From personal anecdote and questionnaires without answers to pseudo-psychology, through unsupported generalization, stereotyping, unintentional comedy and questionable observation, this writing abides by few rules of effective communication. As Siegel should know, a pile of scraps does not a quilt make. Nor do snippets of ideas a book. And her editor should have reminded her of that reality. Scraps are, however, colorful and textured.
Stories have universal appeal.
The combination could keep the clothes-lover reading. Siegel interviewed over 50 clothes-lovers for this work, and she weaves into it their stories. Shopping-obsessed Isabelle Klein is memorable, as is Russ Harvey. Harvey, whom Siegel met in a bookstore, sews, names and lovingly photographs all his Hawaiian shirts. He features 30 of them in a leather-bound album.