April Showers Bring May Flowers

With warm weather just around the corner, it's time for summer clothes. This season floral is everywhere to be seen and for good reason. Its feminine, flirt and fun. There are many different ways to rock this trend, you can accessorize with little hints of floral or jump all in. Here's what I found:

Silk floral dress $199

Leighton Meester wears a flirty 50's inspired Alice and Olivia dress, this shape and pattern never go out of style!

Blake Lively does floral in a short, sexy dress complete with red heels and long cardigan.

Even little Suri Cruise is in on the floral trend, looking cute as always!

Here are some options of how you can introduce some floral into your wardrobe:

J. Crew floral button up shirt $78

For the bolder and more fashion forward: floral shorts, Forever 21, $13

Floral Wedges, Forever 21, $26

Maxi Dress, $196, piperlime.com

Floral ruffle tank, $86

Colorful dress, $268

Rayon top, $136

I'm loving this trend, its easy to wear no matter what body shape, coloring or style. Whether young or old floral works for everyone!

-Viktoria Sporer

Brighten Up Your Wardrobe

Colorful denim is officially back on the fashion radar. Jeans in bright hues have been popping up all over the runways, and celebs are feeling the color craze as well, making them one of the 'it' pieces of the season. Worn the right way, they make for a perfect addition to any wardrobe, providing that much sought diversity and uniqueness to your look. There are two key ways to rock this trend: 1. Let your denim take center stage and keep the rest of your pieces netural. 2. Opt for a top and accessories that compliment the color of your pants while not competing with them. Be creative, and have fun playing around with this look. You can get them in nearly every color and shade imaginable, so treat your legs to a colorful pair this season!

Bold Shades:

J Brand Ankle Skinny Jeans in Red



J Brand Ankle Skinny Jeans in Pink

Cycle Skinny Jeans in Green

BDG Cigarette High Rise Jean in Yellow

Current Elliott Ankle Skinny in Royal Blue

Pastel Shades:

Rag & Bone High Waist Bell Bottom Jean in Peach

J Brand Ankle Skinny Jeans in Yellow

Diesel Skinny Ankle Jean in Spearmint

Rag & Bone Skinny Jeans in Light Pink

Nolita Flare Jean in Lilac

Style:



Create a sophisticated look with a hunter green pair by styling it with a basic tee, blazer and a pair of trendy heels like  Ana Kendrick. 



If you like to stand out, then a royal blue pair is calling your name! Create an edgy look by rocking them with a black leather jacket, some sky high booties and a few studded accessories.



Ease into the colored denim craze by opting for a peach pair. Wear them with netural colors and keep the pieces basic. This look is trendy, but not too over the top.



Deep violet, purple, and indigo are good ways to experiment with color, while retaining the slimming benefit of dark hues. Wear a skinny fit with flats for a day of shopping, or throw on some heels with a cropped pair for a night on the town. No matter the occasion, you're jeans will be the envy of all your friends.



It's diffcult to nail this look, but Sarah Jessica Parker always rocks the analogous color scheme so well. Try this look yourself by wearing red denim with a softer hue of the neighboring color family. Keep your pieces basic, because the color itself is plenty.

~ Cori French







Dare to Bare...

It’s true what they say, fashion trends always come back in style. The crop top trend from the 80’s has found a way to creep back your wardrobe this spring season. The crop top is not just about exposing your entire stomach, but about finding stylish new ways of showing a peep of toned midriff. Most people think crop tops are very casual, however, they can also be super dressy if need be, depending on the fabric. They look amazing with skinnies, high-waisted pants, leggings or jeggings… whichever you prefer! So what are you waiting for? Hit the gym and bear that sexy midriff!

Celebrities are obsessed with the trend too:

Splurge

Paul and Joe

Phillip Lim

Yves Saint Laurant

Richard Chai

Rag and Bone

Bargain

Heritage

Free People

Bebe

American Apparel

Forever 21

4 ways to you can dare to bare

My favorite way to style a crop top is to keep is cute and casual. You can pair any crop top with a pair of jean shorts and look just right. Make the outfit eye catching by adding unique accessories, such as this tribal print belt shown in the picture, or an assortment of colorful bracelets. 

