Plaid Tuesday.

I love stealing Brandon’s shirts. (This is one of his favorites, so don’t tell him!)

I am wearing a GENIUS pair of new jeggings from H&M that are so soft and comfortable (hurray for stretch waist bands <- a sentence I never thought I’d say) and even though it’s hot out today, I couldn’t resist wearing them and giving them a test run.

After I had the shirt on, I decided to put a tank on underneath in case I got hot running errands and wanted to shed a layer.

Much better! (And, just so you know—I did indeed shed the plaid shirt and ran the last half of my errands in the tank.)

Let’s also touch for a moment on something you are likely never to see again: my red lipstick. For some crazy, oddball reason I thought that I would give it a try again, knowing full well that red lipstick is not my thing. The only upside? At least it matched the shirt. (Another bonus: when you wear red lipstick, you don’t have to wear eye makeup. Pick and choose, guys, pick and choose. One or the other.)

I got startled when I looked in my car’s rearview mirror, though, and swiped a bit of it off on my hand and put on some red lip gloss instead. It’s going to take me some time to get used to the clown lips, but I have faith that one day I shall wear them confidently. Until then, gloss and lip balm it is!

Hollister buttondown; H&M jeggings; Aerosoles wedges; Old Navy tank; watch, nabbed from my dad; H&M bangles; L’Oreal lipstick in “Penelope’s Red”

What You Should Buy At Your Favorite Stores - Part II

[See Part I here.]

Please note that I will be discussing Target in terms of “what to buy” strictly by what you can put on your body. Not what you can eat off of or clean your house with.

PRICE RANGE: $5-$100

WHAT TO BUY: Work staples; trendy seasonal clothing; trendy shoes; pajamas; scarves; tote bags; sale/clearance items; designer collaboration collections

WHAT NOT TO BUY: Denim/pants; overpriced designer collaboration collections

WHY? Target’s biggest pro and its biggest con are the exact same thing: the darn designer collections. Here’s how they get you: they stir up huge hype about the collection, manufacture it at iffy quality-control levels, put a minimum of design and creativity into each piece, use less-than-desirable materials and slap a $70 price tag on it. And you know what? You buy it. Because it has a designer label on it. To be frank, there are very few designer collaboration collections for Target that are worth spending retail on. (Wait for the clearance racks.) You can get an equally priced item at much higher quality elsewhere. Don’t be fooled by the hype (or the recent Gilt Groupe sale). The only way to know if buying their clothes makes sense is to try them on in person. If you want to buy sight-unseen, know that Target sizes their designer collections by junior sizing (sizes 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc).

Also, a note about Target pants: namely, they suck. I know of very few people who have had luck with Target pants/jeans and the complaints are usually due to fit, not necessarily quality. It’s hard to mass produce pants and have a desirable outcome. For similarly-priced denim/pants with a better fit, try Old Navy or H&M.

Something else you’ll need to know is that Target shoes are more often than not quite uncomfortable. They’ve gotten better, yes, over time, but be careful. Try them on and walk in them. This is usually an area of concern in their heels/flats, but not so much with wedges, boots and sandals.

PRICE RANGE: $15-150+

WHAT TO BUY: Denim/pants; sweaters/cardigans; plain tees; outerwear; loungewear

WHAT NOT TO BUY: Everything else

WHY? GAP does basics really well. So, stick to the basics. Jeans, a plain t-shirt or two and a warm winter coat. These things have always been GAP’s specialty and have been further refined over the past several years. Their denim, in particular, has seen huge improvements in fit and style and the quality has been compared to jeans costing nearly twice as much. Don’t be allured by dresses, sandals or trendy blouses: you can similar items elsewhere for a better price and a more flattering fit.

PRICE RANGE: $20-$200

WHAT TO BUY: Sale items or items from Express outlets

WHAT NOT TO BUY: Everything else. I’m serious.

WHY? Express has some great sales, take advantage of them. But, let’s be real. Express is the less stylish, more expensive version of H&M, trying to reinvent themselves by switching up their inventory every several years. “We’ll be trendy this year!” “We’re the new Banana Republic!” I tire of it, guys. I really do. And their prices are just ridiculous. $200 for a coat? From Express? I think not. Express has some nice items, especially by way of pants/trousers, but you can buy them from their outlet stores, or wait for their large seasonal sales. There is no reason to ever, ever buy retail from this store. Trust me.

