Go Long!

If you haven't already, consider wearing a longer pendant necklace that falls lower than your top's neckline to add extra pizzazz to your outfit. If you are wearing a plain white t-shirt or tank, adding a longer necklace will perk the outfit up a bit, like it did for Cameron Diaz' white tank (picture courtesy of In Style) pictured, right. Consider taking your favorite pendants from shorter necklaces you own and placing them on longer chains.

The necklaces below are available at http://www.pinkice.com/. The wire heart necklace is $9.99. The sparkly key necklace and the rounded cross necklace are both $14.99.

Soak in the Sun!

August is knocking on our door, so I say get all your summer options in. Get use of your cute summer skirts, and tanks, and halters, and sundresses! There are lots of summer sales going on. So buy what you think will take you into next summer, like empire waists and classic A-line silhouettes.

My friend recently told me that she is afraid to wear sundresses because of bra straps and undergarments showing. I say, don't stress so much over that stuff. Wear a neutral colored thin strapped tank under dresses with spaghetti straps, a good strapless bra, or a cropped thin-material shrug on top. Wear flesh colored well fitting undergarments so nothing shows. But just enjoy being feminine and girlie!

The following sundresses are from http://www.pinkice.com/. The lilac braid string dress is $49.99. The floral flow tube dress is $29.99. The long wildflower dress is $44.99. The Indie bohemian dress is $44.99.

Get Your Fix

Ok, raise your hand if you have ever been in a cramped back room in New York's Chinatown, or have been to a friend of a friend's "purse party". Oh, I know there are lots of us out there, dying to own a designer handbag but lacking funds to do it. I'm sure many of you have already heard of the company Bag, Borrow or Steal, especially if you saw the Sex and the City movie. So I decided to check them out myself.

The deal is, you choose from hundreds of designer handbags (or sunglasses or jewelry) and rent them out for as long as you like. Depending on the brand, rental could be as low as $15.oo per week. You pay up-front for a round-trip shipping fee. When you are ready to return your bag, just print out their shipping label on-line. Also, if you are just dying over a bag you rented, and want to own it, they will a negotiate a "gently used" price with you. They do offer insurance if you are nervous about damage occuring to the bag (that would definitely be my fear), but they do expect normal wear and tear to occur. I love that they offer gift cards, and my wheels are spinning about which of my girlfriends would love one for a birthday or Christmas gift. Or vice versa, hint hint. I have my eye on the Coach bag below for $24.00 a week. I think it would be fun (or maybe dangerous) to try it for a week! Check them out at http://www.bagborroworsteal.com.

When in Rome.....

I have to tell you I am not a fan of gladiator sandals. There is something about them that are just, well, ugly. But I think it's ok not to buy into trends if they are not for you. It's also true that trends can grow on you, like a vine that just won't die. You see a trend enough times and you begin to soften to it. For me this happened with leggings. When I first saw them I bristled. They took me back to the days of stirrups when I had pink ones that I wore with a long striped pink and white menwear shirt and flats in the 80's (We have ALL had our moments. I thought I looked HOT). But recently, when I saw Michelle Obama wearing leggings in a family photo with a pretty black and white sundress in my People magazine, I thought she looked so cool and stylish. That tells me I have softened to them. I have been conditioned by all of the coverage of them on-line and in magazines, which is truly what happens with fashion in general. Some styles you like immediately. Others, you become inundated with in the media and your brain becomes conditioned to seeing them. I think it's the same with music.

But back to gladiator sandals. I spotted a woman wearing a silver pair in Target the other day with a black flowy skirt and white tank. And I liked them. I had to ask myself whether I really liked them or if I was just softening to them. But I decided I liked them, because they were not over the top gladiator style. The gladiator style is typically the t-bar across the top of the foot but these were a "gentler" version somehow. There were not like, 12 straps going across, engulfing her foot and leg in some kind of animal trap. When I see those versions, they can look harsh and masculine. I stalked the woman at Target to ask her where she got them. She said Piperlime. So I did some investigating. Check out the softer, gentler versions I found below.

From http://www.piperlime.com/, the black White Mountain Adelaide's are $35.99. The bronze Tribeca pair by Kenneth Cole are $45.00. From http://www.payless.com/, the Kole gladiator sandles and the Ryan heels are both $14.99.


























So tell me readers, do you love them or hate them?

Celebrity Chic But Cheap: A Night Out

Victoria Beckham looks fabulous, of course, for her event (photo courtesy of http://www.glamour.com/) . Her dress looks part kimono/part wrap dress, for a winning combination. Of course, her killer heels and bold sunglasses make her classic Victoria. Check out similar but more affordable styles below, for a fabulous night out, at your movie premiere or red carpet event this weekend :), (or your friend's wedding or just dinner out).

