My girls and I - @the beach this weekend!

As we reach the end of summer, many of us may have a few holidays planned in the very near future. Summer holidays generally mean investing in a whole hoard of new summer clothes. Swimwear is one such must-have item in any girl’s summer wardrobe, but luckily now there are a lot of sales and promotional prices so you can invest in some really cool swimwear!

If you have an apple shaped figure, a great investment is a tankini. Not all tankinis need to be super tight and such a style is a great look if you wish to hide any flaws. The tankini offers a longer length top and often comes complete with boy style shorts, which offer a lot more coverage than your standard string bikini.

Another great investment is a miracle suit; this particular style of swimsuit is a must-have for those with a fuller figure as it enhances your assets, hiding any imperfections. Choose a darker colour such as black or navy blue as opposed to a heavily patterned swimsuit. Darker  colours are always more slimming and therefore flatter the fuller figure. You can check out a few plus size clothing stores and pick out various swimsuits that best suit your figure.

Detailing such as a bow at the bust can work wonders on a fuller figure,  as it will draw the eyes upwards and away from other areas. It is also a great feminine touch that will add that little extra to your style!

Bright swimsuits are a great investment if you wish to get in the holiday mood and also a great way to brighten up any summer wardrobe.  If you must invest in a print-style suit, opt for a floral design in more muted tones. Floral patterns were a feature on every summer catwalk. Team such a design with beaded accessories, again in muted shades, in order to finish your look with a bit of sophistication.

My newest obsession is the Shirt Dress! I’ve bought two amazing dresses from Next and I can’t wait to wear them. Even if you choose a maxi shirt dress like Olivia Palermo wears from Mango or you decide to go for a shorter version - > I have, you won’t feel sorry at all. The shirt dress is such a cool and relaxed style for summer not to mention that it allows you to sport all sorts of footwear, starting with flats or wedges or even high-heels.

My favorite looks are of course from Asos: BLUE, PINK and KHAKI, but I will be uploading my own looks very soon! ;-)

XoXo.

Usually around summertime I realize that everybody is wearing tons of accessories and jewelry so I instinctively want to go for something else. I feel the need to go minimal and have maybe one or two cool and statement pieces that would just differentiate from all the plastic out there  ;-) A nice one can be one of these wathces.

I’ve found all these cool ones on ShopNBC, they have a wide selection and I saw that they are actively posting about their great offers and styles on their social media channels. I am a fan of their Facebook ShopNBC page but I saw that they also have a Twitter ShopNBC profile and a YouTube ShopNBC channel.

Anyway, I am pretty undecided at the moment, I really like all of them :)) but thinking about it, I guess I’ll go for black and the black Michael Kors one! :)

XOXO, Lizzie

Took a nice walk yesterday around the green parts of my city and snapped a few pictures. I really like how when you are close to parks and nature, everything seems more optimistic and alive. I think we should always keep in mind that a short escape in the nature can do miracles for our mood and state of mind.

I am wearing my favorite maxi dress by Mango. I’ve bought this last year when somehow I found clothes at Mango more affordable. This year they have really positioned the products much higher than a fast fashion brand. Anyway, the flats are Zara and so is my cropped leather vest. …oh and I almost forgot about my addiction, the Prada sunglasses.

See you later!

XoXo

This season you cannot go wrong with wearing your favorite skirt. Even if you decide to go for a preppy flirty mini, a classic midi or a glamorous maxi, you will most definitely make a statement. The skirts of summer 2011 are all about color and feminine silhouettes. Be bold enough to wear them or at least give them a go. We have selected the hottest of them all.

Bold colors, prints and embellishments are some of the key elements of the 70’s style influence. The A-line silhouettes on the Coral A.P.C. and Missoni skirts are exactly what you should be looking for. Prints are very popular this all throughout the summer 2011 season and you can try all the bold colors out there such as vibrant green or electric blue. If you look for something more “high-glam”, J. Crew has a great example of what an embellished Seventies skirt should look like. Feathers and sequins will always create a luxe glamorous image.

