Sandals Archives - Economy of Style

economyofstyle May 14, 2021

The Best Summer Dress Trends To Wear Now

Post-vaccination vacay. Outdoor festival. Day trip to a winery. Summer is almost here, and we might actually have reason to put on our pretty frocks this year. So, what should we wear? Today, I’m rounding up 3 top summer dress trends for 2021.

Saturated Shades

Saturated colors are coming in hot this year, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Bold hues look especially dashing on dresses. So, skip the black and neutral dresses, and reach for your brightest frock. Need some inspiration? I found this poplin mid dress at Zara for under $50.

What I’m Wearing:

Zara dress | Telfar bag | Birkenstock sandals | Fendi sunglasses (shop options for less here)

Sizing: I’m wearing a medium, but a small or even extra small would be a better fit. The top of this dress is very stretchy and the bottom is voluminous.

Color aside, I also love this dress because it offers some cool styling possibilities. The straps could be worn up or draped on the shoulders for a subtly sexy vibe. I’m sure I could get away with tucking them for a strapless look as well. And, of course, with bold color numbers like this one, colorblocking with contrasting colors always offers fresh styling options.

Pastel Palettes

If bolder hues are a bit much for you, but you want to embrace color this summer, this next trend has your name all over it. Pastels hues pack their own power. Pale shades of blue are especially popular this year. So, this tiered dress from Zara was a must for me. It also has puff sleeves. Nuff said, right?

What I’m Wearing:

Zara dress | Zara denim jacket (similar) | Teva sandals (also here) | Jacquemus bag

Fendi sunglasses (shop options for less here) | MaskC face mask

Sizing: I’m wearing a medium in this dress. While it’s oversized, the buttons across the chest and the cuffs on the sleeves fit snug, so I’m glad I took the Zara size recommendation and sized up to a medium.

Fresh Florals

Thought you were over florals for summer? Wait a minute. You must see the amazing collection of pieces featuring this fresh floral print at H&M. There’s something so irresistible about the hand-painted, wild flowers print. I opted for the bandeau dress because showing shoulders is kinda my thing. The print is available on several pieces at H&M though.

What I’m Wearing:

H&M dress ($19.99) | Birkenstock sandals | Jacquemus bag

Sizing: This dress runs large, so size down. I sized down to an extra small.

Shop summer dress trends:

economyofstyle February 8, 2021

Spring Style Featuring Top Black-Owned Fashion Brands

Itching to infuse new life and energy into your spring style this year? A great place would be to start with a few fashion brands that are dominating the digital world right now. To show you what’s possible, I’m tapping into a few of my personal favorites for a look that I hope I can wear out on the town this year. Wishful thinking, right? Whatever the case, I need these luxe-looking pieces by Black-owned fashion brands, in my wardrobe.

Black-owned fashion Brands featured

Hanifa | Shekudo | Brandon Blackwood | Telfar

This entire look is anchored by the Reese Pullover Crop sweater and the Nina skirt in a striking mandarin color. Both pieces are by Hanifa, a go-to brand for bold colors and unique textures. The statement, woven sandals are by the footwear and accessory brand Shekudo. Every spring step would be fun and colorful in these beauties. If you love a good mini bag, Brandon Blackwood needs to be on your radar. This powder blue bag is a perfect choice for spring and summer and pops against the Hanifa set. Move over LV, these must-have gold logo earrings are by the popular Telfar brand (see my favorite Telfar bag here).

economyofstyle August 19, 2020

Fall Trends You Can Rock Right Now

It’s been a year filled with unexpected turns. And, here we are in August. A flashback post on one of my social channels reminded me that we’re usually talking excitedly about fall fashion around this time. It prompted me to begin identifying my favorite styles for the season ahead. I’ll be sharing all those top picks in a series of posts beginning today. For today’s edition, I shopped my closet to showcase the ruffles trend and the puff sleeves trend.

What I’m wearing:

Ruffles

The ruffles trend is going to be huge this fall. I love the drama and interest ruffles can add to otherwise simple pieces. In the right fabric, ruffled items can be versatile too. My ruffle skirt is by Topshop (inventory is very limited now because it’s 50% off). I bought it early in the year, and as you can imagine, I haven’t worn until now. I’m wearing it casually today. But, since it’s a taffeta skirt, I could easily dress it up for a fancier affair.

Puff Sleeves

Thank goodness, right? If you’re a fan of puff sleeves, you’ve probably amassed quite the collection of items with full sleeves. Well, the trend is here to stay. We’re going to see puff sleeves on everything from sweaters to coats. I bought my puff-sleeve denim jacket during a huge Zara sale at the top of the year. It has quickly become a go-to casual topper. No surprise, Zara brought it back (see it here).

It feels good looking forward to the season ahead. Stay tuned for more chats on fall trends. Go here for another fall transitional look.

Fall ruffles trend and more:

economyofstyle July 28, 2020

Fresh-For-Summer Color Blocking

Coming at you with a color boost today. I’m so excited about summer 2020 color trends. The hues are happy and bright. And, as an added bonus, they pair well with each other (summer color blocking). Today, I’m color blocking a couple of my favorite colors, giving a brand new look to an old suit.

What I’m Wearing:

Gap shirt(old) | Shorts (same style new colors) | Blazer (same style new colors)

Fendi sunglasess (sold out, designer sunnies for less here) | Earrings | Sandals | Bag

You’ve seen this yellow shorts suit before (here and here). I wear it often, but I like to style it differently each time. One cool way, I get more wear out of my standout bright pieces is by color blocking. So, no, we don’t all need wardrobes filled with neutrals to achieve styling versatility. Brights can be mixed and matched too.

My paled turquoise shirt pops with the neon yellow shorts and blazer.

My sandals are from Zara. Gosh…with no where to go, I don’t know why I keep buying sandals from Zara this summer. The styles are so interesting, and the price point is low. This print pair, for example, is under $40, but looks quite luxurious.

Of course, I had to coordinate my mask with the overall look. This one is by a local St. Louis designer–Olivia Rae Designs.

Essentials for summer color blocking:

economyofstyle June 10, 2020

Style In A Time Of Social Unrest

Peace, my style friends. I disappeared for a minute there because, honestly, I couldn’t find the words and needed to catch my breath. 2020 has created a perfect, terrible storm, from a pandemic disproportionately affecting my people to the heightened awareness of the longstanding systemic racism in this country. A perfect storm.

I considered tapping into my social policy background, but the truth is social change can be slow and agonizing. Laws can pass quickly when there are huge disruptions to the norm (like what we’re experiencing), but the structure of the current movements pose some unique challenges. I thought about doing the popular thing right now–highlighting black talent (which we do often here)–but that approach seemingly departs from the issues we’re facing. So, what does one do?

I don’t have the answers. I do know, though, that our conversations about style have always served as an important connector. I know you because of our shared interest in style. At the very least, our connection has likely removed barriers that would’ve otherwise kept us strangers. With that awareness, I hope to continue to talk about style here.