Fashion Me Fabulous

Summer. It's coming soon with it's sunshine, high temperatures, picnics, festival, barbecues, pool parties and so many more events that require being outside in the heat. If you're shopping in any stores right now, you might have noticed that all the so called sun dresses are made of itchy, plastic-y, hot material. They look summery, but they'll bake you. Worry not, I've found a cotton summer dress that can get you through the whole summer for less than $20. Add a cropped cardigan or short-sleeve blazer for the office. Don some walking sandals, a fun sunhat and cute sunglasses for a day the fair. Dress it up with high heels, jewelry and a cute wrap for evenings. The possibilities are endless. It's even cute when you layer two different colors. The fit is beautiful. Compose of 95% cotton and 5% spandex, it fits close to the body through the top and flares gently, which means it works even if it doesn't line up perfectly with you waistline. This dress is...

Did you try the Unicorn Frappucino last weekend? Or were you not up for the long lines and sour sugar bomb? Either way, make a more lasting unicorn statement with a little magical fashion. If you want a subtle way to show your unicorn love, a little rainbow highlighter or a chic necklace add a touch of magic to any outfit. Rainbow Highlighter, Forever 21, $5.90 | Geometric Unicorn Necklace, Amazon, $15.80 A rainbow dress is the perfect backdrop for any unicorn accessories, while a skull shirt brings an edge to the super sweet unicorn look. Tie Dye Maxi, 6pm, $27.54 | Unicorn Skull Tee, Hot Topic, $22.90 Take your unicorn to work with a basic button down or skate around town in this unicorn dress (which comes in a bunch of colors). Unicorn Blouse, Amazon, $55 | Unicorn Skater Dress, Amazon, $22.99 From the front, these unicorn leggings look like painted rocks, but from behind, it's all unicorn. Don't let a little rain dampen the magic with a packable...

Valentine's Day fashion doesn't have to be sugary sweet. Add some appropriate edge by ditching the cutesy hearts and flowers and going for something more anatomically correct. We've all seen anatomical heart necklaces, but this elaborate Lace Anatomical Heart Choker takes the statement to a whole new level. ( Hot Topic, $12.90 ) If dressing up for Valentine's isn't your jam, go casual with this Anatomical Heart Oversized Top . There's no reason not to be cozy for a low-key date night. ( ThinkGeek, $24.99 ) If dressing up is your style, make sure you stand out from the red, pink and heart-covered dresses everyone else is wearing with this  Anatomical Heart Dress . ( OhMeOhMyClothing, Etsy, $86.50 ) Whether you love Valentine's Day and want to be decked out literally head to toe for the holiday, you hate the cheesy love stuff and want to hide your holiday tribute, these  Anatomical Heart Socks are perfect. ( Amazon, $11.99 ) Which anatomical h...

You may have noticed a lull in content on FMF. A lot of that has to do with the state of fashion right now. We're not big fans of what's in stores at the moment, which is making both shopping and blogging a bit of a challenge. Recently, I made a surprising fashion discover, or rediscovery. I haven't shopped at Hot Topic since high school, but they sell cool fandom stuff now. I went in for Pokemon, and came out with a few new dresses. Surprisingly, Hot Topic has a wide variety of cut dresses that look quite different from the same dresses I'm seeing everywhere else. They have the typical, edgy fair you'd expect from Hot Topic, but not all of it is fit only for teens. This Black Moto dress ($40) and Aquamarine skull dress ($20) have a fun edge but have simple enough designs to still be versatile. Most surprisingly, Hot Topic has plenty of retro, adorable clothing like these two looks. The Red and Black Polka Dot Romper ($32) and the Navy Sailor Dress ($79, pl...

This is a power dress. It's the sort of simple dress with an eye-catching detail that lets your inner star shine. It's all about the skirt with it's sexy-sweet dip, abundant pleats and beautiful movement. It's hard to not feel stunning when your skirt swishes. The top is so plain and modest, you can really style it however you want. Red heels and a simple gold necklace? Lovely. Biker boots and a cropped tee? Why not? Beige ballet flats and a silk scarf? Perfect. There are a few black versions left, but I'm partial to the skin and eye-highlighting blue. This dress is $90 at ASOS and worth it .

