In Hawaii and Craving Maxi Dresses

So, as y'all know by this point, I'm in Hawaii at the moment.  I'm really not a "frolicking in my swimsuit" sort of person (although I am loving my new Delia's swimsuit, yes, I bought something from Delia's and it was awesome).  I'm a 'let me wear adorable cover-ups on the beach and not get too close to the water because I watched too much Shark Week when I was little" person.


My favorite cover-ups so far: this random T-Bags Pucci-print tunic I got in ninth grade, menswear button-ups, and maxi dresses, specifically maxi dresses.  They're just so fun to swish around the beach in!  So of course, this got me philosophizing about maxi dresses, which led to a massive online shopping hunt, and I just wanted to share a few of my favorites with you guys.


Mara Hoffman Long Open Back Column Dress, $342 at shopbop.com, Topshop Embroidered Mesh Maxi Dress, $135 at topshop.com, Winter Kate Damien Dress, $225 at shopbop.com: The print on that first dress is just so delicious--very modern geometric meets '60s Pucci meets Murano glass meets kaleidoscope.  The upside to a crazy print like that is that it will completely draw attention from any areas on your body that you'd want to camouflage.  All anyone will see is your silhouette and that print, nothing else.  It seems like it would draw attention to a squishy stomach or wide hips, but it's really the ultimate, chic distraction.  The slim, clean lines of the dress are the perfect contrast to the vibrant print (is this a maxi dress?  Shopbop thinks so, I have mixed feelings, but it's pretty so whatever), and the deep-cut back is the perfect, cheeky little surprise.  I love Topshop.  I wish LA had a Topshop SO BADLY.  Ugh.  Whatever.  This dress also has a deep back, with a slightly scandalous v-shape.  I love the sheer maxi dress over that little slip dress.  I wore that combo once and loved it to pieces.  You get all the sex appeal of the slip dress with all the drama and fun, summeryness of the maxi dress.  The pattern on the sheer dress would almost look like tattoos, which just makes it even cooler.  This last dress is the most casual.  Again, the print is fun and distracting, but not over the top.  What I really like is the cut.  It's flowing and voluminous, but the way that it hugs the waist and the hips ensures that all that volume in the skirt won't be overwhelming or unflattering.  Nice going, Nicole Richie (this is her second clothing line).

As for the styling with these, they all have a lot of fabric, and adding too much to all that fabric can make the overall look feel very heavy.  I'd keep the focus on the dress by doing a simple pair of sandals in a neutral tone, and then one piece of jewelry--a pendant necklace, a cuff bracelet, one piece that won't be overwhelmed by the dress but won't fight with it.


Image Sources:
shopbop.com, topshop.com, shopbop.com.

Beauty Beach Essentials

So theoretically, when I'm sitting on the beach in Hawaii, I will have all of these products at my fingertips.  In my theoretical dreamworld where I take baths in money every other day.  But it's a nice thought.


The thing with beach makeup is that you're at the beach, so you don't want to mess with a ton of products.  You want simple neutrals, a little shimmer, a lot of SPF, and some subtle, yummy smellingness.


Pacifica Brazilian Mango Grapefruit Perfume, $22 for 1.2 oz at sephora.com, Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc Bronzer in Golden Mosaic, $38 at sephora.com: Traveling with perfume is a pain.  You risk explosions and heavily scented clothes for the rest of your life if you leave it in your luggage, but you can't take it on the plane unless it's less than 3 ounces.  This perfume is the perfect solution--just big enough for a vacation, and small enough to take on the plane.  The notes are mango, pineapple, and grapefruit, nice and tropical, just a hint of tartness to liven it all up.  As for beach makeup, when I think beach I think bronzey shimmer.  It's an easy look to accomplish, especially with a shimmery block like this Laura Mercier one.  The combination of the shimmery champagne, copper, gold, and bronze creates a multi-dimensional, natural looking tan with just a hint of skin-brightening sparkle.

Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Sunblock SPF 45, $9.99 at drugstore.com, Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral Powder SPF 30, $30 at sephora.com: Sunscreen is a MUST.  Even if you want to get a nice tan, you need sunscreen.  I've read way too many press releases on skin cancer to ever even consider go to the beach without sunscreen.  However, I'm way too lazy to do that white, rub-in sunscreen, which goes on gross and oily.  I'm a huge, huge fan of spray-on sunscreen.  I've used that Neutrogena sunscreen for the last few summers, and it's fab.  You just spray it on, it feels nice and cooling, and it stays on forever without making you look like an oil slick.  For the face, I stay as far away from silicone-pumped sunscreens as possible (hello, breakouts).  This Peter Thomas Roth sunscreen is easy to apply, portable, and actually soaks UP oil instead of making you oily.  It's the perfect thing to wear every day over your foundation! 

