Scoop Neck Dress

The Look

Warm summer days call for breezy natural fabrics like cotton and loose fits. This MICHAEL Michael Kors dress fits both of those requirements. It features a yummy mocha color (also in orchid) and puff sleeves.

Why We Love It

The straight fit of this shift covers a multitude of body sins. The low scoop neck is very flattering for the face, but it also visually lengthens the body. The price is reasonable because the embroidery adds a special look to the dress. Most of all, the natural cotton fiber and loose fit are perfect for hot weat

Vince Motorcross Leather Jacket

This yummy Vince leather jacket is even better looking in person (I've been admiring it in a store for quite some time). With its sleeker-than-most styling (I love the mandarin collar and lack of flaps, folds and other distractions), it makes the perfect "It" leather jacket of the season. Another great point are the less-harsh-than-black colors of army green or charcoal to choose from: both of these neutrals will go with almost anything that black will.

Cowl-Neck Budget Sweater Dress

Old Navy's winter white dress (comes in other colors, too) features a face-flattering cowl neck, above-the-knee length and 3/4-length sleeves. Wear it with leggings, tights or bare legs and boots. Under $40 in regular, tall and petite sizes.

How to Wear Patterned Tights

One of the easiest ways to add some texture and interest to a basic black dress is to add patterned tights. Most of the best looks feature an open-work pattern that lets your skin peek through to show texture (they work much like fishnets but in different patterns.) Here's how to make them work:

Choose smaller repeating patterns for the most subtle look. In my photo, right, I chose a vertical open-work stripe from Span x ( buy direct) to elongate my legs.

Pair patterned tights with simple dresses or tunics: a basic black knee-length dress in jersey, sweater knit or crepe works beautifully with patterned tights.

Almost any shoe works great with patterned tights, even open-toed shoes.

Tone-on-tone looks (black tights with a black dress) are the easiest and most flattering way to wear this look.

What to Wear Now: Oversized Sweater Cardigans

Push that wimpy little lightweight sweater to the back of the closet this season. The newest sweater silhouette is an oversize sweater cardigan. Hitting anywhere from below the hip to knee-length, the chunky oversize sweater is the perfect cozy option for milder days; it is also perfect for indoor offices that are too chilly to go sweater less.

Wear your oversize cardigan sweater with slimmer bottoms: skinny jeans or leggings tucked into tall boots are ideal. Because it's such a bold shape, you can easily carry off stronger pieces of jewelry with it like statement necklaces, layers of necklaces and big cuff bracelets. One way to look taller and slimmer is to wear a top (layering tee, long-sleeve tee or other top) in a matching color as the oversize cardigan.