A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own

This is a great book that basically lists 100 stylish pieces every stylish woman should own and how to look for good quality. Loved it.. but it's so addicting that now i search for pieces that i don't have and now feel are essential.

I bought this book and absolutely adore it. Cute pictures and witty advice. I also bought it for my girlfriends and each one feels the same way I do. I frequently refer to it when I make wardrobe purchases and it is a manual for the ultimate "closet cleaning" experience. I recommended this book to anyone that cares about clothes and desires a classic look.

I was very impressed with this compilation of the 100 key essentials for a woman's wardrobe. Nina writes brilliantly and while reading you cannot help but want to go out and shop for each item as you read about it. The presentation and drawings are also adorable.

I bought this book because every girl/woman needs to improve her knowledge about fashion and style. Nina's book helped me find the pieces that will never go out of style, like the classic black blazer or aviator sunglasses. A great fun and colorful book that will help on your shopping days.

Although the author acknowledges that the book is rather personal,the book is nontheless most readable, and contains information, inspiration, and guidance about style and fashion. I would say that it is a friendly book, and a feel good book as well. I,m glad to have this book.

Seriously - I need a Blackberry? A caftan? A camel and fur coats - in Texas? "But the Southern states, my dear, they're so passe. We only cater to people with taste, the people who must survive hideous weather in, say, Connecticut."

I have 4 problems with this book.
1. The suggestions are not "classics" but, like the Blackberry, are already out of style. Or, do you think you need an iPod?
2. The side bars are either absurd or unnerving - her favorite sites include perezhilton.com, her only recommended watches are Cartier, Rolex and Jaegr-LeCoultre. This in a country where people line up and stand overnight for free dental care.
3. The suggestions include clothes that are more insanely expensive than I thought possible. Verdura cuffs - only $38,000! I feel like Lewis Black, I may have a heart attack, not because they're so expensive but BECAUSE VERDURA CUFFS ARE UGLY! THEY'RE UGLY! It's like every misogynist in the world now has something to point to as proof that women are stupid. "Look, Verdura Cuffs - and Nina says they're a must have! That is, if you can afford them." Omigod, shoot me now, we're lost, the glass ceiling is there for a reason.
4. Finally, I just draw the line at Espadrilles. What are they? They are usually high heels with a wedge made of cord sewn into cloth. They are the soul of ugliness but there are genius designers that have made them look cute. It's just wrong.

So, those are the problems. But there's another, worse difficulty. The book grows on you. It opens your eyes to beautiful clothes you never knew existed. It makes you want to spend your 401K. It makes you dream about selling AAPL before it hits 600 (again). It gets under your skin and makes you think about owning 100 items each with prices around $1000. Yes, you could sell your house. Who needs shelter when you have clothes? And who needs food ever again? That bikini is worth it!

Really enjoyed this book. She covers items as basic as Hanes t-shirts and as high-end as LV bags. I especially enjoyed knowing that I could even afford a few of the items she mentioned-that was an eye-opener! The book is written in an easy, entertaining style and I highly recommend to anyone interested in fashion.

But basically just a list of the authors favorite pieces, done in short essays, with no real advice on how to wear the things, such as, Nina goes on about scarves, and how French women wear them in so many ways, but hardly any advice on how we can wear or tie the scarves. She does the same with jeans, basically describing the different basic types but no advice on what to look for or what style works well with what type. The section on ipod as a fashion statement was silly filler and had I read the table of contents before buying, and had seen that she included fur, real fur, as one of her one hundred, I would never have paid a dime for this. She even gushes over mink slippers.
This is where, to me, fashion crosses over into self centered idiotic narcissism with out any consideration for the cruelty in this industry. I will not buy any more of her books, she is a pretty masterful marketer... I will however be on the lookout for the illustrator. Very charming drawings, which is why I rated 2 stars... for the artists work!
I got more ideas from the drawings than from the silly book.
Waste of money. Do not buy it.

I was disappointed in this book. This is definitely a coffee table book - not one to take seriously. Some of the things the author lists are just ridiculous. But the main irritation is that these one hundred things she talks about are not fashion staples to have in your closet. These items are much more suited to a whimsical, faddish teenager than to a woman who wants to look stylish.

