- Hardcover: 312 pages
- Publisher: Michael Joseph Ltd (27 Oct 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0718149912
- ISBN-13: 978-0718149918
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 19.6 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 149,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
'I've always been a girls' girl. And I know from experience that making the very best of yourself is something any woman can do. I was never the six-foot-tall pin-up ...I've always been the girl-next-door who got lucky. I've come a long way in the last ten years, but this book isn't my attempt to tell you what or what not to do. It's just to share some of what I've learned.' Whether you've got GBP20 to spend in Top Shop or GBP2,000 to spend at Gucci, looking good isn't about money, it's about style, and style never goes out of fashion. "That Extra Half an Inch" is a revealing and practical book on fashion, beauty and style. Victoria shares her secrets on dressing for special occasions, everyday wear, accessorizing, holiday tips and making the most of your wardrobe.
About the Author
Victoria Beckham's best-selling autobiography Learning to Fly (also published by Penguin) was one of the most successful non-fiction titles of 2001.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Victoria Beckham's first foray into fashion writing is an enjoyable, readable guidebook about clothes, style and beauty, with an autobiographical element - written in a conversational style, it's peppered with anecdotes about Victoria's life, but doesn't become overwhelmed by them. There's enough personal detail to keep celebrity gossip enthusiasts happy, but the book is dominated by style advice, making it perfect for budding fashionistas. The fact that it's co-written with the excellent Hadley Freeman, of Vogue and the Guardian, lends the book an air of authority that's absent from similar celebrity tomes.
Anyone expecting to be told exactly what to wear will be disappointed - this is a collection of style tips and guidelines, providing ideas to draw inspiration from, rather than a set of stringent rules. It's cleverly written to appeal to a wide audience - yes, designer names are frequently namechecked, but high street alternatives are suggested for every item. The tone is friendly and witty, which makes the book easy to read and hard to put down - I had to ration the chapters in order to stop myself from devouring it all in one go!
The design is abosolutely gorgeous and very innovative - the layout and illustrations are beautiful. It would have been easy to fill a book like this with standard pictures of clothes, but it's packed with drawings and graphics, designers' preliminary sketches of outfits, and behind-the-scenes pictures of Victoria. There's also Ellen von Unwerth's stunning photographs of Victoria, which tie in with the themes of the chapters but work just as well in isolation, making this a perfect coffee-table book.
Admittedly, 'That Extra Half an Inch' isn't about to win any literary awards, but then, it isn't a book that should be taken too seriously; as Victoria herself states in the introduction, 'I have no qualifications to write this book other than a lifelong passion... [and] this book isn't my attempt to tell you what or what not to do'. I expect that many of the overly critical reviews written about this book have come from readers who dislike the woman herself - if you despise Mrs Beckham, it stands to reason that you're unlikely to enjoy the book, so just don't buy it. For the rest of us, it's a thoroughly likeable read, and great to dip in and out of when you need a bit of style inspiration.
Anyone expecting to be told exactly what to wear will be disappointed - this is a collection of style tips and guidelines, providing ideas to draw inspiration from, rather than a set of stringent rules. It's cleverly written to appeal to a wide audience - yes, designer names are frequently namechecked, but high street alternatives are suggested for every item. The tone is friendly and witty, which makes the book easy to read and hard to put down - I had to ration the chapters in order to stop myself from devouring it all in one go!
The design is abosolutely gorgeous and very innovative - the layout and illustrations are beautiful. It would have been easy to fill a book like this with standard pictures of clothes, but it's packed with drawings and graphics, designers' preliminary sketches of outfits, and behind-the-scenes pictures of Victoria. There's also Ellen von Unwerth's stunning photographs of Victoria, which tie in with the themes of the chapters but work just as well in isolation, making this a perfect coffee-table book.
Admittedly, 'That Extra Half an Inch' isn't about to win any literary awards, but then, it isn't a book that should be taken too seriously; as Victoria herself states in the introduction, 'I have no qualifications to write this book other than a lifelong passion... [and] this book isn't my attempt to tell you what or what not to do'. I expect that many of the overly critical reviews written about this book have come from readers who dislike the woman herself - if you despise Mrs Beckham, it stands to reason that you're unlikely to enjoy the book, so just don't buy it. For the rest of us, it's a thoroughly likeable read, and great to dip in and out of when you need a bit of style inspiration.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
So I'm 14, I like Victoria Beckham and think she has great style and was bought this book for my birthday. This book, as it does say on the cover, isn't 'my attempt to tell you what or what not to do. It's just to share some of what I've learned.' And that's exactly what it's about. It's not a book telling you what to do, it's a book telling you what Victoria does. It's split up into lots of different sections: jeans, tops, accessories to name just a few, which I think was a clever idea so instead of having to plough through the whole book to read about her advice on evening dresses you can skip straight to the 'parties' section and pick up some inspiration. It's seemingly light reading even though at a first glance the 311 pages can look quite intimidating. I do think it's a good book, and it serves it's purpose giving us an insight into Victoria's wardrobe, and in some parts her daily life, however if you are a teenage reader, like myself, looking for a snappy read to pick up some fashion tips from your fave celeb I do think it's a little heavy going and won't keep you entertained. It's more about style and how Victoria Beckham dresses and has settled into her style rather than the latest fashions and how to pull them off. Definitely a fab read though, three smiley faces =] =] =]
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have to be honest and say that this book was better than I expected. Someone bought this for me for christmas - I'm not a huge fan of Victoria but I quite like her and so I read this book with an open mind.
