(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

Swimsuit Report

Luckily, this past Memorial Day weekend offered up plenty of sunshine and pool time -- and opportunities to try out a few of my new swimsuits (see previous post The Search for the Perfect Suit).  The verdict? Hit and miss.


I loved my sporty striped suit from Old Navy. While it was cut a little low in the hips for me, it seemed perfectly appropriate for splashing around with the kiddies. I also thought the striped pattern did a decent job of camouflaging any hints of mummy-tummy. (Note: this suit is on sale at Old Navy right now.)

Old Navy

The black one-piece felt a little more sophisticated... and the slight ruching in the midriff was also a good disguiser. Much to my surprise, when I showed up at the pool in this suit, my six-months-pregnant sister had on the same one -- and it looked great on her. A very universally flattering suit! (This suit is sold out on Old Navy but there is a similar one at J.Crew.)

Old Navy

J.Crew

I also wore this white-and-gray striped suit this past weekend. I loved the cut and the colors, however, my mother told me I was a little too pale for it.  I thought it was a very grown-up color combination and it looked great paired with a breezy, white coverup and silver flip-flops. But I guess those light shades weren't doing me any favors! Maybe I'll try it again later in the season... (This suit is also on sale at Old Navy right now).

Old Navy

I have a few more suits to try out... I will keep you posted. 

Did you have any luck with the first swimsuit-wearing of summer?

Perfect Summer Sandal

Seems like sunny days are actually here... The beautiful warm weather calls for Tuccia Di Capri Jackie flats. The perfect sandal for summer.

I think my wardrobe would be complete with a pair in every color. So classic, so chic... I wouldn't mind adding a little feel of Capri to my everyday.


The inspiration:

Jackie O on Capri

Happy summer!

First Lady of Fashion, cont...

The President and First Lady, in Ralph Lauren. Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

MObama has been looking amazing on her trip to the UK... So modern, so chic. She even wore Tom Ford! 

In Tom Ford. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Michelle Obama, in Tracey Reese, with Samantha Cameron. Photo: Matt Dunham-WPA Pool/Getty Images

In Alexander McQueen. Photo: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

With the Camerons, wearing Roksanda Ilincic and Narciso Rodriguez. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

MObama in Barbara Tfank and Princess Kate in Reiss. Photo: Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Touching down in London, wearing Preen. Photo: Chris Radbur WPA Pool/Getty Images

Wearing Peter Som to meet the wife of the Irish PM. Photo: Staff/AFP/Getty Images

Clearly, she knows what works for her shape, etc but I love that fact that she mixes it up so much... colors, patterns, fabrics, cuts. She embraces fashions and seems to have a little fun with it -- all while staying pretty appropriate. A great role model in style (among other things!).

Chic Colorblocking

Pippa Middleton looks great in this little frock from Zara... So into the kelly green and navy pairing. More and more I am loving the idea of easy summer dresses. Simple, fuss-free and instant polish. What could be better than that? 

Perfect Summer Combo

Elle MacPherson

This is the perfect combo for summer -- stark white, bright orange and neutral tan. Throw in some gold jewelry and you are jet-set ready to go!

Cute & Easy

I saw these on an always-well-dressed girl the other day and they looked supercute. In fact, the burlap actually looked pretty chic.  They are a great alternative to the espadrille and could be a perfect everyday summer shoe -- the boho fabric pairs so well with denim (blue and white), army green and brights.

I love what Toms does (with every pair of shoes purchased, they donate a pair to a child in need), and at $54 it is a no-brainer.

While I'm at it, I'll have to get a pair of "Tiny Toms" for my minis! How cute are they?