Books to help you shop right this spring

After one of the worst winters we can remember, well, hallelujah, it is finally spring, a time for refreshing, renewing and revitalizing. But how to dig out of the doldrums?

Three books written by women with Long Island connections provide great advice on ways to look better, shop better and feel better -- all with fabulously unique perspectives.

Style expert and Sagaponack part-timer Charla Krupp answers the question (and girls, you know you've asked it), "Do I look fat in this?" Probably yes, she says, and her book tells how not to. Sharyne Wolfe, a Nassau Community College professor of fashion design, is a bargain shopper and imparts her wisdom. Then there's Dix Hills-raised Lauren Ruotolo, whose diminutive stature (she's 4'2" due to a medical condition) has not hindered her philosophy on living large, no matter what the obstacles.

Krupp says, "My book is about empowering women to look their best every day." But bottom line, each of these authors wants to empower you in one way or another. Read up, and catch spring fever in the best possible way.

'How to Never Look Fat Again'

by Charla Krupp (Central Publishing, $15.99)

The author Krupp has worked in beauty and fashion for decades, including as an editor of InStyle and of the now- defunct Shop Etc., along with appearing regularly on the "Today" show. She asserts that size doesn't matter. And she's not talking at us.

"I am big busted. I am short, and I've made some mistakes."

The story Aimed at women over 40, this paperback -- dense with resources, photos and loads of before-and-after shots -- offers universal tips for losing weight visually, from head to toe. Krupp has done away with those confusing dress-for-your-body-shape terms. (Who really is an apple shape?) Instead, she equates clothes with calories. "Some clothes are just super fattening, and some make you look thin," she says.

Best advice "Don't wear clothes that are too big. A lot of women are unhappy with their bodies and they walk around with clothes that don't show off their figures and look like blobs," Krupp says.

'The Fashionista's Shopping Guide to the Galaxy of Discount New York Fashion'

by Sharyne Wolfe ($15, Create Space)

The author Wolfe of Mill Neck, a veteran professor of fashion design at Nassau Community College, has worked in costume design for Radio City Music Hall, designed junior sportswear and created custom clothes for Fleetwood Mac. But her heart is in shopping, and, as the daughter of a bargain hunter who would stop at nothing to get the best for the least -- well, it's in her genes.

The story "There are a lot of places you can go to get high-quality merchandise at discount prices," says Wolfe, whose own discount victories include a perfect-fitting Chanel jacket for $125 found at a consignment shop in Oyster Bay, and an Hermès scarf for $8 purchased at an estate sale. The 125-page book contains a good amount of off-the-beaten-path resources, including thrift shops and wholesalers as well as locations of big-name discounters.

Best advice "Use your fashion eye, discriminate and look for good quality." And, says Wolfe, "Wait until May to buy spring clothes. You're not wearing them now, and you will get some of the best bargains then."

'Unstoppable in Stilettos, a Girl's Guide to Living Tall in a Small World'

by Lauren Ruotolo ($14.95, Health Communications Inc)

The author Ruotolo grew up in Dix Hills, attended Hofstra and, in part, credits her positive self-image to parents George and Holly who have owned Ultissima, a popular beauty salon in Albertson, for 30 years. She was born with McCune-Albright syndrome, a rare condition that prevented her from growing fully and made her bones extremely fragile. Doctors predicted she'd be wheelchair-bound, but she's proved them wrong, getting around on crutches in her size 4 stilettos -- her badges of courage and determination. The director of entertainment promotions at Hearst Magazines in Manhattan, she estimates she owns at least 80 pairs of stilettos.

The story Ruotolo's unspoken mantra is that if she can do it, you can too. In the eight-chapter tome, which is as funny as it is motivational, Ruotolo imparts her life lessons. Avoid labels, she writes. "They're meant for clothes not for people. You see me and label me as a handicapped person. Give me five minutes. I'll change your perception."

Best advice "Look the part you want to play in life, and then people will treat you the way you want to be treated." And for spring? "Buy stiletto sandals or open toe shoes -- they're very freeing."