Summer Gingham Ideas

Dapper James - Mary Beth cotton sundress

According to fashion magazines, we will see lots of gingham over the summer. Indeed, the pattern has been popular since bombshell Bridget Bardot got married in 1959 wearing a pink gingham dress. It never truly disappeared. Gingham is a lightweight cotton fabric that comes in checked white and a bolder color.

Here are some stylish and comfortable ways to wear gingham:



From retailers: 1) Free People - swing dress; 2) Forever 21- jumper dress; 3) Madewell - bell sleeve shirt



4) Ellen Tracy - lace and gingham dress; 5) Draper James - cloister top; 6) ASOS - smock dress;


7) J Crew - cigarette pants; 8) Topshop - embroidered gingham shirt; 9) Madewell - 3 '' shorts;

and Dapper James - the garden party skirt (a floral and gingham pattern).

To celebrate the summer solstice😎 in the Western Hemisphere, THE SAVVY SHOPPER will feature not just gingham, but a trilogy of playful summer patterns to wear. Two others are just as fresh, crisp and full of fun. Can you guess what the other 2 are? Well stay tuned -- numeral 2 is our next blog!

A final (Getty) photo: The Duchess of Cambridge in shurbert gingham by British brand, Epinone.

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Pardon My Back Summer Dresses

Lulus - Good Deeds Royal Blue Lace Up Dress

Are you ready for the summer? Me ... I wait six long months for the season to arrive. As I mentioned in previous blogs, I love balmy days, endless hours of daylight, the great green outdoors, strappy sandals and easy-breezy dresses. You won't see me in trousers again until early autumn. It's too tempting to just slip a piece of pretty fabric over my head and walk out the door.

Revolve - Blondi Dress Tiare Hawaii

On the mean streets of Manhattan, I notice lots of men wearing sandals already. Certainly, modern men are abandoning their socks and business shoes to walk the city pavement in open toes like never before! I'm counting a 1 in 5 male-in-sandals ratio. I suppose the laid-back equivalent for women is a bare back. Women wearing bare back dresses in public is quite common these days.

So let's do a Pardon-My-Back Summer Dress Roundup! The cute, relaxed dresses selected here retail from $23-$69. Feast your eyes on a variety of summer style, patterns and affordability:

Pinkice.com - Impressionist Spirit Dress

Some low dipping, back baring dresses might be better suited for a barbecue, and yet, many others cover enough skin to look classy for everyday tooling around town. How I love the easygoingness of summer! And, if you show some skin to keep cool on a hot, muggy August night, it looks perfectly weather appropriate, not naked!

Lulus - Kind Words Grey Print Swing Dress

Lulus' flattering swing dress with a peek-a-boo back will help you beat the heat. Doesn't the red and white pattern look lovely over a grey background?

Old Navy - The Cami Dress

These classic Cami dresses from Old Navy are adorable in 12 different colors and patterns. Very versatile, they can be dressed up or down with the right shoes and bling. Drape a scarf or sweater on top of a cami dress, and you can visit, in style, any conservative, European church that frowns on bare shoulders.

The Letter - Empire Waist Dress

Gingham is ultra trendy right now. Really, it never totally goes out of style. The Letter's Empire Waist Dress has fancy lace trim, while the blue and white gingham pattern gives it a casual playfulness. Cute, no?

With such chic, cool, cozy dresses, who needs shorts? Come-hither, summer! 

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Summer Polka Dots

Boden - sport "Virginie" ruffle blouse

Recently THE SAVVY SHOPPER began a trilogy by featuring stylish gingham and stripes, so today let's complete our summer patterns with playful polka dots. What fun they are to wear! Dress them up or down. Look snazzy and casual smart! 

A white shirt might show every speck of dirt, but polka dots are more forgiving, letting you lean against a park bench or picnic chair. Polka dots complement blue jeans and black slacks.

Here are several other adorable ways to wear them:





        

The retailers are: 1) Borden - "Penelope" frilled, fitted dress; 2) Double Trouble - retro halter swing dress; 3) ASOS smock dress; 4) Ralph Lauren crepe A-line dress; 5) ModCloth - gathered-wasted dress; 6) Borden - "Lois" hourglass dress; 7) City Chic - buttons and bow dress (in what retailers call a plus size); 9) Henry Roth - wedding, or ball gown; 10) A generic tee with a classic pencil skirt of 2 different polka dot sizes 

Look at the pretty polka dot wedding dress! It works. What are your favorites?

This completes THE SAVVY SHOPPER'S trilogy of summer patterns. Are you ready to jump on the gingham, stripes and polka dot bandwagon? Do you have these patterns in your closet?

Sheesh, it was an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini that made one woman afraid to come out of the lockers!😮

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Lands' End Offers 50% Off On Swimsuits

 

I don't often write blogs to announce sales, but since I recently featured Land's End as the place this season to pick up a stylish swimsuit -- a suit that looks fabulous on and off the beach, I have a chance to feature 5 more suits and to tell you that the sales are on at the retailer!

Lands End offers you more than just style, it designs what it calls swim solutions. You'll find the coverage and support to flatter your body type including tummy control, bra support, adjustable suits for sporting events, or to slenderize your silhouette.

If you miss this sale, there'll be other promotions, so keep checking. By the 4th of July, you'll have your suit!

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A Summer Of Stripes

Prada - One dress in 2 lengths: maxi and knee

Summer is my favorite time of the year despite some hot and humid days. We can enjoy long hours of daylight dressed in comfortable natural fabrics like cotton and linen. The lack of layers is reason enough to love summer.

What's more, summer style often features vivid colors and lighthearted stripes! A mild sunny season is ideal for people watching and style gazing! Next time you're out-and-about town, enjoy the show!

Meanwhile here are a number of fashionable ways to wear  summer stripes:

From retailers 1) Haultlook.com - knit pencil skirt; 2) Calvin Kline - crew neck, fitted, tee dress sold at Walmart; 3) Loft - strappy sun dress; 4) Miting - the shift dress;

5) Old Navy - crew neck, fitted, tee dress in classic red or navy; 6) John Lewis - fit and flare dress with blots of yellow and black; 7) Dapper James - ruffled Nellie top with umbrella designs; 8) Diane Von Furstenberg - stretch knit vertical stripped dress;

Old Navy - canvas peep-toe  D'Orsay flats

Do you see any favorites?

In our summer trilogy of patterns, we looked at: 1) gingham and 2) stripes. There's one more pattern to cover: 3)______? Can you guess it?

The next blog is all about cake ... then the answer (here) next Thursday will end our summer fashion trilogy.😊💋👗

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