’s best non-fiction books: ‘In the funny and opinionated Clothes… and other things that matter, former Vogue UK editor Alexandra Shulman explores the meaning of clothes and how we wear them. From the little black dress to the white shirt and the bikini, she takes pieces of clothes and examines their role in her own life and the lives of women in general, touching on issues including sexual identity, motherhood, ambition, power and body image. A must-read for anyone, like Miranda Priestly, who knows that clothes might not maketh the woman, but they certainly help.’ * Stylist *The book’s relatability is one of its chief merits. So is its smart interrogation of what different clothes mean and why. * Financial Times *It is an enjoyably blunt, witty read from a woman who knows that clothes are not the only thing that matter - but who understands that they teach us a lot about pretty much everything else that does. * The i *

Alexandra Shulman is a writer and commentator. She was British Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief from 1992 to 2017 and was awarded the CBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours list. She is currently a columnist for the Mail on Sunday, a contributor to a variety of newspapers and magazines and a Vice President of the London Library. She has written two novels, Can We Still Be Friends (2012) and The Parrots (2015) and Inside Vogue: The Diary of My 100th Year (2016).