I’ll be the first to attest to having an undying love for Carrie Bradshaw. Her stealth skill at dressing, her whimsical style, fun prints and her curls; I’ve been forever smitten and owe a lot of my own style maturity to Lady Bradshaw and Pat Field.

But you know what they say “out of sight, out of mind” and with nearly 8 years off the air, Carrie Bradshaw’s influence on fashion as a whole has begun to fade. I know what you’re saying, her effortless style and panache will never truly fade. However, Carrie’s quirky dresses and accessories are the stuff of style legend and whether we like it or not a Quintessential Style Icon has yet to throw her hat, or stiletto, in the ring.

While Carrie will forever melt our hearts with her floral head adornments and vertiginous heels, there’s clearly room for another style icon to be revered and copied.

Here are five picks as the next to inherit the Style Throne.

1. Zooey Deschanel

Zooey is the reigning queen of quirk! Her heart print dresses, tuxedo nails and sweet vintage style make her a shoe-in for the Bradshaw seat.

2. Solange Knowles

Ever-growing fro, eclectic prints and color abound are all signatures of songstress and DJ Solange Knowles. She stands apart from the style crowd by being herself and truly coming into her own.

3. Dita Von Teese

Burlesque beauty Dita Von Teese’s style may be an acquired taste. But make no bones, she is the epitome of modern retro glamour and totally worthy of the style icon title.

4. Blair Waldorf

The only fictional character, Blair Waldrof scores points for her massive hair adornment collection, bows and coat collection.

5. Katy Perry

The pop star never shies away from having fun with her style. Whether she’s dying her hair pink or wearing a skin-tight latex cat suit, Katy is daring and has a sense of humor.

Who do you think is the next Carrie? Who’s worthy for the style throne?

To operate from a more luminous place, you need to shed skin, cut gimmicks lose, and smash some otherwise safe containers. With less persona in the lead, you can access more light. And light is the most efficient force in the universe.
~ Danielle LaPorte

Woman Who Werks: (n) a woman on a mission. striving to achieve her dreams. multi-passionate. always hardworking whether on the entrepreneurial path or career ladder. dynamic, driven & werking it.

Use in a sentence: She’s always going from one meeting to the next for her jewelry business. She’s a true woman who werks! 

Calling all Women Who Werk! Each week I’ll feature a Woman Who Werks, her triumphs, obstacles and advice! Share your story (in 350 words or less), telling us about your growing business and what drives you to succeed!  Send in your responses to fajr@stylishthought.com along with 3-4 images (well-lit & at least 600px wide) of yourself (shots of you working are welcomed!)

Who are you? Your Age? From?
What do you do?
What dreams are you working toward?
What motivates you to succeed?
What has been your biggest obstacle?
What advice would you give other women?

I can’t wait to hear from all the dynamic and driven women out there! Let’s inspire and empower each other to greatness!

Blast from the Past: This article was originally posted October 2009 

I have a confession. No, not an altar boy, murderous plot type of confession, but a confession nonetheless. Somewhere between college graduation and the fourth season of America’s Next Top Model, I became a party girl. Not a coke snorting, no panties wearing party girl, but a girl of the night nonetheless.

I lived for going out, getting dolled up and consuming insane amounts of alcohol, only to dance myself into a frenzy and ultimately nurse a hangover the next morning. I went out during the week, on weekends to every bar/lounge/nightclub imaginable. While my partying wasn’t interfering with my work life; I managed to be on-time and productive most days, my partying wasn’t contributing much to my life either.

It was like Cheers, “where everyone knows your name and they’re always glad you came” except after a summer of incessant partying, I wasn’t sure why I came. I began to feel time spent going out religiously could have been better spent creating lasting things in my life like a solid career path, my own business or a memorable relationship. I felt lost amidst my fellow frequent party-goers

After that dizzying summer 3 years ago, I abruptly stopped “clubbing” . The fun had ceased and I became extremely decisive about where I went and who I went out with. Friends called me to go out and my answer was always ”No thanks”. I didn’t see the point in doing something as unproductive as partying. I had been doing it for 3 years and I was no closer to my goals than before. I went out maybe once every couple of months and never had much fun (probably because of my attitude toward it) and resigned that I was done with the “partying” life.

It wasn’t until I became a total hermit that I realized maybe it wasn’t the having fun and partying that was a problem, maybe it was the options and places I frequented. Last weekend, after what seemed like 6 months of not going out, a gal pal and I went out. I needed to dance, drink and have a good time, so a nightclub seemed the natural option. While I didn’t have the earth shattering time of my life, it was actually fun.

I put the notion that I wouldn’t have fun in the back of mind and freed myself up to have.. a good time.  It certainly wasn’t like old partying days, but it satisfied my urge and even opened my mind up to what being a “reformed party girl” means.

