Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes Penguin $108 The title and cover will dissuade anyone who already hates this kind of pulp from buying it. Others will find it fast-paced and entertainingly shallow. Our heroine, who refers to herself only as moi, is a columnist for a fashion magazine. Her best friend is department store heiress Julie Bergdorf. It's tres difficult to be a Bergdorf Blonde, she tells us. 'You wouldn't believe the dedication it takes to be a gorgeous, flaxen-haired, dermatologically perfect New York girl with a life that is fabulous beyond belief.' For starters, you need perfect, white-blonde hair that has to be retouched every 13 days and can only be achieved by Ariette at the Bergdorf salon, who charges US$450 a highlight - if you can get in with her, which obviously you can't. The story takes off when Julie decides that fiances are the latest fashion accessory. Daft adventures in the world of dating soon ensue.
