SUMMER STYLE CLASS | 3 Must-Try Trends

via Stradivarius

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Summer is nearly here and while I've been lusting after the season's top trends for months now, many of them haven't felt all that feasible until now. I mean, busting out floral shorts on a frigid day just didn't seem right. And all that girly gingham really only makes sense during picnic weather.

For Spring '15, designers sent loads of tempting trends down the runways but as we all know, so many of them look better in performance than in practice. Luckily this summer, it's easy for even the most cautious dressers to diffuse the big trends down into outfits you can actually wear. 

Florals can feel too precious but the right blooms make for the perfect summer look. I'm loving the floral high-waisted shorts at H&M right now - add a chic white shirt and block-heeled city sandals and you're good to go for the Best Lunch-Date Look Ever.

The Seventies has been the biggest trend of the season so far but I like my disco-era in small doses. You dig? Round sunglasses, wooden accents and clean, pale denim feel like just enough to give off the right vibe. I'll be rocking summer's must-wear shirt - the short-sleeved chambray shirt - with my white girlfriend jeans and easy slides (another huge summer trend, btw).

And while stripes are a perpetual summer staple, the most fresh print of summer is gingham. The picnic print is back in a big way and will ensure you'll look right on point this season. I love the idea of a sweet gingham dress worn with sneakers or gladiators. I've shown a mildly risky pair but if you feel like pushing it even further, I'd highly recommend a pair of super tall gladiators this summer. 

Check out the looks below for some hot-weather style inspiration. Happy (summer) shopping! 

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Walk the Line: How to Pull off Stripes

A model on the runway at the Michael Kors Spring '13 Show. Photo via Fairchild Photo.

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

I have a glaring blind spot when it comes to stripes. I see them, I want them, I buy them, and now, after years of hard work, I've managed to amass dozens of striped tops. When I see a perfect stripe, it's like my brain momentarily lapses, ignoring the impressive collection I already own, forgetting that the last thing I need is another striped shirt.  I add it to my closet and wonder how I ever ended up with so many. It's a problem.

And so, I was thrilled that summer's biggest print trend is black & white stripes. After all, I own lots of navy with white and white with navy breton striped shirts (there's a difference, I swear) plus a few sporty red & white bateau necks thrown in for good measure. But mod black & white? I definitely (maybe?) don't own any of those. I'm sensing that this is one of those blind spot moments. Ignore.

If you worry about the whole 'horizontal stripes make you look fat' thing, fret not. Read on for some style tips on how to pull off stripes. I think they meant to say 'fab' instead of 'fat' anyway. Let's just chalk that up to a typo, shall we? General rule of thumb: Wide stripes add curves and narrow stripes make you look slimmer. See? Easy.

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Garden Party

Dress with Ballerina Neckline, $125, TRISTAN

At the Ann Taylor and Forever 21 Fall '13 Preview. Photo by George Pimentel

I'm not one to wear my love of flowers overtly on my sleeve - or my skirts or my pants for that matter. It's not that I don't like florals but let's just say I'm pretty picky when picking my posies, petunias and other floral fabrics. Flowers can easily look super young, super old or just super tack; I generally try to avoid looking like any of the aforementioned. 

When I spied this dress at Tristan the other week, I felt like I'd stepped straight into a Giverny scene. It's bright, cheery and perfectly Impressionistic and made me feel instantly happy on an otherwise blah day. On its own, the dress does look a little too sweet, a little too la dee dah for me, so I threw on a biker bomber to tone it down. On a hot day like today, I'd add a sexy black ankle strap sandal for some grown-up edge.

You like? You love? I hope somebody gets married or has a baby stat so I can rock this frock at the next shower...