The best example of an investment piece are my YSL tribute pumps that you have all seen me wear with everything. I’m sure some of you are already tired of seeing me wear them . I paid full price for the shoes at Bergdorf Goodman and had no regrets. The shoes are worth every penny. I have worn the shoes so much that I have already gotten my money’s worth out of the purchase. The shoes are classic with a big platform, patent leather upper and a super sexy heel. They elongate my legs, they give me the height I need and they make all my outfits look better. What makes this item a great investment is that the shoes compliment my wardrobe perfectly and add just the right kick to the clothing I already own.

Many people have emailed me asking how I can afford the expensive items I own. Well, first of all, not all the things in my closet are expensive. My wardrobe is a mixture of high-end designer, vintage, and low-end basics that have I collected from all over the place. Low-end basics can be found at almost any retailer and with the current economic conditions, retailers tend to slash prices on basics. Whether you find them at Forever21, H&M or even TopShop, low-end basics are a good way to bolster a wardrobe and to quietly compliment more complex high-end looks.

Secondly, I save my money by resisting the temptation to buy things because they’re on sale. I save my money and spend it on well made value pieces that I can wear forever. I believe that investment clothing is worth spending money on but it has to meet certain criteria in order to be practical enough. Not only should the piece be able to transition between seasons but you should also be able to wear it year after year. I often buy investment pieces from large fashion houses but the items I choose must allow my own style to shine through. They should add something essential to my closet.

I try to buy smart and when I buy something new, I have two methods of making sure I am making the right decision. Besides using the Cost-per-wear method, I also have my own checklist to make sure the items I’m about to buy meet my long term expectations. You’re the one that controls your money and always needs to make a smart decision on what to buy, when to buy and where to buy what. Wear what you want to wear and not what other people want you to wear: avoid trendy things you don’t need and invest in timeless pieces.

Wearing: Vintage silk blouse, Forever 21 short, Comme des Garcons soccer ball jacket, Givenchy shoes

I just listed some fabulous pieces on my Ebay store. please click here to view them

Finally, “Finding The Inspiration For The World Of Fashion”  is here. I’m so sorry it took me some time to get them all together. I had a blast going through all  of the photos and I really appreciated all the special sweet notes from all the readers. It’s good to see how many of you fashionistas out there really have a lot of passion about fashion, just as I do. You all look beautiful in your own creative style.
The winner for “Finding The Inspiration For The World Of Fashion” will receive a $50 gift card of their choice. I need everyone helps to pick out the winner. Please vote by choosing your favorite contestant by number and feel free to leave a comment on why you chose that contestant. I’ll leave the voting open for 7 days, which ends on June 6, 2009 11:59:59PM CST.  Thanks so much for your help to make this more fun in the fashion world!!!!! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! xxxxxxxxxxx Nini

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When Amee from She Plays Dress Up visited us from Houston, one of the things we did was go vintage shopping. We took her to one of our favorite stores, Ahab Bowen, and that is where I found this beautiful jumpsuit. Actually, it wasn’t me who found it. Judy from Atlantis Home picked it up and showed it to me. She was thinking it would look nice on Jane. After I tried on the jumpsuit and it fit me perfectly, Judy was sweet enough to let me have it! She gave me the idea to roll up the bottoms to update the look. I am completely in love with it! The jumpsuit is so over the top and the sleeves just scream 80’s.

I wore the jumpsuit today with my new Givenchy peep-toe boots. The Givenchy boots are my early birthday present to myself. Since I have worn the YSL booties so much, I think these boots will be a great alternative. I just know I’m going to wear these boots just as often as the YSL’s and I have a feeling I am going to love them just as much!

This nude Margiela dress with a U-neckline is my favorite item in my wardrobe right now. When I saw it in the Margiela store in NY I had to have it because I saw myself wearing it in so many different ways. When I got back to Dallas I had a really weird feeling about the dress. On the one hand, I was mad at myself for purchasing the dress during the recession. On the other hand, I thought that it would be an item I could blend into my closet easily and mix with a lot of things I already had.
But I still felt guilty. Was the guilt from spending so much money on the dress during such a hard time for so many people? Or was I feeling guilty because I had a momentary obsession with an object that might not be as practical as I had thought?  I half wanted to return the dress and half wanted to keep it. I was confused.
After doing some fashionista soul searching, I realized that I felt guilty because I had spent too much money on the dress. For this kind of shopping dilemma, I like to figure out whether an item is worth the price I paid using a technique called Cost-Per-Wear.
I analyze the purchase by breaking down the cost by the amount of times I think I will be able to realistically wear it in one year. (TIP: If you are watching your budget, make sure the item will last through at least two seasons or more. If it doesn’t, you might want to think twice about the purchase.) For example, the nude Margiela dress is something that I can wear quite often if I combine it with other items in my closet. I would guess that I could wear it at least 5 times a month. If I wear the dress 5 times a month, I will have worn it 60 times that year, so the cost-perwear of this dress in the first year will be $16. After considering the cost-per-wear, I decided to keep the dress.
I work hard and I hate to see the money I earn go into clothes that I obsessed over for a second and hated the next day. There are a few ways to avoid this. Think of holding on to the items you buy as you would think of a long term relationship as compared to a momentary love affair.  Spend more money on the classic and spend less on the trendy “must have” items. “Must have” is just a term used for marketing! Listen to your fashion instincts instead of looking for the popular items of the season and when you want to make a new purchase just do some math in your head. Cost-Per-Wear is a great technique to keep from burning your money and for shopping smartly.

Loc took some photos of me wearing the Maison Martin Margiela dress yesterday:

Wearing: Maison Martin Margiela dress, Forever 21 short, American Apparel black mesh top, Club Monaco lucite cuffs.

I just listed couple of things on my Ebay store and the black transparent hooded that I worn on my last photo-shoot is included. Click here to see the jacket. It’s one size fits all.

Have a happy memorial weekend everyone!!! xxxxxx Nini Nguyen

Italian Vogue

Japanese Vogue-May 09.

Chinese Vogue – March – Liu Wen. The black Ann D cotton skirt is super short in person that you can’t wear it by itself.