It's well into sundress season, and I find I'm a bit short on suitable dresses. This summer is presenting long days of dashing from brunch to grad party to picnic to a backyard cookout to a bonfire. These days are fun, but an all-purpose dress is much more practical than trying to dash home to change between events. I like a dress with straps (and maybe even pockets!) that looks nice layered under a sweater. It gets bonus points if it looks equally cute with wedges or cute tennis shoes. Which dress best fits your summer fun? Short sleeve summer dress with pockets by ZenbClothing 70s-inspired basic midi dress by mojonet   Loose-fitting cotten sundress by Sophiaclothing Pleated drop waist dress by theclosetlover Jersey day dress with pockets by Lirola poll by twiigs.com

Wedding season is coming up. becca's going to a ton. So are her friends. So are my coworkers. I don't have any weddings on the docket for this year, but I still like shopping for pretty dresses to wear to weddings. They make good date dresses. In June, my husband and I will be celebrating our eighth anniversary. We have lunch together every day. We take walks and hold hands. We have date nights once a week. Some people think it's silly to behave this way. "My husband and I grew out of that years ago," they say. But my husband and I are practicing being cute old people. Weddings aren't happily-ever-afters; they are beginnings. You have to fall in love everyday if you want to see it through to the end. Now, schedule some time, get dolled up, and have a date night with someone you want to fall in love with every day.* yellow eyelet sheath dress, Old Navy $37 pale green pleated dress, Mod Cloth $130 navy sexy sheath dress, ASOS $75 aqua draped faux wra...

A good dress is hard to come by (at least for me as we are currently living in a fit and flare world, which doesn't fit or flatter my shape). A good dress that is versatile, cute and has pockets(!), is ever harder to come by. This flutter sleeve dress by Kensie from Macy's is perfect. The zipper in front adjusts so it can be warn zipped up, or unzipped with a cami. The flutter sleeves means it works out if you have a dress code at work that requires sleeves (I do), but they are open enough to let you wear a long sleeve tee underneath. They will also work with a jacket or cardigan layered over top. The dress comes in six solid colors in sizes XS to XXL for $78 or in a grey print in sizes XS to L for $55 (use Macy's coupons. They are pretty easy to get). I would own several colors if Kensie would just make it in a material I am not allergic to. Sigh...

Minimalism has been a growing trend for the last year. This is not the season for rhinestone heels, tutus, and flower embellished cardigans. (Although we're totally still wearing that because that's who we are.) It can be a tough one to pull off if you don't have the budget for luxury fabrics and fine tailoring. Or if you are a foofy girly girl as described. Minimalism doesn't mean you have to buy a jersey tube dress from American Apparel. (Never do that.) Nor does it mean you can only wear neutral colors. Who wants to celebrate spring in black and beige? Modern minimalism is a high-impact look with few frills, a classic dress in your shape's ideal silhouette. The point is that people will say, "Wow, you look amazing!" not "Where did you get that amazing dress?" Try everything on and put on your best deerstalker cap to look for small details. Less is more. And in a couple years when more is more, you can top this season's dress with that fl...

It's sort of like a scuba dress but thankfully not made of neoprene. It's body conscious at the top and flared at the bottom. So it highlights your boobs and skims politely over your butt and belly. This dress is so courteous to my figure, it might have been made in Canada. It fits like an expensive dress with lots of good tailoring, but it's really just a simple cut with well-placed piping. When I tried it on this weekend, I almost took a picture in the dressing room to send to everyone in my contacts saying "I'm damn sexy." There is a black and white geometric print and a blue abstract print available, but I like the solid colors the best. I bought the cobalt blue one and may buy more. For $27.99, you can't find a more flattering dress this spring.

Reader Rosa asked how to wear a shift dress when you have broad shoulders without it just hanging like a bag. Shift Dress Bag Syndrome is a common problem for women of all builds. While you can get away with practically any style right now, most styles still emphasize the waist. So how do you wear a waistless dress? Shifts come in a few different shapes. They can range from a boxy to billowy. Some fabrics cling and others are structured. You may need to try on several types of dresses to find what suits you, but don't give up just because one dress looked terrible. There is a shift out there for everyone. Shifts have to be tried on. The number one tip to prevent Shift Dress Bag Syndrome is to look for darts -- those little seams that allow for curves -- at the breasts. The idea of a shift is that it looks like it goes straight from the armpit to the bottom hem, skimming the hips and skipping the waist. That's the look, but that doesn't have to be the construction. Darts...

