Even readers who don't know the difference between pashmina and shatoosh may find themselves picking up former Times style editor Holly Brubach's A Dedicated Follower of Fashion (Phaidon Press, $29.95). "For so many intelligent people, fashion is beneath their consideration," says Brubach, now director of Prada's Sport and Home collections, whose accessible essays look at industry icons like model Kristen McMenamy and Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo. "But I'd get letters from dentists and sound engineers who said that once introduced to the subject, they found it fascinating!"

Related:

• Archive: “Gotham Style”
• Articles by Sarah Bernard
• Table of Contents: Nov 1, 1999 issue of New York | Subscribe!