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In the wildly popular The Little Black Book of Style, fashion authority Nina Garcia showed women how to think about personal style in an entirely new way. Encouraging readers to creatively assert their style identities, Nina showed women of all ages how to hone and self-edit a distinct fashion voice.
With her style philosophy firmly out in the world, Nina decided to address the most popular question readers consistently ask her: Exactly what are fashion's timeless pieces?
The One Hundred answers this question and provides women with a tangible style map to follow when planning a shopping trip and stocking one's closet. With illustrations from world-renowned fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo, The One Hundred contains the 100 items that Nina believes will never go out of style and that have become absolutely indispensable for any woman attaining her own eternal fashion look.
Fashion director at Marie Claire magazine, Nina Garcia is best known for her appearance as the unerring, formidable fashion judge on the hit show Project Runway. An elite authority in the industry, she has worked in fashion houses and in fashion media, from Marc Jacobs to Elle and Marie Claire. Originally from Colombia, she now makes her home in New York City.
Con su ojo experto para la moda, Nina GarcÃa es conocida como la acertada y extraordinaria jueza de la moda en el exitoso programa Project Runway. Como una autoridad en la industria, ha trabajado en imperios y medios de la moda, con todos desde Marc Jacob hasta la revista Marie Claire. Nacida en Colombia, ahora vive en la ciudad de Nueva York.
Chapter One
A-line Dress
A true a-line is narrower on the top and flares out gently toward the bottom, resembling the letter A, thus the name. Here's the deal with the A-line dress: It will work for you on your best day. It will work for you on your worst day. It will work when you don't know what to wear, for all occasions, and in all kinds of weather. And no matter what, it will flatter your figure. That is really a lot for a fashion item to give you. Yet, it demands so little in return, just a few bold accessories, a great pair of shoes, and maybe a pair of tights, depending on the time of year. But that's it. It is a no-fuss dress and perhaps that is why it was the must-have dress of the '60s, when fun and free-spiritedness was favored over the formality and structure of the prior decade.
Every '60s "It" girl had an arsenal of these dresses in her closet—Twiggy, Penelope Tree, Edie Sedgwick, Mary Quant, Jean Shrimpton. These were the Kate Mosses of the day. If you do a Google image search of these women, a picture of them in an A-line will always come up on the first page. They are often wearing a bold print or a bright-colored A-line with boots or flats. Their accessories are always amazing. This became the unofficial uniform of the 1960s, and the reason thisdress should still be in every girl's closet today is because it is so damn flattering. Eat, ladies, for we always have the A-line.
With a good A-line, the fabric flows over perceived flaws or imperfections. No matter the day, the season, or the year, the A-line dress will always make you look and feel fashionable, fabulous, and perfectly capable of keeping up with Twiggy and her crew.
Get In Line
- It is advisable to always have a black A-line in your repertoire as a "just in case" dress. As in: just in case you are invited to a dinner party or out on an impromptu date and only have five minutes to get ready.
- The dress is perfect to wear in the summer with Sandals (#75) or in the winter with Knee Boots (#45). A dress for all seasons, indeed.
- For a great contrast, wear a white A-line with your Black Opaque Tights (see #10). The look is always youthful and playful.
- If you want to really be daring, wear a bright-colored A-line with a bright-colored tight, like a true '60s mod girl.