I’ve come up with a “Reformed Party Girl” Creed. If  I ever feel the urge to party I can address it, get out and boogie and not worry about having anything but a good time.

Tables are made for Dining not Dancing !

Just because they MIX it doesn’t mean you should DRINK it!

Thou shall not be Peer Pressured!

Girl’s Night’s Out are the exception and sometimes the rule

Twitter is the hottest nightspot and it never closes~~~

Respect the power of the Dance floor; don’t worship it

Partying out of town is like cheating out of town, it still counts

If Free before 11 is the only incentive; Stay Home

Sometimes the hottest club is the one with only 4 guests: You, your bed, remote and TV

I can’t be the only “Reformed Party Girl”?  Do you have a love/hate relationship with partying?

Pinterest is all the social rage! And with good reason. The clutter-free, inspiration board website is digital crack for designers, style obsessives, foodies and decor freaks. Needless to say I love it! Pinterest lets you create themed boards and organize your inspirational photos and quotes for all to follow! You can repin images from the people you follow and the pinning action keeps going! It’s a vertible visual playground!

With over 11 million users, that’s a lot of pins to weed through. Don’t worry, we’ve scoured the boards and found some of the best Pinterest accounts to follow and add to your inspiration heap. If you love vintage imagery, fashion from yesteryear and hue-tifiul color, these are the people to follow! They’re seriously addictive, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

1. ADORE VINTAGE

 Adore Vintage is a lovely online vintage retailer that specializes in all things feminine. Follow their boards for an overdose on frills, ethereal style and glimpses of the Adore life.

2. KATE SPADE

This one is a no brainer! Who doesn’t love Kate? Kate Spade NY has decadently colorful boards all spliced with amazingly graphic and beautiful images.

3. AMY LEADER

Boards organized by decade?! Gotta love a trip through time! Amy Leader’s Pinterest boards are chocked full of vintage imagery by decade and wonderful themes such as “Kiss” and “Time for Tea”.

4. MY VINTAGE ADDICTION

 Vintage Addiction indeed! This Mid-Century store features great boards like “Bridgette Bardot” and my personal favorite “Musicals”.

5. MODCLOTH

Does this one need an explanation? Modcloth has amazing boards dedicated to all things cute, crafty and sweet. Check out their “Behind the Stylebooks” board for an inside peek and follow “Textile Style” for great prints.

6. GALA DARLING

Everyone’s favorite playgirl Gala Darling packs a Pinterest punch! Follow her great boards on life like “Heros and Wisdom”, snazzy style influences on “Style Influences” and “Bicycles”.

7. DOLLY DAHL

Glitter, kitsch, Dolly Dahl is my kind of lady! She loves pink, pinups and Zooey Deschanel! Follow her for a dollup of Dolly!

8. MY VINTAGE VOGUE

My Vintage Vogue is exactly what you think; incredibly curated images from yesteryear. This archive features stunning images from 1920s to 1960s. Get lost in Vogue!

9. PAMELA CASTILLO

Pamela Castillo is the founder and owner of Market Publique, the online vintage marketplace. An avid vintage lover, Pamela pins great images from the MP collaborations, lookbooks and her love of vintage.

10. STYLISH THOUGHT

Shameless plug here! Follow Stylish Thought boards for deliciously polka dots, quotes on life or our lack there of and a heavy does of pin-ups!

Are you on Pinterest? Post your Pinterest links below!

“I’ve never seen magazine covers and music videos and thought I need to look like that if I want to be a success.I don’t want to be some skinny minny with my tits out. I don’t want to do it and I don’t want people confusing what it is that I’m about. I’m not shocking, I don’t do stunts. I just stand there and sing. I’m just writing love songs.”
~ Adele

I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone’s shadows. If I fail, if I succeed at least I live as I believe.

No matter what they take from me they can’t take away my dignity.

Because the greatest love of all is happening to me.

I found the greatest love of all inside of me.

You will always be remembered as a woman of immense talent and heart who inspired us to see the greatest in ourselves. 

Rest in Peace, Whitney Houston

• Totally enamored with Kate Spade’s Spring 2012 Collection. Very 60′s music fest!
• Love this Mad Men’s Guide to Fashion Week. Tons of advice from costume designer Janie Bryant
• Affordable Bucket List Trips. This list will have you wanderlusting your life away!
• This Small Guide to Big Changes. Take small steps to great things!
• 25 Remarkable Women Making Single Sensational. Love this!
• Dramatic much? How to stop overreacting & control your emotions
• I’ll think twice before I say I can’t. Here are 10 People who Did it Anyway
• LOL! 

Have an electric weekend!

 Every Working Girl deals with Office Politics

Over the course of my career, I’ve had female managers that toe the line between being amazingly put together and micromanaging. This behavior of course isn’t restricted to women (men can micromanage too!). However, I’ve noticed that in the workplace there is a pressure for women to be extra serious, attentive, prompt, etc. That that kind of aspiration for perfection is impossible to attain and if achieved very hard to maintain.

