{"product_id":"how-to-get-dressed-isbn-9781607747062","title":"How to Get Dressed","description":"Costume designer Alison Freer’s styling kit is a magical bag of tricks, built to solve every single wardrobe malfunction on earth. TV and film productions wait for nothing, so her solutions have to work fast. In \u003ci\u003eHow to Get Dressed\u003c\/i\u003e, Alison distills her secrets into a fun, comprehensive style guide focused on rethinking your wardrobe like a fashion expert and making what’s in your closet work for you. She provides real-world advice about everything style-related, including:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   • Making every garment you own fit better \u003cbr\u003e   • Mastering closet organization \u003cbr\u003e   • The undergarments you actually need \u003cbr\u003e   • The scoop on tailors and which alterations are worth it \u003cbr\u003e   • Shopping thrift and vintage like a rockstar \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Instead of repeating boring style “rules,” Alison breaks the rules and gets real about everything from bras to how to deal with inevitable fashion disasters. Including helpful information such as how to skip ironing and the dry cleaners, remove every stain under the sun, and help clueless men get their sartorial acts together, \u003ci\u003eHow to Get Dressed\u003c\/i\u003e has hundreds of insider tips from Alison’s arsenal of tools and expertise.\u003cb\u003entroduction: Good Clothes Open All Doors ix\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCHAPTER 1 \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eMovie Magic: Or, Why Movie    1\u003cbr\u003e Stars Look Like Movie Stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e First, You Have To Prepare \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e It’s Time to Shop \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Let’s Have a Fitting  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e How Do They Make a TV Show, Anyway?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 2 \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eFit: The True Enemy of Great Style  11\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Right Pants \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e A Better Skirt \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e A Brilliant Blouse \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e A Jacket Fit for a Queen\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e The Perfect Dress\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 3\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eAlter Your Clothes, Alter Your Life  29\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Totally Worth-It Alterations You Really Need to Know About  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e But Sometimes, It’s Just Not Worth It \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e How to Find a Great Tailor \u003cb\u003e|\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eBasic Tailoring Terms\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 4\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eBe Your Own Costume Designer   49\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Your Style is Your Signature \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e How to Search Out Pieces That Are So \u003cbr\u003e Totally You\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 5 \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eDumb Fashion Rules     59\u003cbr\u003e That Were Made For Breaking\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dumb Rule Number One: Always Fear Wearing Stripes—Horizontal or Otherwise \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Dumb Rule Number Two: Don’t Wear White after Labor Day \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Dumb Rule Number Three: Don’t Wear Black with Brown or Navy \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Dumb Rule Number Four: Don’t Mix Your Metals \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Dumb Rule Number Five: Don’t Wear Leggings as Pants \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Dumb Rule Number Six: Don’t Wear Boots in the Summer \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Dumb Rule Number Seven: Short Boots Make Your Legs Look Stumpy \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Dumb Rule Number Eight: Don’t Mix Your Patterns \u003cb\u003e| \u003c\/b\u003eDumb Rule Number Nine: Don’t Double Up Your Denim \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Dumb Rule Number Ten: Redheads Can’t Wear Red—and Blondes Shouldn’t Be Wearing Yellow, Either\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 6 \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eWardrobe Tools      73\u003cbr\u003e To Keep Your Look Together\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Holy Trinity: Safety Pins, Topstick, and Moleskin \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Even More Tools to Keep Your Look Together \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e But What about a Busted Zipper? \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Ironing is \u003cbr\u003e for Suckers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 7 \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eDressing for Success Is Dead   91\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Are My Clothes Dirty? \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Are My Clothes Wrinkled? \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Am I Showing Something I Wish I Wasn’t? \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Are My Clothes Covered in Lint, Pills, or \u003cbr\u003e Stray Threads? \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Are My Shoes Scuffed, Dirty, or Worn? \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Does This Fit \u003cbr\u003e Me Properly?