Sephora Brand Dry Oil, $8 for 5 oz. at sephora.com, Urban Decay Naked Palette, $44 at sephora.com: Lotion is great, but with all that salt air and sun and wind at the beach, sometimes you need to step it up a bit.  That's where the dry oil comes in.  It's really, really easy to apply, just spray it on without rubbing it in, and it leaves a nice, beachy sheen.  Plus, it comes in yummy scents like coconut, guava, and nectarine.  Last but not least, even on the beach there's no way I'm letting go of the eyeshadow/liner addiction.  No way Jose.  But even I would settle for some soft, lovely neutrals.  I've heard really great things about this UD palette.  It has a mini primer, a dual-ended liner with Zero (black) and Whiskey (brown), and 12 pigmented, easy to wear shades.  Take this and a shadow brush, and you're set.  You have all the necessary shades to do a bronzey look, a neutral eye, a smokey eye, pretty much anything.

Image Sources:
Pacifica edp: sephora.com, Laura Mercier bronzer: sephora.com, Neutrogena SPF: drugstore.com, Peter Thomas Roth SPF: sephora.com, Sephora oil: sephora.com, UD palette: sephora.com.

Take a Trip to the Tropics

Some of y'all may know that I'm taking a little trip to Hawaii.  In fact, when this post goes live, I'll be on the Big Island, hopefully getting tan, probably the color of a lobster, but I can dream.  Anyways, while I'm gone, which is really until September 7th because I'm going straight from Hawaii to moving into school, there will be about one post a day.  Sorry y'all.


But since you guys can't come to Hawaii with me, I thought I'd post on this fab shower gel that my mom got me because of said vacation.  It's Boots Hawaiian Islands Pomegranate & Avocado Shower Gel, and it's $6.99 at target.com.  You get 6.7 ounces, which is about $1, which is decent.

Here's the snippet from the back of the tube: "Dive into paradise with this tropical blend of ingredients inspired by the Hawaiian islands: Anti-oxidant pomegranate extract and moisturizing organice avocado oil."  It smells exactly like POM juice.  Omnomnom.  No avocado to be found, but it is moisturizing, it lathers nicely, and you don't need to use much at all.  The scent lingers a decent amount of time after your shower, and Boots makes scrubs, lotions, and body butters in the same scent, so you can coordinate all your POM-smelling loveliness.


Awkward Chic rating:  A-.  It's a pleasant little tropical vacation in a bottle, and a definite pick-me-up in the middle of a long, boring week.

Shopping for Your Body Type: Maxi Dresses

Maxi dresses are having another moment in fashion--not only are they on-trend for this summer and fall, but they're the perfect pieces to wear to the beach as a cover-up.  They're basically the perfect, easy insta-outfit, because they're really the only piece you need to wear.  The drama of that long, full skirt pretty much negates the need for a lot of accessories.  The only problem with maxi dresses is that they can be very unflattering if they're the wrong silhouette for your body type.  I rounded up a few maxi dresses that would work for different body shapes.  If I went into every body type that existed, we'd be here all day, so I just picked a few standard ones: pear-shaped, boyish, very skinny, hourglass, petite, and apple-shaped.

T-Bags V-neck Long Dress, $194 at shopbop.com, Young, Fabolous & Broke Hannah Long Dress, $273 at shopbop.com: This first dress is perfect for a pear-shaped, or bottom-heavy body, where the hips are somewhat wider than the shoulders. In order to make your hips look smaller, you want to make your shoulders and chest look a little broader--that's where the optical illusions come in.  A skirt like this, that flows over the hips without hugging them, will highlight your hips without emphasizing them, the patterned waist-tie will draw the eye to your waist and make it look teensy, and the slightly loose top and wide neckline will make your shoulders look wider, balancing out the width of your hips.  That gorgeous aqua hue is just a lovely bonus.  This slim-lined, grey maxi dress would be really nice for boyish, or straight figures.  You don't want to go all out with a really full skirt, because it will completely overwhelm your torso.  You want to go with a dress that clings to the upper body, emphasizing whatever curves you have, and then flares into a gentle a-line skirt.  This will make you hips look wider and curvier, and the high(ish) neckline will make your chest a little bigger.  If you have a straight torso and a larger chest, you want to show a little skin at the neckline, or it will just make you look bustier.  This grey maxi dress has a detachable bib necklace that's really fun and will immediately draw the eye to your waist.