I've picked up some good tips and it's a book that you can dip into again and again. I didn't know that Miss Sixty jeans are cut for the more curvy shape, Abercrombie do some of the best quality t-shirts around and Body Shop do the best skin exfoliating gloves (in Victoria's opinion of course). I will try some of her suggestions out and see for myself.
The positives - its 311 pages long, with lots of lovely photos of her (colour and black and white) - any fan into collecting photos of her could love this book for that reason alone. Chapters are split into jeans, tops, skirts/dresses, accessories, parties, vacations, winter, special occasions, pregnancy, lingerie, shopping, make up/hair and at the back there is a Where To Buy section with tons of websites.
The negatives - I did get a little fed up of her mentioning TopShop quite so many times! Also, for the majority of us, top of the range designer labels are out of the question. However if you can afford the likes of Burberry and Karen Millen you will get even more out of the book than most of us.
A warning though - anyone expecting it to be a book exactly like trinny and susannah's are probably going to be a little disappointed. There are a few similarities, but its not quite the same kind of book. It is Victoria's own opinions about the things she wears, buys and uses. And yes, some of the tips you've heard before (ie. no frilly bras with t-shirts!) but there was a lot she said that made sense, and quite frankly she does look great and well groomed always doesn't she, so she must get something right!
In conclusion therefore I have to say I liked it. It's a self-indulgent book - read it without expecting TOO much.
I've picked up some good tips and it's a book that you can dip into again and again. I didn't know that Miss Sixty jeans are cut for the more curvy shape, Abercrombie do some of the best quality t-shirts around and Body Shop do the best skin exfoliating gloves (in Victoria's opinion of course). I will try some of her suggestions out and see for myself.
The positives - its 311 pages long, with lots of lovely photos of her (colour and black and white) - any fan into collecting photos of her could love this book for that reason alone. Chapters are split into jeans, tops, skirts/dresses, accessories, parties, vacations, winter, special occasions, pregnancy, lingerie, shopping, make up/hair and at the back there is a Where To Buy section with tons of websites.
The negatives - I did get a little fed up of her mentioning TopShop quite so many times! Also, for the majority of us, top of the range designer labels are out of the question. However if you can afford the likes of Burberry and Karen Millen you will get even more out of the book than most of us.
A warning though - anyone expecting it to be a book exactly like trinny and susannah's are probably going to be a little disappointed. There are a few similarities, but its not quite the same kind of book. It is Victoria's own opinions about the things she wears, buys and uses. And yes, some of the tips you've heard before (ie. no frilly bras with t-shirts!) but there was a lot she said that made sense, and quite frankly she does look great and well groomed always doesn't she, so she must get something right!
In conclusion therefore I have to say I liked it. It's a self-indulgent book - read it without expecting TOO much.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Good book.
I am a fan of Victoria Beckham's style and I bought this to try and pick up some helpful tips. It is a good book to dip in and out of, very inspiring and fun to read. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Melissa W
Love this
As a victoria beckham fan this book is great. It's insightful and personal and a great gift for a VB fan or anyone struggling with their own style !!!!
Published 8 months ago by Natalie C
Excellent tips- a must have for anyone who loves books on style
I was apprehensive about getting this book thinking maybe its another one with lots of pictures and no substance likeStyle A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, and Everything... Read more
Published 19 months ago by booklover
That Extra Half an inck: Hair, Heels and Everything in Between...
No matter what your budjet Victoria Beckham can help you. And with this book includes how to treat yourself and in return look amazing.
Published 23 months ago by Jennifer Panting
Clever co-writing adds sparkle
This book was much better than I expected as it is co-written by the efferverscent Hadley Freeman who brings out the humour that Victoria Beckam is known to have. Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2009 by Ms. Sophy Friend
That Extra Half Inch Victoria Beckham
I bought this book because I loved the dress on the front. I was, however, a little sceptical as to it's contents. Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2009 by Maureen Folkes
Worth it!
I an not keen on the fashion icon career of Victoria Beckham, prefer music and television for her honestly but this book won me over she has a talent for fashion.
Published on 18 May 2009 by SD
very dated!
I CANNOT BELIEVE we waste our money on something as ill conceived and badly put together as this book. Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2008 by Louisa Philippé
REALLY!
Come ON...this is just a style book written to give hints...there is no "magic" and ..really...how would you find it all in a book anyway?? Read more
Published on 22 Sep 2008 by B. A. Palmese
Posh's dressing tips
She may be a little bit spoiled, but hey, she's kept her man in a world where most walk away, has 3 kids, looks amazing (albeit a bit too thin for my tastes) and still has energy... Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2007 by E. Exintaris
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