summer style

Signature Style- Summer Wish List

May 4, 2023 By kimwheeler 37 Comments

On this month’s Signature Style, Cindy and I share our Summer Wish Lists! These are some of the pieces I’ve been coveting, trends to consider, and possible options for your warm weather capsule wardrobe..

Wow has this year flown by fast? I can hardly believe it’s May! love these sort of posts I’ve been keeping a running inventory in my head of the things I want to add to the closet for the warmer months. Doing these posts has actually helped me shop better. Finding things I really love online for the blog, has helped find items I truly love- versus just shopping what is available in the stores..

This year I am really into small jackets, longer skirts and dresses, one shoulder looks, metallic pieces, woven bags, and lots of green tones and blue.

Before you make your own wish list, pull out all your summer and warm weather items and try them on, evaluate and see what is missing, what you no longer love or looks good, and what you might add to make what you already have work!

Start with beautiful basics and to begin, everyone needs some lightweight jackets ..

Let’s talk small jackets

I’m mad for these small jackets ( i.e short jean jacket size), for warmer months and they could not be more flattering. I did a little Instagram PSA on them here. I have a linen color, one in khaki, a white and also denim versions… I like cardigans, but a lightweight shorter jacket is going to be more flattering and more chic. Here’s why they look so good…

They give a sharper line than a cardigan.
They help give a more defined figure i.e. waist.
They hide bumps, back bulges and all of that and give a smoother look.
They are great to make your dresses daytime casual and less bare..
They are perfect for travel- and day to night wear.

You need a few of these in your warm weather closet so let’s look at a few options and some ways to style them. I love them with a longer skirt and t-shirt like I am wearing here with my Tommy Bahama Two Palms linen jacket that looks great after so may years and wears… and a new short jacket from Anthro..

Some current options to consider…Photos are linked.

Longer skirts

No matter your height or age, the longer casual skirt is another piece that’s going to be a workhorse in your closet. If you find a few that are comfy with elastic waists, (and even better with pockets), you are going to want to wear these all the time. You can pair them with just a nice t-shirt or tank and a jacket like above, or with a white cotton or denim button down- tied at the waist. I adore the feeling of a light long skirt on a summery day with pretty sandals and a straw bag..

A few to consider..some longer and some mid-length.. I like this denim one as it looks relaxed..Links on photos.

Love this new one by Faherty.. Also a pull on.

Fun tops

I love the one shoulder trend .. fun options like this one in three colors..

More elegance and layering options with this one shoulder top – and these Target camisole matte satin tanks are great pieces .. color options here and here.

Woven Bags

I love the Zara white one, this fun Tory Burch tote in multiple colors, and the classic H&M woven bag looks good with everything for $25.

A few cute dresses..

I love to get a new dress or two for the summer and when you see cute ones grab them as they tend to go fast.. This one shoulder dress by Madewell is a great look for $69. If you’re concerned about wearing a strapless bra with these.. You needn’t! I wear a regular bra and tuck the exposed shoulder strap in the side of the bra.. So much more comfy.

A few other fun ones..like this green floral in two styles…Maxi and a spaghetti strap version- and this pink SZ Blockprint dress… ( All cute under the mini- jackets!)

I’ve also had my eye on the Two Palms linen dress by Tommy Bahama that is a perennial best seller like my jacket. I just can’t decide which color – so many good ones. I love the raw edges and cute neckline- and pockets. This is the perfect vacation dress and no you won’t need to iron this.. It looks great natural.

If I had somewhere special to go, I would consider this dress from J Crew Collection..

Swim

I love this Tory tank suit with the clips.. and the original tunic coverups she made when she started are back and this green would be a dream with it..

This J Crew stamp print coverup and matching suit are adorbs…

I also adore this one shoulder ruched suit from J.Crew. I have the safari green which is on sale with a few others now for $59, and all these one shoulders would be darling with a pair of white beach pants or beach skirt.. I want another color and thinking the yellow or stripe is fun.

I also am finally going to order myself a pair of these Birkenstocks...

