There is no better gift than a good book. And for the fashion lovers on your list, this holiday season is full of treats that won’t just collect dust on the coffee table. Take Annie Leibovitz’s, for example Wonderlandwhich curates the legendary photographer’s most enchanting fashion images (with contributions from Anna Wintour), or Slim Aarons: style by Shawn Waldron and Kate Betts, packed with photographs of the chic subjects of Aarons’ fascination (including CZ Guest, Nan Kempner, Marisa Berenson and Oscar de la Renta). Iain R. Webbs Rebel Stylist: Caroline Baker – The woman who invented street fashion captures the lightning-in-a-bottle brilliance of a fashion editor who breaks the rules, while The United States of Fashion: A New Atlas of American Style celebrates American designers of all stripes working in cities as diverse as Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Santa Fe, Nashville and Flint, Michigan.
For those fascinated by little-known lives, there is that of Caroline Bongrand Louis Vuitton: L’audacieuxwith a fictional account of the house’s namesake in 19th century France, and Miss Dior: a story of courage and couturecharting the triumphs and trials of Catherine, Christian Dior’s heroic youngest sister. The stylish men in your life are also discussed: Tom Ford published a personally edited sequel to his debut book, film and fashion scholar Llewella Chapman has cast her critical eye on James Bond’s costumes, and Phaidon has created a guide to the 500 best names in men’s fashion.