[Part III is coming soon!]

Please share with the other readers! :) Do you agree/disagree with my assessments of these stores?

Best & Worst of the Emmys!

Angela Kinsey - Looks nothing like her familiar character, and that’s a good thing. She looks gorgeous and glamourous. Her hair is doing a funky thing down that one side, but whatever. She looks great.

Vote? Best!

Christina Hendricks - This is one of those dresses that’s right on the ugly/pretty fence and depending on how you feel about, oh, lavender, that’s where you’ll come down. She has the type of intensely striking beauty that would constantly give her the “I’m wearing the dress and so no one notices the dress” problem (if you can call THAT a problem), so she sometimes overcompensates by choosing a dress that wears her, if that makes sense. This is right on the precipice of being too-too much. But, the neckline looks great and the color sets off her hair well.

Vote? Best, but not a home run.

Claire Danes - It’s a lot of gold on one person (even her hair is gold), but I’m a sucker for a sparkly dress. (The fit looks weird though.)

Vote? Best!

Dianna Agron - The look on her face here says it all. I’ve seen mixed reviews of this look so far this morning, but I have to say—this, in my opinion, is a total trainwreck. It’s so busy, ages her, does not show off her figure to its best advantage and—on top of all that—looks like a tablecloth/lace curtains. This is a stylist gone rogue, right here.

Vote? Worst.

Elisabeth Moss - This looks good on her and fits her well. Would have looked better in a color (maybe navy or green), but I like it. Her hair looks a bit matronly, though.

Vote? Best!

Emily Blunt - This may be one of my favorite gowns of the night. It’s soft and beautiful without being cloying, and the fact that you can tell—from the distance this photo was taken—that it matches her eyes perfectly is pretty awesome. Also, hair, make-up and accessories are A+.

Vote? Best!

Emily Deschanel - Thought this was Zooey at first glance (must be the bangs), but I kinda like this. It’s different and has an interesting neckline. On someone else, this might have looked cheap, but on Emily it just looks unique.

Vote? Middle of the road.

Jane Lynch - I think she looks awesome from the waist-up, but wish that skirt had been more fitted. The color also photographed poorly—it looked much better on TV.

Vote? Pretty good!

January Jones - I hate this. Not the dress so much, because it IS an amazing dress—but her IN it. With casual hair and no-makeup. Like she just rolled out of bed. Yes, you’re gorgeous January Jones and we all know it, but come on. This could have been amazing if she had put more effort into the overall look.

Vote? Try harder.

Jayma Mays - Hair looks awesome, love the navy/gold scheme—but that dress? I’ve seen like 500 versions of that dress over the past 5 years. Yawn.

Vote? Kinda boring.

Jewel - Once I saw the bow, it was all over. You don’t get a second chance when you wear a bow like that. Also, I’m over the lace trend.

Vote? Worst.

Kelly Osbourne - I think people are fawning all over this look because she hasn’t really pulled herself together like this in quite some time and, well, that IS commendable, but on anyone else—I wouldn’t like this. Hair and earrings are great for the dress, though, and I like where the waistline hits on her. It’s tailored well for her. 

Vote? Pretty good!

Lea Michele - Someone needs to feed her. I can almost see her gasping for breath between pictures. Good god. She’s corseted to within an inch of her life in that thing. Also, hate the dress. Once again, I’ve seen a million versions of this same dress all over the red carpet for the past decade. Did she and Jayma Mays go dress shopping together?

Vote? Not this time, buttercup.

Mindy Kaling - What. Is. This.

Vote? Worst.

Stephanie Pratt - You are not at the MTV Music Awards.

Vote? I can’t even.

Tina Fey - I love this silhouette on her, but it’s a lot of print going on. Almost…cast-iron fence-ish from far off. But, she still looks great.

Vote? Best!

Who are your picks for best and worst dressed at the Emmys?

Rebranding.

Have you seen L.L. Bean’s new Signature line?

It’s pretty genius.

For me, L.L. Bean was a place for my family to buy backpacks and tents, and the occasional winter coat—but it was definitely not for buying stylish sportswear.

This new line feels a bit like a cross between J. Crew and LandsEnd, as it tends to be more classic and modest, but with modern cuts and fabrics. The prices are on the high side, but—if you’ve ever bought anything from L.L. Bean, you know that the quality is outstanding and worth the investment.

