50 Life Lessons From Victoria Beckham’s Forgotten 2006 Fashion Manual

16. Put a belt on it

In the tradition of just about everyone else in the mid-Noughties, Beckham reiterates a desperate plea for women to nip a belt over men’s shirts and extra-long knits to give the illusion of an hourglass silhouette. She said she often does the same with David’s sweaters during the summer months.

17. Borrow from the boys

She’s fuss-phobic – preferring men’s shirts to women’s blouses – for a sexy, clean and sharp appearance. She knows Dolce & Gabbana and Yves Saint Laurent pretty much invented this unbuttoned, pencil-skirted look and recommends a waistcoat as a fantastic way to “sex up” a pair of jeans.

18. Tracksuits are to be worn in private

Much like Karl Lagerfeld, Beckham feels a natural aversion to tracksuits. Great for “slobbing around” the house on Sunday mornings, but heinous for photographic occasions.

19. Leave miniskirts to the tweens

The question of whether to wear a miniskirt or a long A-line iteration, Beckham says, tends to settle itself with age.

20. The sexy secretary is an always sexy look

It was 2006 and so, at that point, Victoria Beckham had never met a pencil skirt she didn’t like. She said these silhouettes hold everything in, giving a “gorgeous” shape to a woman’s figure, and are much subtler than G-strings falling out from low-waisted jeans.

21. Dress like Carrie Bradshaw

Beckham makes frequent reference to Carrie Bradshaw throughout the book, describing her approach to fashion as spellbinding and inspirational. “The way she put together her own outfits was totally original and fabulous,” she said. “Like herself: beautiful, but in an unconventional way. Best of all, Carrie dressed for herself: she knew that she looked great and she was having fun. Who cared that some of her boyfriends didn’t get it?”

22. DIY your own clothes

Another hard-to-believe truth is that Victoria Beckham once made her own clothes: stitching elastic into straight-legged jeans so they would mould to her burgeoning bump during her pregnant months. She said she also made her own skirts out of tasselled and vintage shawls for holidays with David.

23. Visit Azzedine Alaïa’s atelier

A little more believable is that Victoria Beckham recommends heading to Paris and visiting Azzedine Alaïa’s workshop.

24. Fashion is tragic