Fit and Flare!

Summer dresses are a staple, allowing seamless transition from desk to date night. We saw many styles and fabrics at "market" last week but heard two words over and over again. It's a HUGE trend right now - and we know you're going to love it. This particular silhouette is scoring some serious attention from fashion bloggers to fashionistas. It's an ultra-feminine and flattering style called FIT AND FLARE. With a fitted bodice and gathered a-line skirt, this style suits a variety of body shapes. It's comfortable and appropriate for so many occasions. Even the Hollywood crowd seems to agree that this silhouette is "IT". It continues to gain momentum as one of the most popular choices on the street, in the office, at dinner -- even on the red carpet! It's already in our store and will continue to arrive throughout the season. Sleeveless, cap sleeve, short and 3/4. It works! Come in and play "dress up" next time you're in the neighborhood!

Desk to Dinner

Most women today find themselves racing against the clock. So much to do and yet so little time to do it! And let's be honest, when you're always on the go the last thing have time to think about is a wardrobe change. When you're darting from your desk to drinks or dinner, you might need a few tips to help you transition from office appropriate to "dinner date chic" in an instant! So let's start with the basics. When you get dressed before work, pick a simple piece. Something with clean lines and a simple silhouette. This will be the "canvas" you'll add accessories and other clothing pieces to. For the office you'll add a jacket or cardigan to make your outfit office appropriate. You can pull it together by adding a belt, headband, tights and sensible shoes. Then take along a pair of heels or ankle boots, a clutch or small evening bag, lipstick, and a flashy or edgy jacket for the night's festivities. The bottom line is to pick a base item that you can interchange accessories and layers to create a new and more glamorous evening look - EASILY. If you plan ahead, pulling together your desk to dinner outfits is simple!

Red is Full of Personality

Wear reds for all of your personality traits. Reds tend to vary on the message they send across. Burgundy conveys sophistication, while "blue-reds" convey assertiveness. An orange-red would be worn by someone who is lively.

Soft, Friendly Pastels

Wear pastel colors to seem relaxed and friendly. Pastels are soft and everyone can wear them. Light green, watermelon, pink, lemon, and light purple are just a few of your choices. Think about pairing the pastel with a neutral color like beige, black or white. To really rock this trend, layer your pastels together for added impact.

Pretty in Pink

Wear shades of pink to convey an open heart. People who wear pink, regardless of gender, appear approachable and friendly. There’s a reason that the cells of some of the most dangerous criminals are painted pink—it’s been shown to calm aggression. This color is considered tranquil and warm.

What do Colors Convey?

Particularly in the working world, the colors you choose to wear can send a message about the type of you personality you have. Wear dark colors to convey authority and power. Some dark colors include black and navy blue.

How to Choose What Color to Wear

Color choices are a frequent topic of conversation in our business, yet so many of us don't know how to choose colors that look good on us or what "season" we are. Winters are often brunettes, with pale or olive skin and look good in deep, rich colors with jewel tones as accents. Summers have blonde hair and pale skin and look good in more muted colors. Autumns can be red-heads, or have black hair, or a combination of blonde and brunette. They usually have ruddy skin. Autumns can wear oranges, browns, and olive greens. Springs have pale skin, pale eyes and golden blonde or strawberry blonde hair. They look good in bright colors. Wear the colors that suit you close to your face. You can wear colors that don't suit you as well on your bottom half.

Complementary Colors

You shouldn't always be too matchy- matchy. Dress up and play with colors every now and then. It helps you to find more colors to wear everyday and which colors don't look good together. Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel are considered to be complementary colors (example: red and green). The high contrast of complementary colors creates a vibrant look especially when used at full saturation. This color scheme must be managed well so it is not jarring. Complementary colors are tricky to use in large doses, but work well when you want something to stand out.

Triadic Color Scheme

There are sets of colors that work well together when you use a correct real color wheel. A triadic color scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel. Triadic color harmonies tend to be quite vibrant, even if you use pale or unsaturated versions of your hues. To use a triadic harmony successfully, the colors should be carefully balanced - let one color dominate and use the two others for accent.