Not sure that I will need a party dress for playing with toddlers and smiting yetis in Dungeons & Dragons this New Year's Eve, but that doesn't mean I don't want a party dress. This year, I'm thinking the sparklier the better. But I included some lace and leather dresses for those of you who aren't feeling the sequins. Top: red sequin and feather dress, Jessica Simpson at 6pm $80 (sale) (want!) contrast lace sheath, Donna Morgan on Amazon $178 hot pink dolman sleeve maxi dress, ASOS $91 silver scroll and cutout sheath, Jax on Amazon $62 metallic blue faux leather fit & flare,Ivy & Blu on Zappos $111 (sale) (want!) Bottom: gold lace fit & flare with cutouts, Mod Cloth $58 white shift with gold detail, Ruche $49 pink sequin skater dress, Ruche $49 Top: purple faux leather stripe sheath, Aidan Mattox at Neiman Marcus $177 (sale) white and sequin tulip dress, Revolve Clothing $109 red and lace maxi, ASOS $137 black lace shift, Ruche $...

A couple weeks ago, I got a great sweater dress by Max Studio. It's one of those dresses that fits like it was tailored for my body, and makes me look like a movie star. But as I purchased it at Marshall's for a song on clearance, it's nowhere to be found online. As compensation for this horrible blow, stores are conspiring to give us plenty of beautiful sweater dresses this season. No matter if you want something sexy or prim, clingy or loose, cable knit or colorblocked, you can find it this season. Top: cowl neck rhinestone dress, Victoria's Secret $70 (sale) sleeveless cable knit, Target $35 stripes shift, Nordstrom $98 Bottom: tapestry sweater dress, BB Dakota at Nordstrom $88 purple pleat skirt sweater dress, Target $35 paper people sweater dress, Mod Cloth $80 Top: contrast collar sweater dress, Target $35 jade bow dress, Mod Cloth $110 ribbed turtleneck dress, Max Studio $228 Bottom: grey cable knit dress, Old Navy $43 polka dot dress, Kensie at...

As Jael posted a few weeks ago , summer is a time for travel. That travel may be for fun, but it may also be for events like conference, weddings, family reunions, etc... Recently I had to travel to Florida, in the summer, for a work conference. It was hot and I had to look professional not wilted. It was also a super quick trip so I didn't check a bag. Everything had to be crammed into a carry on. I love jersey dresses for just about any type of travel. A simple dress works under a blazer for business-y things. Drop the blazer and add some jewelry and heels for the evening out. Or skip the fussy accessories, don some simple sandals and head out for an afternoon walk on the beach. Most jersey materials wrinkle minimally in a suitcase, and the minor wrinkles fade quickly after a brief stay on a hanger or even a few minutes on the body. They are also easy and comfortable in case you need to wear them on a plane, train or in a car. To get the most wear out of a jersey dress, I loo...

This summer I am doing a thorough assessment of my wardrobe -- what it has, what it needs, and what is wearing out. One of my needs is a white dress for summer. While I am a noted loather of beige, I adore white. It is so clean and accepting of my wild accessories. White cotton doesn't get much more summer chic. I think I will add both The Gap's gauzy shirtdress and J. C. Penney's eyelet sundress to my watchlist. Top: maxi shirtdress, ASOS $127 geometric lace shirt, J. C. Penney $51 (sale) gauzy shirtdress, Gap $60 eyelet fit and flare dress. J. C. Penney $65 Bottom: sleeveless sheath dress, J. C. Penney $45 lace 60s shift, Nordstrom $188 cotton sundress, Old Navy $37 (sale) fit and flare skater dress, ASOS $70 Do you like white dresses or do they pose a cleanliness issue? Too bridal? Which dress suits your summer needs?

