Going to the Chapel and What Will You Wear?

Don't think you can't look just as beautiful as the bride or as handsome as the groom when you're attending a summer wedding.  You can!  Beside that, you're style can be so much more flirtatious than the white dress and black tux.  Your ability to play with cocktail wear also shows your ability to be the sensationally fun wedding guest (think Wedding Crashers gone super chic).  So when you're going to the chapel and you're not getting married, really consider what you will wear.

Here are some of my favorite wedding looks.

Eyelet Green Dress from the Limited

This dress, a beautiful necklace and some fun shoes will be great for dancing.

Elena Leather Strappy Sandal - DKNY

I thought I was over the strappy sandal until I saw these–perfect wedding wear.

John Varvatos Seersucker Suit in a super chic color

This is truly a beautiful suit for summer. Bravo, John!

Pleated Silk Chiffon Dress - 3.1 Phllip Lim

You can add a belt at the waist for a more dramatic silhouette. 

Mini Loubi Satin Clutch - Christian Louboutin

Notice the perfect detail at the clasp: mini Loubi heels!

Italian Wool Ludlow Two-button Suit from J.Crew

This look is perfect for a night wedding and afterparty!

Black & White Pieced Dress from the Limited

Try some peep-toe booties to complete this look.

The Scent, the Man, the Obsession

I fell in love with a man I'd never met when I was four years old, and I dabbed his designer perfume behind my ears at the tip of my jawbone, just like a Southern lady should.  It was my grandmother's Oscar Eau de Toilette, the signature scent that will never go out of style, and it was the smell of heaven.  As I've grown, I've fallen even more in love with the designer and both his classic and very romantic pieces.  Today when I opened my Bergdorf Goodman shoe salon app on my iPhone and saw the perfect snakeskin platform sandal, I immediately revisited my childhood and my obsession with Oscar. 

In honor of my first love, I paid my first visit to Polyvore and compiled some pieces that were available in their catalog.  Though they don't perfectly represent de la Renta's impeccable runway styling, they are reminiscent of the classic and romantic pieces that I love.  As it has over time, I'm sure my adoration for de la Renta will continue to flourish, and his designs will always remind me of those carefree days as a child–that blissful scent! 

Oscar by leannesdesign featuring Oscar de la Renta

Items in this set:
Oscar De La Renta Pleated lace dress, 5,300 GBP
Oscar de la Renta Silk-dupioni blouse, $385
Cotton-blend ruffle blouse, $690
Suede safari jacket, $2,990
Full cotton twill skirt, $2,085

Ground breaking

"Florals? For spring? Ground breaking."  Her sarcasm was infectious, but maybe her idea should have been more so.  Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada spoke a truth about Spring attire that's not always followed.  I definitely think I want to be her when I grow up; she's powerful, brash, and strikingly eccentric, but most of all she's got all the right ideas about style.  Floral prints for spring are not the way to go.  Can we break this Easter Egg pattern and find a new shell for Spring?

The good news is that some designers are doing just that.  It may take plucking through some of the outer petals of the clothing racks, but you'll definitely find an enlightening new hue somewhere in the middle.  The sweet nectar lives in the center of the flower!  I'm talking about Purple Haze, and it took some searching to find this brilliant (but not bright) color for Spring.  It's in Banana Republic's signature looks this season, but it's infiltrated other designer collections as well.  My personal choice is the Silk Heritage Embellished dress, in petite of course, but I've found many suitable and beautiful pieces that give truth to the color of the season.

As I browsed Spring collections, I discovered Alberta Ferretti's silk and chiffon in tints of purple, perfect to pair with the yellow gold and mother of pearl in Bulgari's Serpent bracelet.  I also fell in love with Tod's lilac suede Gommino, named for its ingenious rubber buffers that make the loafer perfect for daywear.  Salvatore Ferragamo features a deeper purple shade for Spring eyewear in an exclusive model of sunglasses.  All of this and much more tells us that purple is the color and you can wear it ANYWHERE!

As for florals, we won't forget their impassioned influence on Springs of the past, and we can definitely commemorate their significance in the season.  Light touches of floral in an accessory commend the petals and your look.  Flower pins, like those by M&S Schmalberg, can be worn on the shirt or a belt, and many designers are embellishing shoes with them.  Keeping it small is the key.  

So while you're shopping this season, look for the color that's changing clothes: purple.  And always remember to buy shoes because every new outfit needs a fancy foot to carry it.