The Secret Lives Of Dresses (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
When I picked up this book I was looking for a light Summer read with really interesting characters and that is exactly what I found with The Secret Lives of Dresses. Dora is a lost college student unsure of her future plans when her beloved vintage clothing shop owner/grandmother, Mimi becomes ill. Dora comes home to her small town and a mixture of family drama, memories, and facing her own demons as she helps her grandmother through her sickness. Mix in a little romance and fun descriptions of vintage clothing and adorable dresses and you have your perfect Summer read! It was a little "vanilla" in the writing at times but over all, three stars for an enjoyable afternoon of page turning! I admit--I picked up the book because of the gorgeous vintage yellow dress on the cover. (I have a different edition than the one Goodreads has pictured.) And then I saw that the book was about a whole shop of vintage dresses, and their 'secret lives'--so I brought it home.The book turned out to be a light romance/drama centered around a college girl who was raised by her grandma--and grandma runs the vintage dress shop. When grandma becomes ill, the main character returns home to keep the shop running. The book is really more of a "figuring out who she is" book for the main character than a romance--which is good, since I don't really enjoy romances. The romance element is definitely there, though--complete with the triangle element of bad-for-me-but-I'm-infatuated vs. wholesome handsome fellow. (Sigh.) I did appreciate that the author didn't feel the need to add random steamy scenes to prove it's a grown-up book, and kept the romance light. Some of the secondary characters add great flavor to the book--especially the shop assistant Maux.In the end, however, the best characters are the dresses themselves--which do, indeed, turn out to have secret lives. The book was an enjoyable light read between heavier books, and would make a good addition to a beach bag as the weather gets warmer.
What do You think about The Secret Lives Of Dresses (2011)?
I had never thought about the lives of clothes we wear as in telling stories.
—yannie
