You may find it hilarious that someone with the blog name of “Plain Jane Mom” was asked to review a book about personal style, but get over it and keep reading, please :)

Written by Nina Garcia, from Project Runway and Elle Magazine, this is a quick read with one main point: you are special. You can develop your own personal style because you are unique and you deserve it. I love this message, and if that’s all you take away from the book then it will have been worth it.

But there’s more. She gets into the essential pieces everyone’s wardrobe needs, and while I may feel that my life is complete without a trench coat, she makes a pretty convincing argument and nearly wins me over.

The illustrations by Ruben Toledo are fabulous, and they complement the text perfectly.

While I liked this book quite a bit, it falters somewhat at about the 2/3 point. From that point on she just has interviews with big names in fashion. Unfortunately, she asked everyone the same set of questions, and for me it got to be tedious after the first several answers. This format works better in a magazine when you can stick a bunch of bullet-point answers across a few pages. But it felt way too long and repetitive in the book.

That said, this book sets a mood which allows you to feel comfortable creating your own style. She strives to empower you, to teach you, and to inspire you. All worthy goals, and for the most part she hits her mark. If you’re looking for an inspirational book to get you to clean out your closet and refine your sense of yourself, this one could be a great start.

Release date: September 4, 2007, and available at Amazon.