The only thing I want in this world is the perfect striped boatneck sailor shirt.

Both, L.L. Bean.

Left & Right

Okay, that's a bold faced lie. There are, unfortunately,  many things I want. Most of them involve glitter. However, the simple chicness of a striped boatneck--particularly in navy and white--is immensely appealing.
 Perhaps it is my inner French girl. I'd even consider throwing on a neckerchief and beret (again, a lie).
The nautical vibe of these tees is irresistible.



{Side-note: Did you know the French naval uniform used to include a version of this shirt? How chic is that? Only the French, I tell ya.}



The most classic have a slight a-line; you can also find modern shapes in the classic nautical color palette. Embellished versions are also supes cute: J. Crew has a short-sleeved version with buttons running down the back, though, sadly, it is not available in navy (I vote for gray).  

If you're longing to emulate Audrey, wear a slightly more fitted version with an A-line skirt in either white or navy. Add ballet flats for some Parisian flair. You can also pair your tee with jeans; skinnies are sleek, while boyfriend jeans will project a casual vibe. If you really want to embrace the nautical look, try sailor pants or wide-legged jeans. When wearing wider-legged pants, opt for wooden heels or woven wedges for a put-together look.

Always wear gold jewelry when going nautical, as silver comes across as too cold.

Makeup Monday

As everyone who knows me can attest, my favorite color is, in typical girly-girl style, pink. If it’s available in pink, I buy it in pink (remember?). I love nearly every shade of this fab hue, except perhaps those “dusty rose” ones.

Early this spring, I decided, despite my reservations, to give fuchsia lipstick a try. This classic-with-a-twist trend takes the classic red lip and gives it a more youthful spin. Red lips are kind of the older sister of pink lips: red is sophisticated and classic, while hot pink is sassy and spontaneous.

Whitney Port, just one of aprox 9,000 celebs who can be seen
rocking the magenta lipstick trend.

There is no shortage of tips and tricks online for selecting the perfect shade for your skin, many of them contradicting. The best way to find if this look is to go cheap; you don’t want to spend $30 on a Chanel lipstick, only to discover that the fuchsia lips trend is not really for you. Since most (read: all) drugstores aren’t crazy about you just ripping open tubes of lipstick and trying on a million different shades in the aisles, head first to a department store or Sephora. Here, you can try on multiple shades with the color advice and assistance of knowledgeable clerks. When you’ve found the perfect shade, swab some on a tissue. Head to Target and compare these tubes to your tissue sample; you may need to buy one or two tubes to get the right shade. I bought a color that was a bit too magenta before settling on a bit warmer shade, Revlon’s “Colorburst Lipstick” in Fuchsia 030.

Looks a little wonky here, but on my lips it's marvelous.

One final note: With lips this fab and bold, you’ll want to keep the rest of your face neutral. This is the time for mascara and, at most, eyeliner. Your clothes should also be a little staid; this isn’t the time to break out your Pucci. You can definitely still wear color (a nautical inspired look will be especially fab), just keep your outfit color palate to one color and one or two neutrals.

Switcheroo

For quite a few season's now, oxfords have been the cool shoe for all the hipsters out there. But then I started seeing them on more and more celebrities, and not just the "I'm-just-so-hip-it's-almost-painful" types, such as Agnyss Deyn. When they first came out, and up until just a couple months ago, I thought they were not cute.

But check out these fab. ones worn by my friend McKenzie.

Supes cute, right?

I love the fact that these take a very menswear item and use a very girly element (sparkle!) to spice them up a bit. 

My opinion of brogues has definitely switched to the "pro" side, with a couple of caveats.

First, do not wear these shoes with dresses. Or skirts. Or anything other than full length pants, unless you enjoy looking like a duck when you walk.

Second, the pairs I like best have borrowed the style form the boys, but changed the material into something decidedly feminine.

My favorite iteration is floral.

This Steve Madden pair is pretty much perfect. Worn with skinnies and a pretty blouse (maybe in one of the colors from the flowers), the shoes would not be a statement about how cool and insider you are, but an acknowledgment that you know the trends but make them your own. 

It's a less nose-in-the-air way of declaring that you are a fashionista.

Other great pairs:

Nordstrom
Love the fance laces!

Urban Outfitters

Makeup Monday

Welcome to my first Makeup Monday!
I’ll be sharing the beauty looks I most want to try, along with tips for achieving the latest makeup trends.

So, to kick things off, let’s talk eyeliner. I’ve recently decided that I will spend the summer perfecting the use of liquid eyeliner. (What? I’ll have just graduated; I’ll have a lot of time on my hands.) I am a particularly big fan of the cat eye look, which can only be achieved with liquid liner (and a steady hand).

Some of my favorite style setters (I hesitate to call them “icons,” but in 30+ years, we’ll look back and call them exactly that) have adopted the liquid cat eye look as a staple.

Taylor Swift

Lauren Conrad

So cute right? The best part about the cat eye is it can run the gamut from sweet and girly to sexy. It's perfect if you know in the morning that you'll be heading straight from work to your evening activities; you'll just need to add liner to the bottom rim and a couple more coats of mascara.

Our good friend Lauren up there posted a tutorial on how she gets her perfect eyeliner on her newly launched beauty website, The Beauty Department. 

As for me, I've purchased some waterproof liquid liner; I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Costume Institute Gala

The Met Ball, sometimes referred to as "the Oscars of the East Coast, took place in NYC last night. The gala, which introduces a new exhibition at the Metropolitan museum's Costume Institute department, is an annual draw of the fabulous and fashionable. This years exhibition celebrates the designs of dearly departed designer Alexander McQueen. 

The red carpet was rife with wonderfully dressed celebrities; here are my favorite.

(Steven Lovekin/Getty Images)

Iman in Stella McCartney

Only Iman could pull off a gold sequined jumpsuit.

(Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Claire Danes in Calvin Klein

Fabulous. My favorite.

Also, I  need to start using Latisse. You can see her lashes from outer space. 

Isla Fisher in Tory Burch

Just stunning. The blue with her skin tone and hair is just so pretty.

Dianna Agron in (d'uh) Michael Kors.

I so want to like this. It is this close...cut off that weird neck thing and we're in business.

(Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Stella McCartney

Maggie. Oh Maggie. You usually look a little wack-tack-ular.

But you got this so right. 

And hello there, Peter Sarsagaard. You're looking dapper.

Zoe Saldana in Calvin Klein

I love this. Not many ladies can wear yellow, but Zoe can. And she looks fantastic.

All images courtesy of New York Magazine's The Cut.