Hope you all didn’t miss me too much! I’m still here. . . And I’m BACK! With some Good New Tees for your wearing pleasure. This one’s my favorite. It’s called “Missing!!!” and the guy that drew the poster found out later that his bike wasn’t stolen, but TOWED, because he had chained it to a fence with a “no bikes” sign on it. Haha! Here’s the original design that appears on the white tee. It comes in girly sizes too. Just buy it.:

Your fave cotton plaid shirt just became wearable again. When paired with the right outfit, a long-sleeve button down p-shirt can go from day. . . to night (believe it or not). My shopper’s mag suggested pairing the p-shirt with a pair of shorts and a white tank. I saw a girl rocking this look today on my way to the office and it works. I want a p-shirt now! Check out The Plaid Shirt for a way cute p-shirt to treat yourself to and some pieces to pair with it by day and night.

A summer trend that I’m noticing popping up everywhere is the not-so-nautical stripe, in black, grey, and white shades. These summer stripes are often unevenly spaced, irregularly sized, and sometimes distributed over a garment in varying directions (horizontal, vertical, diagonal). I like these stripes on loose, faded pieces that fall perfectly and nonchalantly, such as the Grey/Black Stripe Ripped Knot Tee by Obesity and Speed and the Border Tie-Dye Short Sleeve V-Neck by C&C California, shown below (L-R).

My Summer Stripe Trend guide contains tons of unique pieces (tops, dresses, purses, shoes, etc.) that take nautical to the dark side, which means these stripes will carry you from day to night and from summer to fall.

Also pictured (above, L-R): Striped Crop Top by Charlotte Russe, Lela Rose for Payless Brinley Ribbon Pump, and Varigated Striped Tight by Urban Outfitters.

Nautical is always in for summer, but plain stripes on plain tees get old fast. The key to rocking this look through summer 2009 and beyond is to seek out stripes on tees with unexpected fabrics and fun stylistic flourishes. My favorite picks from a whole flock of hot tops in Striped Tops With a Twist are below (L-R):

Eco-Ganik Stripe Pocket Tank, Splendid White Rugby Stripe T-Shirt, BGD Scoopneck Tee

I’m a personal fan of the following types of products:

• anything that displays the word “homeboy” on it
• talking action figures
• anything un-politically correct

Throw Jesus into the mix and I’m in heaven! Based on the items in the Jesus is My Homeboy buyer’s guide, Jesus seems like he’d be a fun guy to party with. I’m pretty sure he was the life of every party back in the day. Check out my awesome miscellaneous Jesus finds and let me know what you think. This stuff makes for great friend presents come birthday or holiday season.

Above: Lookin’ Good For Jesus Mini Kit, Jesus Saves!…The Party T-Shirt, Grow Jesus Because He Is AWESOME, Hottie Jesus White T-Shirt, Jesus Talking 12 Inch Biblical Figure.

P.S.

Summer is about simplicity. Layering too many accessories and products makes your look stuffy and over-done. Sticking with key trendy summer essentials allows you to keep the rest of your look laid-back and relaxed, the way summer should be. My favorite summer must-haves are shown below, but there are plenty of items in several other summer categories to shop through. Happy clicking!

See all: Yellow Purses, Coral Blushes, Cork Wedge Heels, White Jewelry, Braided Jewelry, Retro Sunglasses.

Shown above (L-R): Berbenno handbag in light yellow by ALDO, CORALista blush by benefit, Mely Wedge in Chocolate by BCBGirls, Braided Magnetic Cuff Bracelet by Accessories & Beyond, sunglasses by Forever21.

OTHER SUMMER ESSENTIALS:
(Basics so easy, you’ll rock them every day!)

Baggy Tees
Beach Totes
Bandeau Tops
Charm Bracelets
Havaianas Sandals
Bronzers
Sarongs
Loose Powder Makeup
Anti-Cellulite Products

SHOP SLASHED LEGGINGS NOW.
We all know trends get recycled, and slashing your pantalones up to make a fashion statement is nothing new. But this does not mean that the stripped, ripped, and thrashed black leggings of 2009 aren’t supes sexy and chic-ly risque. I have yet to see a non-celeb rocking “slashed-up-to-there” leggings (which makes me want to get a pair even more! Trendsetterrrr!), but I’m sure this fad will spread faster than the swine flu, especially among the teens and early twenty-somethings who are growing tired of their plain old leggings. Zzzz!

Shown: 1. LnA Olivia Thrashed Gathered Bottom Leggings in Noir, 2. LnA Ripped Zipper Leggings in Flat Black, 3. David Lerner Ripped Leggings, 4. Leyendecker Kerouac Ripped Leggings.

Click here to see more hot slashed leggings!

Wear with: a baggy t-shirt.
Click here to shop Baggy Tees.

Key elements of hipster style have been cropping up in the wardrobes of self-proclaimed hipsters and non-hipsters alike this summer. I’ve noticed the “retro sunglasses, baggy shirt, graphic tee, skinny jean, fedora trend” has become increasingly popular among the urban chicks in the city. It’s a pretty laid-back style, so it’s smart for summer. What do you think about the hipster trend? Cool or wannabe?

Shown (L-R): Tear Us Apart by Kid Dangerous,  Viktor Osborne - Black Straw Feather Fedora, Carrie Sunglasses.

I’ve found my new favorite online store. It’s actually more of a print/design company that happens to sell shirts with some of their designs on them. If you’re into making political, sarcastic, or encouraging statements with your clothing, you need to check my Screen Print Shirts, Mens + Unisex buyer’s guide on Kazowie. Some are a little un-PC, but in a humorous way. The designs are straightforward and clean, with as few distracting images as possible, which makes the printed message even clearer. The designs are screen printed onto unisex American Apparel tees, which means A.) they’re comfy and B.) they can be worn by guys and girls alike. So that’s cool.

Shown (L-R): Black Shirt, Grey Shirt, Yellow Shirt.

SHOP RASTA GEAR NOW!

Springtime symbolizes many things: birth, re-birth, new beginnings, growth, romance, etc., but this year, for me, spring simply stands for the season before summer. And with summer, comes reggae, which has been all I’ve been listening to for the past several weeks. I have found so many cute rasta-colored accessories and clothing, which I have included in my Rasta Wear for Girl’s buyer’s guide.

Once you see how cute these things are (um, a.k.a. the Rasta Bow Hair Clips!), I guarantee you’ll be switching your iPod to Legend quicker than you can say “I shot the sheriff.” Make sure you check out all the products I hand-picked for the guide - there’s definitely more than one page’s worth of rastafari-approved gear up on there!