Summer Essentials

I am in serious shopping and planning mode ladies. I have so many fun plans on the agenda and started working on all my summer essentials and thought - "why not share them?" I am sure everyone has their own version of summer essentials but there are some staples I think we should all have in our collection that will get us through this season looking fantastic.

At the very top of my must-have list is an amazing pair of nude heels. A classic pair with a twist is important for the workplace but equally important is a pair you can dress up and down for the girlfriend get-a-way, Sunday brunch-fests and so on. When I saw this ah-mazing pair by Joie, my mouth dropped. Seriously. They are even better in person - I promise you. This is one that works for me. Your style may be entirely different. The point is - nude heels.

You can never, ever have enough pair of jeans. The season's coolest trend is a pair of seriously frayed hems. Of course, you can fray the hem yourself on a pair of jeans (check out the fashion girl's guide to fraying your jeans here). Distressed jeans do not seem to be going out of style any time soon; frayed hems are the new spin. I love the look. The straight leg Current | Elliott frayed hem jeans are currently on sale. These would look fab with the nude heels by the way.

Another summer essential, perfect for travel because it is lightweight yet still stylish is the Alexander Wang mini Lia crossbody. It comes in a great neutral color, although there are other colors including a bold red. It has great hardware at the bottom of the handbag which will help protect the leather from scratches and extend the life of the bag. It is classic but the hardware definitely catches the eye. I usually add a new handbag this time of the year. I definitely need to go smaller and stop all the strain on my shoulders from oversized handbags. This crossbody is perfect - and pretty!

Summer is not the time for me to retire my little black dresses (LBDs). There will always be an occasion for me to wear black. I love the sleekness. I love the flexibility of accessorizing with black. I just love what brands do with LBDs. Though this LBD by Dress the Population is a little longer than I would normally wear, I fell in lust with the style. I think you will too. It's simple but chic. It will travel well. On warm nights it won't be too overbearing. I like everything about it. Two thumbs up for this summer essential.