Summer Wardrobe Must Haves

Say goodbye to the shiny spandex that you've been wearing to cover up your unshaven, pale legs, becauseeee it's summertime!! The list I've put together are some items that I think every wardrobe should have...if you want to be a fashionista of course ;)

Jean Shorts: Although every store has tons of options, I really recommend using what you already have. Distressed and cut from your old jeans is the way to go. You want a short, loose, and frayed look ala Olsen (picture courtesy of People.com). Now, before you start cutting away, make sure the jeans you're working with are baggy enough to avoid the skin tight-my legs are loosing circulation, look. You want them LOOSE, we're not hoochies here and no matter how skinny you are, a tight jean short will never look good. Besides the basic jean shorts (I prefer the lighter jeans), frayed white ones are great too!

A Fancier Tank Top: A light summer silk is great. These tanks can be paired with jean shorts, white pants or tucked into a great short figure-fitting skirt. Right now, my favorite tank tops are the silk Joie racerbacks. (Vanessa Hudgens is wearing the feather one below with her b-e-a-utiful boyfriend). I have the hot pink one (pictured) which I think works fabulous with summer whites, but they come in a variety of colors and patterns...Bloomingdales has a great selection.
Cheaper Option: If you don't want to spend over $100 on a tank top (although the Joie ones are worth it because they really do go with everything), Matthew Williamson did a line at H&M that is very affordable. While I detest most of it, there is one piece which is AA (absolutely amazing). I first fell in love with the tank when I saw Miley wearing it on People.com's Style section.  If you're going to buy it, I must warn you, it runs kinda small and they may be sold out by now, so call ahead!

The "Only Wear It In Summer" White Dress: Every year you can't wait until Memorial Day so you can finally put on that super cute (sometimes super short) white dress! Well, it's 

time and this year you can actually buy it without digging into your savings. I found mine at Zara and I have to admit, Zara has really channeled Calypso this season and made those kabillion dollar beautiful whites, something a personal assistant like myself can afford-without working overtime-phew! I suggest going to the Zara right by Bryant Park, it has a big selection and tons of sizes. The right kind of white dress is key-NEVER get a skin-tight white dress, they're tacky. Think hippie instead, although it doesn't have to be long, it should be loose fitting and comfortable (see the Karta dress or the Elizabeth & James dress pictured to the left, 

as seen on shopbop.com). Mine is so great because I can take it from day to night just by changing the shoes and accessories.

Cheaper Option: Tracy Feith is doing a line for Target until June 20th. It's only $45, called the "Strappy Dress-True White". Just remember, you get what you pay for. Although I think it's cute online, it could be a total bust in person, my instinct is buy then return if it's gross.

Summer Cocktail Dress: There are so many fun parties to go to in the summer and they're usually outside. So the perfect cocktail dress is key. The one I actually just bought is the silk Joie racerback tank but in a dress (pictured). I got it in black so I would definitely pair it with big gold hoops, a small gold chain + charm necklace (a couple of these go great together all at different lengths) and bright fun shoes & bangles. Think simple dress (so you can reuse without getting sick of it) with tons of funky and colorful accessories.

Cheaper Option: Another dress by Tracy Feith for Target. It's the perfect LBD (I'm ordering it as I'm typing). It's the "Strapless Dress-Ebony",

 really reminds me of Lauren Conrad's style, which I love.  I also just bought a cute Blue fabric-tiered Aqua dress (pictured).  Aqua can either be very cheesy or great, so make sure you think hard before purchasing!  

Blazer: They're just amazing and sooooo in this season. They look great with nice shorts, a short skirt, skinny white jeans, or even a cute little dress. There are a ton of linen ones that 

really scream summer at Zara now. I suggest white because then you can wear it with everything. Also, get it one size up so you can roll the sleeves and kinda move in it like an Olsen would (on one of their good days, not they're bum-channeling days). Kate Bosworth & Sienna Miller perfect the look in a Chloe ensemble (picture courtesy of fabsugar).

Bikini: Yup, the bikini... I think the best way is the old "band-aid method": Put it on, put your cover up on IMMEDIATELY and then go straight to the beach...avoid mirrors/reflective glass, etc. Unless you're one of those freaks who actually has a great body. Okay, okay, I'm just 

kidding/extremely jealous. My suggestion, have one bikini that will always fit. I like the simple string bikini from Old Navy. It's insanely inexpensive and you can mix and match the colors. I have the bright green bottom and then I wear it with either the white or black top (pictured). Another suggestion is Marc by Marc Jacobs bikinis. Although they're pricey (~$150+) they're totally worth it. I bought mine about 3 years ago and it still fits great and hasn't faded too much. It's also perfect because it has a hint of floral (pictured), which is huge this summer. Surprisingly it's not like the Burberry bikinis where you have to be stick thin to wear it, they're really comfy and fit the "more endowed back there" figures. Another alternative is to rock the one piece. Personally, I think this is very daring...I actually believe you need to have a skinnier/better body to do this because it tugs a lot. But, if you're going to do it this summer, try the one shoulder one piece.

Cheaper Option: Yet again, Tracy Feith for Target. She has some cute floral bikinis, I stress the word cute because I don't love them.

Maxi Dress: This is one of my favorites and it's not just because I'm lazy and hate to shave my legs, I just think it's a classy look. Maxi dresses with flats only though. I don't like the heels + maxi look at all. If you're dressing it up, just get really trendy/fancy flats and it'll look great. I suggest buying a solid color. Last summer I made the mistake of buying two patterned maxi's and by August I hated them. Remember-solid things can be worn 10x more than patterns!!! A belt, jewelry, scarf etc. can make the piece of clothing look completely different! My favorite reasonably priced maxi is the Susanna Monaco dress (pictured on Meghan) from last summer that she let me borrow :) It's the typical soft/stretchy material that makes it so easy to wear...and if you're small chested like me, no bra necessary!

White Jeans: Wear them skinny (J Brand), baggy&ripped (J Brand), or just a nice regular fit with a little flare at the bottom (Seven). The most important thing to remember is that a lot of them are stretch and thinner fabric than regular blue jeans. So, make SURE you look at yourself from all angles before leaving that dressing room. White jeans tend to be prettttttyunforgiving. If you're going baggy and ripped I highly suggest the J Brand Ginza Slouchy Cigarette Jeans (pictured on the left courtesy of shopbop.com), I just bought them! A friend of mine wore them last weekend and I fell in love. They look great rolled up with heels and a bright tank top tucked in. But you can also go completely cas and wear them with rainbows, a plaid button down and maybe even a cute fedora! The skinny & regular white jeans are pretty simple. Again, pair with a bright or dark (just not light) color and you're ready to go. If you're going with skinnies try it with a baggy vest, Zara has some great ones.  The baggy vest will really make your legs look thinner. 

Fabulous Cover Up: Last year I found mine. It's great. It's from Scoop (I got it on sale at Lord & Taylor...didn't even know they sold Scoop there!) It's just a wrap that can be worn as a long skirt cover up, a wrap-dress cover up and even folded over and worn with jeans. There are a ton of different cover ups out there...just promise me you will NOT wear boxers & a tank top or a terry cloth skirt & tank top, you are no longer in high school. A huge floppy hat and over sized beach bag are always great accessories to the cover up-so don't be afraid to rock them!