Earlier this week Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso voluntarily stepped down as CEO, passing the torch to current president Sheree Waterson. Amoruso will stay on as executive chairman, believing that Waterson is the person who will take the brand to the next level. So what exactly is the next level for Nasty Gal? The fast growing e-commerce site had reached sales over $100 million before hitting a wall in 2013 with little growth in 2014. Amoruso’s plan is to connect with the customer, to open stores, to (I’m guessing) spend less time taking meetings and more time thinking about the creative side of running a business. If that’s where Nasty Gal is going then good for them. I sympathize with a desire to remove oneself from the nitty gritty operational side of a business and focus on developing the brand. But no matter how this turns out for Sophia Amoruso, I am absolutely going to pay attention – Nasty Gal is one of my newest aspirational brands to follow.
Recently I found myself on a coffee date with a blogger friend. She was wearing a very fun leopard print faux fur jacket. I wore my usual uniform of stripes and jeans. We started talking about personal style tendencies and for the first time I realized that I’ve always felt pressure to dress a certain age. When it comes to clothes, my priority has been to look neat and put together; the bottom line is that I have a closet full of staple pieces and very few fun ones! This realization that I could use a little more nasty in my life kinda led to a mini freak out. I’m almost 27! That’s almost 30 and I haven’t really explored my fun fashion side yet. I’m not cut from the same Nasty Gal culture as Amoruso, but I definitely need a little more edge, a little more sexy, and a little more fun in my wardrobe. Who doesn’t?
Here’s the one thing I want from Nasty Gal. Reviews! J.Crew recently added a review section to their site and I’ve gained so much insight on how things fit, feel, and if they’re worth the price. Of course with a review section comes insanely stupid reviews like the one person who gave something half a star because they didn’t realize you needed to cut the stitching open on a jacket pocket. So we view them with a grain of salt. But when retailers don’t have review sections I get a little sketched out. What are they hiding? Why don’t they want people raving about their products? Or the other way around. Give me that transparency. One site that goes above and beyond the review and let’s people share their personally styled photos is Free People. If I could see how someone styled the Rene Dress below, I’d be more likely to feel like I too could pull off that look. Because I really want to pull off that look.
Nasty Gal Rene Dress – Every girl needs one seriously sexy body-con dress. This is the one I’d go for. It shows off your, ahem, assets with a short hemline but the 3/4 length sleeves and mock neckline gives you a slightly covered but very sexy mod look.
Joa Let’s Hang Fringe Skirt – This look is made for shimmying, so put on your dancing shoes. There’s something about a fringe skirt that instantly adds fun to any outfit.
Maurie & Eve Perpetual Sheer Blouse – I’m all for unusual and this sheer blouse with white bra overlay is exactly that. A standout piece that’s right on trend.
Motel Sally Mae Sequin Dress – Who says you have to stop wearing sequins now that the holidays are over? Hogwash! If you’re worried about being too flashy on a regular day, remember that Valentine’s day is right around the corner. Get your shine on.
Nasty Gal Higher Ground Dress – Simple, sexy LBD. The 90’s style slip dress is a classic and the high slit makes it ultra modern and super sexy. The only accessory you need is confidence.
Nasty Gal Greenwich Coat in Wine – A gorgeous, romantic coat with a faux fur collar in a lovely wine color. This might be the definition of an eye catching coat.
