Casual Chic

 Claudia Schiffer pulls off casual chic with a seventies vibe. Love this look.

Military Chic

Love Kate's Alexander McQueen military look. (Can't say the same about her husband's...). 


The navy-and-gold-button combo is a classic -- and the slim cut is quite flattering and modern. 

The Red Bag

Jenna Lyons with a Celine bag from whowhatwear.com

Red bags have been catching my eye lately...  I love how the punch of color can perk up any look. (Notice how Jenna Lyons, above, matches her lipstick to her bag.)


A Celine tote, like Lyons', is on my wishlist... I know I would carry it everywhere. 


But I also really like this smaller, very prim shape. It's a little grandma-y and I am not sure when or where I would carry it, but I think it's kind of chic.


The Celine version from a few seasons ago is a true classic.

Celine

I've been eyeing these from J.Crew and Zara:

J.Crew

Zara

While, I've never been a real purse person, I think I could try and work one into my wardrobe in an edgier way and give this retro-style a more youthful flair.

Spotted: Canvas Totes, cont...

Valextra totes as featured on Vogue.com

I spotted these Valextra bags on Vogue.com...  The totes are made of a special resin-coated canvas so they are sure to stay fresh and new-looking throughout the summer. Why hasn't LL.Bean thought of that?

The Shirtdress, cont...

Love this Akris shirtdress on Cameron Diaz. Pretty and polished but relaxed -- perfect for summer.

The Shirtdress

Chloe

Lately, I've had more than a few occasions -- a playdate in the city, a meeting a preschool, a ladies' lunch etc -- to which I simply could not find the right thing to wear.  As I was going through my closet I just kept thinking, a shirtdress would be the perfect piece. Simple, chic, relatively casual but still polished. Why didn't I have one or two in my wardrobe?   

It is so versatile -- can easily be dressed up or down and changed even more with accessories. I'd love one in crisp white or light chambray.

(Summer) City Chic

Amanda Brooks. Vogue.com / Phil Oh

What a perfect summer look for a city girl. No wonder Amanda Brooks is the fashion director for Barneys -- she's got IT!  Classic, simple and totally chic.


Reminds me of how versatile a crisp button-up shirt is....and that I need a new one! (Hers is Brooks Brothers!). Oh, and I love that Celine bag.

Summer Nights

Vogue.com has a great story on easy summer evening elegance.  First of all, Charlotte Casiraghi couldn't look chicer.  Love the simple flats with her dress. Vogue's "Social Shopper" offers up some pretty good suggestions (the dress, sandal, clutch, etc) on how to pull it off...

Quite White

From ultrabrights to stark white...

vogue.com

I wore my first white dress of the season last week and love it. Felt so in the summer spirit! What is great about going stark is that while it looks so crisp and fresh on its own, it also makes for the perfect backdrop for fun jewelry -- a big beaded necklaces, lots of gold chains, an armful of bracelets or statement-making earrings.

vogue.com

I am going to wear a white frock again for a party this weekend -- a mini-dress with simple flats and a bold, baubled necklace. Now, the challenge lies in keeping it crisp and clean (hint: no kids and white wine only!).

Summer's Neon Moment

Tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com / From left: Aerin Lauder, Ashley Greene and Jenna Lyons. 

From T Magazine...  A pop of neon for summer. Love!

Have you worn your ultrabrights yet?

Radiant Red

Karlie Kloss with Jason Wu. Harpersbazaar.com

My favorite look of CFDA fashion awards: Karlie Kloss in Jason Wu.  

Love the color of the gown...the thin straps...the fabric...her natural hair and makeup...and the matching pout! Perfect.

Spotted: Tie-Dyed Totes

Gap

How cute are these tie-dyed totes from the Gap?  

Gap

Gap

Spotted: Canvas Totes

Saw a really cute canvas tote on my friend the other day -- low-key with an equestrian/Hermes-y feel. Loved it. Loved it even more when I found out it was from Zara (and under $30).

Zara

I have been happy toting my straw bag around this summer, but finding that it gets pretty stretched out when overloaded (which inevitably happens when I'm plus kiddies and stuffing in water bottles, sunblock, bug spray, dolls, etc...).  So, I think I also need a basic bag with a touch more structure.

J.Crew

Summer Staples, cont...

Last summer, my sister bought me a pair of navy-and-white striped espadrilles from Madewell and I wore them to the point I had to throw them out before the summer even ended.  So, I was thrilled to see that the budget-friendly J.Crew spin-off has new versions in store now. 

Love the multi-color stripe too. (See my previous post on MyMu espadrilles.)

We don't wear shoes in our house so, I wear these as slippers in the summer. Light and comfy.  I will have to buy in bulk this year...

Chic Cover-Ups

3.1 Phillip Lim

Now that I have my swimwear situation somewhat sorted out, I need chic cover-ups to complete my poolside/beachy look. My stance is that the sarong/caftan/tunic has to be in the same spirit of the suit, whether that is sporty, sleek, basic or boho. 

J.Crew

I usually end up stealing my husband's shirts and throwing them on over my bathing suits! You can't go wrong there...

J.Crew