Loving these sunglasses in the olive and the buff colors…

I hope this gave you some ideas for 2023 warm weather trends and ways to work some of these pieces into what you already have..I’ll try and add more items as we move through into summer- if it ever gets here!

If you want to save this for later you can pin this image on Pinterest…

If you missed last month’s Signature Style I shared casual chic dresses you need for spring and summer and my favorite brands.

Now stop by Cindy’s blog to see what she is sharing…. always some gorgeous things and great ideas…

Cindy Hattersley Design

Thanks for being here!

Kim

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Summer Things

July 9, 2020 By kimwheeler 23 Comments

Just a short post to say hello! Hope your July is going well. With all the home time, I’ve been obsessing on trying to get my den/media room together to show you all. It’s taking more than usual time trying to shop and decorate from mostly home and online. Honestly, it’s not my bag, I’m usually a touchy feely person that has to see things, but I’m adapting. You’ll have to wait until the next post to see how it came together, but in the meantime there’s a some cute summer things I wanted to share with you before they are gone!

Dresses are my jam right now when I am not wearing those white shorts I shared about. This black gauze shift from Target has been THE find of the summer- easy to throw on, adaptable from house dress to going out. I love the lightness and pockets!! I wish it came in more colors- most are out of stock, but honestly I didn’t dig the other offerings them as much as the black.

I love the lightness of it and I think where the waist drops it flatters. Everyone else seems to look good in it also. My friend Elaine came by and surprise.. she also had bought it too and adorably styled it with a hat and sandals. This dress fills the need for something in the heat we can throw on, add cute sandals, a basket purse and go!

E also bought this Target dress ( in easy gauze-love the no ironing plus pockets) and wore it the other day- so, so pretty in the teal color, which is the only tone left.

Ray-Bans have always been my favorite sunglasses and the polarized version is a must here in California. I lost my last pair a year or so ago and ever since, nothing has been as good. I recently ordered myself a pair of the New Wayfarers in from their site as they are on sale and they came in a couple days and I have forgotten how cool they are! A classic that will always look good.

My woven bag at the top of the post was a Zara find from last summer. I just saw a nearly identical version at Nordstrom right now. I love the color and size of this bag.

How is your book reading going? I’m trying to spend at least one hour each afternoon in the yard with a book. I am determined to make it feel like vacation in some way this summer…

So I’m almost finished with this fun read that I wrote about ..recommended by the one and only Contessa of course!

And now today I got two more books I’m excited about in the mail…

The Warmth of Other Suns, chronicles the great migration from the early 1900’s to the 1970’s of black Americans from the south to the western and northern cities. The Mercury News called this the most underreported event of the 20th century. The writing is highly praised as are the stories of real families woven into the narrative.

Another book recommended by an Instagram friend and reader is the Ralph Lauren book, In His Own Fashion, which came out late last year and I finally ordered. It’s part picture book, part biography. So much to enjoy in this book, including its bookshelf appeal!

I’d love to hear what you’re all reading too..

I barely wear any jewelry being at home so much now, but I’ve been throwing elasticized bracelets on as they are easy. I know a few people asked about my bracelet stack from Instagram. I collect them from travels, etc.and mix a few, wear it for a week until I’m sick of that look and change it up again. Right now I am obsessed with this look from the Bauble Bar and am going to preorder this Turquoise Pisa Bracelet to add to my beads.

Right now all the Pisa Bracelets are another 15% off with code PISA15. These with the initials are fun too and inexpensive!

Is your mask game strong? If you need to upgrade or order more, Tory Burch finally got her cute styles back in stock and for $35 you receive 5 and 100% of the money goes to good causes. It’s nice to have multiples so you have choices. The more we make mask wearing what we do, the sooner we can get out of this pandemic!

It’s fig season and I’ve shared my favorite summer fig dish on my Instagram stories. If you’re not already, follow along on my Instagram where I post a little more frequently with recipes, shopping finds and more. I love to share some great finds and don’t always have time to blog about them, but I do there.

