The Magical Fashionista does what most style books fail to do: it considers the person inside the clothing.
There has long been a tug of war concerning the place of fashion in society. It is, uniquely, an area where power shifts are almost entirely placed in the hands of women (though the money isn’t) and has consequently become derided as shallow even as, in a strange paradox, those who dress to signal they possess more power end up awarded privileges that those who confer them may not even be aware they are giving.
In magical society – Pagans, magicians, all the people who might attend one of those camping festivals or hotel conventions – counter-culture values meant to free all from the pressures have become their own social weight. What were once clothing choices made out of a sense of freedom are often chosen for a “signal” that this is a magical look, not necessarily because the person wearing them feels empowered.
Whitehurst sets forth an approach to style that encourages a person to dress based on inner values rather than in response to external cues. Her view frees the hippie and the conventional alike. Don’t let the obnoxious pink packaging or expertly light writing fool you. This book is not fluff. Whitehurst recalls us back to our inner voice and then directs that inner voice to clean our physical and metaphorical closets. By book’s end clothing becomes a tool of strong magic and significant healing.
Recommended
~ Diana Rajchel
Author: Tess Whitehurst
Llewellyn Publications, 2013
264 pp., 15.99
