Summer is coming on fast and furious. There wasn’t enough Spring for me. Remember when we had coats and jackets specifically for Spring? Now we jump from Winter to Summer.

Here are a few suggestions for Summer 2022.

1) Retire and store rigid denim for Summer 2022 and replace with baggy jeans.

2) Consider letting go of basic leggings and look for split hems. Moving into Fall you will see stirrup pants surfacing again.

3) For Summer, less neutrals, more color.

4) Big this year- linen and linen blends in pants, shorts, tanks and button up shirts.

5) Tiered dresses and Slip dresses for those who have the body for it.

6) Jewelry- ankle bracelets and hoop earrings.

7) LOTS of color. The color that appears to be dominating this summer is Cobalt blue which is a great color for all complexions.

8) Handbags- Fringe on handbags is trending this year. This look will also carry over into the Fall. I love fringed trims. I have two bags with serious fringe that I would never retire in my collection. One is a bright green leather that will be perfect this Summer for both the fringe and the color. I have had this bag for over 15 years, and it is still a beauty. The second fringed bag I have will be great for this Fall. It is chocolate brown suede. This bag is probably 20 years old and is also still stunning. It is very bohemian. Another look that is happening in bags is beading. And Summer is always about straw bags. Bags with round handles are prominent this year.

9) Shoes- heeled sandals with “glass heels” are very “in”. Can you say Disney Princess?? The heels are opaque acrylic, Lucite or vinyl. The trick here is to wear the sandals as an everyday shoe. Sneakers are still very “in” for any type of outfit or outing.

10) Always for Summer- straw hats and sunglasses.

Here are some photos of displays at Bloomingdales for May and June

Spring is a long time coming this year! I kept waiting for the season to “bloom” to write this blog. Now, I’m thinking I better get this spring blog out because I think we are going to jump right onto summer. This morning I left the house in a sweater and a quilted jacket. May arrives this weekend! This weather is crazy.

Time to bring your closet forward. Here’s what to look for and what to add.

Bright, Bold colors are everywhere. Add orange, yellow, pink or green for every day. Think Kool-Aid colors. Bright prints are a great addition. Psychedelic prints are surfacing. Tie-dye prints and florals continue to be strong. Feeling retro? Go for Gingham checks. All of these colors and prints go back to crisp white. For the faint of heart, this color explosion can be achieved with accessories. Simultaneously neutrals and soft shades are around in head-to-toe dressing for a monochromatic look.

Handbags: seen in all of these bold colors and there are also a lot of prints available in handbags this season.

Shoes: there are statement embellished shoes, open back and open toe. There are styles with both open toe and open backs. Mary Jane flats are trending. Retro sneakers are all over being worn with denim or dresses.

Pants: wide leg trousers, lots with cargo pockets and pleated fronts. Denim is also shown with wide legs or flared legs. Lots of white denim in both straight leg of flared.

Dresses: lots of dresses; feminine maxi dresses, midi length dresses, an abundance of white, and lots of prints.

Details: all over lace, eyelet, sequins and shine. Blouses are loose fitting, peasant styles, asymmetric hems, beaded tassels as neck strings, puff sleeves. Ruching details are on dresses, blouses, skirts, jackets and even on shoes and handbags. Cut-outs are being done either at the shoulder, waist or back.

Must have accessories: oversized hoop earring, a bucket hat and a headband.

Here are some floor displays for early spring at Bloomingdale’s.

Next up: summer fashions

My nephew Dennis and Donna sent me a gift from Breck”s Gifts. It is a bulb garden. It has been a source of joy since I opened the box.

At first, I thought they had sent me a basket of dirt! And I said to myself, that’s OK, it’s the thought that counts.

Each morning it was my first stop when I came downstairs.

left to right: 2/16, 2/19, 2/20

left to right: 2/22, 2/26, 3/2

And here it is on 3/5. Tulips, hyacinths, mini stars of Bethlehem. I added the Butterflies because I like Butterflies and they give the stems support.

Imagine, a whole garden in my living room in 18 days. And it is still blooming! The Gift That Keeps on Giving. I thank them every day when I send them a photo of the garden’s progress.

Sounds pretty fancy, right? For those lucky enough or daring enough to be planning a trip you need to know what’s up for trends for this bonus season.

For 2022…

The Bright Stripe. Go for absolutely joyous combinations of colors and sizes of stripes. This is a fun dressing trend. Everything is bright and beautiful.

And on the other hand…

Neutrals. Tonal dressing. Designs for this category have clean lines, and different textures are layered all in the same neutral shades.

And the third category is “Sense of Craft” according to Bazaar. Kick up everyday style with handmade accessory details such as crochet, beading and leatherwork. Best pieces for this category to work are hats, bags and jewelry.

All this is fun to think about as a Nor’easter rolls in tonight.

And always remember

How To Wow Now, Transitioning in Style by Elaine. I have been blogging since May 2015 and I have been through many transitions. My personal transitions have been retiring from a 43-year career in fashion, the death of my parents, selling the family home and the ultimate transition that I am going through now, the death of my husband.

I’ve kept you in the loop on colors for each season, fashion “must haves” and what gifts to give to everyone. I’ve shared trips to my favorite retailers, including Nordstrom AKA “the Mothership”

You have traveled with us on road trips in the states and I shared our European adventures with you, including portals from all over Europe. Portals are my favorite thing to photograph.

Over all, LIFE has been very good to me. I have had my share of bumps in the road, but my life with Tom was about as perfect as it gets. For that I am grateful. Right now, I am going through this huge transition of not having Tom with me and it is a long and thorny road that I’m on. So far, this is not my decade, but I have HOPE that this will improve.

