The Disappointment of Light Reading

Sometimes, particularly on holiday, I crave some light reading. Something not involving murder. And I am always open for good ideas on everything from cooking to sewing to traveling. This title, "The Art of More for Less - Savvy chic", was irresistable to me. It is written by Anna Johnson, who has lived all over the world and written for ladies magazines. I thought it would be fun to see what she had to say in book format.

Not much, it turned out. The tone is certainly light-hearted, she is full of tips and tricks and knows what is right and what is wrong. And that´s perhaps what pushes me away. There´s just too much of that "dos and don´ts"-attitude that magazines have and that is the reason I don´t buy them anymore. Johnson promotes that anxious attitude towards dressing that promotes looking at what they are wearing before deciding on one´s own wardrobe. They, being the cool people who feature on the Sartorialist´s blogg (yes, really). The object of thrift is to cheaply dress so well that people in the business (of fashion, which of course are the people Anna Johnson need to impress) actually think you are wearing vintage Balenciaga. If you get there, you are savvy.

As a 20-something I suppose this would have impressed me, or at least entertained me. Now, it just makes me tired. Reading Johnson is a bit like listening to a slightly topsy (going on drunk) friend from highschool, who talks too much about all she knows, giving unsolicited advice that really only is a disguise for bragging about her fabulous lifestyle. Not that Johnsons advice is unsolicited - I did buy the book, didn´t I. Only when I got to know her, I changed my mind.

I´m too old for this. I´m not tired, really, but what makes me tired is that there is very little light-hearted, shallow reading left in this world that I really enjoy. What am I going to read in the bathtub?