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 8 \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eCloset Hacks: Store Your    101\u003cbr\u003e Clothes Like Wardrobe Girls Do \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When in Doubt, Just Hang it Up! \u003cb\u003e| \u003c\/b\u003eBut What if I Don’t Have \u003cbr\u003e Enough Rail Space?\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 9 \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eUnderthings: You Really Only Need a Few  117\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e First Things First: Throw Your Shapewear in the Trash \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Don’t Fear the Panty Line \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Your Grandma Was Right: Slips Rule \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Don’t Burn Your Bra Just Yet... \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e How to Frankenstein a Bra That Works for You \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Hand Washing Your Bras and Undies\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 10\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eLaundry: You’re Doing It Wrong   143\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Get the Most out of Your Washing Machine \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Is Dry-Cleaning Really Necessary? \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e To Skip the Dry Cleaner, You’d Better Learn How to \u003cbr\u003e Hand Wash \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Stains: Or, Spit Removes Blood Like Whoa\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 11\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eShoe Care For All Your Footwear  167\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Help Your Shoes Keep Their Shape \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Spring for Protective Rubber Soles—and Replace Your Heel Caps Often \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Remove Salt and Slush Residue Immediately \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Avoid Heat and Other Drying Conditions \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Rotate Your Footwear \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Don’t Forget to Waterproof \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Maintain, Maintain, Maintain \u003cb\u003e| \u003c\/b\u003eBring Your Shoes Back from the Dead \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Keep Your Shoes from Killing Your Feet \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 12\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eOld Stuff: A Guide to     185\u003cbr\u003e Shopping Vintage and Thrift   \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Thrift Stores and Charity Shops \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Vintage Stores \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Consignment or \u003cbr\u003e Resale Shops \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Used Clothing Stores \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e To Start the Hunt, Prepare and \u003cbr\u003e Plan \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Then, Know What to Look For \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Also, Have a Plan of Attack \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Be Sure \u003cbr\u003e to Try It All On (and Check It Twice!) \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Finally, Get Ready to Wear It\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 13\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eDudes, This One’s for You    201\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If the Jacket’s Not Right, the Whole Thing Is Wrong \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e This Is How Pants Should Fit \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Let’s Talk about Shirts \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e How to Measure Yourself Properly \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e You Can Thank the Duke for the Suit \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e With Buttons, it’s Sometimes, Always, Never \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Can I Take My Jacket Off Now? \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e Whoops, This Suit \u003cbr\u003e Doesn’t Fit! \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e How to Fix Your See-Through Shirt \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e How a Tie Should Look \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e|\u003c\/b\u003e How to Wear a Tuxedo\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ego ahead, sit on the grass: Stain Glossary  219\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003etake care of what you’ve got: Fabric Care Glossary 225\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eAcknowledgments 235\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eAbout the Author 237\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eIndex   239\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Best Seller\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"Professional costume designer Freer spills all her secrets for transforming your closet into a truly functional wardrobe. Her tips tackle clothing fitting issues, closet organization, undergarment truths, brilliant thrifting tips, and more. For someone looking to overhaul their closet, this is not a book to miss.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eBustle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Freer has quite a few styling tricks up her sleeve, and now it’s easier for everyone to gain access to her straight-forward advice for cheap. Her new book \u003ci\u003eHow To Get Dressed\u003c\/i\u003e gets to the nitty-gritty of revamping your wardrobe.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e--Huffington Post\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[Freer is] refreshingly down-to-earth in her first book, which is packed full of helpful tips for building and maintaining a stylish wardrobe . . . for those looking for a comprehensive and highly readable clothes-care book, this is the one.