The year 2020 was a difficult for all of us, but in the midst of adversity, I must be grateful: I’m thankful to God for my family, my friends, art and the ability to create. It was to storytelling through writing, music and my love for fashion that I turned to keep busy during the prolonged time at home, or when I needed to find joy and solace during a worldwide health crisis.
My blog has for years been one of those channels of my imagination, and I’m thankful to have it as a place that has documented some of my moments of joy the past year.
Ahead are my top ten blog posts from the year. Keep in mind that some of these took place before the official shutdown in March, and my outings during the pandemic have followed CDC guidelines (mask wearing save for the brief moment I took it off for a photos, social distancing, etc.).
Favorite Quote: “In our snazzy shoes Mari and I make our way up the stairs to the tower where you can see the manicured city of Pasadena stretch out before you, the white buildings as it does so appearing like teeth in its smile. The city seems to say, “you are welcome to seek solace here.” The whimsical tune of Nat King Cole’s “Stardust” echoes through my mind as the sun cast its rose-gold light onto the historic buildings. And whenever I face my dragons, I will conjure up this castle in my mind and trust God’s plan.”
2. Gucci Osteria de Massimo Bottura makes the ‘The Chic List’
Favorite Quote: “After becoming accustomed to the four white walls of my home and now my new apartment during the pandemic, I felt the world open up before me within the pastel Japanese wallpapered and marble walls of the osteria. The ornate mirrors were something right out of Marie Antoinette’s bedroom. To sit in California cool wicker chairs while awaiting our meal was a study in contrasts that somehow worked. And the same goes for Chef Massimo Bottura’s menu, which is a marriage between California and Italian cuisine. You can bet that Mari and I, two fashion-forward foodies, were ready to devour the boutique-sized, but piquant affair!”
3. In honor of Emily in Paris, here’s our Carrie Bradshaw Dress Recreation
Favorite Quote: “What is it about Darren Star’s storylines that have that sort of, je ne sais quoi? Well, I think I’ve managed to put my finger on it! It’s the allure of leading a creative life in a living and breathing city, in New York or Paris. It’s the fantasy that you can be a columnist, a leader of a trendy publishing imprint or a marketing maven while dripping in Chanel, Manolo Blahniks and Ganni. That on your lunch breaks you have enough time to dine at trendy cafes or French bistros while enjoying a pan du chocolat and discuss your work woes and love life with equally talented, successful, cultured besties.
4. Four 2019 trends here to tay: Shirley Holmes is on the clothing case
Favorite Quote: “They call me Shirley Holmes, fashion detective (actually they don’t, but I’m manifesting it). I’m always sleuthing to find what’s the latest in fashion so that it’s no mystery to my followers.”
5. How to throw an afternoon tea party at home!
Favorite quote: “I grinned ear to golden-ornamented ear with red-rosy lips and pulled back my hair in a low bun, Hepburn style. With the exception of house slippers—one stay-at-home adornment I wouldn’t shirk in favor of my fancier threads, I had brought myself out of the pandemic-induced funk of the previous week, a fashionable phoenix rising from the ashes. Despite all entertainment, fashion and sporting events dropping like flies from my calendar, I was dressed for a special occasion indeed—a DIY, afternoon tea at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
6. Dreaming of Chanel in honor of Paris Fashion Week:
Favorite Quote: “We all have our way of interpreting fashion and making it our own, just as art is constantly reinvented and examined in museums. The cool part is as consumers, we have a chance to be personally involved in that exchange, as all of our bodies are canvases.”
7. A flattering on-camera dress that is still work-appropriate
Favorite quote: “I’ve come to find that in wearing looks that are true to who I am, my newsgathering and delivery are way stronger, and my fashion sense sets me apart. I’ll be that young lady on your television (or computer or phone screen) with a lion’s mane, a bold lipstick and some vintage-inspired dress!”
8. American Music Awards virtual red carpet outfit
Favorite Quote: “The American Music Awards are fan-voted, and this indigo dress has been a crowd pleaser for my fellow chicsters since I first introduced it on Instagram. It only seemed appropriate to grace the Zoom screen and our viewers’ televisions with this strong-shouldered showstopper!”
9. Give me all the toile – the chic list
Favorite Quote: “I love clothing that tells a story. Toile to me is a type of hieroglyphic—the blue clothing dye on this dress depicts pastoral scenes of a French couple in the countryside sitting under a flourishing tree while staring into each other’s eyes. Their expressions are brimming with life, as their romance seems to bloom as beautifully as the foliage they find themselves resting under.”
10. What I wore to the 92nd Oscars red carpet
Favorite Quote: “Is it to presumptuous to say these pre-Oscar snaps deserve to win “Best Picture?” Or for this dress to win “Best Costume Design?” You be the judge of Acada-me.”
Which blog post is your favorite, and why?
Keeping it Krischic,
Kristin Vartan
Also Check Me Out On: 23ABC, ABC7 LA, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, E! News, Darling Magazine, Pepperdine Graphic, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!
Keeping it Krischic 