What To Wear: Beach Wedding

My mother-in-law recently enlisted my help finding something to wear to a beach wedding she was luckily invited to. Beach weddings are still formal events and casual beach wear is not acceptable (ie swimsuits, swimsuit coverups, shorts, ribbed cotton tank tops and rubber flip flops). Instead look for loose, airy summer dresses in dressy fabrics and bright colors paired with jeweled flip flops and sandals. Finish the look with an armful of bangles and long layered necklaces and don’t forget the sunscreen.

This long chiffon halter dress was made for a beach wedding. It’s dressy silhouette paired with a pink kaleidoscope print is beach perfect. Add these Kate Spade jeweled flat sandals. Dress available at whitehouseblackmarket.com and shoes available at zappos.com.

This light-as-a-breeze cotton dress in stunning aquamarine will look amazing paired with jeweled flip flops, long necklaces and bangles. Add this 3/4 length gray jacket for a bit more coverage as the evening progresses. Dress available at anthropologie.com and jacket available at whitehouseblackmarket.com. Shoes available at zappos.com.

I love this bohemian print dress cinched with a wide leather belt, gladiator sandals and a white jacket. Dress available at anthropologie.com, jacket available at whitehouseblackmarket.com, belt available at shopbop.com and shoes available at piperlime.com.

Go short and flirty with this fuschia embellished dress available at whitehouseblackmarket.com and feminine jeweled bow sandals available at piperlime.com.

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Spring In Your Step

I always ease my way into a new season by starting with the shoes. It just seems more practical than buying tank tops while it is still cold or sweaters when it is still hot. You can usually start wearing them right away, getting instant gratification.

Here are a few pairs that are on my spring wish list:

Talbots Peep Toe Platforms: Sweet and Ladylike

Sam Edelman Lorissa: A little bit rock n roll and a whole lot of chic.

Nine West Stylin: 70’s inspired platforms that will look great with everything from flared jeans to casual dresses.

Naughty Monkey Beam Me Up: Playful gladiators that pair perfectly with neutrals and denim.

Best of The Nudes: These Frye and Kate Spade neutral heels stand out from the flesh colored crowd with their interesting details and leg lengthening abilities.

Superga 2750 Classic: Italian sneakers for running around on the weekends, pair with rolled boyfriend jeans or denim skirts.

J Crew Bowdelaire Ballet Flats: Put a little sparkle in your step.

Jimmy Choo Nova Glitter Finish Slingbacks: I am sucker for glittery shoes and these bronze platforms will be my go to cocktail shoes.

 

What To Wear: Spring Coat

As winter gently turns to spring, replace your heavy winter coat with a lightweight yet still warm trench coat. Invest in a well-made, stylish option that you can wear year after year. BCBG has two amazing options that are extremely stylish and eye-catching. They will easily dress up anything you wear while keeping cool breezes at bay. Available at BCBG.com.

I love the uneven hem and ruffled back, giving it a quirky quality.

The wide asymetrical collar gives this trench a very city-chic vibe and the color allows it to be worn with a cocktail dress or jeans.

Designer Denim Guide: The Update

A few years ago I wrote an article for a local magazine that was a Designer Denim Guide. There were and still are so many different denim brands and styles on the market that it is hard to know which brand or style is right for you. So I set about researching, I talked to denim store owners and sales associates and tried on countless pairs of jeans and enlisted my friends to try on jeans and tell me what worked for their body type. What came about was a comprehensive guide to designer denim based on body type.

I then translated that info into blog posts that remain to this day my most popular posts but since that was a few years ago, these posts were in need of an update. Brands and styles have come and gone, so I delved back into my research and came up with an updated designer denim guide. Just click on the link below to go to the updated version. Enjoy!

Designer Denim Guide: The Perfect Jeans For Tall Gals

Designer Denim Guide: The Perfect Jeans For Petite Gals

Designer Denim Guide: The Perfect Jeans For Slim or Straight Gals

Designer Denim Guide: The Perfect Jeans For A Flat Bottom

Designer Denim Guide: The Perfect Jeans For Curvy Gals

Designer Denim Guide: The Perfect Jeans For Athletic Figures and Fuller Thighs

What are your favorite jeans?

What To Wear: New Year’s Eve

Christmas has come and gone, hope it was merry, and now on to the New Year! Time to celebrate, toasting the past year and ringing in the new one. Let’s get festive!

What To Wear on New Year’s Eve:

My dream dress, Purple Metallic Cocktail dress by Victoria Beckham.

Cheap Trick: Navy one-shoulder flower embellished dress, will stand out in a sea of black dresses and is easy on the pocketbook priced at $36.

Retro inspired cocktail style looks sophisticated and party-ready! Halston Heritage silver top looks amazing with slim pants or pencil skirt.

This Lanvin dress is the perfect relaxed yet festive dress to wear out to a private dinner for two.

If your festivities are more denim than cocktail pair a party top with your favorite pair of jeans.

Miss Me Metallic Ruffled Top

If you decide to stay in and cuddle up and watch movies them do it in style with Anthropologie.

What To Wear: Casual Family Gathering

Fun family gatherings abound this time of year and this outfit walks the line perfectly between comfy, casual and fashionable. Plus, it also works well for dinner out with friends and is work appropriate.

