"Runway" reads: Gunn, Garcia share style savvy

Two style gurus from Bravo's hit fashion-industry show have designed similar guides for dressing well, from the best basic wardrobe to the value of the "it bag."

Need to scratch a "Project Runway" itch?

The new season of the hit Bravo show doesn't start until Nov. 14, but in the meantime, the show's ice-queen fashion judge Nina Garcia has recently released her how-to-look-great tome "The Little Black Book of Style" (Collins, $17.95). It's on the shelves near show mentor Tim Gunn's "A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style" (Abrams Image, $17.95), released in May.

Here's each author's take on some of the same ground they cover.

ON WARDROBE BASICS

Tim says: A "trench-ish" coat; sweat-suit alternative (something comfortable but chic, like a sundress and cashmere cardigan), a pair of boots, pumps and flats; shapely jacket and go-anywhere top; signature jewelry; appropriate undergarments; a day dress; an after-5 look; a "new, cheap, terribly trendy" item that you purchased for $20 or less; two pairs of jeans, one dressy, one casual.

Nina says: A little black dress; a classic man's white shirt; a cashmere cardigan or turtleneck; a trench coat; a pair of great jeans; a man's watch; diamond (or fake diamond) accessories; ballet flats; classic high-heel pumps; a great bag — (including) shoulder bag, clutch, medium handbag with a chain-link strap and a "must-have" bag.

ON WORKOUT CLOTHES IN PUBLIC

Tim says: Soft cotton pants should be avoided if one is going anywhere other than the yoga studio. Many a woman is walking around New York City right now with no idea that her pants not only reveal the shape of her bottom, but the shape her bottom is in.

Nina says: Do not wear a sweat suit. Not even an expensive one. Because let me tell you, if there is a girl in a sweat suit and a girl in a cashmere sweater, and there is the possibility of an upgrade, cashmere beats sweat suit every time.

ON THE "IT BAG"

Tim says: Why not carry a plastic bag from the supermarket and simply tape your credit card to it?

Nina says: The "it bag" is not going to set your wardrobe apart or make any unique style statement, and the bag is where you should have a little fun.

ON HOW TO CLEAN OUT

YOUR CLOSET

Tim says: No agonizing about whether or not to keep the jumpsuit. If you have to ask, the answer is: Throw it away.

Nina says: For every 20 items you toss, you can buy one killer piece.

ON FIT VS. SIZE

Tim says: Fit is the most neglected aspect of how we dress; that is, most people wear clothes that are either too big or too small or a combination of both.

Nina says: It is better to buy the realistic size and enjoy the way the clothes make you feel at that moment.

ON KURT COBAIN'S INFLUENCE

Tim says: Kurt Cobain may have done more for the cardigan sweater than anyone since Fred Rogers.

Nina says: In the early '90s, Kurt Cobain emerged out of Seattle in a ratty flannel shirt, a beat-up pair of Converse All-Stars, and a dirty cardigan. Soon his look was strolling down the runways of New York, Paris, and Milan, thanks to Marc Jacobs in his infamous "grunge collection."