For my 100th blog I have chosen a piece of graphic art I purchased as a potential tee shirt screen print for the company I worked for. I kept a copy of the art and I have it taped on the inside door of a kitchen cabinet. I see it daily as I reach for a cup for my coffee each morning. I think it is one of the best things I have ever read, and it has carried me through all of the transitions in my life. As You Go Through Life Make This Your Goal, Keep Your Eye On The Doughnut Not On The Hole. I hope that it resonates with you. I look forward to writing and sharing many more blogs with you in the years ahead. I hope that you enjoy them.

I have decided that my word for 2022 is HOPE.

I always reflect on my life at the end of one year and the beginning of another. I am sure that most of us do. 2021 was another year of heartache for many and certainly a traumatic year for most. It was not a year that you could make plans for anything. And just when you think it is getting a little safer to resume activities, BAM! here’s another variant. Or something else gets thrown at you that can be life-altering.

One can read from a variety of sources that what you think, you become; what you feel, you attract; what you imagine, you create. Jude King, PhD says “Where Your Thoughts Go, Your Life Follows”.

Be kind, sit in stillness and HOPE for the best.

I intend on starting and ending each day with HOPE in my head and HOPE in my heart. Anyone want to join me?

I always give you a heads up for color each season. The color palette has been out for several months. It is determined months ahead of the season so that companies can plan their colors and have time to produce fabrics and merchandise. Let’s hope all of the supply chain problems are resolved before you want to add to your wardrobe for Spring 2022.

Pantone is the best source for color. Leatrice Eisman is the Executive Director of the Pantone Institute. For 2022, “Diverse and distinctive colors come together to create a palette blending comfort and familiarity with unexpected delight”.

I have already shared with you the color Very Peri as THE color for 2022. (See blog from December 12, 2021). Here is the palette for Spring/Summer 2022 New York. I think that it is a great mix of soft and saturated colors.

VERI PERI is a newly manufactured color by Pantone. This is the first time the company has made a new color for Color of the Year rather than using one of their existing colors. “We have a new color, because we have a very new vision of the world now” says Pantone Color Institute’s Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman. She continues “It is literally the happiest and the warmest of all the blue hues. Because of the red undertone, it introduces an empowering feeling of newness, and newness is what we’re looking for.” Eiseman goes on to say “The color symbolizes the future, (it) has that sprightly, joyous attitude that we’re talking about, that carefree confidence, and creative spirit”.

Color is such a communicator of mood and attitude. I love this new color!

There is lots of conversation on the difficulties this year with supply and transportation for gifts for the Holiday Season. Thought I throw out a few suggestions!

FOR THE WOMEN…

The BEST gift to get for any woman on your list is a silk pillowcase. It is great for the hair and skin. This is one of my all time favorite gifts (thanks B&J). Check on Amazon.

For the women in your life keep it cozy! There are several items perfect for this. Look for sherpa lined slippers or for that matter sherpa lined anything! Muk Luks has some great sock sets on QVC. There is a set of 4 pair of aloe infused cabin socks. I can tell you that these are quite fabulous. I gifted them last year and I’m glad to see they available again. On QVC there is another set of socks called “12 days of Socks Advent Calendar”. It is a great gift for $24.97. Cozy too, can be a cashmere sweater. Isaac Mizrahi has a great 2 ply cashmere sweater on QVC.

Gifts of fragrance are always well received. Two bath and body lines I love are Philosophy and Perlier. The best sets for Philosophy can be found on QVC. Nordstrom has some nice sets too, but the assortments and values at QVC are the best. I like to layer fragrance for the best impact- shower gel, body cream and then a body spritz or Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette. Perlier is another great line and there are many items to select from at HSN. If you are looking for a very light perfume try the Aromatic Elixirs. I have tried Ginger and Orange Blossom and both are delicious, very light scents.

For handbag lovers Dooney and Bourke has some great sales going on. Go to IloveDooney.com

FOR THE MEN

Last year I gave the important men in my life a HALO BOLT that was a combo jump starter/charger/light. I was quite the hit. This year I’m looking at wireless charging pads. I am waiting for additional things to catch my eye.

FOR EVERYONE

FOOD FOOD FOOD WINE WINE WINE

In the food category there are, of course, the very familiar stand-bys. Omaha Steaks is offering all kinds of combination packages. Hickory Farms, as always, has some fabulous gift boxes and baskets.

I would also like to recommend Pappas Seafood Co. They offer Maryland’s Best Crabcakes. And they really are!! Not inexpensive but worth it. There is an item called “Bucket of Balls” (yes, that is what they call it) and it is 50 oz of crab mix to make crab cakes or crab balls. Take it from me, this is good!!

Another recommendation is from Perfect Gourmet (see QVC). They have a selection called Classic Potstickers and they are great.

For those with a sweet tooth try Mrs. Prindable’s apple assortments. QVC has a variety of assortments to order and you can give these chocolate apples to several people. It’s great for those who you want to remember with a small gift. They will really appreciate it.

• 

• 

• 

That brings us to WINE. A suggestion is a wine subscription with Bright Cellars. This gift of wine comes with a survey for the receiver to fill out to create a taste profile and then wines are matched to your taste. This is a great idea and it takes the guess work out of making a selection for someone if you are not sure of their taste.

Another place to order from is QVC, I have two assortments going right now and the wines have been really good. Look for Vintage Wine Estates. There is quite a selection of wines, vineyards and number of bottles per order. I just love having the wine delivered. Prices are really good.

Time to get moving on your Holiday shopping. I am really happy that I have already finished shopping for my Grands. Now I just have to focus on the rest of the clan. Enjoy.