DVF Ganza Printed Jersey Dress, $345 at net-a-porter.com, Rachel Pally Two Tone Halter Dress, $233 at shopbop.com: This DVF dress would be great on a thin, waifish figure.  If you're very thin, and don't want to look even thinner (it's a concern for some people, I swear, I mean hello, Rachel Zoe) a cut like this is perfect.  It would overwhelm your frame, but the gently flaring skirt and looser top with add a subtle amount of volume to your frame.  While it's loose, it's not shapeless or boxy, and the cheeky print balances out the simple cut nicely.  On the flip side, if you have an hourglass figure, this Rachel Pally dress would be fab.  I feel like with an hourglass silhouette (at least from personal experience) you want to highlight your curves, but you don't want to emphasize them to the degree where you look like a cartoon character.  This dress works because the black serves to make you look nice and sleek and the white at the waist points out that you have a little waist.  The way that the skirt hugs the top of the hips and flares out highlights the curve of the hip, but plays it down a little by making the skirt the widest part of the silhouette.  The amount of skin bared on top will actually make a larger chest look smaller.  Have you ever seen a girl with a large chest in a crewneck?  It just makes you look bulky, whereas showing skin can elongate your neck and make you look slimmer.

Forever 21 Jersey Maxi Dress, $22.80 at forever21.com, Roxanne Grace Martine Long Dress, $246 at shopbop.com: Maxi dresses are hardest to wear if you're very petite, just because all that volume can make you look shorter.  However, it's not impossible.  What you want to look for is a maxi dress with a slightly narrower skirt--more of a column than an a-line, and an uninterrupted line from top to bottom.  A slim, empire-waist dress like this is ideal, because it creates a solid, lean, long silhouette.  A v-neck neckline like this is also great because it makes your neck look nice and long, adding to the illusion of height.  Finally, if you have an apple-shaped body--widest in the middle and narrower at the top and bottom, a dress like this last dress is great for you.  Here you want to work with an interesting print, which always works nicely to camoflauge any trouble areas.  While a voluminous skirt sounds like a good idea, it's actually just adding volume on top of extra volume.  You want a soft a-line that pulls away from the hip, but doesn't make you look bottom heavy.  I would add a belt to this dress to make you waist look slimmer, but the great bit about this dress is that the focal point is at a thinner area right below the hips, making you look smaller overall.

Images from: shopbop.com, shopbop.com, net-a-porter.com, shopbop.com, forever21.com, shopbop.com.

Do Want

Hello and welcome back to another episode of things Megan wants today.  She may even buy one of them--oh, the insanity!


Mason by Michelle Mason Open Shoulder Dress, $320 at shopbop.com, DVF Garbo Day Bag, $625 at shopbop.com: I've had this dress bookmarked for almost a week now.  That's love.  I think my favorite part about it is the sleeve construction.  That sort of sleeve is perfect, because it shows skin and highlights your shoulders in a really flattering way BUT it totally hides any tricep naughtiness that may be going on, instantly making your arms look fabulous and Michelle Obama-like.  Add that to the loose, but not oversized cut and the sexy cutouts in the back, and you have the makings of a totally flattering, casually hot LBD.  All it needs is a little waist-cinching belt, maybe one with a bit of sparkle, and you're good to go.  In all honesty, I never thought I'd fall for a zebra/wood-grain print bag.  I'm all about basics!  Not $600 animal print accessories (actually that's a total lie).  But this bag is just so charming.  I love how the neutral color palette balances out the fact that it is in fact zebra print, and how the beading at the edges adds just a hint of rock and roll glam, and how the classic, boxy satchel shape counteracts all of that to make it a really practical, wearable piece.  If you're looking for a fun bag that you can really wear all the time, this is your guy/purse/thing.  Oh, words.  How you fail me sometimes.

