I'll Drink to That: A Life in Style, with a Twist Book Detail
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The (September 4, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594205701
ISBN-13: 978-1594205705
Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.3 x 1 inches
Perhaps your first reaction to the opening pages of Betty Halbreich’s I’ll Drink to That: Life in Style, with A Twist, will be something like mine: I want this woman who practically invented personal shopping 40-plus years ago to come to my house, analyze my closet and retool my wardrobe, and, thus, my life. And that would be great but you can learn almost as much about style (and sanity) by reading on in this opinionated, glamorous, and yet somehow likable woman’s memoir of a life that might bear absolutely no resemblance to yours. The daughter of well-to-do German Jewish parents in 1930s Chicago, Halbreich grew up pampered, for sure, but she was also lonely and desperate for approval, from her fashion-plate mother (in whose closet the young Betty played, amid bottles of Joy perfume), her glamorous father, and ultimately a way-too- charming husband who put me in mind of Nicky Arnstein, the husband of Fanny Brice played so memorably in Funny Girl by Omar Sharif. Two decades of matrimony in New York, a couple of children and who knows how many betrayals on both sides later, Halbreich finally managed to leave her marriage, suffer the requisite nervous breakdown (complete with requisite stay in fancy mental ward) and emerge to reinvent herself as the ultimate working woman, first as a kind of stylist for such legendary designers as Geoffrey Beene and finally at Bergdorf. To say this is an Everywoman story is pushing it; in fact, the pitch perfect idioms and cultural references channeled, presumably, by co-author Rebecca Paley, make it absolutely particular to Halbreich’s era and station. But that’s the point, and the fun: let Halbreich take you back to a time when women wore brooches, men donned hats and everybody had a guiltless cocktail before dinner.
I'll Drink to That: A Life in Style, with a Twist Book Synopsis
Betty Halbreich is a true original. Now in her eighties, she has spent nearly forty years at the luxury store Bergdorf Goodman, working with socialites, stars and ordinary women. She has led many to appreciate their real selves through clothes, frank advice and her unique brand of wisdom; she is trusted by the most discriminating persons - including Hollywood's top stylists - to tell them what looks best. But her own transformation from cosseted girl to fearless truth-teller is the greatest makeover of all. Born into a successful Chicago family, aged twenty Betty married dashing Sonny Halbreich and came to Manhattan, where the couple threw themselves into a whirlwind of long hours, cocktails and Park Avenue parties, living the high life in 1950s New York. However, the marriage began to fray and after two decades came undone completely. Bereft, Betty attempted suicide. As she embarked on the frightening process of reclaiming herself, she was offered a lifeline: a job at Bergdorf Goodman. For Betty, with her innate sense of style and craftsmanship, it was a perfect fit. Hardworking, elegant, and gifted with sparkling wit and razor-sharp powers of observation, in her amazing life story as in her style guidance Betty Halbreich is never afraid to tell it straight. Get online I'll Drink to That: A Life in Style, with a Twist today.
I'll Drink to That: A Life in Style, with a Twist Book Review
Having little interest in fashion, I'm not sure why I chose this book to read. I guess because Betty Halbreich is being described as a "tough broad". "Tough broads" can be very interesting people. Only, Ms. Halbreich doesn't come across that tough in this memoir. She actually seems pretty vulnerable. She also doesn't come across that amusing, as she has so often been described by others, and as she appears in the documentary Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorfs. But that doesn't mean I'll Drink to That: A Life in Style, with a Twist is not an interesting read. It is and it's one of the most unique memoirs I have read in the last few years.
One reason being that the 86-year-old Ms. Halbreich is old enough to see her life in a much clearer light than most much younger memoir writers. A second reason is she does not come across at all like a shallow snob, or someone who thinks the world begins and ends with extremely expensive clothes. A third reason is she sees herself as also being a therapist of sorts, not just a personal shopper. There are indeed some intriguing insights in the books, such as when she states: "The lust for clothes is a brilliant defense mechanism (particularly if you are a person of means). The displacement of love, affection, and attention onto a pair of shoes or a dress has built an entire industry. Like all good defenses, however, they are best used in moderation and only when one understands a little of the motivations that lurk beneath the surface."
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