LVP Special Edition: Summer Fashion

Like many New Yorkers I know, I wear a lot of black. Black is good! It’s versatile, never goes out of style, and does a great job of hiding spaghetti sauce stains. But it’s now June 11, and it’s time to add a little color to my often monochromatic ensembles.

I love this season because it just feels joyful. With bright colors and cheery pastels, we can shed our winter armor (and Seasonal Affect Disorder) and parched skin.

One of the easiest ways to add a little burst of color is with bright nail polish. The nail art trend has completely exploded, but I don’t quite trust my hands to steadily paint tuxedos onto my fingernails.

Instead, I opted for bright blue and yellow colors which instantly update any outfit.

At the Gap, I fell in love with a pair of seafoam-green jeggings (pretty much the only kind of jean I wear now… they’re so comfy!). It may seem like this color is limiting, but it can actually be a very neutral look by wearing anything from gray to blue to cream to white. I happened to find a silky tank (below, right) on sale at Banana Republic the very next day that looks really nice with it.

While green pants are a little out there, the most intimidating trend for me was the maxi-length dress and skirt. Even though I’m relatively tall (5’7- 5’8), I felt like all that fabric would just swallow me up. Not so! I tried on- and fell in love with- a skirt and two dresses at TJ Maxxx, all of which can be dressed up or down. The price was right (all were under $40 each), and I was pleased to find that I didn’t look like a giant noodle!

With dreams of Michigan and playing in the waves all day, I found two new bathing suits at Gap. (Seriously, boys and girls, if you haven’t been to Gap yet, get your booty there! Their new style director is uh-ma-zing.) I love that they make wider bathing suit bottoms; while I used to wear string bikinis when I was 16, I just don’t feel like it all needs to hang out. Less is more sometimes.

There are a slew of great summer movies out, and I’m proud to report that I’ve seen five of them in the last two weeks! The leading ladies from the three I saw this weekend were particularly inspirational to me, fashion-wise:

Lola Versus. Greta Gerwig, Hollywood’s latest indie darling, picks up where films like Bridesmaids and Young Adult left off. She fiercely shows the raw, messy pain of the modern-day break up (spoiler alert: it sometimes involves being pried forcefully from a stripper pole) with poignancy and grace. And her clothes are pretty darn cute.

Moonrise Kingdom. Wes Anderson’s latest ode to the 1960s is a beautifully filmed, eloquently scripted gem with fabulous costumes. Just look at the below cuffs and Peter Pan collar! This 13-year old’s got style.

And, on a slightly less practical level, the costumes in Snow White and the Huntsman. Hello sparkles, glitter, puffy sleeves and leather pants! While the red lips are a little too glam for me at the moment, I did rock lipstick while I was studying in Paris (at the ripe young age of 20) so perhaps I can gather up the courage again. And despite all of the negative reviews I read, I actually enjoyed this much more than I thought it would! Sure, Bella is back disguised as Snow White, and we’re once again divided into Team Huntsman and Team Handsome. Choose Thor! Er… I mean Huntsman.