BCBG Print One Shoulder Dress, $348 at shopbop.com, Delia's Triangle Halter One-Piece, $29.50 at delias.com: The cut of this BCBG dress really reminds me of the Resort 2010 Lanvin dresses, with the drapey silhouettes and one-shoulder sleeves.  Obviously, this version is significantly more affordable, and it comes in a fun, festive print with little ruffles!  So cute.  The really great thing about this sort of cut is that it manages to accentuate your curves without hugging them too tightly, and basically makes your body look fab.  Now, as for the thing I actually ended up buying, yes, it's from Delias.  I feel like a 13 year old right now.  The thing is, I'm going to Hawaii with my mom in a few weeks, and I literally own 0 complete swimsuits.  I have half of one and half of another, and no, sadly, they really don't go together.  I really never go to the beach or even go swimming, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on a swimsuit, but I don't want an ugly one, and I really wanted a one piece.  I like this version because it comes in black (black and navy are my go to beach colors, yes, I am that boring), in long and regular torso sizes, and it has ties at the hips!  The problem for me with one pieces is that they are made for people with normal hips, not wide Megan hips, and even if I lost 30 pounds, they would still cut into my thighs.  This suit is at least mildly adjustable for minimal thigh-mutilating, and is the perfect canvas for all the ridiculous beach accessories I plan to throw on top of it.  Win-win!

Image Sources:
Mason dress: shopbop.com, DVF bag: shopbop.com, BCBG dress: shopbop.com, Delia's swimsuit: delias.com.

The Tom Cruise/Sunglasses Paradox

Confession: I'm an English history nerd.  I've been all up in the Tudors, I've watched all the Anne Boleyn movies and read all the books (highly, highly recommend Wolf Hall), and all that jazz.  So when Rescue Beauty Lounge put out a collection inspired by some of Henry VIII's wives, I was all over it.  


There are great swatches over at All Lacquered Up, and my absolute favorite is Anne (duh).  It's a grey olive green with gold and pink shimmer.  Pink!  It adds such an interesting dimension to the green base.  It's a little off, but in all the right ways, very spunky and almost ferocious, just like Anne.  You can get it for $18 at rescuebeauty.com, when it goes on pre-sale soon (the dates were uncertain).  I know $18 is a LOT, but it's such an interesting, off-beat color, and RBL polishes are nasty chemical free.

In totally unrelated news, I got a pair of Ray Ban aviators!  And since I had to buy them myself, I got them off eBay (shocker).  I found them for about $95, and they go for about $139 on Shopbop.  $45 is like three MAC shadows, so woohoo!  Haha.  The only thing that I'd say to watch out for on eBay is that, as always, if it looks way too good to be true, it probably is.  I saw a ton of these sunglasses with buy it now prices of $30.  That's even less than their wholesale price.  It makes no sense.  I sincerely doubt that they are real.  I bought a pair of Wayfarers on eBay for a great price three or four years ago, and while I do think they're real, I think they're factory rejects.  One of the arms is wonky/on the verge of falling off literally all the time.  Gah.  This pair, however, is real and in perfect shape.  And now, for the sake of the blog, I present the terribly awkward picture of me trying to make a serious face while taking a picture of myself in the mirror at midnight.  If you can't tell, I'm struggling.

Yeah, I look like a fool, but I really like them.  I'm very used to over-sized sunnies, and was THIS close to getting the oversized Wayfarers, but they just look silly on my face.  My thing is that if I'm going to spend a lot of money on a pair of sunnies, they need to be a good pair of sunnies that actually looks good on my face.  And just look at how long my hair is!  Success.
Also, I just realized that all my nice pairs of sunglasses have become famous through Tom Cruise wearing them in '80s/90s films.  See Risky Business and Top Gun.

 Maybe Scientology is the next step. Ooooh.  Maybe not.

Image Sources:
RBL polish: alllacqueredup.com, Tom Cruise: dialogosuniversitarios.com, dappered.com.

Did Someone Say Birthday?

I don't know if y'all know this, but this Sunday is my birthday.  Woohoo!  Not really haha.  19 is such an awkward birthday.  It's not 18, aka adulthood, it's not 20, aka double digits, and it's not 21, so...


