Every four years, the Olympics give even the most non sports fans out there a sense of good old patriotism. With good reason though, this particular event is the only time we come together with other countries in friendly spirits carrying a common goal; a little competition! Held in a uber trendy London this go round, we would be remiss to not talk a little bit about some of the fashion right?

American born and bred designer, Ralph Lauren cultivated Team USA’s opening ceremony ensembles for the third time in a row, and it’s pretty easy to see why. Lauren’s aesthetic perfectly captures that clean cut, preppy and proud image that many non American citizens of the world view us as having. Clean and classic blazers and ascots accompany our signature red, white and blue for outfits that look sleek, not like flight attendant uniforms at all! Controversy ensued when it was realized Mr. Lauren’s duds were actually made in China…but that is a whole different blog post! Other fashion notables at the games included India staying true to their culture in custom Sari’s, Hawaiian esque print shirts for Figi and Bermuda in…bermuda shorts!

One accessorizing aspect we should surely touch on, is the developing trend of flashy nail art! It seems like everyone from celebrities like Katy Perry to our very own lovely clients are decking out their tootsies and fingers with some patriotic paint! Our Olympic athletes even got in on it with decorative red, white and blue french style manis! What better and on trend way to show your pride while cheering on our teams?

If you haven’t already become addicted to blogger and fashion lover extraordinaire Jennifer’s adorable site ‘Just Add Glam’, now is as good a time as ever! Jennifer’s blog gives realistic fashion inspiration through her own everyday wardrobe. An expert mixer, Jennifer combines high and low pieces perfectly to look completely wearable and most importantly, relate able. You would not be surprised to see a pair of Louboutin wedges paired with a dress from Target!

More recently, Jennifer stopped by our Potrero Hill Pinkies, for some ‘glam’ pampering time. As we always say, polished fingers and toes are just as important an accessory as your shoes or bags! Jennifer certainly agreed when her services were completed! After choosing two Essie shades, Watermelon and Bikini So Teeny, Jennifer enjoyed a relaxing mani pedi before being so kind as to pose for some lovely photos that show Pinkies quality polish off perfectly! Check out her blog yourself to view the full article and pictures, http://www.justaddglam.com, and make sure to visit Pinkies soon for your own pampering session!

Well, it is definitely that time of year ladies; the weather starts to get nice, sundresses come out of the closet…the wedding invitations start rolling in. Yes, we are smack dab in the midst of summer wedding season, and dependent on the local and/or the type of wedding you are attending, begs the nearly annual question, ‘what do I wear’? Weddings can be tricky; how nice is too nice? Is my dress too short? Does beige count as white? Etc, etc. No matter what your query may be, one thing is for certain, every wedding absolutely has its’ own dress code, so it is best to be prepared!

Wedding # 1: The Church Wedding. Whether or not it is a terribly conservative wedding, it is just a good rule of thumb to dress more demurely if you will. A sophisticated silhouette like a tea length body con dress will go a long way without sacrificing the cute factor; purchase one in a summery pastel hue with a good pair of open toe sling backs and you are the picture of appropriate prettiness!

Wedding # 2: The Beach Wedding. Chances are, if your friends are having a beach wedding, it is going to be a little more laid back, which lets you have more range with your wardrobe. Waterfall and floral prints work beautifully here! Channel those along with your inner boho into a gorgeous maxi dress (if your feeling daring, hop on the fishtail trend, seen here!) and a dressy pair of flat sandals, because after all you will be walking on hard to balance sand! When all is achieved, you will be the the sweetest one by the sea!

Wedding # 3: The City Wedding. The city wedding is more akin to a high class cocktail party, usually held in hotel banquet rooms or are soirees at really nice houses (ie: mini mansions). This is an instance where you should not be afraid to wear black! Not only is the hue the ultimate on the ‘elegant’ color palette, it is always flattering on every body type; and what is more fun than a perfect LBD? Mix up your fab find with some black peep toe heels to keep the summer feel.           

When it comes to accessorizing, summer weddings are practically synonymous with open toed shoes, which could only mean one thing; if it was ever time for a pedicure, the time is now! Pinkies would be more than happy to help there, while InPink.com could quite possibly provide all of your jewelry needs for the event! More importantly though, whatever you choose to wear to the big day, make sure to enjoy the buffet!

Invariably yes, it was a little late for spring cleaning, but just the other day I was doing my ‘summer cleaning’ of the contents of my overly stuffed closet and was struck to find an inordinate number of cardigans; cardigans, the little thought about but ever present staple in a women’s wardrobe. This incredibly versatile type of sweater, I would wager, is in every one of your closets. So I wondered, how did this garment become so popular yet so over looked?

From Kurt Cobain to Mr. Rogers, the cardigan sweater has been around in pop culture for decades! While the Harvard elite first made it popular with their monogrammed Letterman types, it wasn’t until the one and only Coco Chanel put her tweedy twist on it in the 20′s did it really gain traction. Jump over to the 50′s, and one could certainly conjure up an image of a cardigan, a ponytail and a poodle skirt! Lastly, of course in the 90′s the ‘sweater coat’ cardigan was all the rage when one particular rock star made his mark on fashion. Yes, this little wardrobe standout sure has a history!

Presently though, if we realize it or not, we wear cardigans all the time. Whether you slip yours on over your summer dress, keep one on your office chair to combat the AC, or, if you live in the Bay, just have it on your person at all times for our lovely weather changes, they are an important fashion fixture in our lives! We can easily dress these up, down, sideways; anything! Cardigans are arguably, the most adaptable item of clothing we own! So we thank you cardigans for always keeping us warm yet trendy…let’s just promise not to bring the sweater sets back shall we?