Style Crush

(photo © Citizen Couture)

(photo © Tommy Tom)

When I come across a photograph of Giovanna Battaglia on a fashion blog, I always say the exact same thing, I would wear that outfit in a second.

Now, being a Stylist and Fashion Director for Vogue Gioiello and Vogue Pelle, and sitting front row at Fashion week may give you a leg up when it comes to getting dressed in the morning, but Giovanna proves that looking stylish doesn't mean pulling looks directly from the runway. In fact, her style habits are more like a regular woman, than, say, some of the other fashion directors out there (no offense Anna Dello Russo, I love you, too!)

(photo © The Sartorialist)

Oftentimes you see Giovanna wearing the same piece over and over again in different combinations, like these gorgeous snakeskin boots . . .

(photo © The Sartorialist)

(photo © The Sartorialist)

. . . or this candy-colored Fendi bag.

(photo © The Sartorialist)

(photo © Hanneli Mustaparta)

She often mixes vintage with modern— like these vintage Emporio Armani sunglasses.

(photo © Tommy Tom)

And I LOVE how she pulls her hair back in a messy bun, just like any woman on the go.

(photo © The Sartorialist)

The feeling I get when I see photos of Giovanna is not one of envy, or even wistfulness. Her style is amazingly wearable and accessible — even though the pieces in her wardrobe are high-end labels, any of her outfits would be easy to recreate with more affordable pieces.

(photo © The Sartorialist)

I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only woman out there who could go over to her closet right now, and pull together something pretty close to the above look.

(photo © The Sartorialist)

And, like all the stylish women I admire, she has incredible shoes . . .

(photo © Tommy Tom)

(photo © Tommy Tom)

(All the photos in this post are from various street style photographers— be sure to check them out!)

Fantastic Shoes

If I had to choose between clothes and shoes, I would happily don a burlap sack for the rest of my life. This creates a problem because A) you can never have enough shoes and B) shoes can be expensive. So, I've made a rule that I will only pull out my credit card for truly fantastic shoes.

But, what makes a shoe fantastic? For me, they have to have some element of surprise— a great color, an interesting heel, something that looks different from what every other girl is wearing. They also have to be well-made— leather soles, suede-lined heels, sturdy straps.

I'll admit that I spend more on shoes than the average person, but I really think it's the best way to invest in your wardrobe. For one, your shoe size does not fluctuate like your weight can, so one pair of shoes will fit pretty much forever. Secondly, if the shoes are well-made, they will last for years with the occasional repair. And if they are gorgeous, they will be classic.

(photo © http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/)

I recently saw the above photo of Anna Dello Russo, Fashion Director of Vogue Nippon on The Sartorialist, wearing these amazing shoes with cherries on them. I assumed they were shoes that had just walked down the runway 5 seconds ago, so I was surprised to find out they were Yves Saint Laurent from 2003. Six years later the shoes were still eye-catching, not because they were trendy, but because they were beautiful.

Another shot of the shoes from Garance Doré.