Here are my picks from the line:

• Mariner Leather Purse, $78 - I love the rope handle. I can see Cary wearing this all over Newport.
• Plaid Weekend Tote, $85 - Perfect for overnighting to a winter getaway.
• Set of 3 Enamel Bangle Brooches, $44 - Completely on-trend with patriotic, nautical colors.

• Oxford Cloth Jacket, $45 - The ideal fall jacket—all you need is a thin layer for chilly evenings. 
• Cropped Pants, $39 - Great with heels and wedges.
• Poplin Skirt, $39 - The ideal length for work, play and everything in between. 

• Signature Oxford Cloth Wrap Dress, $40 - Again, the ideal look for work/play. Dress it up with heels, a watch and maybe a jacket when it gets colder outside. 
• Chambray Shirt Dress, $40 - There is nothing more classic than a chambray shirt dress. It’s a style that’s been worn (with variations) in almost every decade in the last 50-60 years.

What You Should Buy At Your Favorite Stores!

I always get several questions along the lines of, “Where do you shop? What are your favorite stores?”

Well, this post will attempt to partially answer those types of questions, but I must warn you—I won’t be covering vintage/thrift stores in this post, since what you find at stores like that varies from day to day.

Instead, I’ll mention what you should be on the look-out for at the familiar retail establishments we all know and love—starting with one of my favorites.

PRICE RANGE: $5-$150

WHAT TO BUY: Denim; pants; coats; basic tees; leggings; trendy jewelry/accessories; dresses under $40

WHAT NOT TO BUY: Leather; coats above $100; dresses above $40; shoes

WHY? H&M is great for what I call “trendy basics.” Jeggings, for example. You really can’t do better than H&M for a pair of $20 jeggings. But, H&M is not the place to drop $150 on a trenchcoat—and believe me, they have them. Use H&M to find the staples for your seasonal wardrobes. This fall, for example, buy from H&M: a green army jacket, jeggings, several oversized tees and a chunky scarf.

Also, for ladies with larger shoe sizes: H&M doesn’t carry any shoes above a womens size 9. But, I wouldn’t bother looking anyway. Their quality is worse than Forever 21.

PRICE RANGE: $5-$50

WHAT TO BUY: Last-minute occasion dresses; trendy items like leggings, jean jackets, hats; closet staples like cardigans in a variety of color; jewelry & accessories, like headbands; maternity wear

WHAT NOT TO BUY: Anything over $35; anything with a lot of buttons (they’ll fall off)

WHY? Think of H&M like the base for your wardrobe, and Forever 21 is the frosting. It’s the fun stuff on top that may not last long, but you like to have it there anyway. Don’t bother spending a lot of money as the quality of their clothing is notoriously poor. Make sure you try on everything, if you can, and always remember to size up if in doubt. (Forever 21 designs for anorexic 13-year-olds.) Forever 21 does have a plus size and a “working woman” line with more generous sizing, but these additional lines also run small and are not readily available at the majority of F21 brick-and-mortar stores: you’ll have to buy online most of the time. (Forever 21’s return policy is fairly easy to navigate if you run into an online shopping sizing snafu, however.)

PRICE RANGE: $20-$150

WHAT TO BUY: Mid-range priced denim; sweaters (not hoodies); buttonfront shirts and blouses; comfy knit dresses; AE’s Aerie line

WHAT NOT TO BUY: Hoodies; graphic tees; most tank tops; tights; jewelry; shoes

WHY? If you can avoid the seething masses of preppy teens fighting you out for the last cable knit cardigan, by all means—American Eagle can be a treasure trove of cute, well-priced items. Be aware that often the quality is not congruent to the price and you’ll probably see 10 other women in a given day wearing exactly what you’re wearing. Avoid anything too juvenile (graphic tees) or anything you can buy almost identically (but cheaper) elsewhere, such as their jewelry and shoes. Their denim has, in my opinion, come a long way since I used to look there in high school. In particular, their jegging offerings this fall look good, if a bit overpriced at $40-$50. But, that’s American Eagle for you.

More stores coming up! Which stores do YOU want me to cover?

Today on Bon Marche…

Check out how to get these street style looks for your own closet on Bon Marche!