Horrible book! It pretty much tells you the story of each item. I was looking for more " how and where to wear this items." It also has many many pages of unhelpful illustrations instead of meaningful and useful content. I do not recommend it if you are looking for fashion tips. Unless you would like to know how did ray bans came about and which celebrities wore them back in the day...

Very entertaining, I really think Nina García has chosen the 101 items that every sophisticated woman should have in her closet.

Piece by piece, Nina explains details on them and in some cases suggests a specific brand.

The pictures are very nice, I enjoyed reading this book.

Audrey Hepburn never wore the Ray Ban Wayfarers on Breakfast at Tiffanys, as this book states. She was wearing glasses by Oliver Goldsmith, in their "Manhattan" model. Questioning the credibility of the author here... do your homework!

...it at least taught me about fashion and changed the way I dress forever. I got it around the time it came out and recently re-read it. There are some dated references, such as the Blackberry and iPod, that made me laugh. I also wonder if Nina has changed her opinion on Louboutins or Speedy bags, considering how trendy they have become in recent years.

My reasoning for reading this back then was that I appreciated how edgy women in NYC looked but didn't know where to start or even what was what. I was buying as many cheap clothes as I could afford and matching everything precisely yet not having anything to show for it. Nina's books were a game changer. The One Hundred taught me to collect classic pieces that I never would have deemed necessary before, such as a motorcycle jacket, a boucle jacket, Frye boots, a Tuxedo blazer, a men's watch, Wayfarers, etc. Also, this book has some history on designer items. She narrows down what is iconic so that you know what to splurge on should you choose to do so. It took the mystery out of fashion, and now when I see someone whose style I admire, I can easily identify the elements of it.

A review here was titled "How to spend a Million on your wardrobe and more....", an understandable criticism. It does seem that Nina, being a fashion editor, really has a passion for designer brands and is perhaps out of touch with most of America. Very few people need an evening gown on hand. Evening gown notwithstanding, it may be more for a budding fashionista looking to get serious about their closet (but Nina's Little Black Book of Style is for anyone and everyone). Even some of the other items may seem too adventurous if you live in a place where everyone shops at the same mall and dresses similarly. In her defense, she chooses the most items in her 100 that can be worn regularly and bought at every price point. A chained purse may come from anywhere, not just Chanel. She is simply communicating what her favorites are and where they originated from.

On another note, I came pretty close to collecting every item and would not suggest following the list so closely. Many mistakes were made and money was wasted in the process. Overall, this book helped me to make an initially steep investment in a wardrobe foundation that makes it possible to shop less and throw together an outfit for any occasion and mix in affordable clothes, too.

Columbus had it correct, when venturing into a brave new world you need three things: the Pinta, the Santa Maria, and the Nina...Garcia. So in exploring how you can become more stylish, fashionable, and just look more put together, this is the vessel that will get you to that destination.

If you are trying to decide which of her books to start with, this is the one. All you need to do is grab your AMEX card and a pencil and start crossing items off and abracadabra - you are stylish.

Here is a sample of 70 - 74:

70. Push-up bra - if this were a movie title it would be called "Escape from A-cup Island", however this undergarment can work for any size and aren't we all glad that it does

71. Quality champagne - its booze nothing else needs to be said about this except maybe move it to the top 10. Can I get a hallelujah from the alcoholics?

72. Red lipstick - the only cosmetic that is also an accessory - makes any outfit better

73. Robe - yes, even when you are at home you should attempt to be stylish

74. Safari jacket - classic and will never go out of style

Columbus showed us that the world is round and Nina Garcia shows us that a closet should be well rounded, so where is her bank holiday?

This book exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be a similar list to most fashion lists (i.e. Burberry trench, white oxford, LBD, etc) but this book goes way beyond it. I sticky tagged about 75% of the book and realized I have many of the items. Some items were just not me but many were definitely classics that I throw on in the morning when I am late. It definitely helped me weed out my closet and now at least I don't throw on a hoody and sloppy jeans but rather something that looks like I spent time. The illustrations are also lovely as well as her tips. Highly recommend for anyone looking to edit a closet. Wish I had this when I was younger so I wouldn't have spent money on junk that I rarely wear that still sits in my closet.