AUSTRALIAN STYLE by Melissa Penfold & Jenny Tabakoff

 ‘Most of us know how to live, but not how to live well.  There is a world of difference between the two – and the difference is style.

How to be chic not cheap when living on a budget, how to chuck things and how to check spending are a few of many lessons on style included in a slick new manual – Australian Style.   Whether you want a brilliant career or content to marry money, (not recommended), anyone floundering around trying to develop that nebulous quality – style – will find Australian Style a gem of a find.

And no, style gurus Melissa Penfold and Jenny Tabakoff do not recommend marrying for even inherited money. “Being married to a nice little earner is no substitute for being your own mogul,’’ they say.

Decades of wisdom from the two newspaper women  jams each informative page with interesting material,  written in an easy-to-read, enjoyable style.

Both women also bring bags of magazine experience to offer style guidance in an inspiring, indulgent but practical manner.

Melissa, a former interiors editor of Belle magazine, has been the Sydney Morning herald’s style expert for 12 years with her own column The Source and Bargain Hunter  while SMH journalist, Jenny was founding editor of the Good Living section.

The hard-covered book covers all the skills any gal needs to live a stylish life from “Pull yourself Together’’ the basics of good dressing, to how to have beautiful manners, manage money and, importantly how to get gifts right.

They write with integrity and don’t forget their poorer sisters with Tips for Stylish Poverty.

Along with the advice comes  warnings aplenty on how to break bad habits – to eat out less if losing weight and to pay for everything in cash to really manage money and save.

“Tell yourself you’re being Chic, not cheap’’ the authors say with advice to throw out addictions – cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, takeaway food and facials when money is tight.

“Real style is knowing what you like and what looks good, and not giving a damn.’’

Be Sociable, Share!

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a Reply