We all have safety nets in our wardrobe. These are items we collect because they are comfy, they are cheap and they often remind us of younger, happier and more fun days (come now, who doesn't get excited when the weather warms up enough for flip flops?). Problem is, many of these wardrobe safety nets are devoid of any style and often end up destroying the personal style we otherwise may possesses on a given day. How do you keep it easy, breezy, yet maintain your personal style? The Flip Flop Alternative Don't get me wrong, I love flip flops as much as the next gal. This weekend when grabbing a pair so I could play in the yard with my dog, I rifled through eight different pairs to find my beloved Reefs. I have stacked ones for longer pants, crocheted ones that are a tad dressier, aqua ones to match my bathing suit, ones that work well in wet conditions, ones that work with certain sun dresses or beach coverups in my closet. The thing is, flip flops are not real shoes. They don't look like real shoes, they don't wear like real shoes (any orthopedist will tell you they are terrible for your feet), they are often dirty, run-down and ruin the line of your silhouette. Flip flops are great for the beach, the pool, the casual cookout in your friend's backyard or putting around your own; but what does a gal grab when heading to the market, to work and other places where flip flops are just not a chic choice?  read more »

The container we use to store our markers often reminds me of the laundry basket on top of my dryer. Where one holds a collection of single socks missing their mates, the other holds a collection of dried-out markers in desperate need of their caps. Though my kids may enjoy the challenge of finding the handful of markers that still work, I don’t enjoy throwing away the handfuls that don’t. If your markers are suffering from MCS (missing cap syndrome) then you’re going to love The Cap Trapper from Savvy May Creations .  read more »

Now Banana Republic hasn’t always been a design force, but their team of designers followed up their lovely summer collection with an equally fetching fall collection.  It is a bit expensive, but we’re loving the sophisticated prints, elegant colors, and, as always, the details.  After all, the details are the design.  Here’s our five favorite [...]

From runway to eBay, our top trends made chic and cheap. By Christene Barberich & Piera Gelardi There's no better time to reinvent your look and your closet than on the eve of fall. By now, you're probably hankering to pull out your favorite cardis and dark jeans (we're feeling it, too), but until that first chill sets in, there's still plenty of time to fill in the blanks and update what you've got with a few of our favorite fall trends. Instead of heading straight to the shops, we decided to do some hunting online in our mecca of recycled fashion finds— eBay . From the most eclectic lace to fall/winter's ultimate street-chic leather looks, we've found some clever ways to get the look without the big bill at the end of the month. Note: Stay tuned for more Fall Checklist features every week as we count down to fall, helping you get prepped for the season in all the right ways.  read more »

Over the last few months Armani has released everything from a luxury travel collection , tennis racquets , and Easter eggs . Now the Armani brand is expanding into stationary with the release of Giorgio Armani’s Regal pen collection . Together with Italian pen maker, Tibaldi, the pens are “a style which is calculated and knowing, designed with a deliberate recovery of a formal elegance drawn from the past but projected into the present.” “A handwritten note is, today more than ever, a sign of etiquette, elegance and sophistication,” said Armani.  read more »

This past week I received two different emails from readers about what to wear regarding pregnancy. One was about the time before you have enough of that Belly Bump for maternity attire, and one was what to wear after you give birth but are not yet back to your pre-pregnancy figure. Rachel writes: Happy news, my husband and I found out we are expecting an addition to our family at the end of this year! I am in the end of my first trimester and I am experiencing major bloating and even a bit of a belly. I dont look pregnant, I just look fat. To top it off, we havent yet told our loved ones or either of our bosses. What can I wear where I can look chic and not like a whale? Also with the heat, my morning sickness and fatigue, can you suggest easy-care looks that make me look polished even though I just puked up my breakfast half an hour earlier?  read more »

Cap sleeves are making a major comeback on the red carpet this season. Forget one shouldered, grecian style frocks; this is going to be THE look of early 2008.

Kyra Sedgewick (source)

Lucy Liu (source)
Cap sleeves are a great way to show off shapely arms, so if you’ve been working it out at the gym, now [...]

On July 22nd I did a post about wanting to find a good Panama hat.

Thanks for all the great suggestions of where to find them.

I looked at a lot of high-end options and mass-produced options but the one problem that I couldn't get out of my head was the image of my new hat blowing down the beach never to be seen again.  read more »

I am most excited for metal accents this fall, but you can start rocking them early with this white, cap sleeved top. On sale for $187 at La Garonne , the color is summer but the metal is fall! Gah, sorry ladies, but I have a ginormously important meeting at 11, so this one post will have to tide you over until it's over!

With Fall comes one of my favorite types of footwear booties . As I perused, I came across these Emilio Pucci Open Toe High Heel Booties ($835). The sexy cutout heel cap caught my attention and I love the snazzy signature print footbed. However, it's a bit too '80s and I'm not so sure about the purple zipper. What do you think? Take all of my Love It or Hate It Polls here! To post your selections go to the Love It or Hate It? group . And if you want to learn how to do a blog post click here . Emilio Pucci Open Toe High Heel Bootie: Love It or Hate It?  read more »