Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use movie characters (like Margot Tenenbaum) or celebrities (like Courtney Love) as style inspiration, even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists. Which we don’t have. And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more you!

Being an Italian-American myself, I’ve always been drawn to things that rep’ my ethnicity, whether it’s contributions like calzones, or “contributions” like The Jersey Shore.  But if there’s one thing Italiano that I could never take my eyes off of, it was a little show called The Sopranos.

Unlike most people, however, I wasn’t obsessed with the drama, the people getting whacked; it was the style that kept me coming back week after week. (OK, and that other stuff, but Adriana La Cerva, too!)

Adriana La Cerva is the fiancée of Christopher Moltisanti, the nephew and protégé of the boss himself, Tony Soprano.  Long story short, after getting caught up with the Feds and having no choice but to rat out her family-to-be, she ends up getting whacked.  And somehow she still looks bad-ass during the process.

What I love about Adriana’s style is that it’s too-short, too-tight and too-much-animal-print, but still maintains some type of ethnic family values. You know exactly who she is when you look at her and, quite frankly, you know she’s hot. I love her look because it doesn’t encompass a certain era, but a certain heritage, pairing her too-short, too-tight leather dress with her gold cross.  Her look says, “I’ll work at a strip club, but I still eat pasta with my family on Sunday, too.”  She’s the kind of girl who will wear short-shorts and midriff-top instead of a skirt and polo to the play tennis, because the over-the-top Mafiosa look somehow totally works.

That’s just how things got done around there and you didn’t mess with that, capish?

Outfit Details: Tank – Target, $9.00; Skirt – Forever 21, $22.80; Shoes – Asos, $68.38; Necklace – Guess, $28.00; Jacket – Forever 21, $24.80

Just like most style inspirations, taking signature aspects Adriana’s style and pairing them with modern pieces is the safest way to be inspired by her look without looking like you’re coming from a Jersey Shore theme party. So instead of going all out with a stripper-meets-Guidette leather mini dress, I opted for a leather mini-skirt and dressed it down with a simple ribbed tank up top. It still gives off a harder, fiercer, edgier look, but doesn’t make people wonder what you’re charging for the night….

Animal print is pretty big right now (which is great news for anyone who wants to look like Adriana, as she had quite a love affair with the stuff), so if you’re feeling really bold, throw this fun leopard mini trench on top. And, of course, nothing complements a leather skirt quite like a pair of sexy, sky-high red heels (that also happen to be a way safer alternative to cement-shoes, if you catch my drift.) Oh, and if you wanna show the world your heritage, I’m loving this long, multi-strand cross. It’s modern and classic all at the same time and tops of this look perfectly.

Chewing/Spitting Tobacco:
In the timeless film “Clueless,” Cher explains that drawing attention to your mouth is the number one way to draw the attention of a member of the opposite sex. I would agree, for the most part, unless we’re talking about chewing tobacco. When I see a guy spit that horrific brown goo into an empty Poland Springs bottle, or pack that junk into his lower lip, I want to vomit. If you must give in to your oral fixation, chew some gum or suck on a lollipop. Turquoise Orbit is my favorite, if you’re interested.

Wife beaters and too-tight muscle T’s:
I totally understand that guys work hard in the gym, grunting and groaning and pumping iron until they are ready to pop a blood vessel, and that they are proud to show their goods off. But wearing regular clothing can be equally revealing. Wife beaters belong at the Jersey Shore, or in bed if you don’t feel like hitting the sheets shirtless. And too-tight muscle T’s are just a recipe for bad sweat stains. Steer clear of both.

Unibrows:
If you have one long eyebrow instead of two separate ones, it is time to do something about it. Beware, however, of the overly arched/styled brow, as these are only for girls. And I’m not talking about shaving, so put away the razor unless you want your forehead to be as spiky as your cheeks on the third day. Tweezers are your friend, and wax can be utilized as well, as long as you put yourself in the care of the right individual.

Big chains or any other kind of bling (especially in the ears):
Now I’m not a believer that jewelry is only for women, and I’ll admit that I sometimes find facial and ear piercings sexy if they’re not too obvious. But when enormous (fake) diamond earrings or tacky crosses/nameplates/link-chains make their way into the picture, you’ve gone too far.

Ponytails or hair that falls below your shoulder paired with headbands/scrunchies/bandanas/etc:
This is something that I feel very passionately about. Unless you are David Beckham, Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp (or have their chiseled perfection and generally attractive appearance), keep it short. And this goes for uncontrollable facial hair as well. If it’s long enough to twirl or braid, it’s too long.

Pants that do not fit:
This goes for baggy and saggy bottoms as well as the skinny jeans that we’re seeing on the runways and on the bodies of many male celebrities. Gisele is supposed to wear tight pants – boys are not. This is just a rule. And I cannot imagine that clinging denim is very comfortable in the “upper region,” if you know what I mean.