But either way, birthdays mean shopping!  I asked for Sephora/MAC giftcards, and if I end up getting some, here are the top items on my wish list:


MAC 239 Brush, $24.50 at maccosmetics.com, MAC Shadow in Carbon, $14.50 at maccosmetics.com: Confession time: I don't have a regular eyeshadow brush.  I know, I know.  I've been applying shadow with my fluffy crease brush and my stubby smudge brush.  I know.  Not the same thing at all.  Brushes are the kind of thing that are hard for me to justify buying, but that I'm always glad that I bought.  MAC's brushes are just so expensive!  They're worth every penny, but still.  What I really need is just a basic, short, fluffy shadow brush that I can use to create a wash of shadow across the lid.  That's it!  I've been eyeing Carbon for a while now, and comparing it to Black Tied and Typographic, but I think Carbon may be the winner.  Matte black just seems like such a workhorse shade.  I love me some smokey eyes, but after a certain point piling on the brown shadow can just make you look tired, and I don't think you can do a real smokey eye without some black in it.  It scares me in the pan, but I'm dead-set on buying it, and I'll let y'all know how we get along.  Also, when I'm at MAC I think I'll check out the In the Groove collection.  I have no chance at getting Stereo Rose, but I'm intrigued by the Candlelight MSF and the Style Influencer shadow trio.

MUFE Aqua Eyes Liner in $17 at sephora.com, MUFE Aqua Cream Shadow in 13, $22 at sephora.com: I realize this eye pencil being here is probably news to no one.  I'm just getting so frustrated by my MAC and Urban Decay liners, especially in the 100 degree LA heat.  I put them on at 8AM, leave the house at 10AM, and they're completely gone!  Not a trace of them on my waterline.  Not okay.  I've heard that the lasting power for the MUFE pencils is better, and really at this point I'll take anything that will get me through lunch.  This Aqua Cream shadow, again, no surprise.  I want it in 13, a warm beige, not the bright blue here (haha).  Shimmery bases are definitely my current go-to, because I love the pop of brightness under the heavier shadows I put on top.  It keeps everything from getting too heavy.  This MUFE shadow is cheaper than a Stila Smudge pot, and I think I'll get it and then do a comparison with my Stila Kitten Smudge Pot.  You know, for research purposes.  Not for how pretty and sparkly it would be, noooo sir.

Image Sources:
MAC 239 brush: bidorbuy.com, MAC Carbon shadow: imworld.aufemin.com, MUFE liner: linasbeautystuff.wordpress.com, MUFE shadow: sephora.com.

You Know What Friday Means...

WEEKEND!!!  If you can't tell, I'm excited.  I have a day off!  Sadly, not a regular occurrence.  Now, I'm sure y'all like to celebrate said marvelous weekend time multiple ways, but why not head to the beach like Aitor Ocio, Spanish football player?

Is this post just an excuse for me to post shirtless pics of said footballer?  Maybe.  But I also wanted to share this adorable swimsuit I stumbled across on Shopbop the other day:


Jo de Mer Cindy Maillot, $117.50 down from $235 at shopbop.com: I've always been a die hard bikini fan, but there's something about maillots that's been catching my attention.  I think they might be even sexier than bikinis, because there's something to be said about keeping a little to the imagination.  And who doesn't want the opportunity to camouflage any semblance of a stomach? The grommets add a nice bit of edge to the basic black, and the cut is just so perfect--flattering on any bust size, skimming perfectly over hips.  Did I mention it's on sale?

Image Sources:
Aitor: elcorreo.com, Jo de Mer maillot: shopbop.com.

Today's Shopbop Picks

I genuinely love all three of these things.  So.  Much.  Cute.  GAH.


Rebecca Minkoff Leopard Fling Clutch, $350 at shopbop.com, Alexander Wang Zipper Frame Sunglasses, $365 at shopbop.com, Patterson J. Kincaid Marlyn Tank, $98 at shopbop.com: Y'all know that I love leopard.  When it's done right, it can be insanely chic, and not at all tacky.  I love the combo of the fun print and the refined, ladylike shape, and I love that it has a shoulder strap, so you can wear it during the day.  The only thing that I don't love is that it isn't on my arm at this exact moment.  It's a bit hard to see these Alexander Wang sunnies, but they're trimmed in ZIPPERS.  Zippers!  I blame the Lady Gaga influence.  Either way, these are fab times a million.  The zipper isn't too in your face, but if you look closely there's a definite edge to these oversized sunglasses.   The Wayfarer-esque shape works nicely with the modern styling, and yeah, they're expensive, but when are you gonna find sunglasses like these again?  This Patterson J. Kincaid tank is my favorite of the bunch.  The cut is perfect, slightly skimpy on top, skimming the body without being too tight, that ideal balance of sexy and demure.  The back is black and sheer, which contrasts perfectly with the layered silk front.  It's very Jeykll and Hyde, no?

