Icons: The Absolute of Style

Although she's not rich, Kazanjian claims to receive the personal attentions of the likes of designers Norma Kamali and Manolo Blahnik when she shops for clothes. Behaving as if to the manner born, a stance perhaps enhanced by her credential as a senior writer for Vogue (where virtually all the pieces collected here originally appeared), she buys her first Chanel suit--``a big event in a woman's life''--suffers the trauma of selecting a winter coat (a major decision because your coat represents you to the world) and hires an image consultant to help her refurbish her wardrobe and a personal trainer to battle her cellulite into remission. Kazanjian defines today's fashion icons as including an Armani jacket, the little black dress (notwithstanding Geoffrey Beene's quip that ``A basic dress implies a dumb dress'') and a Hermes Kelly bag--priced between $2500 and $l0,000, with a waiting list of four years. The book may sound inconsequential, but Kazanjian also proffers some wisdom: pearls should be washed often with soap and water and restrung yearly, and a Kelly bag knockoff can be had for just $370. Illustrated. (Oct.)