Felicity's Book Shelf - If You Have To Cry, Go Outside

As a fan of MTV's reality show, The City, imagine this bloggers delight when the shows no holds barred Kelly Cutrone released her book If You Have To Cry, Go Outside...And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You (HarperCollins Publishers). Kelly Cutrone is the founder of PR firm People's Revolution - one of the most powerful PR firms in the fashion business - which she built from the ground up. 

I bought this book purely because I love Kelly Cutrone. She not only built her own mega-successful business but did so in her own no-bullshit, tell it like it is, if you have to cry go outside kind of style. Total girl crush on her (in a non-creepy, sort of way). After reading this book however, said girl crush has intensified (still not creepy though I swear!). 

I thought this book would show some insight as to how to get into the fashion industry - what jobs you should look for, where you should intern, etc etc etc. I was wrong. Instead what I found was the story of Cutrone's life journey (which in itself is inspiring) intertwined with her own perspective on how any fashion girl, or guy for that matter, can get what they want from their life. 

To gush about every chapter in this book, believe me I could do it, would only spoil the read for you. What I will say however is that If You Have To Cry, Go Outside...And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You is extremely inspiring. And  this really is an understatement. As the daughter of a woman, owner of felicity&fritz, who is in many ways my own version of Cutrone, I have always been inspired to be a strong woman. However, as stated in the title of the book, there are some things that my mother never taught me and there are some things that when you hear it from someone besides your mother, it just seems more valid (sorry mom). 

I fully recommend If You Have To Cry, Go Outside...And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You to anyone who wants to take charge of their life even if that means checking all preconceived notions at the door. Besides, do you really want to follow the story line telling us to be good little girls made of sugar and spice and everything nice? Yeah. Me neither.

From  If You Have To Cry, Go Outside

"...I believe the world will change only when we change ourselves. And that starts with finding ourselves. And that starts with listening to ourselves, learning to quiet the clamor in our minds and the voices of everyone around us and moving toward what feels right. It means taking a journey like the spectacular and terrifying and ultimately ming-blowing adventure I've been on. I hope that you, too, will choose to have a journey instead of just a life. Actually, I hope it's a full-on expedition." 

☮ peace and fashion