The Woman Across the Room: A Retrospective Review of Diane von Furstenberg’s Book of Beauty

At age 63, von Furstenberg is arguably at the pinnacle of her career, with flagship stores in London, Paris, and New York opening this past decade. She has designed special edition cell phones, appeared on Project Runway and in American Express ads, and recently redecorated 20 suites at the famous Claridge’s Hotel in London. Her jersey print dresses, made first and foremost for comfort, have become iconic.

In recent interviews, such as the one for Time, von Furstenberg is well-spoken and even introspective, at peace with her age and life. With her accomplishments and triumphs in mind (at one point, von Furstenberg neared bankruptcy, and shut down her fashion line for a decade), she certainly deserves the cool confidence she exudes. With her clothes, she seeks to empower women, but could she do so in another medium such as, say, a style guide? She tried—however, the book hit shelves 34years ago.

In 1973, the newly divorced von Furstenberg introduced the wrap dress to the fashion world and took it by storm (One such dress is currently in the Costume Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for its contribution to fashion). Diane von Furstenberg’s Book of Beauty: How to Become a More Attractive, Confident, and Sensual Woman came out three years later, a guide similar to those published by celebrities today. As a former princess, a Newsweek cover girl, and a rising fashion star, Americans found weight in her opinion. The book features several chapters on a number of women’s image topics—hair, skin, and nail care, proper eating, exercise, makeup, tanning, cosmetic surgery, and self-confidence. More interesting than von Furstenberg’s beauty advice, however, is how the book operates as a snapshot in the history of body image.

Von Furstenberg opens the book with a passage about the “woman across the room,” or the confident, beautiful woman by whom one both idolizes and feels intimidated. She writes that this woman, contrary to our belief, is just as insecure as us and simply controls her fears. What she goes on to say anchors the book in its time. “Being a woman today,” von Furstenberg writes, “is more difficult and confusing than it has ever been before.” The options now present after the revolutionary 1960s have “confused” the modern woman, she says. Her audience finds themselves torn between their new opportunities in education and work and their old, traditional roles in society.

Von Furstenberg herself seems torn as well, and her book smashes the old and new together. Oftentimes, she contradicts herself—not intentionally, but because she yearns to adopt both traditional and modern views on beauty. She admits this herself, writing that the “ideal” look for a woman is ever-changing. Like the “new” woman of the 1970s, she advises that independence is the key to true happiness, and yet asks “isn’t being desired a part of being fulfilled?” Whereas modern beauty experts repeat the message that everyone is beautiful, von Furstenberg does not eliminate the possibility of unattractive features, and is not against plastic surgery so long as the patient does it for her own happiness.

Her views on weight and beauty, while acceptable at the book’s publication, are often troublesome for the modern reader. She condemns being “unattractively overweight” but also warns readers not to become too thin, and reveals an insecure time in her life when she herself felt “soft.” She encourages natural beauty and discovering our seductive powers, but praises the functions of makeup and the availability of plastic surgery.

These messages resurface throughout the book. Faced with these new possibilities, what should these women do? How should they carry themselves? Who should they be? For all of her beauty tips and personal anecdotes, von Furstenberg herself does not know the answers to these questions. Her admission in the final pages that she needs men and love in her life gives an insight into her own humanity. In that way, the book shows that she, too, is a woman representative of her time—faced with more of the world than ever before, and not quite sure how to react.

However, von Furstenberg attacks touchy issues, and gives makeup routines for a variety of skin tones, including tips for African-Americans. In a time when it was still popular, she crucifies smokers. As both a working woman and a divorcee, von Furstenberg represented the progressive woman of 1976.

If von Furstenberg were to republish the book, her views on the subjects she approached would likely have changed with time. The book available, however, is a revealing look into a decades-old view of body image and shows how the empowered “woman across the room” was, in reality, overwhelmed.