The Stripe Tee

The stripe tee is an awesome year round basic, but there is something about it that evokes spring and summer for me. Every spring I like to update my wardrobe with one (or two) more stripe tees – who knew there could be so many variations with stripes. This spring I am coveting the Enza Costa orange and blue striped tee (don’t own that color combo yet), love the splash of color it brings to white jeans. And the QSW Bay tee from Quick Silver is the perfect choice to update my basic blue and white strip tee. If you are looking for one with a bit more personality the Chinti and Parker organic black and white stripe tee with yellow pockets could be just the ticket – it’s a new take on the stripe tee.

Did you see your favorite striped tee? If not, let me know what it is.

Clockwise from top left: Chinti and Parker Striped Organic Tee $125.00 www.netaporter.com, Enza Costa Long Sleeve Strip Crew $128.00 www.singer22.com, Feel The Piece Striped Long Sleeve Tee $135.00 www.intermix.com, Colorblock-Stripe Slash Henley $45.00 www.jcrew.com, QSW Bay Stripe Long Sleeve Tee $48.00 www.quicksilver.com, Striped Sunray Tee $42.00 www.madewell.com.

Accessory Report: The Belt – It’s All About The Waist

This season the belt is all about the waist.  A season where Elizabeth Taylor and her 22″ waist would have been in heaven. With pants hitting the waistline for the first time in a while and maxi and midi skirts strutting down the runway that don’t lay on the hip- belts this Spring/Summer are made for the waist (don’t throw away your hip belts though, they don’t belong in fashion heaven just yet).

Belts caught the wave of the color trend and whether skinny or wide, designers had their models in vibrant hued belts that were as bright, not always matching, as the colors of the clothes this season. Fabric belts and rope belts, whether tied at the waist with fringe tassels-very a la seventies-or worn buckled were a designers favorite. The trend of looping your belt under and over, with the end dangling rather than tucked in the belt loops, has continued from fall-it helps to be working with a supple belt, one from a vintage or consignment store with that worn in look works great.

Since this season is all about the waist, where would we be with out the corset belt. This belt helps minimize everyone’s waist size-and who doesn’t love that!

Clockwise from top left: Christian Dior, Miu Miu, Oscar De La Renta, Dries Van Noten, Isabele Marant and Marc Jacobs all from Spring/Summer 2011.

For some more affordable choices…

Clockwise from top left: J Crew Lattice Belt $52.00 www.jcrew.com, For Ever 21 White Rope Belt $6.80 www.forever21.com, Black Suede Tassel Belt 56.00 www.topshop.com, M by Mickael Kors Braided Belt $65.00 www.shopstyle.com, Halston Heritage Skinny Patent Belt $65.00 www.topshop.com, Barney’s Black Preforated Corset Belt $225.00 www.barneys.com