Take one part slouchy cowl-neck merino sweater add one part stretchy, straight leg cargo pants, throw in leopard kitten heels and mix thoroughly with fun jewelry.

Ann Taylor Merino Drape Neck Tunic

White House Black Market Slim Cargo Pants

Ann Taylor Leopard Kitten Heels

J Crew Earrings

 

What To Wear To A Christmas Casual Party 2010

Christmas Casual or Dressy Casual usually means comfortable and relaxed while still looking put together.

You can wear a relaxed day dress, or a mix of separates such as a sweater with a trendy skirt or a fashionable jacket paired with slacks. You can pull the outfit together with elegant high heel shoes or sassy flats and don’t forget the accessories, belts and scarves are huge this season and a little jewelry never hurt anyone.

Perfect examples of Christmas Casual from Ann Taylor:

 

 

What To Wear To A Holiday Festive Party 2010

Holiday Festive fits right between cocktail and business attire, a tad less dressy than cocktail and a bit more fancy than what you would wear to work. Holiday Festive dictates that you can be playful, women can wear a silk or chiffon top paired with a pencil skirt or slacks or a playful shorter length dress in a holiday color like red or emerald green.

Dress down a cocktail dress by throwing on a matching jacket and belt or wrapping a cashmere kimono sweater over the top. Women can also pair a basic black shift dress with a bold, glittery necklace and killer heels. This look is all about having fun while still being stylish.

Just an FYI, Holiday Festive does not mean wear a Christmas themed sweater, please, please throw those away!

Holiday Festive Party outfits from Net-A-Porter:

The perfect example of how to dress up a simple black dress to be appropriately festive:

Holiday Festive Ensembles:

I love the way a fitted black blazer anchors a flirty party skirt and tough heels pull the look together. A white button-down shirt can add sophistication to a metallic skirt and a simple black chiffon top pairs well with a winter white skirt. A slinky sleeveless tunic makes capris festive.

Holiday Festive Dresses:

What To Wear To A Cocktail Party 2010

If you get an invitation to a party that dictates a cocktail dress code, consider yourself lucky, it is the most fun dress code. Women should wear shorter evening dresses in a wide variety of styles, colors, prints, and fabrics. Look for dresses with unique silhouettes, beading, sequins and bright colors.

If you opt for a black dress make sure it is made from a dressier evening fabric and add glamorous accessories to make it pop. Keep in mind if you are wearing a shorter dress special attention should be given to your shoes, make sure they are as dressy as your dress and always if possible opt for a slim kitten heel or higher. Please do not wear your work shoes to a cocktail party, take the time to get a new pair of shoes to match your dress.

Women can also wear elegant pantsuits in dressier fabrics but to keep the suit from looking frumpy make sure it fits perfectly and the accessories really sparkle, like red satin high heels worn with a black pant suit.

Gorgeous cocktail dresses from Kate Spade:

J Crew also has an amazing collection of cocktail dresses in non-traditional holiday colors that will stand out in a crowd of black and red:

The perfect LBD to wear to any cocktail party, completely timeless, elegant and universally flattering, available at www.whitehouseblackmarket.com.

A cocktail worthy suit:

 

 

 

What To Wear To A Black Tie or Black Tie Optional Party 2010

Life’s a party and tis the season! Invitations beckoning you to festive luncheons, swanky cocktail parties and elegant balls fill your head with the iconic question, what to wear? It seems that hosts have gotten a bit more creative with their dress codes in recent years, adding extra confusion.

To take the confusion out of the equation I have assembled a guidebook, if you will, for navigating through the holidays in style and according to dress code. Each day I will post a what to wear guide for Black Tie, Cocktail, Holiday Festive and Christmas Casual.

Let’s kick it off with What To Wear to a Black Tie or Black Tie Optional party:

The tradition of dressing up after dark has existed for centuries. Black tie stems from the Victorian era when wealthy men would dress for dinner because they had spent all day outside riding horses and hunting on their estates. They would change out of their dirty clothes into a black version of the military dress uniform which we call “white tie” today and as time went on and fashions changed men began to look for a more comfortable dinner outfit. The very formal “white tie” eventually evolved into a black dinner jacket and the outfit began to take on the look of a tuxedo.

Women have a bit more variety than men when it comes to black tie, floor length formal evening gowns or opulent ball gowns work best, but as fashions have changed and clothing has become more relaxed, short very dressy cocktail dresses have also become popular and acceptable for black tie events.

Black Tie Optional or Creative Black Tie can get a bit tricky but what it essentially means is that you can be free to try your own interpretation of black tie. Women can opt for long sleek gowns or flirty and colorful short dresses but remember to keep it very formal by choosing a dress in an evening fabric like satin, chiffon or velvet and in a darker color. Very decadent ball gowns with full skirts may look a bit overdone for the occasion, save those for strictly black tie events. Look for dresses that are traditional with a modern twist and use glamorous accessories to add witty touches.

These two BCBG dresses fit the bill perfectly for Black Tie Parties, formal with a modern flare.

Both of these BCBG dresses are dressy enough to satisfy the requirements of a Black Tie Optional Party, just remember to add dressy jewelry and shoes.

The perfect black tie shoe, also available at www.bcbg.com.