This little book - roughly 150 pages long, including a bunch of half page illustrations - was the perfect ebook download from the Project Gutenberg website. Originally published in 1897, this fashion critique/commentary is entertaining reading.... if for nothing more than the audacity with which Quigley attacks the fashion faux pas of her fellow lady, and man. Some of the advice is still of common sense usage for our modern times - horizontal stripes only enhance the girth of the human body, that dark colours are more slimming for a figure and how to breakup the visual effect to minimize drawing attention to as trouble spot. It was shockingly interesting to read the viewpoint that one's physical appearance gives way to identification of personality types - that a woman with a protruding nose "should aim to modify the unhappy angularity of her profile as well as to repress her gossipy tendencies." and other comments of this type which are peppered throughout the book.

The book starts out with Quigley thanking the editors of the New York Sun and New York Journal for kindly allowing her to include in this book articles which she had contributed to their respective papers. The appointed (or possibly self-appointed) fashion adviser to the masses will have you chuckling at the fashions of the period and how freely she communicates "exactly what she thinks".

Overall, a fun, quick and entertaining look at late 19th century fashion advice. If you choose to read this one, I recommend downloading either the epub or kindle versions with the images, which are quite good line drawings and are good visual aides for Quigley's commentary. ( )