The Curvy Girl Style Handbook – Review

The Curvy Girl's Style HandbookProduct: The Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook, by Suze Solari

Price: $4.49 for Kindle version, $19.00 paperback

Where to Buy: Amazon

Print Length: 94 pages

Publication Date: May 18, 2018

Language: English

Amazon Customer Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars

My Rating: 3.8 out of 5

 

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The Curvy Girl Style Handbook – Overview

The title speaks for itself. This book is a style guide for curvy girls. For anyone trying to create a plus size capsule wardrobe, it’s a helpful manual of how to add style and interest to any wardrobe. Author Suze Solari picks three curvy women from among her friends and colleagues, goes to their closets, and dresses each woman with the clothing she finds. These women range between size 6 and size 18, and are of various races and ages. Ms. Solari finds outfits for all seasons for each woman, and styles the outfits with beautiful accessories to complete the looks. Included are creatively posed photographs of each woman in her outfits, tastefully done and inspiring for those of us looking to improve our looks from our own closets.

Included is a comprehensive description of body types and the fashion industry’s sizing variations that make us all crazy with fitting challenges. With the sizing fiasco also comes self-esteem issues and attributing one’s worth to a size number. Ms. Solari helps to lay a foundation of recognizing a woman’s beauty at any size and therefore her value and self-worth. She includes exercises such as saying mantras that help women change the way they view themselves, and moves a negative self-image to a more positive, self-assured view.

A Good Read

I enjoyed reading The Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook. It was a quick read, only 94 pages, with a lot of pictures and charts that illustrated Ms. Solari’s points. I really liked the two major styling principals of “V for Victory” and “B, for put a Belt on it’. The outfits pictured have those two elements throughout, and in each outfit description. I have embraced these two concepts and know that Ms. Solari’s use of these ideas really work. This is proof that drawing the eye up with a v-neck, and defining a waist really do work for any shaped woman.

I also liked Ms. Solari’s discussion about the women’s body issues. She told of how each of her model woman struggled with diet and exercise and body image throughout their lives, and even included her own journey of attaining her own feeling of self-worth and beauty. It was nice to read the personalized stories and know that these women, including the author, are normal everyday women, and not the glossy size zero underfed and airbrushed models you see the magazines. This helped make the author more real, and therefore more relevant.

Style is Subjective

Of course everyone’s style tastes are different. I think I err over on the conservative side, being born the last year of the baby boom, and having been a straight-laced office manager all my life. So, therefore, I felt that the clothing choices in the photographs were too unconventional for my tastes. However, I took this as a challenge to go more “out of bounds” with my own style.

I also felt that the models, although great examples of average curvy women, were still on the smaller end of the plus size spectrum. I have read that the AVERAGE size of women in the US is 18, so I feel that the size 18 model should be the middle-sized one, instead of on the high side of the group. In this, I felt as though this book did not include me and my 3x, 4x, and 5x friends. Even so, the “V for Victory” and the “B for put a Belt on it” guidelines do fit in and can apply to my larger size readers, and to any woman reading Ms. Solari’s book.

About the Author

Suze Solari has 25 years of style experience (and she doesn’t look a day over 30!) and is based in Chicago. She relates her own story about her struggle with clothing and size and shape in this book. Ms. Solari has published several other style books, including The Stylish Upgrade Series, which includes The Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook as book number three in a group of four books. I already have The T-Shirt & Jeans Handbook, The Blouse & Skirt Handbook, and The Pack With a Purpose books in my wish list.

The Curvy Girl's Style Handbook

Suzi Solari

The Kindle Version (Kindle Fire)

I wanted to make a plug for the Kindle version of The Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook.  It of course is less expensive, and saves on paper. Also, all the website links work, so you don’t have to type in the URLs when you want to check out Ms. Solari’s other inspirations. Included is the easy, read-it-now download, and everything else you get with a Prime membership. I recommend this as the best method of reading The Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook.


A Great Book

I would be happy to recommend The Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook to my readers who are creating their plus size capsule wardobe. It informs and entertains, and it surely helps us curvy women find things to wear in our own closets.  Please give this book a read, and give me your opinions below.   And thanks for reading!

Brought to you by Wealthy Affiliate.

RhondaLeigh
The Curvy Girl's Style Handbook
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The Curvy Girl's Style Handbook
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23 Comments

  1. jen

    Thanks for sharing this book! I have so much trouble trying to find a style all my own because I am a little curvier and find shopping horrible and a bust most times. I’m hoping this book could give me some pointers. You’re review is great and i’m glad to have come across it.

  2. Lok Which

    Reading through this article I’m sure this book will have a lot of elements that will benefits women in general and be more beneficial to curvy women. My wife is a curvy woman and yet I always love to see her looking smart. I will be buying one of this book for her and we will go through it together. I will keep following you to get more beneficial updates.

    • admin

      Thanks so much for looking at my book review.  I’m so happy that you are going to share this with your wife.  And you please follow me on my website, as I try to bring more wardrobe information to my fellow curvy girls.  Thanks for your comment!  RhondaLeigh 

  3. Olanike

    Wow ! This is exactly for me . As a very curvy person my husband has always encourage me to choose my clothing carefully. I needed a standard book or set of rules for that purpose. This post has really pointed me in the right direction . 

    I am sure I am going to love the content of this book and am ready to go for it. Once again thanks for the information.