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Alison really nails the basics of good style while allowing room for readers to inject their own personality into a look. Most of all, her writing constantly reminds me of what fashion is really supposed to be: fun for everyone.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e--Jane Pratt, founder of xoJane.com\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\"Years in the trenches of Hollywood have made Alison Freer an authority on every single clothing problem that could befall a person. As a result, this book is crammed full of wardrobe tricks that really work and is a truly indispensable guide to getting dressed.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e--Nancy Jo Sales, Author of \u003ci\u003eThe Bling Ring\u003c\/i\u003e and contributing editor at \u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Not everyone can have two maids at her beck and call. Alison is right about many things, but mainly this: ironing really is for mere mortal humans. Her purrrfect fashion advice will have you looking your very best (but not better than moi!). Two paws up, dahhhlings!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e--Ashley Tschudin, Official Voice of Choupette Lagerfeld, @ChoupettesDiary\u003c\/b\u003eALISON FREER is a costume designer from Texas living and working in Hollywood. With more than 150 TV shows, films, commercials, and music videos under her belt, she has reams of hard-won, practical wardrobe expertise at her fingertips. Alison is also the clothes editor at xoJane.com, where her unique take on how to solve common fashion and style conundrums has won her a dedicated following. Alison is also a contributing editor to Racked.com, in addition to hosting TLC's \u003ci\u003eA Makeover Story\u003c\/i\u003e during its fifth season. She also appeared on Melissa River's \u003ci\u003eTV Candy\u003c\/i\u003e on the TV Guide network as the show's resident style expert.\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIntroduction: Good Clothes Open All Doors \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I am a costume designer living and working in Hollywood, California. You might be wondering what a costume designer even does, which makes sense—I wondered the same thing, even as I was agreeing to be one! If you’ve ever thought that your favorite character’s wardrobe on that really great show was the bee’s knees, you have a costume designer to thank for it. Because that character didn’t just wake up that way—a clever costume designer created the look you love so much. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Being a costume designer means I’m the one responsible for the designing, fabricating, shopping, fitting, accessorizing, altering, repairing, and customizing of every single piece of clothing that actors wear while on camera—right down to their underwear and socks. Whether I’m working on a film, TV show, or commercial, I’m pounding the pavement at fabric stores, boutiques, flea markets, shopping malls, and costume houses twelve to fourteen hours a day, every day. The jobs I take are particularly unglam—because there is a world of difference between a professional costume designer who dresses actors as the characters they play and a celebrity stylist who exclusively outfits stars for red carpet appearances.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e One of us (the celebrity stylist) has every top clothing and jewelry designer in the world on speed dial, while the other (the costume designer, that’s me!) usually has only five hundred bucks and a pocket full of ingenuity to get the job done. You’re not likely to find me delivering ball gowns to hotel suites in glamorous locales or being name-checked in an actor’s Oscar acceptance speech. More often than not, I’m standing on a ladder in a dusty costume house looking for showgirl outfits or hunched over a folding table in my basement office on a studio lot, trying to figure out how to sew soda cans onto a furry seal costume in time for the afternoon’s shoot. But I wouldn’t have it any other way, because the thousands of hours I’ve spent in the trenches figuring out what works for my actors’ wardrobes has made me an authority on anything and everything having to do with clothes—from determining what constitutes proper fit to what to do when a wardrobe crisis strikes. I’ve also made a ton of mistakes along the way, so whatever your particular problem, I can guarantee it’s happened to me—and that I probably have the solution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I actually lied my way into becoming a costume designer. (That’s some hot career advice right there, by the way: fake it ’til you make it!) I’ve been a rabid collector of clothes, shoes, handbags, and accessories my entire life—so much so that my first apartment in Los Angeles really just functioned as one giant closet. There were rhinestone cowboy boots lining the walls of my living room, a dozen cut-up vintage prom dresses hanging in the bathroom, and nothing in my bedroom but racks of clothes and a mattress on the floor. One day my neighbor (who also happened to be a commercial director) came over to borrow something, took one look at this total mania, and asked, “Whoa, are you a costume designer?