Who says you have to spend a fortune on summer clothing, shoes, & accessories?  Not me (or rather, Not I).  And it may be the last day of July, but I say we still have a good month-plus left of summer (and perhaps longer, depending on where you live).  It's never too late to buy cover-ups, flip-flops, and beach bags. 



Gap

Eyelet-Detailed Convertible Maxi Dress

$39.99 (originally $98)

gap.com





Laila Rowe

Metallic Faux Leather Thong Flip-Flop on Cork Detail

$6 (originally $12)

lailarowe.com





Fredflare.com

Classic Hayden Aviator

$11

fredflare.com




L.L. Bean

Camden Embroidered Tote

$49

llbean.com





San Diego Hat Co.

Rooftop Garden Hat

$40

lulus.com





Miley Cyrus & Max Azria

Destroyed Denim Shorts

$14

walmart.com






Arizona

Twist X-Back Cover-up

$14.99

jcp.com

Labels: discounts, summer

  
shopbop.com 



 If you're heavier on the bottom and smaller on the top [like me], then you want to take the attention away from your hips and butt but adding ruffles (whether subtle or obvious) to your bikini top.   


Long Torso

Bantu High Waist Printed Bikini


$200


net-a-porter.com







If you're tall and/or have a rather long torso, you want to break it up with a wide bandeau top and high-waist bottoms.






Apple-Shaped


Lisa Curran Granada One Shoulder


$180


lisacurran.com





You can hide any tummy bulge with a black one-piece, and if you don't want to skimp on the sexiness you can wear a one-shoulder suit.  




Busty Babe


D&G Dolce & Gabbana Bikini


$133


store.dolcegabbana.com







This bikini top gives your fuller cups more coverage, while simultaneously showing them off with some rather obvious cleavage.  






Boy-Shaped


Tomas Maier Bikini


$192


thecorner.com





For those people who are straight-up-and-down, this bikini is perfect for creating curves (anything tops and bottoms that are busy will do). 

Labels: bathing suits, summer

Even if I was able to afford anything I wanted, there are just some trends I dislike -- I'm reluctant to say hate, because I might change my mind later.  For example, I used to despise fringe on handbags beyond belief, but it's beginning to grow on me (though I won't be coveting the JJ Winters cross-body that celebs like Vanessa Hudgens have sported).  But I regress...Obviously, I'm not going to like every trend.  As a matter of fact, when I'm shopping it's not unusual for me to have difficulty finding something that piques my interest.  The following trends are just...not my cup of tea.  (Apology for the cliche). 


Camouflage

Prada Tessuto Camouflage Duffel

$1,580


Granted, this is listed in the men's section, but regardless, camouflage should--in my opinion--be reserved for the military. 



Wide-Leg Pants

Chloe High-Waist Tweed Pants

$1,115



Even for those who have model figures and are extremely tall, these pants just don't look good -- they swallow you up. 


Acid-Wash Jeans

Blank Denim Acid Wash with Zip Skinny Jeans

$78



Not only are these just plain ugly, but acid-wash jeans in general tend to look messy and too busy. 


Cut-Out One-Piece

Vitamin A Hamptons Maillot

$169




 If you want to show this much skin at the beach, just wear a bikini. 


 Cropped Tee

Quiksilver The Gig Cropped T-Shirt

$38



There's no reason to bare your midriff when you're going anywhere but the beach.  It's like you're saying, "Ha haha, I have awesome abs & you don't." 

Labels: trends

Labels: designers, discounts, handbags, layaway

Labels: designers, handbags

Labels: budgets, designers, splurge vs. save

Labels: budgets, inexpensive

Yes, $499 is still a lot of money, but for an incredible pair of shoes that will last you years, it can be worth it -- just as it is worth it is spend $1000 on a purse that you'll carry every day for 10 years.  And if you're worried about the authenticity of designer shoes on eBay--which you should be, because there are scammers out there--buy directly from the designer's online boutique.  Yes, it's more expensive, but they're 100% guaranteed authentic. 




 Alexander McQueen

 Love Red Heart Peep-Toe Pump

$279 (*on sale, from $695)

alexandermcqueen.com






Bottega Veneta

Opera Intrecciato Nappa Slipper

$420

bottegaveneta.com





D&G Dolce & Gabbana

Snakeskin print silver wedge

$447 (*on sale, from $745)

store.dolcegabbana.com




Jimmy Choo

Drake platform sandals

$497.50 (*on sale, from $995)

jimmychoo.com

Loeffler Randall

Carlie Mignon Twist Sandal

$325

loefflerrandall.com





Sergio Rossi

Powder Embossed Leather Gladiator Sandal

$474 (*on sale, from $795)

sergiorossi.com

Labels: designers, discounts, shoes