Nina Garcia's Shortlist

It took only a few episodes of Project Runway for Nina Garcia to debunk the all-fashion-editors-are-Miranda Priestly myth that Lauren Weisburger had hammered into my head. This is not to say that Nina was the exact opposite of Miranda -she is quite thin after all, and her impeccable personal style favors classic over cutting edge, and, judging only from her Runway manner and writing style, she is not especially warm or bubbly.

She does, however, seem to care much more about other women than did her fictional foe, and I completely believe her when she tells Hampton Style's James Kurisunkal "I want to help women shop for value and invest in the right things for their wardrobe. You can purchase either expensive or inexpensive things, and they can both be wrong. It's about buying things that will stand the test of time."

Both her Little Black Book of Style and the upcoming The One Hundred are aimed towards women of all economic status, filled with guidelines, materials, and silhouettes, rather than labels. Indeed, it was Nina's disregard for labels and her respect for fledgling designers that compelled her to join Project Runway: "We work in a business that is all about these mega-brand conglomerates that could very easily squash an up-and-coming designer. There needs to be a support system for them." Considering the success that the cream of Runway's graduates have acheived, I'd say that support system is coming along nicely.

In this week's Hamptons Style, Garcia divulges her Hamptons must-haves (for once, no Candy Kitchen, though there is some requisite Green Thumb lovin'). Below, my favorites of her favorites.

Under-$20 indulgence: Pack of Hanes V-neck cotton T-shirts Trend for the beach: A panama hat Sunglasses: Ray-Bans Fashion investment piece for summer: A pair of K. Jacques gladiator sandals Brunch spot: At home Farmstand: Green Thumb in Water Mill Off-the-beaten-track destination: Cyril's Fish House and Shippy's Pumpernickel Sheets on the bed: Porthault Book on the nightstand: The Sum of Our Days by Isabel Allende Album on your iPod: Soul on Top by James Brown Closet envy?: Margherita Missoni's

[Image via Boston.com]