Nina Garcia - The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

MY FAVORITE THINGS,
RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN,
FROM THE SOUND OF MUSIC

I F YOU WALKED INTO MY CLOSET at this very moment, what would you see? Racks of shoes and stacks of bags. Piles of white Hanes T-shirts and black cashmere sweaters. A row of black dresses and a shelf devoted entirely to denim. And over it all, you would see a big, ugly canvas tarp. I am in the throes of an apartment remodel, which was supposed to be finished in November. Of 2006. It is now March. Of 2008. My husband, my son, and I have been holing up at a place a few blocks away. Every once in a while Ill run back to the apartment, step over the dust and debris, make my way to my old closet, lift off the canvas tarp, and snatch an item or two.

Over the months, I must have run back about a hundred times. And soon I realized that I had the answer to the questions that women keep asking me: What are the essentials? What are the must-haves? Well, for me, the must-haves are the items I run back to my apartment for, the items I have stepped over dust and debris forthey are the items I simply cannot imagine living without.

And why?

Because these items have been there with me season after season. They have been with me through thick and thin. When trends begin to fade away, these are the items I can always turn to with confidence. Each has alternately comforted me when Im down after a bad, grueling day, and each in turn has boosted my confidence to greater heights when Im feeling great after a good, fulfilling day. Each has its place in my heart. Each represents the yin and yang of my personal style.

Simply put, these items make me feel classic. And there is no substitute for feeling this way. Ever.

In my years as a fashion director, I have watched many fads come and go, but I have also observed how certain items are always a part of the rotation. Some may sit out for a year or two (perhaps even more), but they always come back. The color may change, the fabric may change, the designer or brand may change, but in essence, the items in this book have always been the backbone of fashion, and, with a bit of self-editing, each has been one of my style touchstones.

But self-editing is key.

It is important for everyone who reads this book to know that I have adapted and edited each item on this list to suit my style, my body, my personality. I should hope you will do the same. This book is designed to be a sort of shopping list of or guide to the items I feel every woman should have, but it is certainly not the end-all be-all. There is no ultimate list, as it would go against the very nature of fashion and style, and the frenetic rebelliousness inherent in a truly stylish woman walking down the street wearing that perfectly unexpected mix of color and fabric. Style is dangerously unpredictable. What I have done here is to give every woman a framework to think and ponder. This list is a guide, a barometer of industry items that have withstood time and seasons, fads and trends.

So when you take this list of One Hundred, I hope that you remember the tenet I set down in my first book, The Little Black Book of Style:Style is a deeply personal expression of who you are, and every time you dress, you are asserting a part of yourself. Remember this as you read this book, as you think of what your own One Hundred will be.

Thus, if you are not altering each or some of the items on this list to suit your personal style, you are not playing the style game correctly or for your benefit. You see, no matter how you picture yourself in your own personal fashion spread of the imagination or what your personal style may be, we all rely on the few fashion items that really are our style pillars. The following items are mine. And I bet many of these could be (should be!) yours as well.

So, with that said, I give you my essential One Hundred. From the A-Line Dress to Converse sneaks, from the Cocktail Ring to the Little Black Dress, these are the pieces that have stood the test of time. Both with myself, as well as within the fashion industry I have devoted my professional life connecting to, loving, being inspired by. These items are as personal as any woman getsreading this book is, after all, like walking you into my closet. And, as any woman knows, opening up your closet can be like telling your best friend your untold secrets: Her reaction may surprise you. With any luck, my One Hundred will do just that.

Shoppers, take your marks,

Nina

P.S. She who dies with the most stilettos wins.

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When Im feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I dont feel so bad.

STILL FROM MY FAVORITE THINGS,
RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN,
FROM THE SOUND OF MUSIC