September is a big month for fashion. Cue the biggest issues of Vogue and InStyle you’ve ever seen. If you find your little ones flipping through the glossies, introduce them instead to these fashion books geared more toward their age. Our list of picture and coloring books pays homage to high fashion designers, explores how beautiful pieces have evolved over time and inspires kids to create and develop their own sense of style.
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Birdie's Big-Girl Shoes
Written and illustrated by Sujean Rim
Suggested ages: 3–6
40 pages
$15.99
bn.com
Young Birdie never met a shoe she didn’t like, especially when they came from her mother’s closet. However, wearing high-heels while enjoying her favorite activities – hide and seek, cartwheels – worked about as well as clashing colors. In this picture book, Sujean Rim, the creative hand behind Daily Candy and one-time footwear and accessories designer, illustrates a child’s aspirations for big-girl fashion and reminds us that there’s plenty of time to grow up.
My Wonderful World of Shoes
Written and illustrated by Nina Chakrabarti
Suggested ages: 8–18
144 pages
$15.95
bn.com
Shoes as elaborately designed as the ones in this coloring book are not only made for walking but for gawking. Flip through the 140 illustrations for a world beyond stilettos: booties, wooden platforms and more you’ve never heard of, including the comma heel or the no-heel shoe. Then let your young fashionistas decorate bunny shoes, a pair designed for the 1934 film Cleopatra or heels named after King Louis XIV with their own markers and crayons.
The Fashion Coloring Book
By Carol Chu and Lulu Chang
Suggested age: 12 and older
128 pages
$12.99
bn.com
As you can see from the 10-inch armadillo heels on the cover, not all clothing is practical. This coloring book celebrates fashion as a thing of beauty. Flip through illustrations of works by 50 legendary designers: from disco-ready gowns by Versace to Levi’s denim jackets to the late Alexander McQueen’s unforgettable footwear. Kids get a chance to add their own flair by creating color combinations for Missoni’s signature zig-zag patterns or designing a fashion magazine cover.
I Had a Favorite Dress
Written by Boni Ashburn; illustrated by Julia Denos
Suggested ages: 4–6
32 pages
$16.95
anthropologie.com; bn.com
This little girl’s closet is packed with pretty dresses, but what to do when she grows out of her favorite one – a cute little number with peach-colored ruffles? The girl’s mother, who has a city chic style of her own, gets crafty with her sewing kit and transforms the dress into other articles as the seasons change: a new shirt, a scarf, a pair of socks and a hair bow. This picture book not only demonstrations creativity and the pros of being resourceful but also the importance of letting go of possessions.
YSL: Prêt-à-Porter: Coloring, Activity, and Inspiration Book
Written by Glenat
40 pages
$18.95
bn.com
This coloring book for any age fashionista is solely dedicated to the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, who is largely credited for the rise of prêt-à-porter, French for “off the rack” or “ready-to-wear” fashion. Retrace his creative process by filling in original model sketches by YSL himself, drawing inspiration from fabric swatches and colorful scenes, and writing notes next to a silhouette just like a top designer.
This Little Piggy Went to Prada
Written by Amy Allen; illustrated by Eun-Kyung Kang
72 pages
$19.99
bn.com
Nursery rhymes hummed through the centuries get a stylish update from an Oxford graduate and first-time mom who just couldn’t “relate to pease pudding.” From Hush Little Baby to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, each of the 21 rewritten rhymes was inspired by fashion powerhouses like Jimmy Choo and Lady Gaga’s milliner of choice, Philip Treacy. Want a refresher on the original verses? Just flip to the end of the book.
Published September 2013
