What to Read | Book Review | Style, Naturally

Too much, TOO MUCH! There is simply too much information packed in Summer Rayne Oakes' Style, Naturally for me to take it all in. But it is exactly that fact that makes Style, Naturally so fantastic. Add to that a level of graphic design in the book that could easily win an AIGA award. Add to that Summer 'gets it'. Its clear in the book that Summer gets sustainability and she gets that it must have a great sense of style and design to appeal to a broad range of people. Most importantly, she gets that style isn't about buying into trends or brands, she gets that true style - the essence of style - is about expressing yourself and your individuality. As she puts it,
"Style doesn't start wtih big-name, fancy brands as some advertisers would have you believe. Style starts with you. it starts with who you are, what you choose to wear and how you wear it, how you carry yourself, how y ou go about the day, what you do with your time, and how you feel in your clothes and your skin.
Style, Naturally is part catalogue (of fabulous things), part encyclopedia (of fabulous people and resources), and all straight from the enthusiastic heart and mind of Summer. Indeed, throughout the book it feels as if you're reading a page out of her personal diary with her unique insights and insider knowledge of sustainable fashion and beauty. She shares her 'tips of the trade' and profiles the designers who are are truly creating big, fast change in the world.

Having known Summer personally for many years now, I also think that Style, Naturally is the perfect synthesis of her background in both fashion and science. Yes fashionistas, its true...Summer has a BS in Natural Resources from Cornell where she studied Entomology (that would be insects). Her science mind is evident in the organization of the book, from the academically inspired title "Eco-Fashion 101" to the color coded product notes. She also systematically and thoroughly marches through fashion and beauty categories that range from bags and bras to accessories and athletic wear. Given her science background, perhaps Style, Naturally could also be described as part fieldguide to sustainable style...actually, make that 'the' fieldguide to sustainable style. And yes, I have adopted several of Summer's face and body tips.

Learn more about Style, Naturally and Summer's work in the video below: