5 Coffee Table Books Every Woman Should Own

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1.) The Allure of Women, 2.) Resort Fashion: Style in Sun-Drenched Climates,3.) Chanel, 4.) The Hermes Scarf, 5.) Glamorous Rooms

There's only one thing I collect- coffee table books!  I love to use them in my decor.  I have a stack in nearly every room in my house, and I love to flip through them from time to time.  Since I have so many and have looked through them all, I thought it would be fun to share my top 5 coffee table books. 

1.) The Allure of Women

This book showcases our era's most well-known icons, women recognized all over the world for their style and elegance. I love this book because many of the photos show women with strong poses and obviously strong personalities.  Many of the photographs were taken before the feminist movement, yet you can tell these women knew their value.  I love that!

2.) Resort Fashion- Style in Sun-Drenched Climates

This book shows icons of the past and present in their swimwear, as well as dreamy beach destinations.  The book focuses on style while on vacation- which can be something hard to achieve!   "Resort fashions beguile because they were originally designed with no ulterior motive; they were truly made for fun." -Caroline Rennolds Milbank

3.) Chanel

Chanel is actually a collection of 3 books- Chanel Perfume, Chanel Fine Jewelry, and Chanel Fashion.   Gabrielle Chanel has always enchanted me.  She was a visionary in her time, able to predict women's contemporary fashion.  Her legacy and design style is still prominent today.  I found all 3 of these books to be intriguing and beautiful, showcasing some of Chanel's best products and the evolution of each.  The books also divulge details about Gabrielle's personal life and story.

4.) The Hermes Scarf

{A page from the book showing Grace Kelly and her sister at a racetrack in New Jersey}

This book has such a fun bold cover, but even more intriguing is the text regarding the history of the Hermes scarf.  This book has less images than the others, so if you are not interested in the background of Hermes, I wouldn't buy this book to read it.

5.) Glamorous Rooms

This weekend, I wanted to up the glam factor in my own room.  I was flipping through The Allure of Women, and found this 60s Brigitte Bardot photograph from the set of one of her movies.  Isn't it striking?  I tore it out of the book (Crazy! I know!) and put it in an inexpensive 8x10 frame on my bedside table on top of Glamorous Rooms.  Instant glam!

Do you have a favorite coffee table book?  Do share!  I always love new suggestions!