I love a good cocktail party, dinner party, store opening party, fund raising party… you get the picture. This month, what with all the global fashion week frenzy and the concomitant dazzling galas, cocktail soirees etc., I’ve gotten into the mood. So I reached into the recesses of my overflowing (but only because I don’t have a walk-in) closet and pulled out this gem. It’s a one-of-a-kind piece that was made for me by my dear friend, the wildly talented designer Cornell Collins. He crafted every elegant detail with me in mind and once it was finished I wore it with pride on the Emmy red carpet while reporting for E!. All these years later it’s still one of my absolute favorites, a classic as it were. If you don’t already own a black midi party dress like Dakota Johnson and Amanda Garrigus (that would be me), I advise adding one to your collection asap. Scroll down for a few party-perfect suggestions.

With love,

Amanda

High: Alex Perry; Medium: Cynthia Rowley; Low: Zara

Simplicity. I long for it. I strive for it. But in a world cluttered with blogs (yes, I said blogs, but I’m not admitting to being part of the problem…!), Instagrams, YouTube videos and Snapchats, each more overflowing with carefully curated images than the next, it’s not so easy. So when I can find a little calm in the middle of this social media storm, I’m grateful. Sometimes I think I ought to populate this blog with more stuff, and then I think, nah. This is a haven from the noise. A place where I can share honest truths, in small doses, with a handful of approachable images captured by my sister. And in a world of more, bigger, better, prettier, shinier, stylier ([style-ee-uhr]… this is an adjective I like to use meaning “more stylish”; Merriam-Webster does not acknowledge its existence…yet), what grounds us, what grounds me, is authenticity, not pageantry. This look is about as bare bones as they come. White cotton tunic from Forever 21 and a white pump from Aldo. Done. We really don’t need a lot to be happy, and it’s good to be reminded of that on occasion. In the end, it’s pretty simple.

With love,

Amanda

I love awards season. The pomp, the circumstance, the heartfelt speeches, the dresses. I love seeing what others choose to wear and I like playing dress up too. As a general rule, if I’m going to an event where I think I might get my picture taken (Caveat: this doesn’t happen very often), I endeavor to wear something new. It’s a thing here in LA. Like the ladies who regularly swan down the red carpet, I aim to keep things fresh and interesting. But there are some pieces that compel me to make an exception to that rule. This dress is one of them. It’s all about the ease of it, and the breeze of it, and the way I feel like I’m wearing pajamas but (hopefully) look like I’m dressed for a rather swanky to-do. This piece was a gift from the designer and I’ve worn it to several parties across several awards seasons and I’ll probably wear it to several more. I love it, almost as much as I love the Emmys, Golden Globes, Oscars…

With love,

Amanda