The orange blouse from http://www.victoriassecret.com/ , while not a dress, can be paired with a nice skirt and heels. It's on sale now for $19.99. The red dress, is from http://www.bluefly.com/ , by La Befana for $87.99.

Provide your own strappy killer heels and large sunglasses.

Stylish Person of the Week: Jen

My pick for stylish person of the week is Jen! Jen works in sales for Architectural Floors of Cleveland. Her look is classic contemporary. Her blouse, tank and shorts are all from Banana Republic. She can dress her look up or down. To dress her look up, you can add heels and key jewelry pieces, like big hoops and some layered necklaces. To dress it down, remove the bolder jewelry and wear flats or flip flops.

You can find quality staples for your wardrobe at http://www.bananrepublic.com/. If you want Jen's look, check out similar pieces below: The paisley printed blouse is $64.00. The Martin cotton shorts are currently on sale for $30.99 and are available in three colors.

Aroma"therapy" for Your Nose

I thought my readers would get a kick out of this product I found on the web. I was surfing for essential oil products, which I like to buy because of their strong and pure properties. I came upon the product, Poo-Pourri, which is an essential oil that you spray in the toilet before you do your "business". It "essentially" traps the smell and gets rid of it.

I thought of my current bathroom situation. Right now, I keep a Bath and Body works body spray in the bathroom for a make-shift solution. I am out-numbered by males in the house, my husband and son, who this year became fully potty trained, and is no longer my sweet smelling baby. Hmmm....I could teach him to spray Poo-Pourri into the bowl before he goes :).

Poo-Pourri uses essential oils such as lemon-grass, bergamot and grapefruit and comes in travel and regular sizes, starting at $9.95 for the 2 oz. travel size. Their other product, Royal Flush, uses eucalyptus and spearmint oils, and even comes with a free bathroom ettiquette book! So for all of you "party poopers" who light matches or spray those awful smelling aerosol cans into the air, go to http://www.poopourri.net/ and stock up on this product.

UPDATE: Since writing this post,the Poo-Pourri company was kind enough to send me a sample of their product. And lo and behold, it really does work! Now I am not sure that you want the nitty gritty details but I'll at least tell you, my son comes out smelling like, well, lemons! It has a strong lemon oil smell and in my opinion, 1-2 squirts is plenty, because of it's potency.

Dressing With Ease

I have been seeing lots of cute and casual knee-length knit dresses on women and teens this summer. I own two of my own, that I wear because they are very easy and comfy. I can dress them up or down, but usually it's down, with flip-flops, to do errands or for a casual lunch or dinner. Wearing a dress is easy because you don't have to think about much more than your jewelry and shoes. Target offers many casual A-line knit styles, with a price tag that's right. Plus, you can wear these dresses as tunics or dresses into the cooler weather, with tights and boots. Just put on a long sleeve fitted tee underneath or a jacket on top.

http://www.target.com/ offers the following dresses from the Merona or Mossimo brand, all for $19.99.

Wardrobe Essential: A Feminine Blouse

A feminine blouse definitely would go in "the essentials" category. The reason being that it dresses up whatever your bottoms are, be it jeans, slacks or a skirt. If you own a couple of great blouses that you can pull out of your closet at a moment's notice, then you know it helps complete your basic wardrobe. For the summer months, Forever 21 has really pretty blouses in their collection, for rock bottom prices. But that's not to say you should only pay cheap prices for essentials. The problem is, that they may only last a season or two, depending on the quality of the fabric for the price. I believe that you should be willing to spend more on essential items, like a great blouse, that is timeless and can remain in your closet for years.

Here are a few of the blouses that http://www.forever21.com/ has to offer. But if you come across a great blouse for a higher price, that you know is a keeper in your essentials wardrobe, I say go for it! The ruffled sarafi blouse is $19.80. The crossover chiffon top is $22.80. The satin waist floral blouse is $22.80. The Carmen striped shirt is $15.80.

"Purify" Yourself

Who doesn't like to hear the word "pure" when it comes to cosmetics? The company, 100% Pure Cosmetics, offers beauty products that have no synthetic chemicals, fillers or fragrances. They use pigments from fruits, vegetables and flowers to get the color and frangrances for their cosmetics, plus the prices are very reasonable. How cool is that! To see their line go to http://www.100percentpure.com/.

Their Sheer Lip Glosses comes in several colors and are $13.00. They use pigments from several different sources in their lip glosses, such as pomegranates, cherries, and cranberries.

Their Lip and Cheek stains also come in several colors. The one pictured below is Cocoa Berry and is $15.00.

Their Brightening Concealers come in three different shades and are $21.00. The one below is a peach pigmented concealer.