Image Sources:
Rebecca Minkoff clutch: shopbop.com, Alexander Wang sunnies: shopbop.com, Patterson J. Kincaid tank: shopbop.com.

Pink, Pink, Red, and More Pink

My main summer job is working as a hostess at a, ahem, less than busy restaurant, which leaves me with plenty of time standing at that hostess stand and staring off into space.  So I end up daydreaming a lot, and in true nerdy Megan fashion, most of those daydreams are about clothes.  I wish I was joking, but I'm really not.  Here's the latest little ensemble that I've come up with:


Forever 21 Silky Floral Dress, $24.90 at forever21.com, BARLOW Leather Moto Jacket, $799 at shopbop.com, J. Crew Distressed Leather Denim Belt, $48 at jcrew.com: I don't own a single piece of red clothing, or orange or yellow, for that matter.  I've avoided those warm colors for years because I've always had a lot of pink in my skin, and I felt like wearing red just made me look redder.  But the skin has calmed down and since I just realized that I have red hair (supposedly), I'm coming to terms with the fact that red might not be the devil.  The first red thing I want to buy?  A sundress.  Shocker, I know.  I'm pretty much collecting sundresses this summer.  I realize that this dress looks meh in the picture, but I tried it on at Forever 21, and it's much cuter in person, especially on someone with actual curves to fill it out.  It's sweet and summery, but a little sassy at the same time.  I'd put this brown leather jacket on top.  I'm developing a serious thing for brown leather jackets.  They have all the sporty edge of a black leather jacket, but are a little softer and less in your face.  Plus, I hate black and red together.  It's way too Hot Topic for me.  The leather jacket adds some weight to that floaty sundress, but the cropped sleeves and body keep it from being too overpowering.  And the idea of pairing a $25 dress with a $800 jacket is just too funny to pass up.  I'd top it off with this J. Crew leather belt.  The casual masculinity of it tones down the girliness of the dress, but since it's brown it won't compete with the leather jacket or the floral print.

MAC Cranberry Shadow, NARS Rajasthan Duo: This video has totally got me craving pink eyeshadow.  When done right, it can make green eyes pop without making you look like you have pink eye.  I'm torn between Cranberry, which is more of a burgundy but in the same vein as pink, and Perky (which you can see here), which is more of a strawberry pink.  Perky is so girly, but Cranberry is so vampy....hm....And just to top it all off, I NEED this NARS shadow duo.  It's called Rajasthan, and it's from the fall collection that drops July 15.  It features a "glazed almond and cool charcoal" and swatches more like a deep grey with blue shimmer and a golden, taupey brown.  I'm not usually a fan of shadow duos just because I hate being constrained by only two colors, but this seems like a great deal.  I have one NARS shadow that's not even half way used up and I've had it three years (unsanitary, I know).  You get a LOT of shadow for your dollar.  I'd wear the brown across the lid  and the grey in the crease and along the lashline for the perfect summertime smokey eye.  That warm-cool color combination is really getting to me.  Gosh darn it.

Tallulah Tu: Enamel Serpent Crystal Bangle in the style of Roberto Cavalli, 16 euros at tallulahtu.com, Multi-stone Statement Necklace in the style of Lanvin, 24 euros at tallulahtu.com, Gold Crystal Serpent Ring in the style of Lanvin, 14 euros at tallulahtu.com: I find this Tallulah Tu website hilarious.  The fact that they have so much jewelry "in the style of XYZ designer" and haven't been sued yet is impressive.  It is cute jewelry, to be fair.  You guys know I have a thing for animal jewelry, and these snake pieces are so chic.  The ring is a really elegant take on the oversized, knuckle-brushing ring, and the bangle just looks so deadly and polished.  Plus, that hinge in the back means that it's a bangle that won't be a pain to wear!  That 'Lanvin' necklace is my favorite piece.  They really got that spot on.  It's a little tribal, a little Art Deco, and a whole lot of chic.  Pairing that with a plain white tee would be perfection.

Alexander Wang Darcy Slouchy Hobo, $850 at shopbop.com: I like the Alexander Wang theme of doing simple, clean bags with that explosion of gold studs on the bottom.  This bag is very minimalist chic, the sort of perfect basic piece that you could use everyday, big without being bulky, sturdy without being too boring, and then when you look at the bottom--BAM!  Edgy awesomeness.  It's like wearing scandalous lingerie under a suit.  But more appropriate to do in public.

