What Are Kristen Taekman's Fashion Must-Haves?

Kristen Taekman almost always looks flawless. The Real Housewives of New York star hardly misses a beat in the world of style.

And now the model-turned-nail polish designer is delving out some of her deepest secrets when it comes to looking awesome for any occasion. So get ready to take notes.

According to the beauty blogger, you don't have to spend a lot to look fab. She admits that she often doesn't drop a lot of dough on her duds.

"Isn't that crazy?" she tells Fashion & Style. "Dresses. I can really clean up at H&M and Zara for their dresses. I wore this great dress last night to a charity event and it was literally $45 from H&M."

However she doesn't mind breaking the bank when it comes to a key accessory: her handbag.

"A bag is worth splurging [on]," she says. "I love this Bally bag I have right now. Even the price point on this bag is not even as up there as some of the others, but I'm the kind of girl who buys one bag a season and that's it. I also have this great bucket bag, I forget who makes it, but that was maybe around $200."

So, what are Kristen's go-to pieces?

"A crisp blazer. Right now I love white blazers; I have three of them but that's my easy, easy go-to," she says. "My pair of nude Manolo pumps. They might as well be black because I wear them so much. I have a nude Manolo pump that I pair with pretty much everything."

"Then the mommy side of me wants to say an easy loafer," she further notes. "The bones print ones I'm wearing now I could wear all day, they're Mara and Mine."

And, from the sounds of it, it's all about having fun and mixing it up.

"Also there's this dress, again, from Zara and it's a sleeveless nylon, with a fuller skirt and I'll wear that with flats, or sometimes with sneakers and a blazer," she says. "You could also throw on a pair of pumps with it to go out for a night. I really like those easy and transitional pieces."

[Source: Fashion & Style]