Anne Hathaway rocks this look from head to toe!  The chunky knit crop sweater adds the perfect balance to  her maxi skirt. By wearing a neutral color peep-toe show, she was able to make the different patterns appear more unison. In order to pull this look off, make sure to pair your heavy knit sweater with a lighter fabric, such as silk. Wearing a tribal necklace, like Anne in the photo above, takes enough attention away from the crop top, so your tummy isn't where everyone looks first!

The crop top looks great with tight fitted jeans, leggings or leather pants. The leather pants, shown in the photo above, offer the perfect combination of rock n roll meets bohemian. The key to pulling this stylish look off is to show no skin. Since the crop top is already sheer and transparent, it looks fantastic with leather pants. 

This look is perfect is you are feeling more modest and not ready to bear your entire midriff. Layering your crop tops over multiple tee shirts creates amazing texture. Pair with slim fitted bottoms and a wedge heel to complete the look. The white jean pants, shown in the photo above, are ideal for a Summer day. Take this look day-to-night by wearing a dark denim jean or bottom instead. 

-Brianna Bruington

Swim In Style

With Spring Break on my mind, that only means one thing...the start of a new swimsuit season! As a girl who thinks summer without a new swimsuit is like a day at the beach with no sun, there are plenty of new trends this year that I would love to dive into. The 2011 swimsuits and bikinis will be all about the 70s bohemian movement. This season is highlighting many different styles, including bandeaus, triangle tops, halter tops and yes, monikinis are still in! With this broad assortment of styles, every beach bum is sure to find the right suit. It will also be a very colorful season including vibrant palettes, mixed hues, eclectic prints, gold hardware and diverse textures. Most importantly, opting for a swimsuit which will not only suit the new trends, but your body type as well as personality is a must if you wish to radiate confidence and feel great in your own skin.

Let's get down to business:

STYLES
This 2011 season will continue to bring us the bandeaus and monokinis introduced in the past few seasons, as well as the timeless triangle and halter bikinis. The bottom coverage will also continue to be very diverse, with Brazilian cuts, moderate coverage and the 70's inspired high waist bottoms.

L Space Sensual Solids classic triangle suit

Luli Fama Quiero Fiesta bandeau top

Victoria's Secret Retro Polkadot

Nanette Lepore Rhumba monokini

COLORS
2011 color trends offer summer favorites in the blue-green, orange and pink families. The blue hues come in many shades including turquoise, sky blue, seafoam green and olive. Pink-orange hues are also popping up all over the swimwear runways this season, especially in coral, burnt orange and raspberry pink which are flattering on all skin tones. Last year's 80's inspirations have been toned down and are more muted for a sophisticated palette. And don't worry, the always classic black and white will be in full effect once again.

PRINTS

Break out your passport, the tribe has spoken! Designers featured all kinds of hot ethnic looks with Native American, Moroccan and African inspiration. The printed suits have an exotic sex appeal and are perfect for some fun in the sun. The bold, bright prints remind us how beautiful fashion can be incorporated into swimwear as well.



Caffe Hot Blooded



Mara Hoffman Classic Side Tie



Luli Fama Timbales

Cia Maritima Peacock

OndadeMar Silk Butterfly

Masquenada Baby Hold On


ACCENTS
From frills to fringe, this season is all about the accents. You will find jewelry-like accents, gold hardware, plenty of fringe, beading, ruffles and much more. These accents add a luxurious touch that can transform any plain old bikini into a fashion forward look. Next thing you know, you'll be strutin' your stuff down the beach like it’s a runway.

Beach Bunny Glitter in the Air

designer unkown

Vix Lou Lou

Trina Turk Solo

Victorias Secret Jewel-embellished

COVER UPS
No summertime wardrobe is complete without a chic and easy swimsuit cover-up. Why do you need a cover-up you ask? Maybe you are just not quite ready to strut down the beach in a bikini or you’re turning into a human lobster frying in the sun. Even worse, you know that awkward moment when you’re tip-toeing through the hotel lobby, wrapped in a towel on your way to the pool, or you just want to throw something on to take a quick lunch break? Well these uncomfortable showings can be avoided if you have stylish cover-up.Whether you need a top to prevent your back and shoulders from getting a little too toasty or you just need a dress that works equally well in the sand as it does for lunch reservations, here are some of my favorite picks...

Caffe Heart tunic

Victoria's Secret Linen Open-stitch tunic

OndadeMar Island Queen cover-up



Trina Turk Casablanca tunic



Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Leopard cover-up

Victoria's Secret Striped Linen cover-up

~ Cori French