AdDRESSing Your Summer Wear

**NOTE: ALL PICTURES DOUBLE AS LINKS TO THE WEBSITES THE ITEMS CAN BE PURCHASED THROUGH.**

Spring is here! And to my fellow Houstonians, summer has arrived! It is about time hide those heavy coats and sweaters in the back of the closet, but I must confess I am not prepared to pack up my growing collection of sexy winter boots... that thigh-high knockout, the fierce motorcycle pair, or the always in style knee-highs with pointed toes. Nevertheless, we must enjoy and bask in the glorious sun of the warm months (but don't forget to slather on your SPF)! Show off those legs, that cute new pedicure, and your favorite pair of strappy sandals. What better way to do that than with these awesomely affordable versions of the latest designer collections?



Let's begin our summer trip with Marc Jacobs' Orchid Dress (above), priced at $795.00. The Designer RTW (that's Ready To Wear in industry speak), available at Barney's New York, is a scoop neck dress characterized by its gold silk blend and pink orchid belt. Want the look but in a demure yet catwalk-sexy version? Qi's Zhora dress (right), costs $117.99 at bluefly.com, 49% off the original price of $232.00. The gold embellishments along the scoop collar and dolman sleeves take the focus away from a less-than-optimal belly (like my post-partum one). Wear it with bare sun-kissed legs and a bright shoulder bag for cocktail hour, or dress it up with a gold clutch, some black tights, and black peep toe booties. Wrap a gold-toned satin scarf around the smallest part of your waist into a bow to get the bright look that accentuates the gold accents along the sleeves and collar line. Remember not to overdo it! A few gold pieces at a time, not all at once.

The Tibi Printed draped silk dress(left) is available at the Net-A-Porter website for $460.00. The bright pastels that cover the silk dress is a definite spring and summer staple. The suggestive V-neckline shows off the collar bones while the thick shoulders give the dress structure. An equally colorful alternative to this warm weather wear is Rachel Roy's Bennett Dress (below) available at rachelroy.com for a more affordable $109.00. The upcoming designer has chosen a bright strawberry satin as the elegant material, which flatters all skin colors. When paired with some nude colored heels, this mini will elongate those sexy legs and make them look a mile long. Pre-order the dress at the website and the product will ship before April 1. You'll also receive an extra 30% off the final price, and if you're still not convinced to get it, how about some free shipping on orders of $75.00 or more. I mean, come on, who doesn't like the word "free."



Available at the Neiman Marcus website is Marc Jacobs' Abigail Lace Dress, on sale for $353.00 from the original $528.00 price tag. The lace floral print lies atop a flesh colored bodice, and the tulip shaped skirt flows away from the body, giving it an obscure sexiness that hugs the hips but with a little control. Like the sexiness of the designer wear but want to skip the designer cost? Try the JCP Double V-neck Lace Dress (below, far left) which costs $59.99 (on sale off the $80.00 tag). Also featuring an all-over lace floral print but with a black polyester lining, this dress also hugs the hips but features a hemline that moves away from the body to give the dress more fluidity. To get the waist-cinching look of the Marc Jacobs version, employ the use of a black leather skinny belt at the smallest part of your waist. Or for a pop of color (my favorite choice), from my own personal belt collection I would choose a thick, woven leather red belt and my strappy red sandals with a kitten heel. This sexy number is a perfect dress to personalize with your own accessories... it definitely brings out a woman's personality and taste.



While I'm still working on getting rid of the belly fat I acquired over the winter months and the holiday parties it brought, I was looking for a way to hide that pudgy stomach while accentuating my favorite body part: my behind! In comes the Donna Karan Stretch-jersey tunic dress (above, center) which is priced at net-a-porter.com for $795.00. The top portion shimmies over a not-so-rock-hard set of abs with an elastic waist band, but while you work on that part of your body, the skirt portion hugs that shapely derriere. An (almost!) dead ringer for this piece is Rachel Roy's Pleated Easy Dress (above, far right), available at the designer's website for $89.00. The neutral color allows it to be accessorized easily with jewelry, bag and heels (espadrilles!) while looking good on all skin tones. The scoop neck also flatters the sexy collar bone while the draping top hides the pudge. And who cares about a little pudge when your sexy legs are the main star of this outfit! Available for pre-order, the dress will ship by April 1st. Tack on that 30% discount at checkout and there you have your favorite dress for the summer.

