Nina Garcia - Nina Garcias Look Book: What to Wear for Every Occasion

FOR WOMEN EVERYWHERE...

Contents

Know first who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.

EPICTETUS

O ne of the most magical places on earth is a small island in the Caribbean called Mustique. With brilliant beaches, warm water, and lush vegetation, this tiny green swath of land is my idea of paradise. I go there to decompress from the frenetic pace of New York City and all the necessary and unnecessary pressures I place on myself at work and in life.

It was on Mustique that the genesis of this book took place, sparked by a conversation I overheard while lounging late one morning under an umbrella by the beach. I was reading a novel that wasnt nearly as interesting as the dialogue taking place between two women sitting near me. I couldnt see them and wouldnt have known they were there were it not for their animated discussion, their tempers on the brink of flaring the way they sometimes can when women are at odds. The older woman, whom I presumed to be the mother (I met her later at the hotel bar and confirmed this), was scolding her daughter about the merits of dressing appropriately now that she had graduated from college.

You cant go around wearing sandals and jeans 24/7 anymore, the older woman almost barked. Every occasion requires thought about how you look. You know this.

But I didnt think I looked bad, her daughter whined.

You cant tell me there arent jobs out there after I ask what you wore to the interview and you tell me you put on those jeans!

Oh dear, I thought. Jeans to a job interview. She didnt.

I instantly thought of my own mother, a beacon of elegance who would have threatened me with incarceration for that kind of transgression. In Colombia, where I was born and raised, women like my mother considered their appearance and personal grooming a matter of principle. There was never an occasion where she didnt show up looking picture-perfect.

Although I was supposed to be on vacation and far away from all things job related, I could not help thinking how this exact sort of conversation was probably taking place between mothers and daughters around the globe. From Delaware to Dsseldorf, I could almost hear the sea of mothers and daughters, each up in arms about the others recurring faux pas. Frustrated moms eager to vanquish tattered T-shirts, torn jeans, dirty sneakers, and old flip-flops in a bonfire of oblivion. Desperate daughters insisting they will literally die of embarrassment if their mothers look too dowdy or, worse, continue raiding their daughters closets for skintight jeans and microminis in misguided last-ditch attempts to regain the rebelliousness of their youth.

Then I thought about my girlfriends. I thought of the hundreds, if not thousands, of calls I field from them (and they from me) a couple of hours before we meet for an event, each and every call boiling down to the same question, repeated over and over: What Should I Wear?! Everyone has made that call, had that conversation, and wailed this questionwhat to wear to a rock concert, a first date, a funeral, or a Yankees game, a trade convention, or even to brunch with each other!

I dont do fashion, I am fashion.

COCO CHANEL

I firmly believe that 90 percent of the confusion that women feel when they are attempting to put together an occasion-specific ensemble is caused by fear : fear of breaking the fashion rules, fear of violating some long-forgotten tradition, or the basic fear of looking bad. However, any undertaking based on fear is likely to failor, at the very least, it wont be much fun. And style is all about fun. Getting dressed for an occasion should not induce anxiety. It should be an exciting challenge to communicate who YOU are to the world, without saying a word. The most fabulous style icons are those women who know what the rules are and have the confidence to ignore them, push things to the edge, and yet flawlessly keep within the confines of whats appropriate.

Overbearing, too-stringent rules are the enemy of true style. But there are clues, contexts, and a fashion language that exists in any given situation. Weve probably all heard the clich There is a right time and right place for everything. This is completely true for matters of style. Each moment calls for a different stylistic essence and a different sense of impact, and mastery of this balance is an art forma very learnable art form. The key to style success is knowing what this essence is, and knowing how to effortlessly communicate in the language of fashion. You dont have to be fluent, but you want to be understood.

Take, for example, one of my least favorite fashion rules: the precept that no woman over the age of twenty-nine should wear a skirt shorter than two inches above the knee. Ridiculous! If youve got it, flaunt it, no matter your age. However, its equally important to know in what context to flaunt it. If you meet someone for the first time and while shes talking to you, youre wondering why a person would wear a micromini skirt and knee-high boots to her sons soccer game, well, she might be a fascinating, quirky, intelligent woman; she may be up for a Nobel Prize; she may be a classically trained French pastry chef; or she could be the most loyal friend in the world (once you get to know her), but many people (including you) will never bother to try. They will dismiss her at hello. Making a good impression is about understanding boundaries, communication, social savvy, and my favorite factor: knowing thyselfand then translating the unstoppable force of YOU into the style language of every event and occasion you grace with your presence.

A great social success is a pretty girl who plays her cards as carefully as if she were plain.

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

This book will lead you through the fashion lingo for some of lifes basic occasions to ensure that your ensemble is always a flawless representation of you. Youll learn how to be appropriate without being prudish, creative without being too zany, and confident without being overbearing. Obviously, I could not include every single life event in this one volume. I pared the list to some of lifes biggies; to the situations that cause most of our fashion stress. Ive offered advice on the social graces of an occasion, factoids that have helped focus me and give me confidence throughout the years. The outfits I suggest for each situation are just that, suggestions . Ive given you my ideal ensemble to illustrate each look, but I never want you to forget that really authentic style comes from within, and you must always remain stylistically true to yourself. Dont be afraid to add your own flair to my recommendations. Fearlessness is integral to innovation. Just remember that whatever you wear, wear it with sublime confidence.

Life is dynamic, ever changing, and fluid; so too must our sense of style move and evolve. Every one of us should constantly be honing our style skills and adjusting them to a changing audience. Im always acutely aware of what Im wearing and who will be seeing me in it. Believe metheres pressure when youre deciding what to wear to a meeting with an iconic fashion designer or a member of the press. It can be terrifying. But instead of panicking, I stop, take a deep breath, and remember that I speak fashion. And by the time you have read this book, youll be able to speak the language of fashion too, at all the key moments of your life. True style is not about having a closet full of expensive and beautiful things, it is instead about knowing when, where, and how to utilize your collection. Whether youre more Lady Gaga or more Lady Bird Johnson, there is always just the right thing for you to wear, anywhere. Your job, with my help, is to figure out what that is.