Mama Fashionista

So after hours of thumbing through fashion magazines, browsing through stores, and actually paying attention to what other women are wearing, I think I am finally prepared to offer some sort of fashion preview of what we should be wearing this spring.

What Is In:

Bold colors: Specifically bright yellows, blues, red-orange, and fuchsia

Urban Safari: Tailored shirts, rompers, and dresses with front pockets and belts

Dresses: Specifically white ones. The little white dress is all the rage right now and so, get your fake tans and stain sticks ready.

Nautical: In keeping with the white and blue, boatneck shirts with thin, horizontal stripes are the casual tops you should be wearing, matched with wide leg, white trousers or flat fronted white shorts

Natural materials: Whether it is wooden heeled wedges, or canvas bags, the trend is noticeable and often paired with the urban safari shirts and dresses.

Oversized Accessories: Large bags (or small clutches), big, bug-eyed sunglasses, and chunky jewelry remain fashionable requirements

Full, A line skirts - with fitted tops

What Is Out:

Never one to judge another’s personal style, these instructions come straight from the experts. If you own the following, please give them away, throw them away, or add them to your child’s dress up pile:

Crocs
Clothes advertising the brand name
Clothes that are too well matched; play around with colors and designs
Sequined dresses (oh what will I do with all of mine?)
Peasant tops (and anything bohemian)Pencil skirts (go for A line)
Capris
Leggings
Overtly sexy clothes (think more elegant, feminine pieces)
Black or gray from head to toe
Baby doll dresses


What I’ll Be Avoiding:

In addition to the wedge sandals, gladiator sandals are very in right now, and I will definitely not be wearing them. As a short girl, I need all the height I can get and these ugly, overly busy sandals do nothing to compliment the shape of your leg; however, if you are tall and a slave to fashion…know that these are the fashion must-have shoes of the summer.

Also very trendy and something I’m going to have to pass on are the Maxi Tube dresses. These strapless, floor length beach dresses have nice flow and flatter almost every figure…except mine. Nothing makes me look shorter than this style dress; as for everyone else, there are a lot of cute ones out there.

Where to Shop: Dresses

I realize many of us find it hard to invest in sun dresses when scrubs are more ideal for child rearing, but this year’s trend of simple, comfortable shift dresses (often in very comfortable jersey material) makes the possibility a little more manageable. So, I hit the mall (you know, just for research), and came up with the following summer dresses. Please keep in mind that I do not mistake myself for some kind of fashion expert, I'm just throwing some popular pieces at you, ranging in style and price.
The ones I like, which reflect the white trend, as well as the bold colors, are:

Everything at www.anthropologie.com

And….

http://beauty.ivillage.com/trends/fashion/0,,8xlm4v40,00.html

http://www.ae.com/web/browse/product.jsp?catId=cat1320034&productId=prod2340004

http://www.ae.com/web/browse/product.jsp?catId=cat1320034&productId=0393_9003

http://www2.victoriassecret.com/commerce/application/prodDisplay/?namespace=productDisplay&origin=onlineProductDisplay.jsp&event=display&prnbr=8M-221959&page=1&cgname=OSCLODRSDAY&rfnbr=3205

http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=50434&CatID=51366&GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=13d6a8f&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CmCatId=EXTERNAL5044451366

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2969650/0~2378467~2378483~2377032~6008190?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6008190&P=1

http://www.oldnavy.com/browse/product.do?cid=15292&pid=565283

http://www.oldnavy.com/browse/product.do?cid=15292&pid=562678&vid=1

http://www.target.com/Isaac-Mizrahi-Target-Eyelet-Halter/dp/B0010ZZHJI/qid=1207332848/ref=br_1_12/601-3723839-3920944?ie=UTF8&node=391687011&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1



http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod91140181&catId=cat301188

http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod91716181&catId=cat301188

http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod92287181&catId=cat301189

http://www.bananarepublic.com/browse/product.do?cid=39292&pid=564218&scid=564218032

http://www.bananarepublic.com/browse/product.do?cid=39292&pid=564225

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2965253/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6014132?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014132&P=1

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2965127/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6014132?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014132&P=1

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2969276/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6014132?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014132&P=1

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2968152/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6014132?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014132&P=2

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2962500/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6014132?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014132&P=2


http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=296440&CategoryID=26861