Keeping it Krischic

93RD OSCARS RED CARPET FASHION | ON-CAMERA STYLE

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On Hollywood’s biggest night out, the Oscars, I in grand pandemic fashion stayed in! And like hundreds of other hand-selected journalists covering the 93^rd Academy Awards, I wasn’t alone.

The Oscars were in person this year for celebrities and a few select outlets, but most on-camera journalists like me, accustomed to interviewing the celebrities on the other side of the red carpet rope, conducted our interviews on a large Zoom call with the Oscar winners after they received their award. I was beyond elated to be there, even if covering the Oscars red carpet was virtual this year! It’s not easy to get press credentials to one of the most important entertainment functions of the year. So, I counted my blessings as Nomadland’s Chloé Zhao (the first woman of color to win an Oscar for directing), Emerald Fennell (the cool woman she is, single-handedly accepted her Original Screenplay Oscar while pregnant, for Promising Young Woman, which she filmed also while pregnant), Supporting Actor Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya (who paid homage to Black Panther Fred Hampton while reminder our audiences that there’s still a lot of work to be done in regards to racial equality in the United States), Hair stylists Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson who became the first Black winners for the Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar, and many others walked onto the step-and-repeat on my Zoom speaker view!

The ABC affiliate I on-camera report for, gave me the privilege of leading our entire 93^rd Oscars coverage over the weekend. Our Oscars content began with my one-on-one Zoom interview with twelve-time Oscar nominee, Diane Warren (who I have been a fan of forever—you’ve probably heard the genius tracks she’s whipped up like Because You Loved Me, I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, Un-Break My Heart and hundreds more). My colleague, Bayan Wang during our live banter, asked me to sing my favorite Diane Warren song and there I was, just hoping that I honored her gorgeous composition.

Part two of my 2020 Oscars coverage: a recap of the most memorable and crucial moments of the night. Now you may be asking, Kristin how were you able to recap the Oscars red carpet and ceremony while simultaneously staying on this Zoom call for six hours straight as winners trickled onto the virtual step-and-repeat during the show? Let me tell ya, it wasn’t easy to monitor two feeds at once for six hours. Sometimes Oscars winners talked while I was on mute and listened to and watched the Oscars ceremony on my laptop. Between their interview answers, I tried to selectively listen to the Oscars ceremony and make time-stamps on things I thought were useful to send to our station’s editor to send me footage for my video recap. The fact that I was able to get this all turned around for our 11 p.m. newscast and go live on-time was the result of two things: an amazing team and the grace of God.

Suffice to say, I made it to my live hit of our post-Oscars coverage. And for the first time since I joined my station, I got to report from our studio! It felt like just the right occasion for it too! You can find my coverage here.

Now the moment you’ve all probably been waiting for, since this is a fashion blog: what I wore to the virtual Oscars red carpet! Ever since I entered professional life, I’ve started to favor sleeker cuts with vintage trimmings rather than clothing that’s too fussy and frilly. Every so often, perhaps I’ll add on the extra icing and decals. This tuxedo-inspired number just screamed “I’d like to thank the Academy,” circa 1940s, to me. It was a nod to Old Hollywood glamour in a new age version of one of Hollywood’s most iconic award ceremonies.

What was your favorite moment from Oscar night? Comment down below!

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!

THE TUXEDO WORK SUIT REIMAGINED | ON-CAMERA STYLE

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Wearing neutrals to work doesn’t have to be black and white, even if you’re wearing black and white! Today on the blog, I’m showing you how to breathe new life into the tuxedo suit trend for the office, or if you’re a reporter, in the field.

It was a Friday afternoon, which for someone who works the nightside shift as an on-camera reporter really means morning. And for someone who works weekends, it is also actually a Tuesday. For me, it was all of the above, plus a big break. Our station’s assignment editor gave me a call and told me I’d be covering Governor Gavin Newsom’s visit to Kern County (as many of you who follow me on the blog already know, I’m an on-camera reporter at an ABC affiliate. That’s my day—I mean night job.) Viewers would later discover on our newscast that he was specifically visiting the CSUB vaccination hub to provide an update on California’s vaccination efforts. I broke all this news in our primetime newscast at 5 and 6 p.m. as the reporter of the leading story.

