Shorts for the First Day of Summer

I'm back from my hiatus, and have lot's to blog about. I'm going to start with shorts though, since it is the first official day of Summer (and the day before my birthday!)

I found these on CoutureCandy and fell in love with them -

I like the pleats, the wide waist band and the overall look of them. They are short but not too short, also a major plus here, I just can't believe how short shorts are...

Plus, get 15% off by using code LOVE.

Click here to get to the site -

A great way to kick off the Summer!

Inexpensive Shorts

I was talking to a friend the other day who just had a baby. None of her warm weather bottoms fits her yet and she needs shorts! I generally don't spend much on things like shorts, although a nice pair of denim cutoffs from your favorite designer denim brand is great, sometimes you want something you can really kick around in and not worry about them (or like my friend you just need a temporary size). For those kinds of things I go to Old Navy, and they have cute shorts. For starters these knee length oxford bermudas -



They would look adorable with a tank, sandals and a fun necklace to dress it up a bit.

If you want to go a little shorter, these button pocket shorts are adorable (and under $20!) -




Hit the links above and you can also check out their capris and tanks.
Happy Shopping!

cute studded flats

I saw these Pour la Victoire flats on a website earlier this week, and I have not been able to stop thinking about them -




I love the studs and the subtle shape (not exactly pointy or round), it's a great easy way to work the biker or stud trend into your wardrobe. They will look great with narrow leg pants or skirts and dresses.

to wear shorts or not to wear shorts...

I have posted about shorts before, I like them but it can be hard to wear shorts as a grown woman and not look, well, not silly but not exactly grown up either.

First off, and this might be obvious to some but I don't think it's obvious to enough people...stay away from short shorts. Yes, that's a period. Also, the "formal short" was a very bad idea.

Whether your shorts hid mid-thigh or graze the knee are more use and figure specific. the mid-thigh short I posted last week is great for a casual summer activity (I posted it for fruit picking). The knee grazing, fitted bermuda short in crisp black cotton or a khaki color can be 'dressed up' to look like more casual officewear, or fun out-on-the-town daywear. Vince shorts, or these Nanette Lepore versions are great -




These 7 for all Mankind denim shorts are also great -




The long short is a good look for pretty much anyone, and works with flip flops for the beach or a backyard BBQ (I chose this for a BBQ I had last weekend, it was perfect for when I was helping a 2 yr old eat watermelon and the juice was pouring onto my feet!) or you can wear nicer sandals and carry a nice bag and you will look a little more dressed up. Perfect for a summer day or evening.

outfit for very casual summer fun

The fruit picker was a success, we have alot of plums ready to turned into whatever we choose! We were so into it we thought about going from one friend's yard to another for more fruit. Our hunger got the better of us though, as did our tired arms. We made the mistake of swimming beforehand, the fruit picker isn't heavy at all, but holding anythign up for a long time gets hard.

What does one wear to pick fruit? This is a dilemma I faced today, I decided denim shorts, a dark top and flip flops were the way to go. The dark top couldnt really be stained by drippy fruit, so that worked well. The flip flops however were not ideal.I was slipping and sliding and worried about things dropping on my bare feet.

Next time I will go with a shoe like this -




These old navy shorts looks cute (they come in a bunch of colors) and are a great price, you can wear them to death for the summer and it isn't heartbreaking if you have to get rid of them at the end of the season.




Throw on a black tank and you are all set for fruit picking, barbecuing, or whatever it is you are doing.

The Skirt Alternative (Shorts...)

I tried on Vince shorts a few weeks ago and I loved them, however shorts are something I refuse to pay a lot for. Over the past few years I have bought a few pairs of standard knee length walking shorts (no short shorts, or the dreaded "formal shorts" for me, ick), but didn't wear them so much. The new shorts seem different, more like trousers that happen to be knee length, they are nice if you have a casual workplace or want something fun to wear instead of a skirt. If I had kids and was playing on the floor or at the park a lot I think I would wear them all the time.

So, back to not wanting to spend a lot, the Vince shorts and other designer brands are well over $100 a pair. Crazy. I like these, they are adorable, interesting, and $68 -




I would wear these like I would a denim skirt, with a tank or tee shirt, fun necklace and sandals. They are shorter than what I would normally go for, but I like the volume of them, so they won't feel so short.