In a matter of weeks, the sandal bootie shoe will be on everyone’s hot list. Sarah Jessica Parker wears a similar style throughout the movie Sex and the City. Initially it comes across as a hard, edgy shoe. However, when you pair it with softer pieces it is instantly elevated to high fashion status. To soften the look of this shoe, pair it with pretty prints or florals. It’s an unexpected combination, which will undoubtedly intrigue people. In the movie, Carrie wears them with a full green floral dress. The femininity of the dress shines new light on the shoe. That way, you trade the S&M look for a sophisticated look. If you want to wear them with skinny jeans, make sure the top is blousy to balance out the weight of the shoe. It looks great with dresses, skirts, as well as with black slacks and more urban pieces. If you think you can make the sandal bootie work, you should go grab a pair before the movie hits theatres. Good luck and happy hunting!

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It’s a sweltering summer day and you’ve got some errands to run. Your kids have a play date at the park, you’ve got a lunch date with the girls, some shopping of course, and then a romantic dinner by the water. You swing open the doors of your closet and the last thing you want to step into is your tight jeans — just then you make eye contact with your maxi dress and it beckons to be worn… you happily oblige. It’s cool, sexy, flowing and versatile for all of your errands and dates for the day!

how to wear a floral patterned maxi

A floral patterned maxi dress alone is perfect for a hot summer day when all you want is one, long, flowing piece to make up your entire outfit. When choosing a patterned maxi, don’t overdo it with tons of jewelry. Opt for simple, hanging earrings. You can also ‘accessorize’ with your hair. Pamper your locks with rollers, hot or velcro (which Jean swears by), to get those oh so fabulous grecian goddess tendrils. It will fall beautifully with the free-spirited flow and pattern of the dress. If it’s too hot out, you can opt for a loosely coiled bun or simple low side pony.

the transformable nature of the maxi
If you decide to wear your maxi into the night, trade those flip flops for a sexier, strappy gladiator sandal and you’ll be ready to come off the beach and saunter into a romantically candle lit cafe. A belt doesn’t necessarily make your maxi day or night time worthy, but it will refresh the outfit and accentuate different aspects of the dress. Enhance a simple, solid colored maxi with a woven leather or suede belt right under the bust or loosely draped around the hips. If your maxi has gathers around the waist or underneath the bust then that’s where your belt should go. If your maxi has lots of ornamental details, a busy pattern or lots of layering and gathering then a belt is a no-no; you don’t want to wear your entire wardrobe. Finally, add a simple cuff bracelet, to top off the look.

waistlines, shoes and panties, oh my!
While some maxi’s gather under the bust or at the waistline to accentuate a curvy waist or create a waistline, other maxis shoot straight down to accentuate a thinner frame. For those maxis that are long enough to gracefully sweep the floor (creating a game of hide and seek with whatever fabulous shoes you have chosen to wear) opt for a sexy, simple gladiator sandal that contrasts the full coverage of the dress. For a shorter maxi, an open, sexy shoe will do the trick as well because you don’t want to cut off the length of the leg. Another maxi dress necessity is seamless underwear that won’t interrupt the cascading and sometimes clingy drapery of the dress. A visible panty line may distract onlookers when they should really be focussing on the outfit as a whole. Top off the look with a unique cuff bracelet.

Keep in mind, your maxi doesn’t have to max you out!!
From Gap to Missoni, this summer promises to maximize the availability of maxi dresses!

Khaki made it’s first appearance in the late 1800’s, as a part of a military dress code. Over the years it has made its way to the mainstream. It has become an American classic, and a staple that has a presence in every girl’s wardrobe. As of late, khaki has gone more modern. It’s no longer reserved for country club bound conservatives or prep school boys. Back in the day, khaki had a unisex feel to it. Khaki shorts and pants were boxy and not exactly flattering to the female form. Thankfully that is no longer the case. Now, there are a million ways to wear khaki and still look like a lady. We’ve put together two of our favorite ways to wear khaki this season. We love a full khaki skirt. It looks great with neutral, and even better with a pop of color. It’s incredibly versatile, and very functional. We also love the khaki pants in a modern cut. Consider a high waisted full pant, paired with an earthy top for a more bohemian feel. How are you wearing your khaki’s? If you have any new ideas, we would love to hear from you!

