Absolutely all of our reviewers can agree on two things: The Little Black Book of Style is physically beautiful, inside and out, and on one level or another, it served as an inspiration. As parents who put a high priority on practicality, we can all admit putting function ahead of form perhaps a little too often.

But the bloggers seemed to fall into two camps: one, those who enjoy fashion for fashion’s sake, recognized all the designers’ names dropped by author Nina Garcia, and read magazines like ELLE more often than their quarterly visit to the colorist (because what else are you going to do with all that foil on your head?); and two, those who are squinting at the screen, scratching their heads, and saying, “Foil? On your head? What for? And who the hell is Michael Kors anyway?”

It was reassuring to see so many of my peers admit that they’re in a bit of a quandary where it comes to style:

• “…even though I’ve talked much about my complete and total lack of style, it doesn’t mean I don’t want to have style. I just don’t think I have any sort of natural knack for it. Inherently, I’m lazy, and that’s a problem when you’re trying to be stylish.“
• “I am so impressed with women - especially moms - who always look so put together. I am not one of those women. I have always been a before. [My husband] uses the terms old lady and potato sacks to describe how I dress.“
• “I really want someone to tell me: with your body, thus-and-such would be a flattering cut. I am sure that if in my mind I have a certain look in mind that there is a figure-flattering alternative for me; I just can’t figure it out on my own.“

Even those bloggers who’ve purchased their share of designer duds in the past were encouraged:

• “I was intrigued by the idea of a handbook that could possibly help me on the road back to fashion enlightenment, a primer on regaining my taste for well-fitting skirts and expensive shoes. Do I always have to pick up the kids wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt with a jam stain on it? I think not!“
• “I read through the list (white men’s shirt, trench coat, little black dress, black pumps, ballet flats, jeans, etc.) and thought, Holy Coco Chanel, Batman!…I used to be totally fashionable! I didn’t even know it!“
• “In addition to some concrete advice about white shirts and how to look elegant, you gave me a little pep talk which I clearly needed. Thanks for letting me feel good about my H&M habit and for encouraging me to think a little longer about buying a pair of Manolos!“

But the desire for practical help was a recurring theme. One blogger noted, “I did find myself wishing she’d give us some examples of what looks fabulous and what doesn’t,” and another observed that the author is “perhaps a bit out of touch with the average woman’s fashion realities,” but went on to agree that “taking those extra few minutes in the morning to put together a cute outfit can often have a fantastic effect on my entire day.”

Many bloggers did extract the practical help they were seeking:

• “…remove anything from your closet that doesn’t fit you, doesn’t suit you, or only remains because of guilt.“
• “…the advice about buying a pair of black high-heeled pumps has convinced me that a visit to the shoe store tomorrow is imperative.“
• “It does make sense to invest in pieces that last rather than my current method of purchasing 6 shirts for $50 and having them ragged out a few months later due to poor construction and cheap fabric.“
• “Buy classic, quality clothing that you can use for years. Then splurge on the occasional love at first sight, I HAVE to buy this because it’s so amazing items.“
• “Great tips like cleaning out your closet, what items to invest in and how to be a little unconventional all inspired me.“
• “…style ideas which can be used at just about any income level, all you need is a little creativity, ambition and heart.“

But some remained a little cynical where it came to the fashion icons’ recommendations:

“Some of the celebrity fashion advice I found hilarious, like Michael Kors’ assertion that the one item every woman needs in her wardrobe is a pair of 4-inch stilleto-heeled crocodile pumps. The day Michael Kors is able to do a 7:00 am conference call, make breakfast, make the beds, race to an 8:15 school drop-off, go to work for 8 hours, go home for lunch to start the laundry, pick up the kid, go to soccer practice, make dinner, and clean up afterwards in a pair of crocodile stilettos, I’ll believe he knows what’s best for me. Until then, I’m sticking with my Tevas.”

And others simply felt alienated by the quotes:

• “I was disappointed to see that everyone interviewed was a heavyweight in the fashion field - from Donatella Versace to Heidi Klum - and had frustratingly similar answers to many of their questions. Variations on confidence and inner beauty seemed to be everyone’s response to what constitutes a unique sense of style.“
• “The effect of so many quotes and lists of cool kids ended up making me feel like it was more a high-school yearbook than a style guide. Garcia started out making me feel as though maybe I could be cool, but by the end, I felt like maybe it wasn’t worth it at all.“

But that’s not to say that all the bloggers felt that way. A lot of them loved hearing from the insiders and reminiscing about the style icons from the silver screen:

• “Favorite part: Chapter five, which boasts insider tricks from insiders like Diane von Furstenberg, Zac Posen, Ralph Lauren, and Elle Macpherson.”
• “Probably my favorite, though, was the section on Movies that Inspired Fashion. I found myself remembering the characters from Love Story and Pulp Fiction with fresh eyes. I never really stopped to think about movies influencing fashion.“
• “I really enjoyed the section on movies and musicians - Garcia points readers to some classic looks captured on film and breaks the looks down, explaining what worked, and why. I also loved the Q&A with some of the fashion industry’s top players - some of their answers were really surprising.“

The Little Black Book of Style won’t throw your wardrobe in the trash and take you shopping - you’ve got to do that yourself. What it has done is “…collected and distilled all of those tidbits of fashion genius and all of those precious bits of timeless advice into one slim, pretty volume that you can carry in your bag or keep on the vast expanse of shelf-space that is vacant now that you are able to toss your dust-gathering collection of old Vogue (and Harper’s and W) magazines.”

One blogger perfectly relates the essence of this book back to us as individuals:

“This whole clothing thing isn’t about covering up the naked bits of who you are. It’s about being who you are and making sure every piece of your wardrobe reflects that. And if it takes picking up a lovely little book every now and then to remind myself of that, I’ll gladly take the inspiration.”

To purchase your own copy of The Little Black Book of Style, click here!