Modern Girl Chatter with Jane Buckingham

by Sydney Sadick

Remember Jane Buckingham’s The Modern Girl’s Guide to Life? The author and lifestyle guru just released an updated and fully revised version for a new generation of women who have ditched palm pilots and cosmopolitans in favor of smartphones and Moscow mules. Here’s what the star of ABC Family’s new series Job or No Job had to say.

Originally, why did you think the world needed The Modern Girl’s Guide to Life?
Probably because I really needed it. I was always good at my job but pretty much bad at everything else. After I wrote the book, people were like ‘You’re an expert and so good at everything,’ and I was like, ‘No, no, no.’ I wrote this because I really didn’t know any of this stuff and kept looking for books that had all of this information. Over the years, there have been so many more how-to’s, and then of course the Internet. But even in 10 years, not only were there were all of these topics that I hadn’t covered in the book, like email, organic food, and online shopping, but there still wasn’t just one right answer. I never say I know everything; it’s more that I took the time to research the best answer, so people can hopefully learn from that.

How much of the book is updated?
There is over a third of original new content…or maybe even more. There was so much I wanted to add, and there was a block of topics that needed to change. There was a section “DSL or Dial Up…which one is better for you?” Then I did a mock thank-you note and I addressed it to Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. That was when I was like we really need to change this. I just wanted to make sure things were as relevant as possible.

Your book talks about the “perfect selfie.” How often do you take them?
I wanted to figure out the perfect selfie because I still hate doing it, whereas my 12-year-old daughter is the best selfie taker in the universe. Now I feel much more confident because I know what to do. Hopefully I’ve given people more confidence. I’m definitely not going to be the most natural at it, though.

Instagram is like a…
I would say a social bulletin board—like the one you had in college in front of your door. Snapchat is much more personal, and Facebook is like the White Pages because you can connect with anyone old and new.

Who do you follow on Instagram?
I’m really into the fashion brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Prada. I’m also into a lot of cosmetic companies because I think they take really beautiful pictures. Benefit is one that does it really nicely. I like a lot of home stores, too, and magazines like Vogue and InStyle. And of course my friends. This summer, I could keep up with what they were doing. I actually just went through an un-follow stage. I felt like I was following so many people that I was missing out on the people who actually matter to me.

You mention how today’s hot workouts include barre and spinning. What were the go-to’s in your original book?
It was step classes and a lot of aerobics and heavy impact/circuit training. Much more aggressive, hard-core stuff. I love SoulCycle and barre and all of that, but find the thing that works for you because there are so many things out there and if you don’t, you’ll get bored.

Modern-girl essentials, please. 
A good 401K, a good savings account, a great resume, and one good friend who will keep your secrets, because you need to have someone to go to.

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