Unfortunately, no I did not get to meet Tina Fey in person to solicit advice from her, but I have almost finished her book Bossypants. I’m listening to it on audiobook in my car rather than listenig to whatever is on the radio and current celebrity gossip.
I’ve had some good laughs and some serious thoughts as a result of her life stories. One piece of advice really stood out to me.
She was talking about fashion and creating that sense of style that everyone envies, she also revealed she shops almost exclusively at Express–a store known for their simple pieces and great fits. (AKA my favorite store to buy jeans and dress pants.)
Here’s the direct quote from the book Bossypants by Tina Fey:
“A wise friend once told me, ‘Don’t wear what fashion designers tell you to wear. Wear what they wear.’ His point being that most designers, no matter what they throw onto the runway, favor simple, flattering pieces for themselves. Anyone who has never met me can tell you that fashion has always been very very very very very very very important to me. For example, I once told my cousin that my dream would be ‘if the whole store Express was my closet!’ How prescient, because now, of course, I wear nothing but Express. It can’t be said enough. Don’t concern yourself with fashion; stick to simple pieces that flatter your body type.”
Short and sweet—wear what the designers wear. Often they wear timeless black outfits with simple but flattering shapes. Think about the judges of Project Runway:
Almost always Nina Garcia (fashion editor for ELLE) and Michael Kors (fashion designer) are wearing simple black and white pieces. Zac Posen (fashion designer) has since replaced Michael and is a little more wild— but still a suit wearing man he often incorporates interesting color pops or differing textures. Tim Gunn the mentor of the group is known for his pinstripe suits. Since Heidi Klum has a goregous body she is often wearing something slightly more racy or edgy but it often comes back to simple roots. The most racy of the group is almost always the guest judge wearing something that reinforces their personal brand and signature style.
If you’re looking for a classic style that will never go wrong and you can add more quirky pieces to I also reccommend reading Nina Garcia’s Book “The One Hundred“.
I bought this book used on Amazon for just a few dollars and it is invaluable fashion advice.
The book is filled with goregous fashion watercolor images by Reuben Toledo and explains the 100 classic fashion pieces you could/should work towards adding to your wardrobe. Many of these pieces are so basic that you can easily find them at Gap, H&M, Forever 21 and more—you don’t need to blow your budget at Neiman Marcus.
To buy Tina Fey’s autobiography “Bossypants”, click here:
To buy Nina Garcia’s “The One Hundred”, click here:
Or better yet, look for them at your local library and save a few bucks!
Tales of a Twenty-Something 