It’s quite embarrassing to say that I pre-ordered Leandra Medine’s Man Repeller: Seeking Love, Finding Overalls the same day it became available. The book wasn’t expected to be released until September 10, 2013 (it was April 15th), so it was stupid to be so overwhelmingly excited about buying a book that I wouldn’t be able to read until September. Before you judge me, you must understand the following: Leandra is one of the best writers in the fashion industry with her witty humor, charming personality and style to kill. She’s supposed to be a repeller but as Laura Brown, Harper’s Bazaar editor, said: “At being a repellent, she is a colossal failure.”
The blogger, writer and fashion personality started her blog, The Man Repeller, in 2010 while she was still a junior in college at The New School. Within months, the industry was drooling over her quirky sense of humor and unique style. Her style mantra, which is based on the premise that men hate the trends that women love, has catapulted her as one of Forbes 30 under 30 and Times’ Best 25 blogs of 2012. After doing collections with Superga, Dannijo and PJK, she’s ready to take over the literary world with her book Man Repeller: Seeking Love, Finding Overalls.
In twelve humorous essays, Leandra narrates several of her most notable memories based around one piece of clothing. To her, female memory is especially driven by fashion. As for men, well, it’s not the same. Every chapter is named after a garment that shaped the course of her life, like the Canadian Tuxedo (aka denim on denim) that transformed her from a journalism student to a blogging superstar and the pair of socks that she will always remember for being worn during her first sexual relationship with her husband, Abie Cohen.
Medine is not afraid to make fun of herself and expose her life experiences through her writing, which is why her book teaches young women a few lessons in confidence, finding your personal style and making life-changing decisions. She says, “I always told myself that whether or not I was a ‘real’ writer, I would be the author of my life’s story. My life is my book, my narrative, my story”. In 242 pages, Leandra teaches young women to not be afraid to be themselves, to wear whatever pleases them because, no matter your style, the real important object is what’s underneath your turban.
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