Sincerely Reading

Sincerely Reading is a reoccurring feature on the blog. This week I’m sharing a “Tales From the Back Row” review. 

Title: Tales from the Back Row: An Outsider’s View from Inside the Fashion Industry by Amy Odell

Summary: Cosmopolitan.com editor Amy Odell knows what it’s really like to be a young woman working in the fashion industry.

In Tales from the Back Row, Amy—funny and fearless—takes readers behind the stage of New York’s hottest fashion shows to meet the world’s most influential models, designers, celebrities, editors, and photographers. But first, she has to push her way through the crowds outside, where we see the lengths people go to be noticed by the lurking paparazzi, and weave her way through the packed venue, from the very back row to the front. And as Amy climbs the ladder (with tips about how you can, too), she introduces an industry powered by larger-than-life characters: she meets the intimidating Anna Wintour and the surprisingly gracious Rachel Zoe, not to mention the hilarious Chelsea Handler, and more. As she describes the allure of Alexander Wang’s ripped tights and Marchesa’s Oscar-worthy dresses, Amy artfully layers in something else: ultimately this book is about how the fashion industry is an exaggerated mirror of human fallibility—reflecting our desperate desire to belong, to make a mark, to be included. For Amy is the first to admit that as much as she is embarrassed by the thrill she gets when she receives an invitation to an exclusive after-party, she can’t help but RSVP “yes.”

On a Scale of “Don’t Bother” to “Couldn’t Put Down”: Worth reading

Why? This is an entertaining (at times professionally educational) read all about the fashion industry and what it’s like to be the new girl trying to understand its rules. Why are there $1,000 sweatpants? What do you wear to an interview with Anna Wintour? No, it’s not going to grip you like The Good Girl, but that’s not why this book was written.

If someone likes ________, they’d like this book: Cosmopolitan.com or Matt Bellassai. Amy is open about her time covering the fashion industry and her musings while doing so. She has an outsider looking in perspective, and tells it to you honestly like an older cousin might. She’s not completely jaded like Bellassai, but she’s also not going to worship the ground a fashion designer walks on just because VOGUE said to.

When would be the best time to read this book? When you want a quick break from your real (boring) 9-to-5 job or when NYFW comes around again. Bet you won’t feel too jealous of all those bloggers snapping photos in front of yellow cabs once you hear Amy’s inside scoop.

Drop me a note if you’d like to review a book in an upcoming post. You can find more of my book recommendations on my Goodreads page. Follow along!