Chic and Actually Cheap: L.L. Bean

Leather Driving Loafers in Dark Tan, $49.95
Great for running around shopping, or when your feet hurt too much to rock heels at work. So comfy!

Quilted Riding Jacket in British Khaki, $49.95
Classic with jeans, loafers and a sweater. Even better: skinny jeans, tall leather boots and a long scarf.

Ribbon Belt in Raspberry, $8.95
At that price, grab Navy too. Versatile colors for any season, when you absolutely must wear a D-ring grosgrain ribbon belt.

Double L Cable Cardigan in Lake, $29.95
Make it more than a basic cardigan with a ruffled cami, or full tweed skirt, or leave it open and belted over the cardigan with a bright blouse underneath.

Chic and Actually Cheap: Gap

Doesn't it bother you when you read magazine titles like "Fabulous Finds Under $100!" only to find $85 belts, $99 clutches and $70 rings on the list? Don't get me wrong - I love a great accessory. But $100 for something that don't cover you hoo-ha's does not a bargain make.

Another example: Moschino Cheap and Chic. $1,000 dresses and $600 might be cheap for Anna Wintour, but for many stylish young women, those pieces are not only financially impossible but also impossible to justify.

So I'm doing my own Chic and Actually Cheap hot list, in the season of Best-ofs and Top Tens. For each of my regular shopping watering holes, I'll provide a list of great finds under $50. Almost everything is on sale now, and you can trust there will be even greater markdowns after Christmas. But what's really great is that stuff you'll continue to wear for the next three months are on sale: sweaters, jeans, trousers, skirts, dresses, and even outerwear. No need to buy out of season.

Enjoy!

Chic and Actually Cheap: Gap

European Shift Dress, $49.99
Rock the sexy secretary look by pairing this with tall, open-toe Mary Janes and a cardigan, or rock the contrasts with knee-high leather boots and a cropped leather bomber jacket.

Cropped Textured Jacket, $44.99
Wear it to work with a full skirt, wear it to happy hour with jeans, or wear it to the Met with wide-leg trousers and wire-rim glasses.

Striped Sweater Dress, $43.99
This is best worn with knee-high riding boots and teeny accessories. Let the stripes (and your beauteous curves) be the focal point.

Sheer Ruffled Blouse, $42.99
You absolutely must rock a cami under this or a sweater over this to make it work appropriate, but it'll look Paris-inspired when the blousy top is paired with a structured skirt and black tights.

Tie Neck Tank, $18.99
Beautiful and work-safe with winter-white trousers, or play it safe with black. Bare arms in winter mean you can't pull off a skirt with this top, but it's great for your company Christmas party or for the bar afterwards. Ladylike but sexy.

Button-Closure Sweater, $48
Get it done preppy-style by wearing a polo or Oxford underneath, and letting a button or two go at the bottom. I love the idea of this with a wool pencil skirt.

Favorite Autumn Jackets and How to Wear Them

My favorite piece of apparel could very well be the jacket, in all its carnations. It can make you look professional or edgy, leaves room for contradiction in your outfit, and comes in many weights, lengths and fabrics. Best of all, it instantly pulls an outfit together.

Below are my favorite forms of the autumn jacket, and what outfits go best with them. For optimum figure flattery, keep in mind a few things:

- jackets that hit at the hip and knee are universally flattering.
- look for seaming or belt details that will emphasize your waist, ergo making a feminine silhouette.
- pockets adds volume and attention, so be wary of placement. Breast pockets, for example, draw attention to the girls, so if you're well-endowed like me, try to avoid those!
- double-breasted styles draw the eyes in a horizontal direction, so they can make larger women look boxy.
- mixing a loud jacket with a vibrant outfit is a move only supermodels should attemp in shoots for Vogue. If you're wearing a statement jacket, pair it with solids and classic pieces.

The Traditional Blazer

L.L. Bean Galway Herringbone Jacket, $99
Dress Up: short-sleeved blouse, wool trousers, Oxford boots.
Dress Down: beaded camisole, jeans, bright flats

The Modern Trench

Calvin Klein Belted Trench, $159.99
Dress Up: wrap dress, round-toe heels
Dress Down: cardigan, jeans, pointy-toe heels

The Leather Jacket

Michael Kors, $299.99
Dress Up: short-sleeve blouse, pencil skirt, knee-high stiletto boots
Dress Down: chiffon cami, skinny jeans, almond-toed heels

The Ladylike Jacket

J Crew Pique Andrea Jacket, $230
Dress Up: silk shell, wide-leg trousers, almond-toe heels
Dress Down: silk shell, wide-leg jeans, ankle boots

The Patterned Jacket

Bella Pelle Cotton Jacket, $158
Dress Up: black tulip skirt, round-toe heels
Dress Down: straight-leg dark jeans, black flats, red clutch

Looking Forward to Autumn?

