LBD

When Michelle mentioned her search for a semi-formal dress to wear to a law school function, my first thought was Little Black Dress. As an intern and future attorney, she will be required to attend numerous semi-formal social events. If you have a similar career path, or are married to someone who does, you may want to take note...

According to Wikipedia,

A little black dress is an evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often with a short skirt, originally made popular in the 1920s by the fashion designer Coco Chanel. Intended by Chanel to be long-lasting, versatile, affordable, accessible to the widest market possible and in a neutral color, its continued ubiquity is such that many refer to it by its abbreviation, LBD.

The "little black dress" is considered essential to a complete wardrobe by many women and fashion observers, who believe it a "rule of fashion" that every woman should own a simple, elegant black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion: for example, worn with a jacket and pumps for daytime business wear or with more ornate jewelry and accessories for evening. Because it is meant to be a staple of the wardrobe for a number of years, the style of the little black dress ideally should be as simple as possible: a short black dress that is too clearly part of a trend would not qualify because it would soon appear dated.

Soapbox moment: I think people are often way too casual these days when attending special occasions (like wedding receptions!). If you feel like you never know what to wear--invest in one simple, elegant black dress. Wearing a somewhat formal dress shows taste and respect for the important occasion. When in doubt, over-dress!

Basic Black Olivia, Shade Clothing, $90. Simple and elegant.

Sabrina, Shabby Apple, $96. Pretty satin dress with separate tulle slip.
Teri Jon Belted Silk Shantung Shirtdress, Nordstrom, $308. This one is also gorgeous.

Nina Geniza black luster satin, Zappos.com, $100. Just like the LBD, every woman needs a good pair of black dress shoes. Nina makes some beautiful formal shoes. Select a high quality, classic style and (along with your dress) you will be ready for wherever life takes you!

black top

You can't go wrong in a black top with captivating details. Wear it with denim or white bottoms.Love on a Hanger Vintage 40s Bow Top, Nordstrom, $24. Darling.
LA Made Short sleeve tie front Cherub jacket, tee-zone.com, $75. So flattering.
Careful Puff Sleeve Round Neck Tunic, cutesygirl.com, $14.99. Nice length.
Player Ruffle Trim Crossover Blouse, cutesygirl.com, $18.99. Dramatic (in a good way).Roxy 'Kalani' Lightweight Stretch Denim Trousers, Nordstrom, $58.50. These would look great with any of the tops above.

lunch with friends

A fun springtime outfit. Obviously, as winter flickers and fades, wear lots of layers to get the most use out of your warm weather clothing.
Perfectly Professional Pleated Top in Yellow, Lulu's.com, $26.Dojo Short in Caribbean, 7 for all Mankind, $167. The perfect length.Or, these Cropped roll-cuff jeans, Gap, $49.50.Fallen Feather Platforms, anthropologie.com, $98. Click the link to really see how cute these are.
For a similar look, Floral Print Slingback Wedge in Turquoise, ebay.com, seller: Cutesy Shoes, $17 (Buy it now price.) This seller has thousands of trendy, super-low-priced shoes.

Now all I need is a lunch date! So, where would you wear this outfit?

Athleta

"No matter where you're headed and what you have in store, this season it's all about the dress. One piece, packable and flattering. How much better can it get?"

That's what the clothing company Athleta has to say...and I tend to agree. As we all head out of town (or just around town) for vacations, etc, here are three outfits that make me want to wander.

Tie Front Dress, $89, Finesse Knicker, $34, and St. Martin Wedge, $89. I am loving this outfit from Athleta.com.Dip Dye Audry Dress, $150, Athleta.com. Super soft stretch micromodal. Yum. (Probably needs an undershirt.)
Tissue TooHip Tunic, $69, Adjustable Tunic Cami, $49, Karma Capri, $54, and Ropeswing Ballet Flat, $65, Athleta.com. Let's see a close up of those ballet flats...
Gorgeous!
Have fun wherever you're going, and remember, pack light!

low heel/low price

"I love your blog--thanks for all your great tips. I am just wondering if you know of any great low heel shoes for church that are cheap ($20-30)? I am having the hardest time finding something that has a couple inch heel, affordable and cute."

After quite a search (I had a hard time, too!), here they are...Peggy Wedges by Mossimo, Target.com, $25. I'm such a fan of t-straps. Wenda Open-Toe Wedge by Merona, Target.com, $23. A great-looking basic.Pam T-strap Heel, Forever21.com, $25. I like the vintage look these have. Hadley Strappy Heels by Mossimo, Target.com, $19.99. Pretty, feminine sandals. Mia Jackie Wedges, Piperlime.com, on sale for $27. Cute ankle strap.Desta Madras Ballet Flat by Mossimo, Target.com, $17. I realize these cute flats don't have any heel at all but I had to include them because they look so much like these adorable Jessica Simpson heels I bought last spring. (But much easier to walk in!)********************************************************
So, does this collection fit the bill? Let me know what you think!

