Book Review: Who Do You Want to Be Today?

I have a secret. I want to be Trinny Woodall. I have a girl crush, yes I do – and it’s Trinny. Love her style, love her voice, love her elegance, frankness, energy and candour. Coupled with the luscious Susannah Constantine, this illustrious, fashion-busting couple have done it again – teaching ‘real’ women how to flaunt their fabulousness.

Who Do You Want to Be Today: Be Inspired to Dress Differently is a neat little tome that calls on us to take a peek outside our fashion comfort zones. For those of us on the fast (but exciting!) train to ‘middle age’ – it’s so easy to become complacent about what compromises our true style or become fixated on a style we can hide behind… one that perhaps doesn’t allow us to shine.

Of course, first impressions are important – not only for how people see us, but for how we express who we really are, and most of us are multi-faceted chameleons. While we probably understand our own style type – smart casual, urban, glamourpuss, tizzy – there is certainly an androgyne, ice queen or gamine in all of us somewhere. So why can’t we reflect more than one style?

This book absolutely caters to a woman’s biorhythmic style whims – who are we today? Tomorrow? Next Thursday at 3pm?

Trinny and Susannah’s latest book delivers, once again, a fun style romp for anyone the least bit interested in style, but also in looking and feeling confident – or dare I say it – fabulous. Although it doesn’t cover the usual ‘this outfit will make your backside look like it did when you were 15’ tactics, it does offer food for thought on how to harness your inner diva (or bombshell, rockstar, minimalist). Even if you’re not the type who wants to be poised on the cutting edge of cool, it’s great fun to take an on-trend journey through a variety of ‘styles’ from boho to high maintenance.

Each chapter showcases a different genre, opening with a pep talk from the gals, a photograph gallery of real life examples for inspiration and a showcase of clothing examples. For the bombshell, it’s all about pencil skirts, pedal pushers and full-length gowns. For the rock chick, it’s skinny jeans, waistcoats and leather jackets. But it’s also about attitude.

Refusing to jump on the skinny model bizarrewagon, the authors use real life woman to represent each genre – and each one of them blossoms forth in her chosen attire thanks to carefully chosen accessories, makeup, even hair advice. There are also notes on colour and pattern choice, as well as on designers who do the chosen look so well.

Of course, it goes without saying that the success of the Woodall/Constantine juggernaut is because these women are real. They deal with real issues with real women in real life, with nary an airbrush nor diet book in sight. We love their work for the fact that it celebrates the best within us all – no matter our age, shape or boob size – and bundles it up into something beautiful, after all – we all love to feel beautiful.

Happily, once again, this dynamic duo show that everyone is beautiful – regardless of their style choices and preferences. Hmmm. Maybe I don’t need to be Trinny Woodall after all. Maybe I can just be Me. Now that’s a beautiful thought.

Who do you want to be today?