As you've heard a hundred times by now, black and white is in this season. While that doesn't always translate well into summer, warm weather is woven in the threads of black and white gingham. It's both classic and quaint. The gingham "Studio Sweetheart" dress from Mod Cloth has a nice 1930s style and a comfortable shape. Even so, it's not an outrageously cool dress. But wait! There's more. In addition to sleeve shortening epaulets, there are strings underneath the dress that allow you to shorten and balloon the hem. So cute and fun! It reminds me of the Homecoming Queen Skipper doll I loved so much as a kid.* Do I want to pay $140 for it? That's a bit much even considering that it's two dresses for the price of one; however, I will certainly be watching for it to go on sale throughout the season. *She wasn't well loved just because of her awesome dress. My 17 year-old-brother spontaneously decided to buy me, his 5-year-old sister, t...

Right now, most dresses in stores are fit and flare. They are adorable if you can wear that kind of thing, but I can't. My natural waist is a little too high to line up with most of the waists on the dresses. This means the dress floats upward, bunches and tends to make me look wider than I am. Thankfully, The Great Gatsby has inspires some 1920s styles so the drop waist is becoming easier to find. Nothing about my shape suggests a drop waist would look good on me, but it does. (I just bought one at T.J.Maxx while shopping with Jael this weekend). What dress shapes works best on you? Have you tried drop waist? Pictured: Pleated Drop Waist Dress, Loft, $89.88 Nugget Print Drop Waist Dress, Loft, $69.88 Lace Drop Waist Dress, Nordstrom, $99 Pictured: Striped Drop Waist Dress, Modcloth, $34.99 Fancy Pleat Drop Waist Dress, Nordstrom, $52.80 (want!) Textured Drop Waist Dress, jcpenny, $40 Pictured: Gathered Drop Waist Dress, ASOS, $59.40 Wide Stripe Drop Waist Dress...

Every year the ladies of my church have a tea. It's really more of a luncheon, but it always involves good food, good talks and fabulous decorations. I love to dress the part with a cute tea party dress. These dresses are all under $100. They work for a variety of spring and summer occassions and most of them can be dressed up for a wedding, dressed down for a picnic or even styled for work with a summer-weight jacket. China lace dress, Nordstrom, $70 Fit & flare floral dress, jcpenny, $33 (on sale) Rose print peplum dress, Target, $50 Paisley print dress, Loft, $98 Garden print dress, Forever 21, $25 Retro ribbon midi dress, Anthropologie, $70 (on clearance)

All of these dresses are $80 or under -- most of them well under. They all offer a unique style that will have people thinking you paid twice as much as you did. You shop so smart. Top: navy and orange bird print fit and flare, eShataki $80 collared lace dress, Ruche $40 blue striped fit and flare, J. C. Penney $50 (the pictured plus is $55 ) orange white and navy wrap, Macy's $69 yellow color block sheath, Kolh's $$32 (sale) Bottom: purple pleat front contrast trim fit and flare, eShakti $70 cream lace with peridot sleeves, Mod Cloth $58 green wallpaper dress, ASOS $70 funky floral shift, eShakti $63 pinky purpley floral, J. C. Penney $40 Truth is, we love dresses. Make sure you follow us on Facebook for more great spring fashion that we just couldn't squeeze in here.

My annual "Ooh, Spring!" dress post is usually hard to edit. I want to wear all the pretty things. This year is even harder as it's nearly April and still below freezing. Where are my daffodils?! Guess I'll just have to wear them and think warm thoughts. My desire for spring has lead to less editing than usual, so please enjoy the wealth of very pretty dresses I cannot wear at the moment. Ugh. Where are my thermals? Florals Top: roses on black, Mod Cloth $90 full skirted retro shirt dress, Pin-up Girl Clothing $118 yellow and blue daisy fit and flare, Nordstrom $128 green maxi dress, Mod Cloth $73 Bottom: pale pink silk maxi dress, Anthropologie $198 green sheath dress, Mod Cloth $145 blue cowl neck sheath dress, The Limited $90 (50% off with code) floral explosion white shift, Anthropologie $178 blue maxi dress, Macy's $40 (sale) Lace/Embroidery neon pink and nude burnout lace dress, Mod Cloth $160 blue and white embroidered dress, Anthropo...