But before breaking the news, I had to break out an outfit to wear. Believe it or not, what I put on any given day on-air can have an impact on my confidence, my performance, and of course the obvious: how I look while I’m delivering the information. The outfit in these photos is not what I wore on that particular day, but I did sport a similar salt-and-pepper combination in the form of a fitted tweed dress. Mark my words, that wasn’t the first or the last time I wore black and white in the effort of neutrality.

Neutrals can mean toned down, in the sense of the optics, or the objectivity of the message. As much as I love wearing red or blue because the colors look good on me, I tread carefully when covering politics, or even covering a politician (disclaimer, covering politics or not, I never wear red or blue to take a stand, especially as a journalist. I remain neutral. But I do own a lot of both colors because they complement my skin tone and raven hair quite nicely).

When combining the hues of yin and yang, there’s a power in the aesthetic of contrast. It can really make you pop when you’re on-air, despite the colors being muted. This black jacket, save the usual blazer collar has a crisp and blunt cut that further emphasizes the off-white turtleneck beneath. The top acts like the cream of an Oreo when sandwiched together with this black mini skirt with a subtle slit. I switched in this skirt with the mid-length one initially paired with the outerwear for a more unconventional work suit that can be worn with go-go boots. I like the way the boots give this look a mod feel (another ode to mod fashion on-camera in this post). This ensemble, to be sure, will give a traditional black-and-white suit (which I also love) a run for its money. As we approach warmer months, you can easily switch the turtleneck out for a ribbed white T-shirt and a three-quarter-sleeve blazer for the same effect.

What color should I wear on-air next?

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!

P.S. These photos were taken by and with my best friend, Mari Makatsaria. If you haven’t checked out her fashion blog, you’re missing out.

HOW TO WEAR ’60S MOD | ON-CAMERA STYLE

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As Nancy Sinatra once sang in her nonchalant manner, “these boots were made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do,” and I’ll step into a time machine in them and make my way over to the midcentury any day!

Anyone who knows me knows I love emulating vintage motifs in my on-camera style. The ’60s are my current obsession: the movies (anything with Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly), the fashion and the music (which I’ll jam to on my way to a live shot. My current rotation is ‘60s rock and all the songs on the Queen’s Gambit playlist on Spotify!). One particular trend of the time that resonates me on a spiritually sartorial level: mod. When I say, mod-est is ‘hautest,’ I’m talking about this.

The mod era was characterized by vibrant-colored dresses with go-go boots and originated from a London subculture during the ’60s, ergo the boots that are not only made for walking but strutting. The combination is perfect for television, because the solid colors of the dress pop without distracting from what you’re trying to report about. This pistachio green trench coat dress is one of my favorites to reach for when reporting. The mid-length is comfortable but still allows for my modernized white go-go boots to have their moment if I’m doing a more zoomed-out live shot.

For anyone interested in going for a mod-look on-camera you really only need those two things: white knee-high boots and a no-fuss dress! The dress is so carefree, that even the stitching shows purposefully, and I love that. But no iconic look is complete without accessories, so I adorned my ears with these rhinestone dangly earrings, framed with smaller rhinestones to really pop against my licorice black locks. I added a touch of fuchsia lipstick to complete the ‘60s retro vibe. All I was truly missing was the Twiggy style under-eyeliner!

What is your favorite era of fashion?

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!

P.S. These photos were taken by and with my best friend, Mari Makatsaria. If you haven’t checked out her fashion blog, you’re missing out.

cherry print is back | The chic list

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Happy First Day of Spring! Floral may be the traditional pattern for the season, but I am deciding right here and now that fruity prints should make their comeback. No, it’s not because one of the few places we’ve been able to venture to the past year is the grocery store. Hear me out:

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I recall cherry print’s peak in the early 2000s quite fondly on those ribbed tank tops we all can remember as tweens if you’re a later millennial or early Gen-Zer (I’m right on the cusp). As a 24-year-old who has a firmer grasp on my sense of personal style than middle school me, I find cherry print on more timeless pieces like a sweetheart neckline wrap top to be worthy go-to and easily dressed up, with a red wrap skirt and white go-go boots, or down with light-wash mom jeans. Since outdoor dining has been back and the weather permits, this is a look I’d dawn at Brunch with friends, like my outing with my lovely bestie Mari, who took these photos.

