Despite being a fashionista on a budget, I have a guilty pleasure in almost weekly mani- pedis. I can stretch a pedicure a bit longer but for some reason I destroy my manicures in just a few days… sigh. I always go for the same thing- matching colors on my hands and toes (occasionally I do a light pink or white on my hands and something darker on my toes), I always get them cut as short as possible and only wear Essie or OPI. However, as the seasons change, so do my nail polish colors. Last summer I was all about the orange and coral reds, come fall/winter, I couldn’t get enough of purples, dark wine reds and navy blue. This spring and summer I have once again returned to the orange reds, but I have also been feeling bright and light pinks. As you may be able to tell, I love getting my nails done and trend forecasting to my girlfriends about what colors will be hot next. Alas, as the gas prices in LA have topped $4.00 a gallon, I find myself faced with the sad fact that perhaps my habit must be scaled back for special occasions only. I will be pulling out the primer and topcoat and stocking up on my favorite colors. Now I just need to master the even hand it takes to make my nails look perfect! If you’re feeling my gas-pump pain and need to cut some costs, or just need some suggestions of great colors for summer- these are the polishes on my list:

Essie E-Nuff is E-Nuff is a prefect bright summer pink.

Essie It’s in the Bag is my favorite sheer off-white, I always get compliments on this color.

An orange red, like OPI Cajun Shrimp, is a favorite of mine and looks great with metallic summer sandals.

OPI Pink-ing of You is a recent find for me. It is a sheer pink, yet has enough coverage to wear on your toes, and looks great with a bit of a tan.

With Memorial Day behind us summer has officially begun, and with it, our favorite past-time ever: trying to find a new bathing suit! Yes, there is nothing us gals like more than squeezing our not-yet-tan body into swimsuits in front of those always flattering fitting room mirrors. Under florescent lights, of course. And to get you even more excited, here is a bunch of perfectly beautiful and thin models rocking the latest swimwear styles down the runway:

In all seriousness, swimsuit shopping isn’t much fun. But as the above images illustrate, there are so many options out there these days that it is much easier to find a cute bikini or one-piece that works on your body. I suggest buying a few great styles online and trying them on in the comfort, and natural lighting, of your own home. You can return the ones you don’t like and keep the ones you do. Just be sure to read the return policies carefully.

An adorable bandeau bikini from Shoshanna and Carmen Marc Valvo twisted one piece are great pieces to start with:

Photo Cred: Style.com

Obviously Erin Wasson, supermodel and stylist, is a stunningly beautiful woman. As a muse to Alexander Wang and face of countless houses- including Balenciaga, Lagerfeld, Michael Kors, Maybelline, and Giorgio Armani- how could she not be? But what I really like about Erin Wasson is that she looks like she is great time, the kind of girl you want to meet up with for drinks after work or go dancing with. Her huge grin is always on display in her off-the-runway shots and is a perfect accessory to her laid-back style. With her ultra-cool deconstructed aesthetic, it’s no surprise that she and Alexander Wang would begin a collaboration with her styling his shows. I just wish they would invite me to join in on their sweatpants dance party!

Wasson would no doubt approve of these great pieces from Alexander Wang. I am especially obsessed with the button back cardigan:

Photo Cred: NYmag.com, Style.com

Honestly, I look at celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Dita Von Teese and get a bit exhausted. I just can’t understand how they manage to keep up their looks day in and day out. Thanks to the ever present eye of the paparazzi, I see that these women are dressed to the nines even when picking up their kids from school, shopping at Whole Foods or going through the airport. Don’t they ever just want to put on a pair of sweats and a baseball cap when running errands? Ms. Von Teese takes this dedication to whole new level. As a burlesque star, her acts recall the stylings of a by-gone era, and she fully embodies the stage persona she has cultivated even in her personal life. She is not merely always dressed the part, she drives vintage cars, has a vintage pink stove and refrigerator, collects taxidermied animals, chats on the phone in a 1940’s phone station and has an entire bedroom dedicated to her hat collection and vanity. While her devotion is baffling to me, she must be admired for being so passionate about the fashion and style she loves and spends her life celebrating.

A classy black Louboutin sling-back and black velvet cloche will give any outfit a hint of Dita Von Teese’s style:

Photo Cred: Style.com, Popsugar, Jezebel

Sometimes the fashion backstage and front row at fashion show’s can be as inspiring an awesome as the looks coming down the runway. Runway looks are carefully cultivated by stylists and months of merchandising by the design team. What the models and VIP’s are wearing to the shows are impromptu, combine looks from different designers, and can give you a “real world” idea of how to put together an amazing outfit (even if these women may have had the help of a stylist themselves). The looks coming down the runway are often too literal or editorial to make sense on the average girl. Here are some great outfits from behind-the-scenes at resort 09 to give you some summer dressing inspiration:

Diane Kruger at Chanel ads a summer twist to a navy mini-dress with this cute straw hat. Ashley Olsen, at Calvin Klein was chic in a black shift and ubiquitous leather jacket.