What is more important is to consistently prove your self-worth and value as a team player. Once you switch your focus to this performance style you will find that the way you’re respected within a company will be greater than if you are simply seen as someone that has an impeccable record.

So what exactly am I talking about?

Having an answer vs. having the right answer

Being a gifted public speaker is an invaluable asset, but using that ability to talk oneself out of every situation doesn’t help get things done. For example when dealing with a customer who needs details on a project you are in a charge of, but don’t have the answers to, a person striving for perfection might feel the need to talk themselves out of the situation in order to save face.

A person striving to be effective will take a beat and inform the customer that although they don’t know the answer right now, finding it will be priority #1.

Being relatable to co-workers & a respected team player

When you move away from striving for perfection you allow yourself to open up lines of communication to your peers. For example, instead of consistently being the only person talking in a meeting because you feel you have the appropriate plan of action worked out, try involving others in the conversation.

If you are someone who is naturally comfortable with speaking up, use that skill to ask questions and engage with those around you. This will make you stand out as a leader way more than simply dominating all communication.

Collaborating on tasks vs. taking them over

Someone who strives for perfection may have the desire or urge to quite frequently take over projects when they see issues arise. This could be to save one’s own behind, or to simply take on credit for more work.

An effective team member and leader would be someone who can look at a task, delegate responsibility, and collaborate with others when necessary. Showing your ability to lead people and produce a cohesive end result is more impressive than simply insisting on doing it all yourself.

Let Loose

You might be surprised how many people stick to the old stigma surrounding workplace relationships and home life. In order to be a more effective employee and leader it is important that (once in a while and in moderation) you show yourself in a different light.

This can either mean going out to a casual lunch with co-workers or superiors, dressing casually on Fridays once a month, or attending your company’s holiday party. You want to make sure to do something once in a while that makes people remember you are a human being, and not just a work robot.

Do you feel the need to be perfect at work? How do you deal?

Meet the Writer

Danae Matthews writes for the online women’s resource Women’s Health Base. She lives and works in San Francisco and keeps up the blog Danae’s Corner. Check her out!

It’s no secret that my fashion sense is engulfed with vintage eras! From the 20′s to the 70′s the past is ever present in fashion (and in my wardrobe) and my love of vintage shows no signs of letting up. So imagine my sheer delight when on a recent Internet trip, I stumbled upon I Love Vintage!

I Love Vintage is an Amderstam shop and Europe’s leading online vintage and repro shop . I Love Vintage offers, it’s “discerning clientele” a time travel through style. Founded by Faranak Mrjalili, I Love Vintage is a tribute to the yesteryear of craftsmanship when sophistication was revered and elegance mandatory.

Co-Founder Faranak Mirjalili

I recently got to ask Faranak about how I Love Vintage started, what her favorite eras are and why she loves vintage!

ST: Why did you start I Love Vintage?

Faranak: I Love Vintage stands for the same today as it did since it started – an absolute madness and passion for vintage clothing and the golden old days. You could say that making clothes back in the day was a real art because it was done with such passion and vigor for quality.  It was very different to what happens today; these days it’s more about heavy branding and getting famous fast. Back then it wasn’t as pretentious, it was much, much more sincere. That’s something we can all definitely learn from.  ILV believes in that.  We’re not just about bringing back a certain style and glamour, but bringing back the whole experience and pride that comes with owning beautiful clothes.

I Love Vintage’s Amsterdam vintage wonderland!

ST: Which eras in fashion are your favorite?

Faranak: I’m a great fan of the 20′s. I just love the glamour and subtility of it. It’s also one of the most important times for both fashion and women in general. Of course I LOVE the 50′s, because that’s just too feminine and romantic. And I have to say…I have a secret crush on the 80′s as well…All the decades are just lovely in their own spirit and feel.

ST: What is your favorite piece in the shop right now?

Faranak: Well, difficult to choose, but I absolutely love our 20′s line right now. Also I have a favourite 50′s one which has an absolutely adorable print.

The Nouveau Tabard / The Frenchie Dress

ST: What advice would you give a vintage neophyte on wearing vintage?

Faranak: Try out new things, try out the different decades, you can always discover a certain new style that looks very good on you. Don’t mind what’s hip or trendy in vintage scenes, just find different parts of yourself from what the amazingly great history of fashion has to offer. 

ST: You have the awesome I Love Vintage Timeline. What other cool features are on the horizon for I Love Vintage?

Faranak: We are always busy with innovating, that’s the fun part of my job and the close team I work with. But for now our lips are sealed…..

Isn’t the I Love Vintage spirit infectious!

Uncover more reasons to love vintage by checking out ILoveVintage.com and for local ladies visit the store at Prinsengracht 201, 1015 DT Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Do you love I Love Vintage?