Their body scrubs are $22.00. The one below is The Dark Chocolate scrub and is made using Hawaiian Kona coffee beans. The smell alone would make me buy it!

Celeb Chic but Cheap: Jeans and a T-Shirt

Some may argue whether or not Courtney Cox looks "Chic" in this photo (by http://www.instyle.com/), but it's sometimes refreshing to see stars in regular clothing we may find ourselves in everyday.

She is wearing a simple screen printed t-shirt, broken-in jeans and flip flops. Comfy Clothes! I don't know how much her comfy clothes cost her, but here's some versions that won't break the bank:

A screen printed t-shirt by http://www.properteawear.com/ for $42.00. Long and Lean jeans by http://www.gap.com/ for $58.00. You can provide your own flip-flops!

Stylish People of the Week: Stacie and Lisa

My picks this week, are Stacie and Lisa! Who can deny that these two thiry-somethings are not fit and classy in their swimsuits. I will try not to be green with envy :). Stacie, left, is wearing an O'Neill's two piece from Macy's, and Lisa, right, is wearing a Jantzen's one piece mesh front suit from Kohl's.

Check out similar style suits from http://www.swimoutlet.com/. The TYR Soda Pop halter ($32.95) and hipster ($28.95) are also available is two other colors. The Alicia Simone Mesh Tunic swimdress is $53.95. I think Stacie and Lisa could have been modeling those swimsuits below! Don't you agree?

Crops vs. Capris

There's alot of disagreement over what constitutes a crop and a capri. Alot of stores seem to use them interchangeably. I, on the other hand, am very clear in my mind what the difference is. When I began writing this article, about how I prefer to wear capris and bermudas in the summer, as opposed to shorter shorts or longer crops, I realized how confusing it was, weeding capris from crops, because most stores lump them together.


I think of crops as pants being "cropped" right above the ankle, somewhere around the lower calf (as shown in picture, right, from Ann Taylor Loft). I think of capris as being shorter, falling below the knee but above the calf. In fact, capris became popular around 1949, when designer Emilio Pucci di Barsento created a slim lined pant (usually with a v slit in the back for movement) that fell right below the knee, on the Isle of Capri, Italy. Other names and styles were born from there, such as petal pushers(which look alot like bermudas)and clam diggers, which took capris and made them baggy. Now you can find them both loose and baggy.


Anyway, I prefer wearing capris to crops in the summer because they fall right in between being too long and too short and can be dressed up or down. Some complain that they cut off your legs, especially if you are short, but I think crops can look more unflattering on those with shorter legs.


Below are some capris I found on sale. They can be worn right through the fall. At http://www.nyandcompany.com/, the denim Charles Street capris are on sale for $14.99 and come in three colors. The dark denim "pedal pushers" are also $14.99.






















The Quinn Sailor capris come in 3 colors from http://www.delias.com/ for $24.50.

Post-Pregnancy Blues

Reader Question: I just had a baby in June and I am having trouble figuring out what to wear now, because I am still not back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I don't want to spend alot on new clothes since I am hoping to be able to fit into my old clothes again someday.
Kim

Answer: Kim, I sympathize. Been there, done that. Well, I do have to say that pregnancy clothes have come a long way, and one of the things you may want to try is wearing the stretchy type of clothes you bought when you were first starting to gain pregnancy weight or show. That's also a "shadowy" time, when people around you don't realize your pregnant yet, but yet you are feeling it big time. I remember just feeling fat and wondering if people around me just thought I was gaining weight.


The other option is to buy some pants and skirts that have knit waist bands (we are seeing those more this season) so that when you lose the weight, you could probably still wear them. Also, I would buy some A-Line skirts and dresses with some stretch in them to help disguise any extra weight, and also so you can keep them in rotation in your wardrobe. Whenever I have gained weight, I go to those kind of skirts, that are more forgiving. On the top, I would layer tanks and shirts to disguise any bulges, or wear shirts that are more roomy or have an empire waist, making sure not to size up and make yourself look larger. Later, I would start buying more fitted jackets and belted tops, to help you define a smaller waist.


Below are some options to help you out. I have to say that The Gap and Old Navy have nice maternity sections. You can find the same styles in the regular women's section that you find in the maternity section. That somehow helped my psyche when I was pregnant. The pink flutter sleeve tee($24.00) and the gray seamed drawstring dress ($$48.00) are from http://www.thegap.com/.





















At http://www.oldnavy.com/, the women's foldover skirt is available in 5 colors and is $14.50, and the smocked bandana print top is $19.50.





















My favorite line Motto, at http://www.qvc.com/ has a set of two, knit waist items: a cargo crop pant and cargo skirt, available in 3 colors, $45.36 for both, item #A78167.