The beautiful piece on the left, David Szeto's Dotted Dress, is actually the inspiration behind this blog entry. I saw the dress in the Barney's New York website and thought it to be just the loveliest midsummer night dream. The soft silk looks like it would feel so great against my skin. Unfortunately, with the $895.00 price tag, the dress looked like it would burn against my skin. That much money in my world covers rent plus water and electricity. So on I looked for a less expensive version that was just as lovely as this dress and possessed the great quality that the designer RTW had. Not only did I find one version that I liked and could afford, I found a second one.

The first dress I found is courtesy of bluefly.com and costs $109.99. It is the Ali Ro port peacock printed jersey cowl neck dress (below, left), and priced about half off the original retail price of $216.00. Not too long nor is it too short, the dress is work-appropriate and ready for happy hour too (after work, of course). Cinch it at the waist with a black skinny belt and then pair it with some sandals for lunch on the weekends. Throw on a light, form-fitting two-button blazer and some sky high-heeled booties for dinner and drinks at a lounge.



The second dress, the Max & Cleo black houndstooth woven belted dress (above, right) can also be found at bluefly.com for $99.99, 40% off the retail value of 168.00. If that was too many numbers for you to look at or even think about, it means "GREAT DEAL". Remember that you are looking for a good value and great quality. And who doesn't love a houndstooth print? It's so chic and versatile, not too mention classy. The rounded neck and mid length balances out the lack of sleeves. The dress already comes with a thick black belt with a gunmetal clasp and is (yay!) detachable so you can throw on one of your favorite ones for added personality. A dress like this is work-perfect for ladies with bigger chests because the print on your bust blends in with the print everywhere else, and the scoop neck doesn't show a hint of cleavage. Small chested girls can also appreciate it for the exact same reasons... and anyway, our main concern is to show off those summer-ready goddess legs of yours!

How about a dress for those super lucky babes that have shapely chests and behinds but have rock hard abs and great, long legs? By the way, so jealous. Hervé Léger's asymmetric bandage dress (right) is available at net-a-porter.com for $1590.00, which is still much more than what I would spend given THREE good shopping days. If you are unfamiliar with Hervé Léger, he pioneered the unforgiving "bandage dress" in the 1980s which featured materials woven together to look like bandage strips. Unfortunately for me, I don't have $1590.00 for a dress that would make me feel so self-conscious, nor do I have a body that is worthy of contouring by bandage strips. However, a super affordable alternative to the Hervé Léger dress can be found at hotmiamistyles.com (yes, you read that right, HOT MIAMI STYLES). The Black White Double Strapped One Shoulder Bandage Dress (below) is very reminiscent of the designer's bandage dress in looks but not in price as it only costs $39.99. And apparently, almost all chicks in Miami look so good in a bandage dress that they have a whole section of the website dedicated to the strips of cloth you can tightly wrap around a skinny figure. Do I sound resentful? Because I'm not. If you're a woman that can pull this look off, girl, WORK IT! Lucky you!



My obsession with mini dresses is quite peculiar given the fact that I have such short legs and a short stature. With that being said, the Draped silk-satin mini dress by Paul & Joe (below, left) is now available at Net-A-Porter for a gasp-inducing $600. And while this pink standout may only be available a short while (is it just a coincidence that all the items I choose to feature from this website always sells out the next day?), you can always choose to employ its purple-hued cousin, the Bell Sleeved Mini Shift Dress by Rare (below, right). Available at ASOS Online for a much more wallet-friendly $62.76, the dress features retro bell sleeves that takes us (or my mom, in my case) back to the 70s. The demure scoop neckline in the front is boldly contrasted by the sexy keyhole cut-out in the back that ties as a ribbon at the nape of the neck. And if that's not convincing enough, how about the FREE shipping offer to anywhere in the world with no minimum to spend? And that's a pretty big statement considering I wouldn't really consider cashing out dough to ship an item to the States that hails from the UK.



What's your favorite thing to wear for the summer? What style of dress do you wear the most?

- Arlene H.J.