Cherry motifs also conjure up another childhood memory for me: my cousins and I picking the first cherries of the season with our grandfather at our grandparent’s house. I was quite young, a few years old, but I can see the memory like a blurry, analog photograph: my family and I eating the freshly picked fruit on hot summers day in the Central Valley. Sometimes, I recall the simplicity of those moments and how precious they were. I wear the cherry print as a legacy to the little girl, who in her twenties has promised herself to capture the inhibited joy of childhood in her demeanor, her attitude, and wear it as a sealed vow on her clothing. Entering into spring, the season of renewal, I have hope for better days ahead. With hope available in the form of a COVID-19 vaccine and the world slowly opening up, I want to practice and wear joy.

What are you most looking forward to this spring?

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!

How to wear: Regencycore | The Chic List

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To quote Duke Simon Basset: “to have a beautiful wardrobe is one thing, but to wear your best outfit in the most beautiful of wardrobes is something entirely apart.”

Okay, maybe he did not quite utter those words, but close enough, right? I’m about to share with you some outfit editorials that would be the talk of the pages of Lady Whistledown! Dear reader, if there is a trend worth wearing, I shall uncover it: Regencycore has become a favorite among many creators, as is evidenced by the endless TikTok trend to the tune of the instrumental version of “Wildest Dreams.” You can spot this 19^th century style era miles away, for women: empire waistlines fashioned of brocade fabrics and details like lace trimmings or pearls.

Dear reader, if you know me, the self-proclaimed forward thinker with a vintage soul, you know that I love to mix the mix either different eras together, or the old with the new. This puffy sleeve top of paisley jacquard is a slightly more wearable relative to the Regency era’s brocade. The gold-rimmed pearl buttons tastefully add that extra oomph, fitting of a duchess. I paired my mother’s ‘80s clip-on earrings that practically match the buttons on the top.

And this author finds herself compelled to share the most curious of news: My grandma tailored this top for a better fit, and that’s when I realized that tailoring makes a world of a difference.

To make this regency-inspired ensemble more wearable, I opted for wide-leg trousers…or should I say breeches (1800s British thing) instead of a full skirt. These babies have a ‘70s flare in the pant, but the high, pleated waist with is Regency galore! Plus the buttons pick up on the ones on my top, making the outfit seamless. Do I look like an illustrious debutante? Maybe not. But is this look super chic? Yes.

Who is your favorite character on Bridgerton?

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!

Roots –What I Learned While Dressing Like a Haute Couture Model

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Going back to one’s roots is audaciously grounding. As Americans, we prioritize the idea of individuality while other cultures seem to value connection—a connection between people, a connection to nature, a connection to past and present. What we sometimes fail to realize is that by connecting, we are actually doing a service to ourselves as an individual. While connecting is a transcendent act of welcoming others, or the other, it’s also an opportunity to become more human, whole and then in tandem, a more evolved individual.

During this pandemic, we have the opportunity to think about connections outside ourselves in its deepest sense, because time has slowed down in a way. We’re home more often and have time to reflect on how we’ve been treating ourselves and others in the time before the pandemic. While I am using the lens of fashion to communicate the power of rooting and connecting, I invite you as the reader to find deep meaning in it and take from it what you will to help you in your own life.

One thing I have enjoyed in my free time during the pandemic is consuming content that stimulates me artistically and satiates me with food for thought. The Dior Haute Autumn Winter 2021 Couture collection was so bewitching to me when it debuted this past summer. Maria Grazia Chiuri has a way of breathing new life into a heritage brand while paying homage to its origins. During a time where an in-person fashion week was not feasible, Dior instead debuted their hot couture collection in a fantastical forest as a form of escapism: They whisked us to a land of make-believe things through a short film. There were animated Grecian statues, mermaids and human-tree hybrids.

