It's time to put away the tights and show off those bare legs! Summer dresses are easy to throw on and automatically appear put together in 90° weather. The most casual tee shirt-dress with a pair of sneakers says "I look fabulous" without working at it at all. I love a no-thought look! The drawstring waist dress seems to be popping up everywhere this season, elevating that plain old tee dress into something that is easily styled but still super functional. Check out these examples:
1. River Island's kimono sleeve dress is big on the details, with beautiful drapey sleeves, a v neckline and lots of pockets - two flap pockets at the chest and hip pockets. This would be a great beach-to-dinner option.
2. If pure cotton is your game, Tory Burch's drawstring waist t-shirt dress has your name all over it. The lovely Frenesi print is a modern take on toile and a great contrast to a laid-back look. At 34" in length, it can be worn cinched without worrying that you'll be exposing your lady bits (unless lady bit exposure is your thing).
3. Banana Republic's soft drawstring dress is a tank version that is a mix of modal and viscose, and I'm betting it's a flowy, soft hand. This dress also has pockets and the white version is fully lined. Apparently there's another version (color? print? something?), but I can't find it on the BR site. I'm hoping it shows up soon.
4. For the boho chic fan, Joie's Suerte dress is a beautiful pink silk with an ikat print and embroidery. I may not be big into boho looks, but a little luck (suerte ≡ luck) from Joie in the form of this dress is welcome all summer long.
Mother's Day is nigh...and I always wonder...did I get the right thing? Which is why I love a wishlist. Sure, not a lot of thought goes into the gift from the giver, but you know you are buying exactly what your friend/loved one/Mom wants. Here's what is on my wishlist, besides my fabulous hand-crafted macaroni necklaces and hand drawn cards. I treasure those and promise to Instagram an entire pile of mother's day gifts that I can't bear to part with.
1. Joie's iconic Alicia tank has been jazzed up with an allover lips print. I want this top in every color and print, but must have this one immediately!
2. In the last three weeks I have tried on tons of fedora hats. Specifically, raffia fedora hats. I really want something other than a ball cap for the pool, as I am trying to break out of my lazy rut in every aspect of my life. This Kate Spade version is dashing and irreverent.
3. I have had my eye on Monica Vinader's Baja ring for some time. Now that it's available in white agate, I may be pulling it off the wishlist on my own. I love mixing white agate with summer colors. This ring looks like a patch of happy sunshine to me.
4. I have no idea what I'd do with these pants, but I want them. I'm sure I'd figure it out. They are so 70's chinoise glam and I can't stop staring at them. Is that a good reason to have something on my wishlist? Hell yes!
5. I saw this zodiac pendant last summer and have been thinking about it for nearly a year. It's long, on a 30" chain and substantial without being bulky, and is definitely missing from my jewelry box. Oh, I'm a Leo if you're curious.
6. When you don't want to wear jean shorts...but really want to wear jean shorts. These chambray shorts are perfect. I think of them as elevated jean shorts.
7. My white agate obsession continues with Kanupriya's Moon Drop earrings. What really gets me is the mix of dark crystals and yellow gold highlighting the white agate. These babies just edge out the Rhapsody earrings, but I'd take either...or both!
The advent of elastic cuff, exercise-wear inspired pants (and pretty much any gym-gear-as-fashion) was a while ago, and this trend isn't going anywhere, thank goodness. I love a comfortable pant, but in the initial stages of sport-to-runway, I was unwilling to splurge on an expensive pair. I didn't want to substitute with a generic pair of sweatpants, because...yeah they're just sweatpants and I wouldn't be fooling anyone. Now, as the harem/track/jogger/sport moves into mainstream fashion, there are so many different looks and price points to choose from that hopping on this trend is both easy and looks great! Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Slim Leg Pant: Michael Kors is my sportswear go-to, and these pants exemplify his all-American fashion sensibility. The details here, beautiful all-over print,drawstring with gold-tone aglets and the mid-rise waist are what takes them out of the realm of the gym and puts them squarely in my closet. Pair them with a short-sleeve cotton button down and a structured bag.
2. Poison Lover Pant: I saw these MinkPink pants on the NastyGal site and they stole my heart. Floral is a heavy trend this season, and the bright flower clusters on these pants easily make them the focal point of a look. For a night out, a black tank and black mules will work wonders. A bright tee and flat sandals will make them work for day.
3. Lidora Pant: These Joie pants are a bit more structured, with pleats and a zip fly and hook & bar closure. If not for the elasticized ankles and soft silk fabric, these pants would veer right into summer suit territory. Do you need them to act that way? Top them off with a blazer and kitten heel pumps and they're office-ready.
4. Drapey Cinched Pants: Leave it to Old Navy to come up with a covetable pair of track pants for less than $30. All the details are there: drawstring waist with tab ends, pockets, and yes, rayon! The rayon fabric ensures that these pants will have both a nice drape and nice hand. This pant is available in three terrific patterns, the blue floral is my favorite.
5. Harper Jogger: Looking for black? Anthropologie's Harper pant is the one you're looking for. Slip pockets on the rear, slash zipper pockets in front and easy pull on styling along with a nice, slim leg make these an easy grab for any kind of day (or night).
