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September 19, 2010

The 100: My Collection

As I recently posted The 100 by Nina Garcia is the ultimate fashionista's guide. I have been working on owning all of the pieces myself and have decided to share what I have found. I thought it would be appropriate to start with A.

A: Aviators
For the past year I have been searching for the perfect pair of aviators. Nina Garcia says to go with a classic look. Nothing that is too shiny or too trendy. Ray-Ban's are the obvious choice, but if they don't look good on you, don't get them (which is what happened to me). All of the ones I tried on were either too big, too droopy, too small, or too trendy. Of course I searched Nordstrom for a nice designer pair and found a pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs aviators that were as close to perfect as I could get, but the price was just a little too steep. So I put off buying them for at least four months.

This past weekend I went to Nordstrom Rack not expecting to find anything. I wandered around checking out the trends and accessories which brought me to the sunglasses. Since I was still trying to find some more reasonably priced aviators I decided I'd just check. It was a miracle! I spotted a great pair of aviators that happened to be Marc by Marc Jacobs. They weren't exactly the same, but that was just fine because they fit even better than the ones at Nordstrom and were only $35. The answer was clear, I had to get them. After about a year of searching I finally found the ultimate pair of aviators.

If you find something you want but the price just doesn't match with what you can afford you can always check online too. Some great websites where you can compare prices are:

And Sew it Begins

For about three years I've had a perfectly nice sewing machine just waiting to be used. This past summer I decided that it was about time to put it to good use. With the help of my all-knowing mom and grandma I made my first dress. Of course I started out easy with a simple pattern, but the results are ah-dorable. Since then I've made another dress, skirt, and I'm in the middle of making a tutu for my Halloween costume. (More information about that coming in October)

September 6, 2010

The 100, by Nina Garcia

One of our favorite Project Runway judges, Nina Garcia, has also written several books. My favorite is The 100. It is so amazing that I consider it my Fashion Bible. It lists the 100 closet essentials for any chic woman. In addition to listing the item, Nina describes the best style of it, tips on how to wear it, and even where you can get it. I love this book and am working on collecting all 100 pieces.

Nina Garcia also has two other fashion/shopping guide books: The Little Black Book of Style and The Style Strategy: A Less is More Approach to Staying Chic and Shopping Smart. She has also just come out with Nina Garcia's Look Book: What to Wear for Every Occasion which I am eager to read.

Mademoiselle Chanel

The goddess of fashion and my role model, Coco Chanel, once said "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in they sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." This is my favorite Chanel quote because it is so real. She is saying that fashion can come from anything or anywhere. Fashion designers have always taken inspiration from the things around them that they see and feel. Chanel herself designed garments that reflected the uniform she wore at the convent she lived at. In addition, Chanel was always ahead of the curve, and other designers take inspiration from her aesthetic. She designed comfortable and easy to wear fashions that went against the more avant garde, uptight clothing that was worn by the women of her time. In a short time women realized how wonderful Chanel's fashions were and made her immortal. Now, her brand is the creme de la creme.