I'll admit it: I'm about as ready to leave summer behind as an angsty teenager, about to enter a junior year full of SATs, APs and other uncomfortable, pressure-cooker acronyms. Every summer I relish the days and nights outside, love seeing my skin less pasty, and gobble up as much fresh fruit, margaritas and crab cakes as possible. Then inevitably, Labor Day looms ahead, bringing with it a goodbye to linen pants, and a return of the three-season pressure that weighs much more than its companions of leather, wool and tweed.

But autumn, I'm trying to convince myself, need not be a death or a goodbye. In summer, I always forget how much I love the season, so busy am I mourning the expiration date on 85+ days, flip flops and the sunroof being open. This year, for some reason, my autumn dread is worse than usual. So for you, and for me, I am compiling a list of reasons to look ahead to autumn. Perhaps composing and reading these comforting, fresh thoughts will get us excited to be in closed-toe shoes and uninstall the air conditioners.

And please, call it autumn. It sounds so much lovelier than fall, which is almost always a negative thing: an unexpected drop for which you aren't prepared, with some sort of a thud to come next. Plus, autumn is a longer, more sophisticated version of the word. My geography teacher would say "autumn" is "the two-dollar word for fall," much as "communism" was the two-dollar word for "everyone share."

I'm still not sure about that last one, but what I am sure of is this: just like flirting with a new guy helps you get over a break up, finding the positive in autumn helps you let go of summer's warmth and bright colors, welcoming a brisk breeze while in your new, cute, cropped trench jacket.

Looking Forward to Autumn!
Exclamation Point!*

A - apple-picking! Followed by baking and mulling. Mmm.

B - boots with jeans and skirts, in black and camel.

C - cashmere. Sweaters, coats, scarves, cardigans, gloves, socks. Love.

D - designers return to structure and substance, which feels refreshing after flowy and relaxed.

E - equinox - the sun setting earlier might be depressing, but makes it easier to sleep early.

F - foliage, one of the best things about New England in October.

G - government days off (Veterans, Labor, Columbus) = long weekend trips!

H - hair is easier to style with less humidity, and it's more comfortable to keep it down.

I - inventing a new fall style for you and your home.

J - jewelry is silver, gold, and sensible again. Turquoise and costume jewelry optional.

K - kids, as in, off the street, off the beach, and out of restaurants. At least during the week.

L - lattes are hot again!

M - meat and potatoes taste good after three months of salad and Evian.

N - nail colors return to dark and sexy.

O - ordering ski passes to be used ASAP!

P - pumpkins! Carving, baking, painting... endless fun with the best gourd ever.

Q - quiet walks on the beach. Wearing a fleece is a welcome trade-off.

R - rallies and tailgates for college football!

S - Sales! Labor Day, Back-to-School, Summer Clearance...

T - tweed jackets and pants, with bright accessories!

U - under the bed, as in, where your bathing suit will be for the next nine months!

V - viewing much-missed fall TV (Entourage, anyone?)

W - weddings - a reason to dress up on the weekend, and cooler temps make them bearable.

X - xcessive hair removal no longer necessary!

Y - you. September and October, void of major holidays, allow you to spoil yourself for once!

Z - zoos. Seriously, the Bronx Zoo is so much more fun in cooler weather, when the leaves change and the monkeys smell less!

So if you're sad about leaving summer behind, listen to a little Bryan Adams, enjoy your Rainbows while you can, and make your own list of things to look forward to beyond August. Your mind and body will thank you!

Cheers,
Hayley

* - Can you name the source of this? Leave it in a comment :-)

For when the night turns chilly...

Sometimes in summer, you need a little outerwear. Just something light, with sleeves, for when the comfortably cool evening turns brisk, like in Maine. Below are some great finds, in the jacket and cardigan arenas. I love the unstructured feel of cardigans in summer, but these jackets are comfortable, and stylish enough for dressier evenings in summer.


JCrew Mini-Patchwork Madras Jacket, $150

Gap Pinstriped Blazer, $59.50

JCrew Silk-Linen Pintuck Cardigan, $78

Gap Belted Roll-Sleeved Cardigan, $49.50

Banana Republic Buttonless Cardigan, $89

Gap Cropped Ruffle Cardigan, $39.99

Banana Republic Denim Jacket, $98

JCrew French-striped Tie Jacket, $158