Left: Juicy Couture Lace Skirt , Middle: Etro Pring Skirt, Right: Chloé high-waisted Skirt

Full Color Block Skirt

Pleated Skirt with Bold Accents

Motel Short Pleated Sally Skirt

Button Through A-Line Skirt

Pleated Mini Skirt - An Orange Delight

Coral Skirt: AMAYA ARZUAGA - Midi Printed Skirt: JC de CASTELBAJAC - Striped Skirt: SEE BY CHLOE’

A-line Hearted Print Skirt

Midi Striped Skirt - Alice in Wonderland

Cobalt Blue - Buttoned Midi Skirt

Wild Print Maxi Skirt - Helmut Lang

Silk Maxi Skirt - Pretty Florals

Constellation Maxi Skirt - Tibi

70’s Maxi Skirt - Floral Sensation

I know I swore to stay away from stripes and all those navy sailor-inspired looks, but I am slowly starting to enjoy this trend. There are are some limits of course, but I have to admit that there are some options that are way better than the copy-pasted images I keep seeing everywhere, from shops and window displays to all-striped outfits on girls in my office!

The key is to set yourself apart from the main-stream options. Try to choose not so commercial items and spice them up with fresh accessories. Right now, I am really mad about the Chanel - shape cardigan. What do you guys think?

Cardigan: Aubin & Wills’ caramel and red-striped cashmere-blend cardigan - net-a-porter, Top: Pearl Tank by ULLA JOHNSON - calypso-celle,  Shorts: Cuffed dark blue denim shorts Rock Revival - Metropark, Bracelets: Ethnic Charm Bangles - topshop, Pumps: YSL, Bag : Paul Smith,  Make-up: NARS from Sephora

Another style I really love is Katharine McPhee’s casual urban-look. Even though the striped tank is a simple common option, what makes it special is the white cropped jacket with rolled-up sleeves and the brown leather platforms/wedges.

Shorts: Women’s AE Denim Shorties - AE, Tank Top: Aubin & Wills’ black and white striped jersey tank - net-a-porter, Bag: Miu Miu’s black deerskin leather tote - net-a-porter, Shoes: Michael Kors platform brown leather sandals - youheshe.com , Blazer: Alice + Olivia’s cropped white jacket - net-a-porter, Ring: Accessorize , Sunglasses: Gucci, Necklace: Rosantica’s handmade sterling silver-plated brass multi-strand necklace - net-a-porter

Exactly when we thought that spring will take a step away from rock edge styles bringing lighter textures, romantic waves and relaxed accessories, we came across some amazing styles that couldn’t be left behind no matter what.

All those metallic inserts which have enriched the runways this past season are now boldly decorating the new summer styles. From shiny studded handbags, to chain-detail clutches and even to zipper add-ons on shoes, rock accents are poised to still be on the must-have list.

Leigton Meester and Rihanna - both rocking the metallic inserts trend

Many celebrities digg this look that brings a rough edge to any outfit and there are tons of brands that have adopted the runway looks and are now producing chanel 2.55 chain handbags or other variations of that sort, however I think that we need to step away from all theses trendy pieces and just try to interpret them in our own way. There are enough chic women’s bags out there that can make you feel unique and that also fit in this category. I have found lots of cool bags from Mischa Barton’s line and also Fiorelli but I think the most powerful items are the vintage ones. All these metallic accents are in perfect sync with the boho 70s styles and can be beautifully mixed with vintage.

Regarding shoes, I think that gladiators and ankle-boots are still very powerful this season and they are also getting a face-lift. Dune shoes offer a great variety of chic and affordable designs that are just perfect for this studded season.

What shoes and accessories are you buying this summer?

The wedge is poised to become a really cool piece this summer. It’s versatile and chic and not to mention sooo comfy. This season’s styles are improved with sexy ankle straps and a little platform. You can easily accessorize with a casual-chic outfit and it’s also a good option for going to the office.

There are heaps of affordable styles and I found tons of cool wedges at Aldo and Nine West. I’ve also browsed through The Outnet and found some incredibly chic sandals in brown honey tones, just perfect for summer :)