I’ll be back soon with my media room reveal and a few other things!

We are almost to the weekend!

Kim

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My Summer Essentials

June 24, 2020 By kimwheeler 9 Comments

Does it seem crazy we are almost to July? Summer doesn’t feel like summer without the usual things that mean summer to me like travel, camping and watching Wimbledon! Nevertheless, it’s warming up here and though I’ve shopped the closet and cleaned out, I could use a few lighter things to get through the rest of summer. With all the home time, I’m wanting some easy things that feel cool with a bit of style. I’m sick of seeing myself in the same old shorts and Ts! Here’s a few things I am ordering in case someone might actually see me at grocery or we venture out to grab a lunch or dinner to have in the park…

Right now I am loving the shape and feel of tunic dresses. They are finally having a moment here after seeing so many women wear them the past few summers in Europe. This ombre Anthropologie tunic is something easy for at home and for errands out too. Just add some flat sandals, a bun in your hair and a basket as your purse and you have the epitome of summer ease. I also like this simple Sundry ruffled t shirt dress.

This cute oversized tote from Trina Turk would be adorable in an entry for shoes etc, as well as for the mom whose holding everyone’s things for the beach!

As a Californian, I live in shorts during the summer and I need at least one pair of white denim. These J.Crew shorts are very highly rated and have the perfect amount of stretch and roominess. They run slightly large and have a hem you can fold to adjust for length. I’ve already gotten a few people asking where I got mine, they are a flattering length!

One thing I wear all the time is flat sandals during summer and besides my Tory Burch flip-flops, slides are my go-to. I love the mix of textures here and the cork soul and mod look. I can see wearing these J/Slides from Anthro with so much and I like the slight heel.

This Nordstrom exclusive Chanel Paris- Biarritz eau de toilette, is a light crisp scent for summer with notes of mandarin. I’ve been thinking of adding it to my summer fragrances rotation which are all on the light side.

These Lilah B. Tinted lip oils are a little discovery I made after a free sample and they are perfect for summer for keeping my lips from drying out and for long wear color. It’s vegan and free of toxic ingredients too. Lilah B. also makes Marvelous Matte Creme Foundation that is nice for summer. I want to just be able to buff something on and go. I also like the face spray and the whole lovely line.

…..

I want to say thank you to every one of you who read, commented and supported my last post about the issue of racism in America. Your notes here and on Instagram were so good to hear. I loved your concern and care about the state of this country. Some weren’t pleased with me getting political here, but I look at this as a life matter and not politics. I truly believe if aren’t part of the change, then we are part of the problem. I’ve been amazed at the marches and calls for change in the past few weeks in little towns and big cities and across the wider world about this. It’s 2020 and it is unbelievable we still have to call out racism and hate in the United States and also know what part we may be inadvertently playing by remaining in our bubbles. Read my post and all the thoughtful comments here.

We have keep the momentum going in this country. I’m going to keep adding things to the end of each blog and I welcome your comments as well about how we can bring about change in this country. It’s all about holding up our end as individuals! This is a good post by local PBS station KQED about showing up for racial justice– what we can each do. Another place teaching us about the racism in this nation and trying to change it is the Southern Poverty Law Center ,an excellent place to donate, but also educate ourselves. They teach tolerance, fight hate, seek justice and right now are focused on voting rights -so important before this next election!

And may I suggest one more thing to watch? Black Panthers: Vanguard of The Revolution an Independent Lens documentary was our family viewing last weekend and it was excellent. Growing up in the Bay Area in the 1970’s, all those names and events unfolded on my nightly ABC 7 News that we still watch today. To see the power of these people and what they did together to fight the system of oppression was huge and we are living through something very similar right now.

Have a great week

Kim

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Why Every Woman Needs A Della Dress

June 7, 2014 By kimwheeler No Comments

Well we are officially on summertime here in out house and it feels great. After a crazy last week with all sorts of school events, we are now in our happy place here, with our only requirement is to relax. You can feel the collective sigh of relief!