Lou Doillon at Dior, she pulls off this menswear look so much better than I. When I wore my tapered wool trousers I heard nothing but teasing. John Galliano and Charlize Theron at, where else, Dior as well. I think you can find just as much inspiration from Galliano’s layered-pirate look as Theron’s bronzed-goddess in ruffled, saturated purple.

Channel Doillon in these Daryl K tapered trousers and Kruger in a cute straw fedora:

Photo Cred: Style.com, Elle.com

I fell in love with the spring 2008 D&G and Dries Van Noten collections for the same reason, the mixed-up pairing of floral prints. While some people may view this as being too “busy” and prefer a more minimilist aesthetic, I think that it takes a certain level of genius to mix conflicting and clashing patterns and create something beautiful and wearable. Elie Tahari combed over archives in Italy to achieve this for resort 2009, and once again I am a huge fan. The prominance of white throughout the prints keeps the collection light, airy and perfect for the season. Some of my fave looks:

While resort isn’t in stores yet, you can get your floral Elie Tahari fix with these cute dresses:

For some, the annual Cannes Film Festival is all about the movies, the premieres, the awards; for some others it’s the parties; of course for me, it’s all about the clothes. While an inordinately large amount of Alberta Ferretti frocks found themselves on the red carpet, my favorite looks were definitely Cate Blanchett in ethereal Armani Privé; Angelina Jolie, pardon the pun, angelic in MaxAzria Atelier; Natalie Portman, chic and charming in both vintage Chanel Haute Couture and Lanvin and Gael Garcia in, well, whatever-the-heck-he-wants; last but not least, Mellody Hobson’s look is deliciously crisp and perfect for summer in the south of France, even though I am not sure who she’s wearing.

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Angelina and Natalie make me want to only wear green and purple for the rest of time:

Photo Cred: Style.com and Natalieportman.com

I’ve been seeing more and more photos of Zoe Kravitz popping up on the blogosphere. Blessed with great genetics- she is the daughter of the beautiful Cosby Show alum Lisa Bonet and gorgeous rocker Lenny Kravitz- she also has an innate sense of style. The 20 year old is a budding actress, most recently in The Brave One and No Reservations. I love how Zoe seems to meld the styles of her uber-chic parents- Bonet’s bohemian aesthetic and Lenny’s rockstar sensibility- to perfectly to create a unique style that is all her own. While she can definitely pull off glamorous (check out the velvet seafoam green dress she wore to the met ball) she looks her best when she dresses like the funky and fabulous 20 year old she is:

Zoe would feel right at home in these cute high-heel oxfords from BCBGirls and chiffon dress from Marc by Marc Jacobs. Try pairing them with black tights to get her look right:

Photo Creds: Popsugar, Denver Post, Black Voices, EW

With Dior’s 2009 resort collection, Galliano clearly took his inspiration from the Palm Beach and Beverly Hills ladies who lunch. Some of the bright prints and bold colors seemed as though they may have been made out of the wallpaper these ladies stripped off their kitchen walls back in the 60’s. These textiles, paired with shaped such as capri pants, caftans, little peplum jackets, and tunics was a bit too Stepford-wife-on-a-technicolor-cruise for my taste. However, there is no denying Galliano’s genius. For an intermediate season such as resort, a designer can get away with having a good time and present a world of luxury, leisure and fun, rather than pushing sartorial boundaries. Galliano’s vision for resort was definitely all these things:

Swoon worthy:

A litte scary:

Wallpaper:

A little Valley of the Dolls thrown in:

The bright color and embroidery on this Tory Burch tunic and the ornate beading on these Bo’em Allure sandals will give you the Dior resort look:

Photo Cred: Style.com

The Polaroid instant camera has a special place in the fashion world’s heart. Model agencies use them to promote their talent, casting directors take instant photos of models to help make their selections, stylists to organize their looks, fashion show producers do the same, designers use them on their boards to organize their collections and, most famously, Cher convinced us all to take polaroids of our outfits in Clueless because she didn’t “trust mirrors”. Unfortunately, the iconic brand announced in February that it will no longer be producing the instant film. The technology is outdated and sales have fallen. So now is the time to stock up on cameras and film before they become extinct. The cameras are a lot of fun even for those not working in the fashion biz, especially for parties and taking shots while playing dress up with your girlfriends. There is nothing quite like a Polaroid instant camera shot with the nostalgia inducing white border.

Stock up while you still can:

Photo Cred: Rony’s Photobooth