    • admin

      I’m so glad you like the book review.  There are so many curvy women like ourselves that have benefited from this book!  And the two simple rules outlined apply to EVERYONE.  It is really a wonderful book.  Thanks for your comment!  RhondaLeigh

  4. Wealthfather

    So nice to have an easily consumable explanation on this unique handbook called the curvy girls style.
    Thank You very much for sharing such an informative article with all the necessary information. A friend recommended the handbook for me sometimes ago but i never took it serious. Your article is an eye opener for me and i would make sure I purchase mine as soon as possible.

    • admin

      Thanks for checking out my book review.  And yes, get the book!  You will really enjoy reading it.  Thanks for your comment!  RhondaLeigh 

  5. Jen Obas

    Thanks for sharing this book! I have so much trouble trying to find a style all my own because I am a little curvier and find shopping horrible and a bust most times. I’m hoping this book could give me some pointers. You’re review is great and i’m glad to have come across it.

    • admin

      Hi Jen, thanks for looking at my book review.  I think The Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook is a great start to finding clothing that will work for you.  Please read the rest of my site, as you will find a lot more information on where to get plus size clothing.  Thanks again for reading, and thanks for your comment!  RhondaLeigh

  6. Lynne Huysamen

    This sounds like a brilliant read and something I could really benefit from. I have been quite a slim build all my life and it is so easy to dress when you are slim. Almost everything looks good on you! But since I quite smoking 3+ years ago I have put on 20kgs and my body shape has changed completely. I really struggle with finding things that look good on me and it makes me feel awful. Thank you for the recommendation, I will certainly look into buying it. 

    • admin

      Lynne, so sorry for your body image issues.  Yes, this book goes a long way to getting us to realize that WE are not the issue, and that the clothing is the problem.  We are trying to jam a 3x peg into a size 0 hole, and it just doesn’t work.  And it’s not our fault!  We are beautiful despite what the clothing industry would have us believe.  Thanks for your comment!  RhondaLeigh

  7. Louis

    I believe curvy girls are a delight to see. However, most curvy ladies suffer from low self-esteem, and makes them look unattractive. 

    I believe the curvy girl handbook will be a good material to teach curvy girls how to feel comfortable in their own skin.

    I currently have a curvy girlfriend and I absolutely love her, however she has troubles loving herself. I would love to get her this book, I know it will go a long way in helping her and helping our relationship as well.

    • admin

      Yes, I’m sure your girlfriend would love this book.  And yes, we curvy girls have deep seated issues with our self esteem, and it does us good to hear people say the things you’ve said in your comment.  Thank you for that!  RhondaLeigh

  8. Rob S.

    This is interesting because my wife and both her sisters are plus sizes and would benefit from this book.
    And they all have issues with their closets and the space as well.
    I think they would all benefit from changing up for sure.
    I’ve seen many plus size women who look great especially when they dress well!
    Sometimes you need change in your life and I’m going to recommend this book and see what they think.
    It’s a positive change and I’m sure they won’t take it negatively!
    What are others opinions about the book?

    • admin

      So far there has been a lot of positive feedback for this book.  Amazon gives it 4.3 out of 5 stars.  So I’m sure the women in your life will really love it.  The book really does give a positive spin to an otherwise negative subject, helping those of us who have body image issues feel a lot better about how we look.  Thanks for your comments!  RhondaLeigh

  9. Kenechi

    My niche is on clothings and I think this Curvy women handbook will be of a lot of help to me in helping women find the kinds of clothes or wears that will fit or suite their daily life styles and as well as occupation or profession. Apart from helping me in my website, I know my wife will also love to read it. 

    • admin

      So glad you can use the Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook with your own website.  And thanks for recommending the book to your wife.  I hope this helps your site and thanks for your comment!  RhondaLeigh

  10. jaykaynigltd

    This is a great informative and educative. Beauty knows no size says my mum! You may be size “1” and be ugly and you may be size “21” and be beautiful. Natural as an African-American I have flare for plus sized women. I love the title: “The Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook” not some “plus size” or Big something.

    • admin

      Thanks for liking curvy girls!  Yes, the title goes a long way to dispelling the stigma that we curvy girls get at times.  Thanks for your comment!  RhondaLeigh

  11. Peace

    If it’s where I come from Ms Solari’s ideas are what we call ”packaging”. 

    To look beautiful and attractive, it’s actually all about packaging. Which is, understanding what works for your body type and maximising it by being creative. 

    I love putting the belt on it. It always does the trick. From your review the book The Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook, seems like a must read. 

    • admin

      Yes, putting a belt on it seems to be a universal fashion trick that creates that coveted hour-glass figure we all want.  Yes, I agree that this book is a must read.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, so I hope you will read and enjoy it too!  Thanks for your comment!  RhondaLeigh

  12. Topazdude

    Wow, Nice review post on Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook. I was privileged to read this read this wonderful handbook when my sister first get it then, is really interesting with beautiful fashion on pretty lady used. I enjoyed reading The Curvy Girl’s Style Handbook. It was a quick read, only 94 pages, with a lot of pictures and charts that illustrated Ms. Solari’s points. I really liked the two major styling principals of “V for Victory” and “B, for put a Belt on it’. Is affordable, I can categorically say lady that haven’t gotten this wonderful handbook is really missing something!

    • admin

      Thank you so much for comment. I’m glad you like the book.  I will be reading and reviewing all the books I can get on this subject, so watch this space!  Thanks again…RhondaLeigh

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