Image Sources:
BARLOW leather jacket: shopbop.com, Forever 21 dress: forever21.com, J. Crew belt: jcrew.com, MAC Cranberry: temptalia.com, NARS duo: makeupandbeautyblog.com, Tallulah Tu jewerly: tallulahtu.com, tallulahtu.com, tallulahtu.com, Alexander Wang bag: shopbop.com.

Clueless, Chloe, and Clueless.

Today is a big day, girls.  Not only did I get to sleep in til 9:30 (yep, that's sleeping in for me now.  Sad. Sad face), but I'm going to see Eclipse tonight, and you can be sure I will have tons of hilarious (read: snarky) things to say about that tomorrow.  In the mean time, here are some of the fab things I've found today.


Calvin Klein Limited Edition Clueless Dress, $916 at shopconfederacy.com, Clueless (1995): Francisco Costa is remaking the famous Calvin Klein dress from Clueless!!!  It's only available at Confederacy, an LA boutique, and it's about 20x more expensive than it should be, but if you really love Clueless and have money to burn...I just need to watch this movie all over again now.  To me, it's the quintessential LA movie, the quintessential '90s movie, the quintessential teenage movie, and the clothes...drool.  Especially her revolving closet.  I die.

Sheri Bodell Ramble On Slip Dress, $326 at shopbop.com, Oliver Peoples Eyewear Daddy B Sunglasses, $325 at shopbop.com: My biggest challenge with summer is finding pieces that pack in as much style as possible with as little fabric as is publicly acceptable.  Slip dresses like this fit that mantra perfectly.  They skim the body in a very flattering way, but are light enough to keep you cool, and this one has an extra summery vibe with the strips, and a bit of edge when you realize that those strips are made of studs.  I'm still seriously considering splurging on a pair of Rayban aviators, but I'm exploring the other options.  I really like these Oliver People's sunnies.  They look like an updated, slightly oversized pair of Wayfarers with thinner frames, and I am a sucker for oversized sunnies.  Just not for that price tag.  Oof.

Anthropologie Cinderella's Hour Chemise, $68 at anthropologie.com, Simply Inviting Chemise, $68 at anthropologie.com: Oh, Anthropologie.  You taunt me.  They have the cutest selection of slips and nightgowns pretty much ever, and they're all somewhat decently priced.  This chemise comes in two prints, one that's pink with little bows, and one that's off-white with little keys (y'all know how much I love antique keys).  What I love about these is that they definitely have a boudoir vibe, but you could transition them to daytime pretty easily, especially during the summer with a little leather belt and a cardigan.

Chloe Resort 2011: I have a love-hate relationship with Chloe.  Mainly I loved it under Phoebe Philo, and have hated it ever since Hannah McGibbon got her hands on it.  What I loved about Chloe before was that it always managed to be feminine and young and bohemian, but never frothy or twee.  Sort of a Celine for young girly girls.   Hannah has brought some of that back with this resort collection.  It's fun and youthful and summery, but drop dead chic in a lovely, minimalist way.  That oxblood leather a-line skirt is a fab transitional piece.  Wear it during the day with a simple white tank, and transition it to night by layering a ton of jewelry on top and adding some heels.  These two little white dresses kill me.  The first one is the perfect incarnation of simplicity, and it's not stark or boring at all.  The second would be perfect for a more fashion forward office, and the grommet/lacing details on the side give it a subtly subversive edge that completely fits with Chloe's teenage vibe.

Wildfox Couture Vampire Love Tank Dress, $83 at boutiquetoyou.com: In honor of Eclipse's release today, this is what I would wear (if it magically appeared in my closet today) to go see it tonight.  It's not nearly as cheesy as a Team Whoever t-shirt, it's a little ironic and slightly more chic, and generally hilarious enough to wear in public without feeling like a total idiot.  Plus, you could add some teensy denim cutoffs and way too much jewelry and be Miley Cyrus for Halloween!  Double win.

Image Sources:
Calvin Klein dress: shopconfederacy.com, Clueless: glamour.com, Sheri B dress: shopbop.com, Oliver Peopels glasses: shopbop.com, Anthropologie chemises: anthropologie.com, anthropologie.com, Chloe Resort 2011: style.com, Wildfox Couture tank: boutiquetoyou.com.