The truth about summer style.

I’ve realized I’m not alone. I’m reading comments on other fashion blogs, talking to my friends—and guess what? I’m not the only one that feels…uninspired sometimes during the hot summer months.

When you regularly take photos of what you’re wearing, it’s sometimes (painfully) easy to compare what you’re wearing now, in August, to what you were wearing in February, for example.

Here’s the thing, though: fall and winter clothing looks better. Looks more stylish. Let’s just get that out on the table. There’s something about wearing JUST a dress with a pair of sandals that seems to get the ladies all riled up. There are no big chunky scarves, no opaque tights, definitely no boots and well, if you wear your sleek wool coat in August, you’re either living in an atypical climate or suffering (literally) for fashion.

I was reading a few comments, as I mentioned above, on a fashion blog (that shall remain nameless) the other day in which they accused the writer of being “uninspired” and “boring” for wearing—gasp—cute dresses and sandals. Cue side eye. Uninspired? Really?

Let’s bring this down to earth. It’s about 80-90 degrees across much of the continental United States (where this blogger was based), so I was a little confused. What do you want her to do? Put on a trenchcoat? Haul out the booties? Wear a scarf? It’s too hot to wear jeans these days, people! Slow down the cray!

These days, style (especially street style) is often defined by how much you can put on, rather than what is comfortable or what is practical. Your style meter goes up in direct proportion to how many accessories you’ve got poured onto your body (I’m including tights in this assessment), so naturally, you’re more likely to look conventionally “stylish” in the winter when you are wearing more things on your body. More tights. More scarves. More hats. More gloves. More. More. More.

I think what a lot of these commenters were ignoring, or choosing to ignore, is that the beauty of summer clothing is in the minimalism. It’s not about the accessories or being overdressed for a hot, humid climate. That’s not stylish. That’s insanity. It’s about glowy skin. Lots of leg. Pedicures. Sandals. Short, cotton dresses. A couple bangles. Wavy hair. It’s about ease and comfort, not sweating the instant you stand in the sun.

I admit that I often look in the mirror during the summer and lament that I feel uninspired or that my style seems to have taken a backseat in favor of dressing for the weather. Then, I flipped this entire notion and thought about it from Brandon’s perspective, since I often ask for his opinion on what I’m wearing. Summer, from his point of view, is the BEST time of year for women. Showing lots of skin, getting a little sun, exposing some leg, wearing tanktops, short shorts and loose, sexy dresses. Women may look at a fashion blog and then, ugh, another dress? Another pair of sandals?

But, really, what’s so wrong with that? When did wearing less become less stylish?

A couple days ago Brandon and I went out and I wore only a (really) short dress, a pair of metallic sandals, a necklace and some earrings. I kept staring at my closet. Should I add a belt? A cardigan? What about a jacket? But then I realized it was 90 degrees outside. At night. Like I’m REALLY going to take a jacket and actually put it on my body. Nope. I left all the extras and just wore the dress.

It was a good decision. I felt comfortable, confident and Brandon (a card-carrying member of the leg man club) approved whole-heartedly.

Last winter, I used to throw on everything, copying the street style looks I loved and the magazine ads I put up on my inspiration board. I’d think, “I have never looked more stylish!” Of course, I’d be wearing about 70 different things in one look, but I was totally into it. Layers. Tights. Accessories. Bring it on!

But, summer style? Especially practical summer style? It’s under-appreciated. Think about it! You can grab three things from closet and get out the door. You can slip into a dress and air-dry your hair and head to dinner in 10 minutes flat. Looking great, looking sexy will never be easier than it is for three or four months smack dab in the middle of the year.

I hope that one day the fashion community (or, the online fashion community) will see the minimal, easy summer styles as equally stylish as those multi-layered, booted, legging’d, huge scarf’ed up looks all over the Internet come November. (I’m not going to lie…I am 100% looking forward to wearing all of those items myself.) But, I’m not going to beat myself up if I just want to throw on a romper and some lip gloss.

Summer is beautiful! Evenings on the porch, long walks with the dogs, eating outside with your friends as the sun goes down. Those are the types of things that summer fashion was made for! And, to me, summer fashion should be fun, easy, minimal and sexy.

Embrace the two or three things maximum that you’re wearing! After all, the best summer accessory you could possibly show off is…you.