Last afternoon I worked grad night preview at our high school. Sophomore parents had fun being security while the public is invited to walk through the grad night display before the festivities start.

Chatting with another mom I worked with, we marveled at all the great dresses on the mom’s of graduates who walked through. Truly, I thought, this is the year of the dress, as I cannot remember a time where I have seen more well-dressed ladies. That is not always the case. We attributed it to the return of the dress. There are so many pretty choices out there now, and they are transformative. Slip one on with a feminine flat sandal and a clutch, and you are pulled together, chic and impeccable.

On that note, I have to share my favorite garment I own right now, A Della Dress! It is all those things I want a dress to be, easy, comfortable, light and stylish. I simply throw it on with my favorite sandal and I am off. No thinking is required and I have a polished look. As they skim the body, not grab it, I need no Spanx or any of that nonsense. When I don’t know what to wear to a lunch or dinner or just running errands on a warm day, I can go with it and feel stylish and cool.

If you are a regular reader of this blog you may remember I wrote of A Della Dress before. Andrea the designer, is based in Pacific Palisades and the dresses are all designed and made in California. I love that!! So rare. I like her simple philosophy of just 3 designs.. A shift, a sheath, and a shirtdress. It’s brilliant and who doesn’t look good in one or all of these?

Here’s my newest dress, a sheath, in my garden.

I wore this to my lunch with some lovely blog buddies at Bumble in Los Altos. Love that restaurant and I recently wrote about it. I was nervous about what to wear, lunching these fashionable ladies, Jody, Jennifer and Elizabeth, with me (nice closed eyes), but having my new dress to wear was so great.

They are wonderful kind and fun women. (Don’t they look fabulous?)

I am wearing my Ivanka Trump sandals (on sale now) and an older tote I am crazy about from Banana Republic (similar one here) that goes with everything, especially nice with this dress.

The fabric I picked was from Andrea’s summer 2014 fabric collection.

It’s from her lightweight cotton twill group that is called ‘A Hike in L.A.’ Isn’t that cute?

I choose the Los Lionnes print, and I am loving having yellow in my wardrobe.

It was hard to choose which dress.

I loved this Greek key print too ….

This dress felt very Jackie Kennedy to me. Adored the neutral colors.

Some of the pretty choices.

The cotton ticking stripes were very comfy and soft.

( Testing them out here in my boy’s bath.)

Then there were also the Beach Party fabrics …

These pretties are 100% yarn died linen.

Don’t you love the tags?

The workmanship and details in these made in California dresses are impressive.

The buttons are always unique and striking.

I believe this is a vintage button on the back of my dress.

Look how Andrea added a little hook to hang the dress. She is swims and wanted to be able to take it with her to the gym, hang it and just toss it on after a workout! Brilliant.

Now that is California living!

The buttonholes and beautiful sewing on a shirtdress here.

No annoying tags to stick out.

I ask you, do you own a dress with finished seams inside?

I know how much work this is as my grandmother was a seamstress, and this is a hallmark of a quality dress, but rarely found in today’s world.

In the end I chose chose the sheath with the pockets (crazy for them) and printed twill.

I will be wearing this for many years as it glides over me, I don’t need to stress if I gain a few pounds, or indulge on a holiday.

This is coming with me to Hawaii in a few weeks and will be partaking in as many macadamia nuts and tropical drinks as I am able to!!

Here’s designer and owner, Andrea, visiting me a few weeks ago on one of her jaunts up here in Northern Cal to see some of her retailers.. Adored her coat dress.

If you are interested in purchasing A Della Dress, or knowing more, you can click on my sidebar ad.

Right now if you use the NORCAL code you can get free shipping!

Check out the photos of A Della Dress in Action that customers have sent to her in their dresses when you visit her site. It shows many creative ways of styling these dresses.

Here’s Andrea on a recent trip to Palm Springs in the shirtdress from her summer collection in the Westridge cotton twill. I love how she added the booties with it. She has great style!

I am obsessed with the return of the dress and the ease and simplicity it adds to life!