Surrealist images manage to make visible what is in itself invisible. I’m interested in mystery and magic, which are also a way of exorcising uncertainty about the future,” Maria Gracia Chiuri said about the show on Dior’s website.

Throughout the digital work, two bell hops carried a dollhouse deep into the lush forest to give these creatures dresses and outfits straight from the atelier. I struggled to decide what was more breathtaking: the production, or the clothes themselves?

After beholding this spectacular spectacle, I wanted to put together a look identical to the skirt suits featured in the collection. A drop-waist jacket with a full skirt is classic Dior, and there are countless TikToks and reels to explain that if you want to embody the couture brand, those are the key ingredients. I’ve worn this vintage grey tweed skirt in a couple of blog posts before, but never with its structured jacket, for concern of looking too much like a girl out of a period drama. But one Monday, I was just feeling it. I was returning to my roots, coming home, to the forward thinker with a vintage soul, that I am. And I wanted to share with you all, dear readers.

Would you believe I wore this look out of time while delivering a report on-camera? Somehow it looked fantastic on the horizontal screen with a bold red lip, a gold chain necklace and gold and pearl clip-on earrings. I’m sure those that tune into my reports know that they can expect the unexpected when it comes to what I’ll wear. Everything about this jacket shouldn’t work, but it does: the slightly cartoonish buttons, the collar that conjures up the image of a frilled-neck lizard, the over-cuffed sleeves and the overaccentuated peplum waist. I absolutely love every detail and how it comes together.

It’s a lesson in unlikely connections of different entities, that individually are all so beautiful but can make magic when coming together. And for me, connecting to this look of the past to my present, I felt more grounded than I have in a long time.

Keeping it Krischic,

Kristin

Also Check Me Out On: 23ABC, ABC7 LA, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, E! News, Darling Magazine, Pepperdine Graphic, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!

blog posts that brought me joy this year – the chic list

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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.).

Pasadena City Hall: Why it’s one of my favorite places

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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’

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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

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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

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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!

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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:

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

christmas outfit ideas – On-camera style

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Are you a-wear that today is Christmas? Festive is in fashion today. I’ve been conjuring up ways to wear Christmas colors on-camera all December, as I’ve been producing video stories all month long based on the holiday.

With that has come a knack for pairing green and red together in ways that look merry and fresh each time! Red and green are considered complimentary colors, so you may find yourself reaching for the color combo past December 25. So look no further than these three stylings of the season that may inspire your last-minute Christmas dinner look, or beyond!

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Look 1: Christmas Couture

This tweed look, circa ‘90s, is equal parts House of Chanel as it is Clueless! The black and white cropped tweed jacket comes with all the trimmings: the sequined ruffles on the lining and pockets remind me of a bow on a present! I added a personal touch, my vintage cameo brooch I can thank my mother for. Under jacket, I opted for a pop of crimson to up the festive ante. The leather pencil skirt and over-the-knee suede boots are the edgy additions needed to make this outfit an eclectic mix of street style and couture, the ultimate fashion-girl duet!

Look 2: A Scottish Holiday

If you’re as infatuated with the Outlander television and book series as I am, you may find yourself expressing your inner lassie with a kilt-like wool skirt in shades of red, golden yellow and green. This forest-like turtleneck, as green as the highlands themselves, picks up on the same hue in the skirt. It’s the type of ensemble I’d like to wear in a stonework castle in the highlands with a cup of milk tea and biscuits in hand. And let me tell you, this camel-colored coat with puffy sleeves is my trendy outerwear of choice if I were to walk the grounds of said castle in my mind.

Look 3: An Equestrian Christmas

I’ve been long obsessed with the Americana motifs from Ralph Lauren photo campaigns. The effortless-cool nature of a well-tailored trouser and fitted sports jacket are not to be underestimated. This cropped one with patchwork elbows that I paired with wide-leg cherry pants from Mango is a mirthful take on the equestrian looks from my Ralph Lauren coffee table book in my living room. The forest-green turtleneck is a seamless pop of color, harmonizing with the greenish-grey stitching of the tweed. I pulled everything together with a belt in the same shade of red as my trousers and my lipstick. The pearl hoops earrings from my grandmother were the prime embellishments to a look that head nods to legacy.