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You may have caught the 4 minute segment on Access Hollywood a few minutes ago but there’s an extended version of Get the Sex and the City look for less on the Access Hollywood site. It goes into detail about each outfit, how to put it all together (the mission of style observer), how much and where to buy.

Access Hollywood asked Jean to host a segment called “get the Sex and the City look for less.” She took her New York sense of style out to LA and they’re shooting the segment today! It airs this Friday, May 9th at 7:30pm est on NBC. The following looks are being featured:

Be sure to tune in. We’ll post the segment here in case you miss it. Enjoy!

Today’s the day, the day he gets to show off his mom to the world. The kids at school have been preparing for this celebration for over a week, and he can’t wait to share it with you. In his eyes it doesn’t really matter what you wear, but we think you should knock his socks off. After all, it’s a special day … A Mother’s Day Tea. Play up your feminine side, wear a dress or a skirt. He probably sees you in jeans or work clothes most of the time, so enhance your “tea party” look with the more feminine and dainty pieces from your wardrobe. A wrap dress in a pretty spring color, or a floral skirt will be sure to do the trick. Pair the look with patent pumps and shoulder bag to add some flair. The jewelry should either be delicate, or something he has given you or made for you. Stay away from anything too sexy, keep it elegant and appropriate. It’s your day, so enjoy being pampered, because tomorrow he’ll be back to shooting you with his water gun, and sticking goldfish up his nose. Happy Mother’s Day!!

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style resources

This section is a new take on the traditional ‘Blogroll’. It’s our 2 cents on all the great online resources we use to stay current and bring you our own view of things. Each resource is categorized and there’s a brief description to help you decide if it’s right for you. We can’t (and don’t want) to do it all, so we thought it would benefit our readers if we steered you to the best the web has to offer. These sites are definitely worthy of a bookmark or an add to your RSS reader.

This section is just getting started. If you click refresh, you’re likely to see more sites added!

We’re very excited to announce that Jean is now contributing to a very cool and hip community called Posh Mama. This network features a ton of cool chicks who just happen to be very posh, many of whom are also posh mamas . If you’re either (or wanna be!) then join! A true measure of a great community is involvement and Posh Mama members are amazing. You’ll see that the moment you click off this post, which you should be doing right now!

Gladiator sandals are one of the biggest trends of the season. Last month’s post on the Gladiator ignited a firestorm of questions: How do I wear them? We’ve put together three of our favorite looks to help you out.

Gladiator look 1

The first look has a tall gladiator paired with a summer cotton dress. The key to this look, is to keep the dress flowy and unconstructed. The cut of the dress will balance out the tall gladiator sandal, making your legs look slim. A big hobo bag completes the look beautifully.

Gladiator look 2

The second look has a short gladiator paired with shorts, a billowy top, bangles, and a textured tote. The key to this look is to lean toward the bohemian, not preppy. It should look relaxed and sophisticated. It translates into a perfect day to evening summer look.

Gladiator look 3

The third look is a more dressed up version of the gladiator sandal. Again, the dress is free flowing which helps to balance the bulk of the shoe. The gladiator we chose is metallic, and reflects beautifully as opposed to drag the outfit down. We paired the outfit with a linen bag with gold accents, to tie it all together. The dress becomes the focus, with very fashion forward accessories that don’t take over the outfit.

We hope some of these looks inspire some of your own creations. Have fun with it, and relax into a pair of gladiator sandals this season.

Bottega Veneta is known for their woven leather bags; it has practically become their label. If you haven’t noticed, Bottega doesn’t have any conspicuous labels on their bags. The identity of the brand has become synonymous with their specific woven leather. If you want this luscious leather, though, you’re going to pay for it. Their bags range from $1200 to over $5000. If you can’t afford that hefty price tag, we have the bag for you. Banana Republic has made a few bags that more than resemble the unreachable Bottega Veneta. They even have a similar sandal that blends beautifully. You may have just found your perfect summer bag! It’s big enough to take to the beach, structured enough to take to work, and comfortable enough for everyday. No matter where you go, or what you wear, this bag brings it to a chic level. How can you beat a reasonably priced, well made, fashionable, designer look-alike bag? We don’t think you can beat it, but we do think you should go for it!

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