Classy

Author: Derek Blasberg

Pages: 230

Published: Razorbill, 2o10

Genre: Nonfiction/How-to

Cover Score: A

Overall Grade: A

Nowadays, it's hard to find a classy young lady. Thanks to the negative influence of the media, girls are famous for the wrong reasons--drinking and partying and having no manners whatsoever. Derek Blasberg is here to help girls clean up their act--staying cleaner and acting and dressing better (ie not wearing rhinestone-studded dresses and breaking up via text message). Whether they need help setting a table for a dinner party, or encouragement to keep their tops on at parties, Mr. Blasberg has made it his mission to help girls be ladies, and not tramps.

My thoughts: Every girl needs to own a copy of Classy. It's funny, it's honest, and it's packed chock-full with great advice (how to set a proper table, what to wear to a party, how to go about a break up, how to avoid temptation, what books and movies to know). I adored every page!

Mr. Blasberg certainly knows his stuff (he should, after working for top fashion mags like Vogue and W)--and injects his sassy, witty knowledge into each segment. The book was nicely organized so that it was easy to read, and all of the cute graphics and hilarious visuals made a nice supplement. The book was made of a collection of different articles, which were helpful, but still managed to stay positive, light, and easy to read.

Mr. Blasberg put a clever, modern twist on a classic etiquette book, and made the story clever, fashionable, and au courant. The book was divided into 8 sections: "A Lady Gets Dressed" (fashion and presentation), "A Lady Receives an Invitation" (proper dress/etiquette at a party), "A Lady Throws a Party" (how to throw a successful fete), "A Lady Goes Abroad" (travel tips), "A Lady Makes Friends" (how to make and keep friends), "A Lady Looks for Love" (the dos and don'ts of relationships), "A Lady Faces Temptation" (how to stay clean and classy), and "A Lady Is Always Learning" (book/movie recommendations).

Whether you're looking for fashion tips, party themes, or how to tell which guy is good, bad, or gay; Classy is the ideal read for the put-together, fashionable young lady (or one who needs desperate help).