Book Review: How to Be Yourself-Life-Changing Advice From a Reckless Contrarian by Simon Doonan

Simon Doonan is my fairy godfather. I’ve read and reviewed his books Wacky Chicks and Asylum. Now the ever entertaining Mr. Doonan is back with his latest book How to Be Yourself: Advice from a Reckless Contrarian.

How to Be Yourself is chockful of wisdom on a slew of topics. These include style, people, love, werk(work), decor, and family.

After a brief introduction, Doonan gives his sage advice in his usual witty manner.

We get encouragement on how to express ourselves in how we dress and how we decorate our homes.

Doonan gives us tips on how we should conduct ourselves in the ever-evolving workplace and on navigating our love lives.

He also shares ideas on how to deal with our families and other people.

Throughout How to Be Yourself, there are quotes by the likes of Coco Chanel, John Waters, Winston Churchill, and Iris Apfel. Doonan also provides a glossary in the back to familiarize yourself with some of the language he uses.

Much of the advice Doonan doles out is probably advice you’ve read elsewhere. But Doonan’s way with words and “you can do it” spirit makes up for it.

Asylum-True Tales of Madness from a Life in Fashion by Simon Doonan*

“Ah! Fashion. A nuthouse? A refuge? Or maybe both. Yes, an asylum in both senses of the word. A place where unemployable crazy people are always welcome.

Every seasoned personage has his or her favorite stories of folly, aberration, derangement, kookiness and excess.”-Part of a quote of Simon’s author quote in his book Asylum: True Tales of Madness a collection of madcap essays about what Doonan has witnessed during his life in the fashion biz.

Among them include peers that peanut gallery of nuttiness, models who fancy themselves as spiritual advisers and who are also total cheapskates, Anna Wintour barely blinking, let alone freaking out, when a ceiling fell at a runway show during fashion week, the dating habits of the fashion elite, which include affairs with hustlers, porn stars, gangsters, and jailbirds, fabulous fashion femmes like Diana Vreeland, Polly Mellen, Suzy Menkes among them, and so much more sordid stylish and fashionable fables that will entertain both fashionistas and people who can’t tell the difference between a Jimmy Choo and a Jimmy John’s.

And of course, Doonan can’t help drop names, names, names when it comes to the factory of fashion, including Chanel, Rei Kawakubo from Commes des Garcons, Lagerfeld, Balenciaga, Tom Ford, Thierry Mugler, and so much more!!!

But there is essays that reflect on more serious topics, like how AIDs impacted the fashion industry, taking the lives of creative visionaries like Perry Ellis, Tina Chow, Willi Smith, Halston, Patrick Kelly, and Juan Ramos.

Smart, sassy and wonderfully written, you will find a sensitive man of true compassion and fashion. I have no doubt Mr. Doonan would give you one of his technicolor shirts off his back when you’re in the depths of despair while also filling you in on the a la mode of all the people, places and things of fashion.

*I also reviewed Doonan’s book Wacky Chicks.