Excerpted from The One Hundred by Nina Garcia
Copyright © 2008 by Nina Garcia. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Anonymous
Posted October 2, 2008
I actually enjoyed reading this book. It's chic and the illustrations are beautiful. Her 100 fashion must-haves are not my 100 but that's the idea...you are not playing the game properly when you vividly follow her lists...I'm no Nina Garcia after all, I'm my own self!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ExpressivelyTess
Posted February 7, 2011
Although not always in agreement with her style as a judge on the hit show "Project Runway," I thought I'd give Nina Garcia a second chance by way of purchasing this book--simply out of a need for an informative style guide. I must say, I'm impressed, and have been since I first glanced through this well-organized manual. "The One Hundred" is a thorough guide to not only virtually every item a woman should keep in her wardrobe, but also how to shop for such items, suggestions for which brands one might prefer, and how to pair the item with other garments & accessories to complete each look. I found this last part to be most interesting and useful, for while the items themselves are often far too pricey to ever find their way into my wardrobe (Chanel, camel coat, investment bag), I could do as Nina suggests in the introduction by finding similar items that suit my tastes & budget, and use her styling & pairing tips to combine those items with other, more affordable pieces in the book (fishnets, gloves, jeans, nail polish) or pieces not included on the list, in a fashion-forward way. The book starts with an introduction by Ms. Garcia, which I recommend reading before getting too far into the list. As I mentioned briefly above, in this section she brings up the fact that many of these items are not meant to suit everyone's tastes & budgets; improvisation wherever desired is encouraged. This is _Nina's_ 100 list, these are the items _she_ feels are the most essential pieces any woman must own, and in the introduction she admits that not everyone reading this book will agree to that. And it's true...going through this list may leave a bit of a sour taste in your mouth after some time, as it gets to feeling so..._material_. Try to approach this book lightly...don't take any part of it too seriously. There is no single item in here (well, except maybe underwear) that you HAVE to own. It's an informational resource, like a dictionary; it's made for taking bits of advice that apply to a given situation and leaving the rest alone (or just checking it out for entertainment) until it's needed later. You might never need all of what's written in it, but there's plenty of tips and advice available for almost everyone. After the introduction is the Table of Contents, which is pretty pointless as such since all the items in the book are presented in alphabetical order, separated into lettered chapters (A, B, XYZ, etc.). However, it's useful if you want to glance at a list of all the items at once for any reason. The ToC is followed by the items themselves, starting with A-Line Dress and ending with Zippered Hoodie. Each section generally has a little blurb about the item's history, what to look for when choosing that item on a shopping trip, what to pair with it, when/how often to wear it, etc. Throughout the book there are tons of quotes from different sources such as movie and song lyrics, pop culture, etc. And for every item and then some, there are hundreds of adorable, colorful illustrations by Ruben Toledo. These really spice up the book, bringing to it new life. Whether or not the items in this book are desirable to its reader, there's plenty of fashion information to satisfy any woman, presented in a fun and organized way. A fun book to share with friends, I suggest getting a copy for yourself or someone you know who's into dressing fashionably. You'll likely be glad you did.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.7379388
Posted August 23, 2011
I guess it would be good but i can guess its very general. No specific fashion trends bc theyre always hanging.
1 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I've long enjoyed Nina Garcia on Project Runway. I was very excited when her books debuted. One Hundred is exactly what it says, A GUIDE to the Perfect Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own. Nina provides a guide in how to incorporate stylistic, classic pieces with any wardrobe for any woman. I've actually gone a little far and created an Excel spreadsheet of those that I still have to attain - wish me luck! Anyway, the illustrations are wonderful, and the Did You Knows are informative and cool. Nina does a great job in guiding us along the path of classic style, regardless of your "look"!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I love, love, love this book! It is the perfect guide for all the basics a stylish girl needs!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book tells you what to have in your closet. BUY IT it is a book that I strongly recommend!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anima
Posted June 13, 2009
If you do, this is the book to read. In a fun, sassy format, The 100 takes you through wardrobe basics with analysis, information, history, and context. The illustrations make the book feel good, too.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 31, 2009
This book is very inspiring. When i first read it, it defintaly gave me ideas on how to spice up my closet. It made me want to head for a more classy and original vibe. If you are looking to find more about timeless fashion trends or just want to find ways to change your wardrobe- this book is for you!
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Posted July 24, 2012
I bought this and several other of Nina Garcia's books. They are absolutely great and for someone like me who loves clothes and style, it was a great help in organizing and keeping purchases limited to what you need, and for the extras, what will work well with your wardrobe.
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Posted May 11, 2011
For anyone looking for guidance on building a wardrobe with timeless, classy style in mind, this is a fantastic source.
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Posted December 10, 2008
I Also Recommend:
I loved this book by Nina. I thought it was totally helpful and it gave me ideas of what I want to add to my wardrobe. I didn't agree with everything in the book becasue some of what she had in her book isn't my style or taste, but its worth the money because its a fun read and the tips and ideas a totally useful and there are a ton of things in that book I'd like to add to my wardrobe!!!!
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Overview
In the wildly popular The Little Black Book of Style, fashion authority Nina Garcia showed women how to think about personal style in an entirely new way. Encouraging readers to creatively assert their style identities, Nina showed women of all ages how to hone and self-edit a distinct fashion voice.
With her style philosophy firmly out in the world, Nina decided to address the most popular question readers consistently ask her: Exactly what ...