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Brown and pink wedding

My friend Nicole is the photographer for an upcoming wedding. The colors are brown and pink and she asked for a few wardrobe suggestions. Here's what I came up with. Thanks, Nicole, I hope it's helpful!District Maps Skirt, anthropologie, $88. Sweet summery seersucker. It's actually red, but the tiny stripes make it look pink. Wear it with a cute white top you probably already have.
Prytania Blouse, anthropologie, $68. It has swiss dot side panels and loads of charm.Ashley Vintage Chocolate Floral Dress, RetroCuties.com, $180. Inspired by patterns from the late 1930s, this alluring dress makes a unique statement.

a simple and stylish nine months

I recently received this kind request:

"I love your site and style it fits me perfectly! My best friend L. told me about it! I am asking if you have any fun sites for maternity clothing, etc. I am about 3 months along and haven't got a clue whats out there now. My last child was born 3 years ago!

Any help would be appreciated!"

Thanks, Sarah! I'll start with bottoms, since that is the first place most women need more room. And by bottoms, I mean jeans, because they're everyone's fave, right?Maternal America Classic Fit Maternity Jean, Due maternity, $87. These are a great basic. The designer vibe, minus the $200 price tag.

Hidden panel Clinton trousers, gap.com, $68. Our mutual friend, L., was looking fabulous in these recently. I am always a fan of trouser jeans! A flattering look that easy to dress up or down.
Maternity Roll-Panel Wide Leg jeans, oldnavy.com, $36.50. Check out the cute blue-grey denim! These scream cute and comfy at a very comfortable price.

Other stylish ways to cover your lower half...
Due Essential Maternity Skirt, Due maternity, $68. It's all about comfort. This wide elastic band will enable you to wear the skirt all throughout your term and while you transition back into your normal size. This attractive slate color is very versatile. And, you can definitely wear this skirt to work.
5-pocket denim skirt, Destination Maternity, $35. I actually wore this skirt a lot when I was expecting last year. Like wearing jeans, but you get a nice breeze.
The Softest Yoga Pant by Majamas, Figure8 maternity, $45. Yoga pants give you that easy, luxurious feeling of supreme comfort. And these days, it's acceptable to wear them casually just about anywhere.

Stay tuned for more stylishly simple maternity finds.

denim

Undoubtedly one of the best style choices you can make is to find a great pair of jeans. Here's a website, Zafu, that promises the perfect fit. Take a quiz about your body type to find your ideal pair. It has jeans in all price ranges and styles. Zafu also lists where to buy them and how much they cost.
Melbourne, by Paige Premium Denim, shoprapunzels.com, $179.

Vintage Hem

Vintage Hem offers extender slips with flair. I got mine last October and I love it. It helps me with my current duties at church: wrestling with my son for three hours. Plus, it feels kinda fun and glamorous.Eyefull of Lace, vintagehem.com, $24.

sailor-inspired pants

Three Dots wide leg sailor pant, tee-zone.com, $110. Very cool look for casual pants. Lux High-Waisted Sailor Pant, urbanoutfitters.com, $58. Machine wash. Better get started on those crunches...Dickies Wide Leg Roll Up Pant, angelsuniform.com, $17.99. Call me crazy, but I think these could work!North Star Sailor Pants, anthropologie.com, $98. I'm listing these very cute pants last because they are dry clean only.

gladiator sandals

I'll admit, these took some getting used to, but they've actually grown on me. Brown, black, and metallics are all good choices. I usually feel that a metallic is the most versatile. Or is that just my inner princess...? Nine West, Jobilyn, piperlime.com, $80. Also available in black and a really pretty light gold.
cocobelle studded city II sandal, shopbop.com, $98. I like these in brown better, but they are sold out everywhere.Gladiator sandals, Old Navy, $19.50 Same trend for a lot less.
Isaac Mizrahi for Target Liz Gladiator Sandals, target.com, $24.99. Oh, you knew Target would have a version, too. This one comes in several colors as well. Might work for all of you who like the phrase, "I can't pull that off."

high/low

One of my favorite style-isms is the concept of high/low. Pairing high priced items with low. One idea: t-shirt with cardigan. (Not to say t-shirts are always low-priced!) I think this gives a nice youthful vibe.
Delias has some great t-shirts. And they are really soft.
Paris Life Tee, delias.com, $24.50.Madeline Two Straight Lines Tee, delias.com, $24.50 (save $10 when you buy 2).Etsy is a great place to find shirts that no one else is likely to have. Like this one by Pretty Raccoon, $31.Or this one, by discobelly, $25. (It's maternity.)

And now for the cardigan...
I like this one from Old Navy, $24.50, machine wash.
***Old Navy also had a zebra-print cardigan in their store the other day, but I couldn't find it online. I think it would look amazing with one of these t-shirts.Or try this beautifully detailed Ruffle Cardigan by JCrew, $88, dry clean.