Which is your favorite outfit, 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!

Christmas in the Krischic Crib – The Chic List

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I’ll not be home for Christmas…you can count on it. I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams this year. That is the reality of being an on-camera journalist. Sometimes, you must work holidays so that your viewers who are home for Christmas have something festive on their television screens to enjoy!

My family and prepared for this going into the holiday season. On the week of Thanksgiving, family came to visit me. My mother, bless her, cooked an entire feast, not excluding any of season of giving’s classics: delectable sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, stuffing made from scratch, and a Turkey covered in bacon (yum!). She adorned my dining table with gourds of all shapes and sizes and proper china. My parents, brother and I ate together when my morning reporter shift finished at 12pm. This holiday was worlds different from our extended family gatherings of thirty at my aunt’s house every year, but alas we are in a pandemic, and I work a full-time job. While abridged, our family’s Thanksgiving celebration was intimate and special in its own way.

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A plethora of leftovers fueled us the following day while decorating my apartment for Christmas (this came after a crazy morning of covering Black Friday at a mall!). Since I would not be receiving the week of Christmas or New Year’s off either, my parents and brother were gracious in helping me make my apartment equal parts festive and fashionable.

We dressed my tree in ornaments of gold and white. Each beloved ornament was placed to the tune of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and if you’re a Vartan, Josh Groban’s Christmas classics.

We Vartan’s are a sentimental type, so certain tree trimmings hold certain significance for us: a gold and white metallic Big Ben rests on a branch to represent my year spent abroad in London, which will forever be the city of my heart. A crystal nativity also rests on a cluster of pines toward the tip of the tree, to represent the true meaning of the holiday: the birth of Jesus Christ. A ballerina symbolizes one of our favorite Christmas traditions: attending the San Francisco Ballet’s performance of the Nutcracker, which we will unfortunately not be able to do this year. These are just a few of the ornaments that warm my heart as my tree lights up first thing in the morning.

Other than the tree, we ‘decked the halls’ with other elements of the season: golden reindeer on a gilded, looking glass tray on my marble TV stand. On the coffee table, my mother filled a golden-rimmed marble cake tray with leftover ornaments. My bedroom received the holiday treatment as well, with a nutcracker (another ode to our favorite holiday tradition) a red Christmas blanket, and two festive pillows. Suffice to say, Christmas in the Krischic crib is in full swing!

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Of course, I had to match a dress to the merry garnishes around me. This green and navy houndstooth number basically looks like Christmas wrapping paper, which is felicitous when this ‘80s dress was given to me by its previous owner, my mother (shocker). The shoulder pads and fake pockets with gold buttons, are fun finishes like a bow on a present. I chose this green to match the shade of my emerald sofa, which unintentionally made the space feel even more fitting for this season. Final festive frills include red pumps and lipstick for vintage gold hoop earrings to pick up on the buttons.

What is your favorite Christmas or holiday tradition?

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!

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American music awards virtual red carpet outfit

You can take the girl out of Hollywood, but you can’t take Hollywood out of the on-camera reporter who has covered the entertainment industry in Los Angeles for years!

After reporting on film, music, fashion and celebrities at publications like E! News, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, and ABC7 LA, I have become a connoisseur of this news genre. That’s why all the way in Kern County as an on-camera reporter for 23ABC (almost four months—man does time go quickly) I’ve still managed to cover The Emmys, preview a film with Kate Bosworth and Edward James Olmos and now The American Music Awards. Somehow I’ve pulled this off in addition to my daily duties of reporting hard and feature news locally and nationally.

It was like a homecoming in a way—while of course doing the coverage from my home (we’re still in a pandemic, after all!). I covered the American Music Awards for the first time last year for Entertainment Weekly. In 2019, I was on the red carpet and in the photo room, face-to-face interviewing Lil Nas X, Shania Twain Daniel Levy, Dan + Shay and many others. Well, this year, I was sitting in my reading corner on a Zoom call with dozens of reporters and stars. On the screen, thirty of us correspondents watched as the likes of Bebe Rexha, Doja Cat and Dan + Shay took their red carpet photos on a step and repeat and answered some of our questions, press conference style (yes, it was a super weird format but hey we were still at the AMAs, even if virtually!). Given the fact that I was representing the only local news outlet and everyone else was from a national outlet based in Los Angeles or New York, I had quite the challenge ahead of me: to get my question in and somehow connect the subject matter back to Bakersfield.

