Sunday, July 3, 2016

How to win Nina Proudman's white embroidered top

Hello lovelies,

Remember Nina's top in season 6, episode 1?



Well I found it at Zara in Sydney's Pitt St mall yesterday!

Exactly the same top.
I was in the queue for the change room & there it was on a rack. Pounce. It was a SS 2015 issue (southern hemisphere SS 2015/16).



Does it fit me?

Size on label: Medium
True size: Closer to the small side of medium
Pit to pit: 49 cm
Front length from centre top to centre of hem: 43 cm
Upper sleeve width: 14 cm
Measurements are laid flat, unstretched.

What brand is it?

First let's deal with the rumours about the brand of Nina's top.
Fellow blogger from Styling You claims it is an Isabel Marant - gorgeous French boho design. Their information comes from the wardrobe department of Offspring. 

With all due respect, their information is wrong. 
I have gone through almost 10 years of Marant runway and the top didn't do the walk. 

Yes, it's Marant-ish, but it's not an original by any means. It doesnt have the finesse & quality hallmarks of a runway garment (see below). 

I have also poured over the Nina photos & compared them to the top I have in my hand. The two look identical. Zara isn't in the business of creating identical. It waters down design, trim & especially fabric to make the loot cheap & saleable. So if they are identical, they can only be Zara. Both of them. 

Nina has worn Zara over many episodes - this top coming from Zara is nothing new for Nina wardrobe wise.

What label is it?

You know from my previous quality rants that the Zara brand consists of a number of labels which vary between them in quality (& hence price). The best quality is Zara Woman, the middle child is Zara Basic & the worst quality is Trafaluc or TRF. TRF is aimed at a younger market; a market which has less money to spend so its prices are low and the fabrics, trims & stylings are the cheapest of the bunch.

This top is actually TRF.  In particular, the quality hallmarks which give it away as TRF are threefold. First the mesh on the upper part is not as smooth & soft as I would like. Secondly, the fabrication is 100% modal which is code for rayon which is code for viscose. Yes, more environmentally friendly than say cotton or linen but weak when wet & likely to break down quite easily. The fabric feels thin & cheap. Thirdly & most importantly, the embroidery is made up entirely of satin stitching but it was very widely spaced. So it would be faster to make that way. Unfortunately, widely spaced means the threads will pull & snag easily. I'd be surprised if it lasts more than one summer without looking ratty. 

Do you still want it?

If so, keep reading. 

What body shapes does it suit?

All the basic rules apply here. 

1. Light colours make things look larger than they are.
If you are top heavy, not the best idea especially with a dark bottom. 

2. High necklines do not flatter big busts. If you have a large bust you will always look better with a lower neckline (think decolletage not cleavage). The see through mesh look generally doesn't do alot to counteract this. 

3. If you have cool undertones in your skin, cream will rarely suit you. Hopefully you already know whether cream is a good colour for you. Note also that the top is cream and not off white. Also if you wear a scarf in your good colours, it may be too busy with a top which has such detailed embroidery.
You may want to try a contrast colour cami underneath but that is unlikely to counteract the extensive creaminess.

4. If you have a tummy, raising your arms slightly will cause that tummy to be exposed. This goes hand in hand with the fact that the top is from the TRF label - think youth market, think cropped style tops.  

Do you still want it?

OK then, keep reading. 

SIA isn't a big famous blogger so she doesn't have alliances with retailers/manufacturers etc. In fact, alliances may be sexy but they impair your independence. That means that if they give you freebies you are obligated to spruik them & the brand. All of a sudden you reduce your spruiking of labels you genuinely like because they dont give you an income stream.

This means that SIA had to did deep to buy this top. Really deep. It was $A35.95. Reduced from $A49.95. SIA's generosity knows no bounds, eh? 

Did you also know that the top is on ebay at the moment? I think the bidding is at $A250 odd. Crazy people? You decide. 

Despite the fact that SIA couuld make a small fortune selling the top on ebay, she chooses to offer it to her lovely readers instead. 

Do you still want it?

Lordy me, keep reading. 

What do you have to do to WIN it?

If you would like to win the top, then tell SIA how you would style it. Is there something you would team with it or a bunch of things? What? How? Do tell. 

You do not have to style it in a Nina way to win this - after all, I dont want you to be a copy of a fictional character. 

Instead, SIA wants to enjoy how your vibe & personality will work with the top. Yes, how your personality is vibing with the top as Jimmy would say.

Place your response as a comment on this blog post or on any Style into Action Facebook post about the top. No private answers please.  

Any questions?

Just ask.








8 comments:

  1. I am not a Nina fan, but I do love this top. I have small boobs and would wear it with slim jeans and ankle boots in winter. Perhaps a fine necklace with it as I wouldn't want to distract away from the embroidery and lace detail on the top. In summer, denim shorts all the way. I know it sounds boring but I love the simple cream and denim combo.

    By the way, I'm pretty sure Styling You got the details wrong on the brand. I did let her know it was from Zara as I had found the identical piece whilst doing a Google Search. Channel Ten has confirmed that this is indeed a Zara piece, not Isabel Marrant. The only Isabel Marrant piece I've seen so far in Season 6 is the black and red top she wears for the promos.

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  2. Hi! What a fun competition. The shirt is beautiful.

    I am loving contrasting feminine soft pieces with strong, tough pieces at the moment. I feel comfortable in them and I think that's because it's a reflection of my personality; I'm mostly sweet and nice but definitely can be tough when required!

    So for a night out I would wear the shirt with a black leather biker jacket, skinny black jeans and lace up pointy black leather heals - the ones that lace up all the way to your shins. I'd top it off with a soft coloured (cream or blush) clutch with some feminine embellishments to balance the leather and black jeans. I would opt for some simple, yet bold drop earrings and a statement ring. I'd wear pretty makeup (nothing too heavy) and leave my hair in gentle waves.

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  3. I am a Nina tragic and simply adore this top. I would most definitely style this in the Nina way. For me it would be with skinny mid wash jeans, brown belt, knee high brown boots. A classic Nina bag would have to accompany brown leather across the body strap. Of course there would be a scarf I think a lighter green scarf with flecks of white to offset the gorgeous top.
    Small drop earrings silver would be the choice also a fine silver chain bracelet and matching necklace . Hair half up half down with a top knot. Casual yet stylish. Love love love

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  4. I would wear it with skinny jeans and boots :)

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  6. I kept reading! I have warm tones, small boobs & top half and am definitely shorter than Nina. This gorgeous top is so my style. It does look great on Nina though. I'd style it with dark indigo skinny jeans, brown boots & belt and my favourite wooden beaded necklace.

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  7. I kept reading! I have warm tones, small boobs & top half and am definitely shorter than Nina. This gorgeous top is so my style. It does look great on Nina though. I'd style it with dark indigo skinny jeans, brown boots & belt and my favourite wooden beaded necklace.

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  8. Great pick up and find! So gorgeous. I would style this top over a short caramel suede skirt, tights and ankle boots with loose easygoing hair in waves and some bohemian bangles :)

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