Pretty polka-dots are the sartorial equivalent of exclamation points—they add oomph to any fashion statement! Big or small, polka-dots are a welcome accent on accessories and liven up just about any fabric. An astute reader named Erin sent us this shot of how to work those polka-dots during the day—we think her super cute green & black frock would work just as well at night, too. Fabulous!



Crossover Polka-Dot Dress w/ Belt available in brown/white, green/black or red/black at Forever21.com. $27.50

Sarah Jessica Parker the Designer officially received the blessing of the Queen of All Media, having debuted her budget fashion collection "Bitten" for retailer Steve & Barry's on the Oprah Winfrey Show today—cha-ching!

All joke$ a$ide, in our book, the beautifully brilliant Sarah Jessica can do no wrong, so even though we're opposed to many celeb-cum-fashion designers, we can't help but approve, nay, support her in this endeavor. "It's about fashion not being a luxury and quality not being a privilege," says Sarah Jessica. Girl, you are preachin' to the choir! The question is: will Bitten deliver these lofty, democratic promises? Honestly, we're just surprised that SJP didn't opt to do something high-end (she could easily get away with it, she was Carrie for godsakes!)...or go mid-level with Topshop?

But enough scrutinizing the potter—let's look at the clay.

The collection is modern American sportswear, with classic lines, solid "looking" craftsmanship, neutral colors and wearable fabrics. Translation: boring, but still chic. Best part is the clothes come in sizes 2-22 and each piece is priced at under $20!
Because none of the items we've seen so far are particularly sensational, creative or quirky (as was SJP's SATC character), we'll be doing a lot of mixin' and matchin' with whichever items we end up buying. A 3/4-sleeve swing cardigan ($19.98) definitely caught our eye, as did the seersucker pants ($14.98) and houndstooth coat with classic collar ($19.98).

Browse the collection for yourself at Oprah.com and see whether you're bitten by Sarah Jessica's affordable fashions or not.

We love this adorable MARC by Marc Jacobs Heart Watch Necklace (left) from Neimanmarcus.com, but the $125 pricetag is a tad too steep for jewelry that's more of a novelty than anything else. Luckily for us, we chanced upon a similar-looking Titanium Apple Watch Pendant Necklace at Nordstrom.com for only $14.99—and it actually looks pricey, too, not cheap-o-rama! That's luxe for less, my friend.

Along with plaids and argyle, madras is popping up everywhere this season—it's a lightweight cotton fabric with patterned texture and a typically plaid design, used primarily for summer clothing including pants, shorts, dresses and jackets. The fabric takes its name from the former English name of the city of Chennai, India.

If you're a gal who loves plaid, you're practically required to like madras—that, and you probably did not attend Catholic school. If you don't much care for plaids, you should still give colorful madras a try—it turns fall plaids upside down. Think of it as the wild child in a J.Crew catalog.

Here are some budget-friendly ways to work some madras magic:


Proenza Schouler Seersucker Jacket - Ocean Madras, $17.49. Target.com

Plaid Linen Short (I know, we're totally opposed to shorts but they aren't going away anytime soon) $22.80. Forever21.com

Xhilaration® Sable Ballerina Flats - Madras, $14.99. Target.com

Madras plaid dress, $19.99. Newport-news.com

Jessica Simpson Jada Espadrille slingback wedge in yellow madras fabric, $82. Piperlime.com

Patchwork madras stowaway tote, $49.50. JCrew.com

Juniors' Xhilaration® Plaid Halter/Tube Top - Red/ Orange, $14.99. Target.com

From 5/13 through 5/19, you can shop new looks from Patrick Robinson for Target online, before they arrive in stores—but nothing has made it into our shopping cart so far. Frankly, we were craving a tad more color this time of year, so the neutral palette left us feeling disappointed.

On the plus side, there's nothing overly trendy about the Patrick Robinson collection aside from tunics, which are a perennial favorite for summer anyways.

Naturally, this left us feeling torn.

To arrive at our final verdict, we decided to evaluate how Patrick Robinson handled the hallmark item of the season: the dress. After all, a collection can only be as strong as its interpretation of the reigning must-have. Having browsed the still limited selection, we settled upon this Patrick Robinson Crisscross Strap Knit Dress in Ebony—the pros are that it's simple, versatile, comfortable and sexy (not to mention a steal at $24.99). The cons: it only comes in black and the wide, gathered straps that cross in back mean you'll have to wear a strapless bra or cami underneath it.

At the risk of sounding apprehensive, we firmly assert that we are as yet undecided. Hopefully, whatever we see in actual stores will tip the scales in favor of this latest Go Designer.

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