What about you? Are you a fan of dresses or just rediscovering them again?

Happy June!

Kim

Stuff I Like and Mother’s Day Gift Ideas!

May 10, 2013 By kimwheeler No Comments

Still shopping for Mother’s Day? I had a chance to get out and browse a bit this week and found lots to love. If you’re still needing ideas here’s a few things that would put a little pop into any mom’s wardrobe. I’d be thrilled with any of these. Hint, hint. ;D

I might think about a semi-regular post with good finds… This was so fun!

Here’s a few finds for mom in the mint and citrus tones that I’m loving for Spring and Summer..

From top left clockwise.. Click on names to get to the site..

1. I can’t say how much I love this little key fob/wallet in mint and tan from J.Crew. I want this for my beach bag.

2. This Stella McCartney scarf is a splurge, but the fabric is so gorgeous. I’d never take it off.

3. I’m thinking this J.Crew link bracelet would be chic with whites and has a luxe look to it.

4. Okay how clever is this Kate Spade popsicle coin purse? Perfect for a bike to the ice cream store!

5. I love Tory Burch flip flops and may finally replace my 3 year old ones with this new floral style. I think these are the best $50 upgrade to your Summer wardrobe.

6. The colors of this Cole Haan shopper tote are so pretty and would be super for Summer days at the beach or for travel.

Don’t forget all the special moms in your life! Sometimes just a call, a card or being together is the best gift of all.

Wishing all you moms out there a wonderful weekend!

xxKim

The Bride’s Cafe

What to Wear to a Summer Wedding

May 11, 2012 By kimwheeler No Comments

The Middleton sisters attending a wedding. I love their style.

Are you attending a wedding this season? I am lucky enough to be invited to two this Summer. One is this weekend for my cousin Jill. I am very excited yet a bit stressed about getting my outfit together. It’s an evening wedding and so, a bit fancier than the usual. After getting my two boys and husband’s outfit’s together, I am left with no time to think of myself. Yikes! I trolled the internet for advice or images on what to wear and I tell you, there’s not much out there. It’s every guest for himself and your own instincts. I think there was a cute column in Allure a while back titled: classy, crassy or trashy. For weddings, you should always try to go classy.

Let’s see a few guests.

Patty Hansen & Keith Richards at a wedding. I kind of love this dress. He may not be the best accessory. via REX

Let’s talk day weddings . With all these luscious fruity shades this Spring why not wear one?

This Valentino looks demure, but the sheer arms and shorter length make it appropriately sexy.

Maggie Boutique at Nordstrom.com

Vera Wang Lavender dress Neiman Marcus.com

This Nicole Miller dress really says summer to me. Neiman Marcus.com

Evening weddings require attire more in the cocktail spectrum and a bit of sparkle, lace and a little skin is okay or even expected.

Lauren by Ralph Lauren. This is gorgeous.

JS Boutique- Nordstrom. All you need with this is a sparkly clutch.

Lace is very chic now. This could look good on a lot of ladies. Adrianna Papell at Nordstrom.

This is pretty for a evening wedding with the chiffon and jeweled shoulder. JS Boutique. Nordstrom

Now remember go classy, not crassy or trashy. This means no white or even close to it. Not too much skin. This is not your high school reunion. If you would wear your dress to go out in Vegas, then maybe you need to rethink your choice.

Do only one or two sparkly accessories for evenings only and no pantyhose unless you are close to the Queens age. You need a wrap or cardigan for the church and cooler nights and try to bring a small evening bag. Clutches are perfect. I really like this Drew box clutch from Banana Republic and it does in a cream color too.

Men, let’s see some effort!! You need to wear a tie with a jacket. Yes, you do. Sorry I’ve been to too many California weddings where the men don’t. They just look scrappy. Do you know how handsome you look dressed up? I’m training my men early. Exhibit A:

My boys trying out their wedding suits and Grif my youngest added 3-D glasses to his ensemble!

What are your thoughts on wedding guest attire? Do you have any pet peeves or musts?

Kim