The Scoop on Kathryn Eisman: Bestselling Author and Style Expert

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing the oh so lovely and talented Kathryn Eisman, author of two international bestselling books, How To Tell A Man By His Shoes* and the brand new **“How To Tell A Woman By Her Handbag“***.  She’s smart, stylish, and successful… and with adorable titles like these, clearly the books are unique must-reads!  Find out more about Kathryn in our interview with her below, and be sure to check out her clever and entertaining books (visit her website for more details).

What inspired you to become an author?

I’ve always loved language and the ability to communicate your ideas in such an intimate way; a reader literally holding your thoughts in their hands.  Then the idea came to me that people reveal themselves in details; not the grand declarations of who we say we are but the small things that we don’t think anyone will notice. That’s how I came up with, “How to tell a Woman by Her Handbag”, and before that, “How to tell a Man by His Shoes”.  Why in a world of infinite choice we pick one pair of shoes or bag over all others, reveals a huge amount about who we are as a person!

What kind of handbag do you usually carry, and what does it say about you?

I’m a huge fan of butter soft leather totes with a shoulder strap that I can keep snug under my arm as well as a longer ‘across the body’ strap that gives me the option of going feel hands. Lately I like feeling as unencumbered I can… and holding a clutch means there’s one less hand for me to cause mischief with. I like to cause mischief.  My favorite brands are; Chanel, Mui Mui and Perrin Paris.

You’ve interviewed a fabulous set of celebrities (including Cameron Diaz, George Clooney, etc).  Can you tell us about a favorite moment or two from these interviews?

The first thing that kit me with Cameron was how alive she was; her eyes were sparkling and she had such a fun, girly energy that I really related to. I asked her how she maintains her sanity and sense of fun in the crazy and fickle ‘Hollywood scenes’.  She smiled and told me her secret was “Gratitude”; to be grateful everyday for all of life’s gifts. I think it’s a beautiful way to live and if any of my friends are feeling down in the dumps I tell them to go through a list of everything they’re grateful for in their lives each morning as they have a shower. That simple exercise is enough to change the course of each day, and ultimately your life.

I remember feeling a tad nervous about meeting George, especially since one of my friends made me promise that if I did meet him I would introduce them so they could get married. Unfortunately for her, she was in a different country at the time, so it was just the two of us (poor me)! When I sat down to interview him I was taken aback by the kindness and depth in his eyes. His part man/ part boy essence is the secret to his widespread appeal.

***What clothing/accessory items do you try do you try and save on and what do you find splurgeworthy? ***

I feel really good about myself when I buy a super luxury piece on sale and prefer to buy fewer things of higher quality.  I love online shopping and when things go on sale I snap them up – I’ve bought 5 or 6 dresses in one hit when there was a 50% off sale. I always joke, “It’s not how much you spend; it’s how much you save!”

I will splurge on a really luxe handbag because I’m likely to wear it day after day for a long time and really get my value out of it.  Plus a fabulous bag can really dress up a simple outfit and adds that instant polish. Plus when you write a book called, How To Tell a Woman By Her Handbag, you better have a good one!

I will save on the basics; A great linen t-shirt from Zara. And will buy some quirky disposable pieces of jewelry from cheaper chains such a gold cuff I recently bought at a Forever 21.

Favorite places to buy for each?

I am a HUGE fan on shopittome.com because it’s like having a personal shopper on the lookout for when your favorite brands go on sale. I also love hitting the shops in NYC; Starting the day in one outfit and then ending up in a totally new one.

Could you offer a few words of style advice to our readers?

Find out who you really are and what you want out of life and then select a wardrobe that best reflects that. People forget how much of an impression the clothes we wear make. I say, use them to live the life you want, and have fun with it!