to sum(mer) it up...

memorial day weekend marks the start of my favorite time of the year...summer. i love the heat, the festivals, the outdoor patios, the music and most of all, the clothes. for me, summer is the easiest time to get dressed. throw something simple on, sandals, hair in a loose chignon and go. i don't overthink anything about my summer style. what i look for is comfort and simplicity. i can always accessorize accordingly. i live in jersey dresses, tanks and skirts, jeans and flat sandals. sunglasses are pivotal, and the hardest accessory for me...because i feel very few sunglasses look good on me. i tend to look like a beetle in 98% of the sunglasses i put on. do i have a freakishly small face? perhaps. but i see all of milwaukee looking stylish in their shades and i'm seriously jealous. why don't they look good on me? well, i have my ray ban aviators i bought in LA that i wear all the time, and even though they're not perfect, they come close. and now i'm obsessed with another pair of ray bans, the wayfarers with some cool, hippie-ish print on the top and they will be mine this week. my friend jillian has them and every time i see her i put them on. and fall in love. she said they only look good on us because we have baby faces and peanut heads, so yay for peanut heads! anyway, summer is right around the corner. riversplash is next week, summerfest a couple weeks away and i'm stoked. it's time to stop overthinking and just be comfy, casual and easy. the stylish, like annie at fred, will bust out her adorable fashion forward rompers, my friend alicia at lela will sport her printed maxi dresses, and i'll wear my overpriced but awesome william rast boyfriend shorts and we'll hit up all my favorite summer in milwaukee spots...and i couldn't be more excited. here's a photo diary of what exudes summer style in good ole milwaukee:

ahhhhh, now that's what i'm talking about. scroll back and forth and relish in the fact that it's so close. just around the corner. gotta love summer in milwaukee...this is why we endure eight months of wisconsin-weather hell.

so stop into fred and get your hands on all those cute and easy summer dresses, like this assymetric one-shoulder bright pink number below. think of all your favorite summer things and get that summer wardrobe ready!

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sack it to me

sack dresses...otherwise known as a-line, potato sacks, garbage bag dresses...what have you...whatever you call them, they can be tricky. so many people come into fred and say, "are these ever going to go out of style?" or "who actually looks good in them?" i say, anyone can wear the look, regardless of size. i don't mind the bagginess of the dress. a handful of my friends will put one on and say they look knocked up and in maternity wear. here's an example of what i'm talking about:

to some, the style may not be the most figure flattering, but i think they look good. and not only nicole ritchie-size girls can wear them. but nicole does look adorable here:

there is a simple solution to the sack dress. add a belt. it's easy:

did you see how simple that was? here it is again:

that's really all it takes. the belt creates a waist instantly. it changes the look of the dress. it really doesn't matter what kind of belt...thick, thin...anything goes. here posh adds a waist cincher:

i don't know exactly what that is? a braided piece of leather/plastic? can't really tell, but whatever it is, she tied something around her waist, and created a more flattering figure. she might look mad or scared or whatever that expression is, but i tell you, it's really a quick and easy way to change the look of a dress. or a coat. throw on a belt. done, out the door.

i love the look of the sack dress with gladiator sandals. i feel like i see it on mischa barton a lot. even though she gets some slack for being a fashion disaster, i like her look sometimes. reese witherspoon sports this look too and looks fabulous. see my knock it off below for a pic of reese rocking this look.

anyway, to all the women who say they feel pregnant in these dresses, then the look isn't for you. but try it with a belt first. i like to put on a long cardigan or alternative apparel wrap over the dress, then belt it all. i think it's a flattering look.

i'm super excited for wisconsin fashion week. both fred and luscious will showcase their looks in madison on may 23rd. check out their website: http://http//www.wisconsinfashionweek.com/

also, i had to do a quick plug on fred for the event on the madison cw. listen to my fargo-esque accent and enjoy (but do admire my cute outfit. i have no money, but i need that ryu skirt! we have them in khaki at fred now!): http://http//www.madisonscw.com/SubPage.aspx?page=2661

steal reese's look, with an a-line dress by ryu, available at fred now!

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jimson weed and ram's head

people ask me how i get inspired fashion-wise. this is a tough one for me, since i honestly think i've had the same style forever. i'm earthy. i like boho. always have, always will. it's not hard for me to be inspired. i know what i like, and i wear it. i don't overthink. but i think inspiration comes from everywhere. people you see in the magazines, on tv, in the street...magazines are huge for me...i subscribe to every fashion rag there is, and i read them...cover to cover. i rip out what i like--be it a new perfume that sounds intriguing, a review of a book, a gucci bag i'll never own, a missoni beach towel...and i throw it all in a binder. i keep things that i love to look at, aspire to own, sell my plasma to own...what-have-you...and i keep it all together. i'm not really a spontaneous shopper. my friends will tell you otherwise, but really, i write a list of must haves and just start buying them...that's what i do. i'm inspired everyday. i see a look on someone and have to have it. i then begin my frantic search for the perfect piece. i love it and i live for it. it's who i am. i have always been a huge fan of art. and georgia o'keefe has always been my favorite artist. her work inspires me. i buy clothes that feel like her works. jimson weed, ram's head and sunny day are my favorites. i look at these pictures and i want to buy anything that reminds me of it: my post this week is on clothes that make me think of these works of art. and i know i've mentioned it before, but i am honestly DYING to own a pair of perforated cowboy-esque boots to wear in spring and summer. it's torturous how bad i want these frye boots. i quit smoking to obtain a pair of frye boots once as a bribe. it worked. temporarily. but i'm telling you, once you wear a pair of fryes, everything else pales in comparison. and i want these. oh my god, do i want these:

my birthday is in 14 days. how can i obtain these? ugh, they're such a necessity. (haha, drama queen). anyway, i looked for less expensive options, and yeah, i like them, but the frye's need to be mine:

i love the distress on this last pair, but they're even more expensive. like over a grand expensive. yeah, not gonna happen. but that's the look. i want modern southwestern chic boots. to wear now. with the cutest white dress ever. this is called the cowboy dress by kettle black (who make the best plaid/flannel shirts):

how cute is that dress, the frye boots, a leather bracelet and a chunky turquoise ring? dying. i need it. so, that's how i do it. see something that i love aestetically, find things that remind of me of said thing, purchase. easy. i'm not sure if the southwestern chic look is in per se right now, but i don't care. i'm wearing it. and it makes me happy. that's all i care about. there was a spread in some magazine lately...outlaw chic or something it was called. i loved everything. the jewelry, the models clothes, her hair...everything...let me see if i can find it:

yep, there it is. this made me want denim boyfriend shorts (got 'em), and this made me want to stack a zillion bracelets and layer my necklaces.

could i pull off that last look? no way. but i like it. add a couple southwestern chic touches to your wardrobe if that's what floats your boat. i love the georgia o'keefe paintings and it influences my fashion sense. find a picture you like, and follow that inspiration. just always wear what makes you feel good. and makes you happy. who cares if it's not "in style" at the moment...you feel good and that's what counts.

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totally not southwestern chic, but chic nonetheless. come into fred and check out our great new accessories and clothes arriving this week.