For those that know me well, I always strive to rise to and excel at a challenge set before me. When I ask my interviewee a question, I also make it my personal goal to ask them something they haven’t been asked a million times in the hopes of seeing their faces light up with that storytelling magic that connects all of humanity together, no matter how different our experiences are from one another. I had conducted extensive research on every nominated AMAs artist and managed to discover a unique connection two 2020 AMAs winners had to Bakersfield…huzzah!

Last year Billboard reported that Dan + Shay dethroned Bakersfield Sound (one of the most iconic genres of country music) founding father, Buck Owens for having the second longest streak of the top first and second spots on the Hot Country Song chart. When I asked Dan + Shay about how Buck Owens and the forefathers of country music paved the way for them as country stars, they grinned from ear-to-ear and paid homage to Bakersfield and Buck Owens (watch the full story here) in a way even I wasn’t expecting!

Suffice to say, it was a successful day of covering the AMAs, and even though I didn’t get to walk the red carpet myself, I dressed in what I would have worn if I was at the ceremony in person. So, the award for taking forever to post this story on the blog goes to…me! I’ve been meaning to get around to entering these editorials into my style diary, but man does a job as on-camera journalist take up one’s time and energy (in the best way, of course!).

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! There are so many elements that make this number special, from the sheer sleeves, to the rainbow bejeweled belt, to the shoulder pads and the unique hue. I kept with the vintage theme and opted for these layered gold hoops I consigned from a boutique in downtown Bakersfield. I slicked my hair back to keep the look sharp and keep the attention on my winsome wear. This dress was from another favorite haute haunt of mine—my mother’s closet from the ‘80s and ‘90s. She wore this pinafore when my father asked for her hand in marriage, so I think it’s filled with some serious magic!

Who has been your favorite music artist this year?

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!

Follow Me on BlogLovin

On Hollywood’s biggest night out, the Oscars, I in grand pandemic fashion stayed in! And like hundreds of other hand-selected journalists covering the 93rd Academy Awards, I wasn’t alone.

What was your favorite moment from Oscar night? Comment down below!

Wearing neutrals to work doesn’t have to be black and white, even if you’re wearing black and white! Today on the blog, I’m showing you how to breathe new life into the tuxedo suit trend for the office, or if you’re a reporter, in the field.

As Nancy Sinatra once sang in her nonchalant manner, “these boots were made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do,” and I’ll step into a time machine in them and make my way over to the midcentury any day!

What is your favorite era of fashion?

Happy First Day of Spring! Floral may be the traditional pattern for the season, but I am deciding right here and now that fruity prints should make their comeback. No, it’s not because one of the few places we’ve been able to venture to the past year is the grocery store. Hear me out:

What are you most looking forward to this spring?

To quote Duke Simon Basset: “to have a beautiful wardrobe is one thing, but to wear your best outfit in the most beautiful of wardrobes is something entirely apart.”

Who is your favorite character on Bridgerton?

Which blog post is your favorite, and why?

Are you a-wear that today is Christmas? Festive is in fashion today. I’ve been conjuring up ways to wear Christmas colors on-camera all December, as I’ve been producing video stories all month long based on the holiday.

Look 1: Christmas Couture

Look 2: A Scottish Holiday

Look 3: An Equestrian Christmas

Which is your favorite outfit, and why?

What is your favorite Christmas or holiday tradition?

You can take the girl out of Hollywood, but you can’t take Hollywood out of the on-camera reporter who has covered the entertainment industry in Los Angeles for years!

On Hollywood’s biggest night out, the Oscars, I in grand pandemic fashion stayed in! And like hundreds of other hand-selected journalists covering the 93^rd Academy Awards, I wasn’t alone.