The fashion world has no shortage of famous experts, and that means we lucky readers have two juicy style guides to digest. The first, "The Dress Doctor: Prescriptions for Style, From A to Z," is an adaptation of the legendary 1959 bestselling fashion tome written by late, great Hollywood costume designer Edith Head.

In case that doesn't ring a bell, she's the winner of eight Academy Awards (take that, Meryl), the woman who made still-classic wardrobe picks for Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, and the inspiration for sassy Edna Mode, costume designer in Pixar's "The Incredibles." Charmingly illustrated by Bil Donovan, "The Dress Doctor" culls the "best of" Head's advice into short, A-to-Z nuggets.

You'll undoubtedly recognize the author of our second fashion bible: Nina Garcia of "Project Runway" fame. Like "The Dress Doctor," Garcia's "The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own" is an illustrated (by Ruben Toledo) A-to-Z guide. It's more exhaustive than Head's, though, with detailed tips about each "essential item" that Garcia expects to find in your closet.

So, who gets our fashionista blood flowing faster: the classic costume designer, or the modern-day "don't bore me" fashion editor with the famously critical eye? We took the two-handed reading challenge to see how the books compare ... and what they mean for our closets.

Click here to see how the two books stack up against each other.

Edith Head

"The Dress Doctor"

 Nina Garcia

"The One Hundred"
Mantra: "You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it."
Mantra: "Style is a deeply personal expression of who you are, and every time you dress, you are asserting a part of yourself." Also: "She who dies with the most stilettos wins."
On the LBD: "When in doubt, I always say, 'a little black dress.'"

 On the LBD: "Make sure you can dance in it."
Rainy Day Must-Haves: Water-repellent coat (fabric or plastic), hooded or matching cap or water-repellent scarf, or hooded car coat + gloves + boots (plastic or rubber) + umbrella.

 Rainy Day Must-Have: A Burberry umbrella.
Random, Somewhat Dubious Activities for Which Head Prescribes Fashion Advice: Nine: amusement parks, baseball games, bowling, the circus, dog shows, horseback riding, ice skating, roller skating. Oh, and housework.
Maybe She's Worth It: Nina swears by Maybelline Great Lash. So do we!
A Is for Audrey: Hepburn reportedly demanded "simpler necklines, wider belts."
Say It Ain't So, Nina #1: On bikinis: "Leave the patterns and crazy colors to the fifteen-year-olds."
Wakeup Call: Head advises greeting the day with "bright colors, or something gay in a washable fabric." Too ... many ... jokes.
 Say It Ain't So, Nina #2: Perez Hilton is listed as a favorite site.
Choice Do/Don't: "Don't be too different. You don't want to dress like the herd, but you don't want to look like a peacock in a yard full of ducks."
Okay, We Forgive You: "From time to time, you may see a girl wearing her black opaque tights as pants. They are in fact, not."
Chances of Us Wearing an "Action Skirt" to the Bowling Lanes: Slim.

 Fun Fact: Jane Birkin does not carry her namesake Hermes Birkin, because heavy handbags gave her tendonitis.
Gay Colors, Defined: Chartreuse, rose pink, daffodil yellow, French blue.
 PETA Is Not Going to Like This: Four pages on fur, essential #34.
Amen, Sister: "Don't wear your clothes too tight. A dress should be tight enough to show you're a woman and loose enough to prove you're a lady."

 Number of "Essentials" We Don't Own: 40.
We Beg to Differ: On the subject of evening dress, Head says "formality in women's dress should conform to the clothes of her escort." Clearly she hasn't seen what happens when our guys dress themselves.

 "Essential" We Really Don't See Nina Wearing: Vans.
Ultimate Fashion Icon: Marlene Dietrich. "Essential" We Feel Bad about Not Owning: A camel coat.
Favorite New Catchphrase: "Zooture." (Runner-up: "Hat and gloves correct, but optional.")
 "Essential" We Feel Totally Fine About Not Owning: Leather pants.
Lingering Question: What, pray tell, is a sport suit? Necessary Evil: Spanx make the cut.
Our Verdict: While Edith Head is totally tops on our "dead people we'd love to resurrect and have dinner with" list, her advice doesn't always stand the test of time. For better or worse, women no longer sashay around Yankee Stadium in prim skirts or wear hats to distract people from a pregnant belly. But while Head's no-nonsense style equations may not resonate, her impressions of Old Hollywood celebrities and style in general are worth diving into.

And what of "Neena Gah-see-ah"? Though sometimes obvious (jeans? underwear? you don't say?!), her advice avoids being superfluous by including informative sidebars that cover how to find the perfect fit, what to pair a particular item with, and what labels to look for. And kudos to Nina for making clear that these are her style essentials and shouldn't be followed to the letter. (Which is good, because we really don't think we can pull off the caftan. Or the cape.)

Tell us: Who do you think wins the fashion face-off?