INSPIRED BUY...the little black dress

this summer marks the commencement of the "wedding circuit" for my group of friends.  you know what that means- engagement parties, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, et cetera (read: lots of events that require fancy clothing).

in my closet i have plenty of casual and work appropriate dresses, but when it comes to more formal pieces it's slim pickens.

that said, knowing that the aforementioned events will be popping up left and right, i decided to start looking for fancier dresses.  the perfect place to begin my search: platform boutique in hoboken.

kurt greeted me as I walked in, and when i told him i was in need of a great party dress, he went to work.  i tend to gravitate towards bright colors and patterns, but he was able to help me think outside of the box.

he brought me a silk/chiffon black dress from gypsy 05 and when i slipped it on i fell in love.  it was the perfect amount of bohemian, sexy, dressy, and classic all in one...and i felt so comfortable in it.

i HAD to have it.

the dress was a little out of my price range (oops), so i've been on the lookout for inexpensive shoes and accessories to pair with it.  here's a look that would work for a summer cocktail party or engagement party, and all of the shoes/accessories combined are about $100:

1. aztec straw clutch - BCBGeneration (about $78)

2. lila silk ombre maxi dress - gypsy 05 (about $265)

3. wrapped stone ring - forever 21 (about $6)

4. gold sandals - forever 21 (about $13)

5. mermaid tears nail polish- o.p.i  (about $8)

INSPIRED BuY...lykke li

lykke li is a swedish singer who made it big by telling record companies in the US that she was a pop star in her country (which wasn't true at the time). no one could second guess her, with her unique voice and bubbly presence and so she ended up making it pretty big among indie music lovers. this video with bon iver, "dance dance dance" is a favorite of mine and her casual, cool, free people-ish style in exemplified in this video.

i am very into long dresses during the summer, and want to find a way to transition them for cooler weather, so i decided to add a slightly unpredictable layer. once it gets even cooler out, i'll probably add a leather bomber or a pullover chunky sweater and some boots.

unpredictable layers

dress- what goes around comes around

vneck tee- bdg (urban outfitters)

necklaces- vintage and the gap

sandals- american eagle

INSPIRED BuY...the utility jacket

utility, military, safari-chic. the look of the year. i found this wonderful, lightweight utility jacket on sale at the gap. i'm dying to wear it but its just been too hot, so i thought i'd try it on in my air conditioned room and post it for you all!

jungle-ready jacket

skirt- urban outfitters (silence and noise)

shirt- banana republic

jacket- gap

shoes- steven by steve madden

INSPIRED BuY...beachy keen

i just returned from a relaxing, peaceful week at the beach. being at the beach makes me want to be completely natural- no makeup, no blow dryer, no shoes. it also makes me want to dress comfortably: light, flowy dresses by day and cozy sweatshirts by night. here are some of my outfits from the week:

maxi by night

dress- bcbg

*i love the color and pattern on this dress- reminds me of missoni

maxi by day

dress- what goes around comes around

*this linen dress is light and airy- perfect for a hot summer day

light and layered

shorts- madewell

henley- gap

crewneck sweatshirt- gap

watch- vintage

romping around

linen romper- free people

denim shirt- american eagle

sandals- steve madden

playfully patriotic

shorts- madewell

navy tank- puella

cardigan- urban outfitters

sandals- american eagle

belt- american eagle

INSPIRED BuY...the jungle book

first it was leopard print, then zebra, then giraffe. it seems like the jungle has made its mark on women's fashion this year. diane von furstenburg's spring 2010 line is a great example of this. she's known for her patternwork, and what could be more beautiful than patterns we can find in nature?! the line was filled with animal prints of all sorts, and it has a good balance of neutrals and brights. i'm sure mowgli would fully embrace this trend...

it's a jungle out there

skirt- banana republic

top- ann taylor loft

cardigan- simply vera vera wang

pumps- massimo baldi