Trends Spring/Summer 2008

Street style in Boston and Manhattan. (The Sartorialist, I am not.)

One of the good things about living on the East Coast is that everything is relatively close together. You can be in Boston one weekend and New York City the next without the hassle of flying. This is all rather new and exciting for a girl who grew up in Chicago, and of course, my favorite part about traveling is scoping out the local fashions.

So what is everyone wearing?

• For locals and tourists alike, the summer wardrobe across the board seems to be dresses, dresses and more dresses!
  
• Footwear is largely flip-flops or gladiator sandals (yay!).
  
• Metallic handbags are ridiculously popular for day and night. But the more stylish ladies seem to gravitate toward slouchy tan leather bags, cross-body bags or supple woven styles.
  
• Tank tops of every color and short shorts are also ubiquitous.
  
• Maxi dresses are another very popular trend, everywhere I turn I seem to see women of all ages in floor-length frocks, usually styled with a laid-back bohemian vibe.
  
• Skin is also in: When temperatures soar, no one hesitates to show lots of it.
  
• Prints run the gamut from florals and paisley to ombre, ethnic prints, checks, stripes, eyelet and everything in between!

So what makes certain women stand out in a crowd when just about anything goes?

I feel like there are dozens of fab designers from Spring 2008 that I haven't even begun to talk about, so I'm going to have to cram a bunch of them in before Fall fashion takes over. Let's begin with Lanvin, who had perhaps one of the most influential and successful shows - need I explain why? Writer Sarah Mower does a superb job of deconstructing Alber Elbaz's uplifting collection, so I highly recommend you read her review at Style.com. What I will add is that Elbaz is, no doubt, in part responsible for all the ruffles and tiers (paired with fierce statement shoes, of course) that we're seeing in fast fashion chains everywhere. Expect continued buzz about Lanvin come Fall, and in the meantime, channel the great designer with these cheap & chic looks from Wet Seal:


[1] Smocked Ruffle Trim Dress at WetSeal.com, $21.50
[2] Ruffle Trim Halter Dress Was $26.50 Now $15.00
[3] Ruffle One Shoulder Dress at WetSeal.com, $21.50

Two of the season's hottest shoe styles - namely, the towering wedge and the mighty gladiator - have joined forces to create one devastatingly fierce shoe: The Gladiator Wedge. Every designer seems to have their own spin on this trend, but we are especially drawn to the Blanea Wedge (bottom right) from Forever 21 for it's rich brown color, balanced design and perfect pricetag of $24.80. Great for pairing with summer shorts, skirts and dresses. And if you see yourself investing in this trend, try Lauren by Ralph Lauren's rendition (top left) for $111.60, available at Zappos.com

Luxe: 'Beth' Wedge Sandal from LAUREN by Ralph Lauren at Zappos.com, $111.60
Less: 'Blanea' Gladiator wedge at Forever21.com, $24.80

More cheap & chic gladiator wedge sandals:

• Gladiator Wedge at Charlotte Russe, $24.99
  
• Metallic Gladiator Wedge at GoJane.com, $19.99
  
• 'Penelope' Gladiator Wedge at BakersShoes.com, $39.99
  
• Gladiator Wedge Sandal at ASOS.com, $97.34

In simpler times, all a girl needed for a trip to the beach was her swimsuit and a towel. Not anymore: Today, stylish gals need to prep for days - waxing, sunless tanning, pedicures and highlights (ya know, so you look like you've already spent a week in Sao Paolo before you even hit the sand). Then, of course, she needs to find the perfect suit to enhance her figure, which she must slather from head to toe with SPF 50+ sunblock.

Accessories are also a must for today's beach-going beauties, from cute flip-flops, to straw hats, shades, totes, beach towels and even jewelry - belly chains, belly-button rings, toe rings, anklets, plus head scarves, and headbands. Finally, she'll need a cute coverup to wear while she takes a long walk, reads her favorite book or grabs a drink at the closest beachside bar.

And that is where this post comes in to help you out: Right now, Lord and Taylor has 25%-50% off all swimwear and beach cover-ups, plus great savings on beachwear accessories. At least that makes things a tad simpler on your wallet.

Shown above: Lord & Taylor Tunic Coverup in Black, $29.99. Also available in White, Blue, or Green

I always underestimate the fashion potential of shorts, but these highwaisted dress shorts (left) from Sienna Miller's Twenty8Twelve line have me envisioning countless possibilities of chicness. But despite their high-style factor, I am reluctant to pay a lot of money for shorts. After all, they're only like, half a pair of pants if that, and therefore hardly worth $185.00 (or even the sale price of $92.50). Instead, I'm considering the pair on the right from Forever 21 for $15.80. Honestly, could you tell the difference if you paired them with a tight white tank, pricey clutch and fabulous heels? Didn't think so.

Left: Twenty8Twelve Bartus High Waisted Short at Shopbop.com, Was $185 Now $92.50
Right: High Waisted Dress Short at Forever21.com, $15.80

I'm going on a cruise in August and you better believe I'll be packing a maxi dress, one of this summer's hottest trends. Now I know many of you dread the idea of wearing a floor-length frock during the day, but let me try to, cough, minimize your maxi-dress fears:

First, yes, you can wear this look even if you are short. Flaunt your bosom, wear heels if you'd like, and choose a body skimming cut that drapes vertically to the ground - nothing flouncy.

Second, know where to wear one. Think summer parties, an outdoor concert, picnic, art festival, BBQ, day of shopping, or dinner date…just about any event with a casual-chic dress code is fair game.

Thirdly, don't spend a lot on this trend. We found a ton of cute, cheap maxi dresses for well under $50 (with the exception of the dress from Mango featured above, which is on sale for $68.99.)

Lastly, if you're not feeling this trend, and you feel like a damn fool when you test it out, just skip it. No use trying to push a trend that doesn't make you feel fabulous, right?

Check out our earlier post on maxi dresses for styling tips, too.

[1] Forever 21 Paisley Chiffon Maxi Dress, $24.80
[2] Lulu's* Cavanaugh Yaught Dress, $42
[3] ELLE Floral Maxi Dress at Kohl's, Was $50 Now $36.99
[4] MangoShop "Amelia" (ref. 63439945), Was $139 Now $68.99
[5] The Summer Dress Store White/Green Long Dress, $40.50

* Budget Babe readers get 15% off their total order at Lulus.com with coupon code budgetbabe at checkout.