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He didn’t even notice the white polyester dress I had bubbling away in a pot on the stove, which was an unsuccessful attempt to dye it black using India ink. (There aren’t enough words to explain how badly that experiment failed, by the way—so save yourself a headache and skip to chapter 10 for some pro-style dyeing tips if you’re interested in making the things you own change colors.) I froze for all of three seconds before I decided to answer that yes, of course, I was indeed a costume designer. I suspected that whatever a costume designer actually was, I could probably be one. I innately knew that what I already loved doing could probably become my career and that I likely could be just as good at it as anybody else. That director called to hire me for a small commercial the very next week. And just like that, my career was born. It wasn’t fate, it was just an incredible opportunity that I smartly grabbed—and then held on to for dear life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e People always ask me what special skills I learned to become a successful costume designer and are consistently shocked when I tell them that the answer is “Pretty much none!” Not only did I not attend fashion school, I barely attended college. I struck out on my own early in life, taking on a number of jobs that depended solely on my ability to communicate well and get people excited about things. I was a shopgirl in clothing and jewelry stores, and the experience I gained while working with the general public is what most effectively prepared me to be a costume designer—because dressing people is really all about sales. I can paint a picture with words and images that allows people to believe in me and see what the end result will be—and give them the confidence to let me spend rather large amounts of their money!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Long before I worked retail, I was a scrappy eighteen-year-old DJ at my local alternative radio station. I started out as the receptionist but eventually badgered them until they broke down and gave me an overnight on-air shift, provided it didn’t interfere with my daytime responsibilities. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I slept in my office (which was also the station’s front lobby) from the time my shift ended at 5:00 a.m. until my daytime receptionist gig began at 9:00 a.m. I learned how to talk, communicate, schmooze, and how to “figure it out” at all costs—skills I’m still utilizing to this very day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e That’s not to say that I don’t still wake up almost every single morning wondering, “Why do these people trust me? What’s wrong with them? And what if I screw everything up?”\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eI’ve learned the hard way not to psych myself out too much—to just push through and focus solely on the task at hand. This single-minded, eyes-on-the prize, dogged determination is what makes me uniquely qualified to solve any wardrobe problem the universe manages to come up with. (It’s also the reason I can’t ever attend a wedding without being grabbed out of the congregation at the last minute to tie the bride’s French bustle or repair a flapping bra strap.) \u003cbr\u003e Looking back, I’d really been preparing to become a costume designer my entire life—I just never realized it. As a teen in Texas, I’d be dropped off at the mall by my parents each and every Saturday with my five best buds and $30 of babysitting money in my pocket. While my pals were busy blowing their allowance on CDs and Slurpees, I was hunting for cool clothes I could actually afford that fit the vision of myself I had in my head. (Figuring out what image I wanted to project to the world via my wardrobe makes me the very first character I ever dressed!) This was a valuable lesson—because while having great style is an essential part of being a costume designer, good budgeting skills are really at the heart of the job description. Designers who go over budget don’t tend to get rehired, so knowing your way around a clearance rack is a very valuable skill.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Being a costume designer means that when things go wrong, I’m the one who takes the heat. You haven’t really lived until you’ve gotten a shocking amount of red lipstick out of a white Gucci blouse in front of a live studio audience because someone hugged an actor too forcefully in the middle of a taping. It costs about $1,000 per minute while the camera is held and everyone waits for me to fix it. Situations like that are why I’ve had to come up with a stable of solutions to disasters that really work—and work incredibly fast. Wardrobe disasters are a way of life when you’re a costume designer, and I’ve had every single one possible happen to me at some point in my career. So the next time you find yourself suffering from a terrible clothing malfunction, you can take heart in knowing that what you are experiencing has likely happened to your favorite star as well. But you can also rest easy—because now that you’re holding this book, you’ve got the solution to almost any dastardly wardrobe disaster that could occur.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In the coming pages, I’m going to pull back the curtain and show you what really goes on behind the scenes at a wardrobe fitting. We’ll figure out together who the heck you really are and what your clothes are saying about you, and I’ll let you in on all the style secrets my actors probably wish I wouldn’t—while teaching you how to keep the clothes you’ve already got in your closet in tip-top shape. (Because, yes, wardrobes need tune-ups and maintenance, too.) I’ll also open up my costume designer’s tool kit and share all the gadgets I use to make those stars look like stars. Because the old saying really is true: Good clothes open all doors. But I’m of the belief that it’s not so much \u003ci\u003ewhat\u003c\/i\u003e you wear that makes people sit up and take notice—it’s how you wear it. By the time you’re done reading here, there won’t be a single one of my secrets you won’t know. Everyone’s wardrobe could benefit from having a professional costume designer (and her secret bag of tricks) in their back pocket—and that’s just what this book is: Me, Alison Freer, at your service.","brand":"Ten Speed Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304012894437,"sku":"NP9781607747062","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781607747062.jpg?v=1767729412","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/how-to-get-dressed-isbn-9781607747062","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}