i love when the weather finally breaks. i invest my time in not only switching around my closet for the warmer months but also my shoes – closed toe shoes get moved to the back and everything peep toe, sandaly and heavenly gets moved right up to the front.

now, i love my havanians. love. like walked holes in them kind of love. but i feel like as you get older, and more advanced in your career that your rubber flip flops need to take a little back seat. especially as you start to want to look pulled together. rubber flip flops to me are like putting on a face full of make up and forgetting mascara…what? c’mon ladies, pull it together!

here are my 6 favorite flip flops from all price points to give your looks an upgrade this summer:

now that we have sustained nice weather, it’s officially bbq season. and what would a style blog be without a bbq style post?

there are several things to consider for a bbq, most important of which is of course the temperature. this should definitely be the first thing to consider, since it will determine the length of shorts, skirts, or dresses as well as the fabric and layers. also consider the timing – if you are going to a bbq in the late afternoon and will plan there into the evening then you might want to consider maxi dresses/skirts because of the temperature drop and the mosquito uptick.

here are a few of my favorite summer bbq ready looks:

{all images linked to sources}

one of my must-haves for this summer is the bootie – especially if you have thin, long legs. if you don’t, that’s okay too, just try on different pairs with different lengths until you find one that proportionally suits you. really, i love this for anyone because booties work with a variety of lengths.

booties are a great combination of feminine and masculine, which if you’ve been here for a while you know is a winning combination in my book. they can add a little roughness to an overly sweet outfit; they can capture a summer spirit; they can even take a sophisticated route if you play it right.

here are my favorite  looks for the summer – you’re sure to figure out how to wear booties this summer!

oh and ps – loving bloomingdales’ curated section for booties – some awesome finds in there (personally loving freebird by steven for a grungey look)

{all images linked to sources}

ever since i joined pinterest there has been this one outfit i’ve been dying to find pieces for to make it work. i think a military inspired or cargo jacket is a must have so all i really needed to find was a similar dress. this one from victoria’s secret will do just fine!

have you struggled to pull together outfits you see on pinterest? how close have you been able to get to replicating your favorites?

victoria’s secret dress + a madewell jacket + anthropologie belt

street style in paris is fascinating to me year round. french women really do no wrong and it’s so effortless. when it comes to summer style, everything is light, flowy and feminine – which of course always can be punched up with a hardline or masculine jacket or accessories.

just can’t get enough of these women – can i have all of their closets?

{ pair a sheer shirt with blush shorts and girly pumps }

{ flowing layers with fruit or floral prints mixed with a moto cut jacket ups the ante on ultra feminine dresses }

{ opt for a white dress with texture that shows your legs – pair again with a moto jacket to take down the girlyness a little }

{ go monochrome in a punchy and bright color }

{ a midi skirt in a light fabric is great for warm days and hot nights – a white t and long necklaces makes it ultra sexy for casual days }

sources 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

white denim seems to be one of those trends that isn’t going away, which is very much to my liking. it’s one of those wardrobe staples that makes any outfit feel fresh when you swap out your usual blue jeans. it has a crisp effect that can be worn with just about anything.

the beautiful thing about white jeans, too, is that you can find them at any price point. you really don’t have to break the bank on these and you can’t tell the quality of white denim like you can* blue denim.

(*you can tell – yes, of course a $200 pair of jeans will feel different than $30, but it’s not as obvious as blue denim)

 

and what’s a post about a wardrobe must-have without a little dose of inspiration? here are my go-to favorite outfits when i can’t figure out what to wear.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

baseball – america’s past time and a right of passage come summer. i love night games when it gets warm out and since boyfriend and i are headed to a mets game (i got lost…go yankees!) i thought i would share my go-to outfit for a baseball game.

my best advice to you is be comfortable and wear shoes that cover your whole foot. there is something kind of totally gross about a ball park in flip flops or sandals. it’s just…dirty. unidentified goo and/or wet stuff will inevitably hit your foot and that just feels gross. then your feet will be all dirty on the bottom, just don’t do it. grab your cons.

for a night game add an emergency hoodie – don’t be that girl complaining she’s chilly the whole time 😉

so ladies, get your tomboy on!

1. cute baseball t – loving this one from j crew (of course) 2. a baseball cap (i’m a yankees fan, so, go yankees!) 3. cons (see: unidentified goo/wet substances) 4. aviators 5. a cute wallet (ditch the bag, they don’t search a wallet) in a pop of color to make it a little girly and 6. your favorite distressed denim that hugs in all the right places (yes, it’s a get-your-tomboy-on look, but you can show that you are a woman under there!)

bonus: add a few sparkly bracelets for some extra girlieness. and i recommend a fishtail braid 🙂

i haven’t been into shorts until recently and am finding that i really love them. it may be because i definitely can’t get away with them at work (if you can, more power to you!) but now with all the awesome prints i am finding myself completely obsessed. you can wear long shorts, short shorts, tight shorts, flowy shorts, printed shorts, solid shorts – the combinations are endless!

the key is to get into a pair that you feel confident in and that you don’t fuss with all day. try them on. walk around in them. sit down in them. don’t just pull them on, say, oh they fit, and then buy them. really try to walk around and make sure you don’t fuss. there’s nothing cute about a girl fussing with a pair of shorts that ride up. also don’t be afraid to get the hem taken up if you need to or even the waist taken in!

be bold, darlings, try it!

and my 6 picks for this summer:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | my picks on polyvore

this year the met gala celebrated punk, and did they ever! here are my favorite looks from this year’s function. who were your favorites?

chanel iman

marion cotillard

kate beckingsale

blake lively

sienna miller

kate bosworth

emma stone

katie holmes

jennifer lawrence

all images via huffpo

when it comes to a weekend away, i definitely have the tendency to over pack. yes, if i go away for three days i can wind up packing like i’m going for 8…or 30 – a girl wants options, right?!

while i don’t necessarily like planning out every second of every day, the key to packing lightly is really knowing exactly what you’re going to be doing, where you’re going to be going and what you’d be most comfortable to do in that. a beach weekend is simple, though – you need clothes to walk to and from the beach, a bathing suit, unless you’re a nudest and then you’ve really got packing lightly down and you don’t need me, and outfits for the evening.

just because you’re at the beach doesn’t mean you have to completely forgo your beauty routine but you should keep it light and simple.

1. a light perfume – i love bobbi brown beach (just a heads up it can be hard to find right now, but you can pre order on saks right here)

2. a pop of color for your toes (i recommend going neutral or bare on your hands unless you get a gel manicure, then rock it out girl! otherwise you’ll be peeling the first day)

3. nars multiple – easy for cheek and lip color and you can layer it on more heavily on your cheeks for night

4. your favorite tinted moisturizer (i’d opt for one with an added spf but that’s just me)

5. neutrogena ultra sheer sunscreen is my favorite

6. YSL shocking mascara to make your eyes POP

7 and 8. a two piece and a one piece – shake up your tan line, ladies!

9. a turkish towel – can double as a wrap on your way to the beach, a blanket and a towel!

10. a floppy straw hat (i love this blush color from jcrew – doesn’t it look cute with those suits?)

11. a straw bag – which can double as your handbag during your vacay and if you are a xxs or superwoman you could triple it as your luggage

12. a lightweight dress in a bright color

13. a denim jacket or a cardi for cooler evenings

14. denim shorts for walking around, traveling to and from your vacation spot or even as a cover up at the beach

15. a 3/4 length sleeve which can be really helpful if you get sun burned but you won’t right? because you read #5?

16. a pop over and 17. leggings for sleep or travel to and from

18. one pair of sandals that can get you to and from the beach and from day to night.