We had occasion to be in the water this past weekend, and we were reminded of a critically important element in any woman’s summer wardrobe:  The Cover-Up. It is a mitigator of bumps here and lumps there, an all-purpose weapon for beach, pool or hot tub. 

In short, the cover-up is our BFF.

Its entire job description is to make us look casually chic while wearing a swimsuit, which is challenging on multiple levels. It must be pretty wet or dry. It must rise to the complexities of beach breezes (more…)

There are some trends better off left in the ’70s. We can think of several, but we’re not going to name them here for fear that someone will resurrect them and start mass-producing them again. Honestly, we can learn from history.

But we’ll participate gladly in the renewed zest for the peasant top, those gathered, often billowy blouses that flatter nearly anyone and cover a host of little sins. Worn over khakis or trousers, they take you to work (we like this Alberto Makali tunic at Nordstrom ($165, above), with

(more…)

Designer Isaac Mizrahi went for color and bright patterns as he launched his new spring collection for Liz Claiborne. here’s a video of a recent event at Macy€™s in New York, where Isaac joined Nicole Fischelis, fashion director for Macy€™s, and Adam Glassman, creative director at O, The Oprah Magazine, for a event to showcase his designs.

The Style Insider is having a little tantrum. We seem to be yearning for a Bermuda-shorts kind of life, for days filled with beaches and golf courses and cocktails. Wouldn’t that be nice? So we’re shopping.

When we say Bermuda shorts, what we mean is plaid. We don’t want wimpy little normal shorts. We want shorts that look like they’re on a holiday, like they’re taking a vacation from their normal little (more…)

It is supposed to be spring! Enough with the rain and the chill and the gloom. The Style Insider is ready to be done with all things blah, and we’ve recently realized that we are as tired as can be of our sturdy little black canvas laptop case. So we’ve put together a social network of laptop totes chic enough to fly first-class and versatile enough to carry all your vital tech devices:

We like nearly everything Clark & Mayfield makes, and their Metro-Express laptop tote (above left)is on the top of our list. The black houndstooth print is eye-catching and classy; the lines are sleek, and the price is sane. At eBags ($90, 15.75″ by 13″ by 5″). If you’re a lady in red, you might be more partial to their Rosemont ($80, 13″ by 14.5″ by 5″, above right); both bags got 8s and 9s in eBags’ customer reviews.

(more…)

We are loving little cardigans right now. Partly because First Lady Michelle Obama is such a fan; seeing her wear them so often makes us remember how cute they are. (She’s wearing her favorite cropped Azzedine Alaia black cardigan here during her visit to Europe. Photo from New York Magazine.)And partly because this time of year is notorious for buildings not getting the a/c quite right. You go to work and it’s cold at your desk, but by the afternoon you’re hot and bothered (and not in the good way).

So we’ve dropped by a bunch of our favorite stores to check on their cardigan supplies. Our only sweater rule, besides the fact that they must be irresistible, is that they be appropriate for work. We chose (more…)

Go to your closet. Take inventory. Did you find any stripes?

If not, you’re going to want to shop, because stripes were huge in the spring 2009 runway collections. OK, let’s revise that a little: Sometimes they were huge and other times they were tiny, but they were definitely everywhere. (Full disclosure: We actually favor polka dots. But even we must admit that stripes are fresh and fun.)

Such as this crisp strapless cotton striped dress at White House (more…)