You got a glimpse of this outfit a few days ago because it’s what I wore to the photography meet-up at Alki Beach last weekend. I had first pulled together a bright red jacket with a dark blue denim shirt and matched it with a pair of black cigarette trousers and flats. But Greg reminded me that the red would be hard to photograph in bright sunlight, so I switched to this more neutral and subdued ensemble. 

The outfit, as Kari pointed out, picked up the colours of the scenery. I had unintentionally colour coordinated myself with the sky, water and pebbly beach. 

These are items you have seen me wear many times, along with my only pair of prescription sunglasses and an old colour blocked L.A.M.B bag. I really like to dress down my dressier items — like I’m doing with this silky patterned blazer — so that I can wear them more often. This dressing strategy does mean that I end up with a dressier casual look. But that’s fine with me. Wearing dressy items is very much part of my style.

This is the third and final post on the Half Yearly Sale. My top picks in the accessories category:

• Kate Spade New York ‘Mott Street – Fisher’ Satchel: Modern, classic, retro and totally timeless. 
• Kate Spade New York ‘High Falls – Melinda’ Satchel: Fresh and on-trend.  
• Elliott Lucca Woven Bucket Bag: Casual and versatile. Neutral snakeskin can improve the look of an outfit big time.
• MARC BY MARC JACOBS ‘Back Pocket’ Clutch: Graphic, cheeky and dressy. 
• MARC BY MARC JACOBS ‘Bars & Bells’ Colorblock Tote: Modern, yet so very timeless. This look is always in style. Great for carrying your laptop too. Also available in colours. 
• See by Chloé ‘April’ Duffel: A little darling in either colour. Another timeless style, and the one I want in coral from this list. 
• Nordstrom Ruffle Chiffon Frame Clutch: Romantic and fun. 
• Tarnish ‘Bow’ Scarf: You could transform a very plain top into a pussy bow number with this baby.

If you haven’t seen them already, here are my top picks for clothing and footwear. I hope you enjoyed reading these lists as much I did creating them. Happy shopping!

If the clothing didn’t tickle your fancy, there’s always footwear and accessories. Here are my top picks in the footwear category: 

• Kate Spade New York ‘Shelly’ Pump: I almost bought these darlings in pink, they are that comfortable. Run true to size. Beautifully streamlined and slightly retro. 
• Børn ‘Paydin’ Sandal: Soft leather makes the straps comfortable, as does the cushioning footbed. A versatile metallic sandal that works with everything. Size down half a size. 
• Steve Madden ‘Karroll’ Sandal: Love the covered heel and dear little wedge. These have made my top picks list before and are well worth a look. 
• Söfft ‘St. Malo’ Sandal: If you like a maximal high heeled platform, these are fab and quite comfy.
• Frye ‘Ramsey Kiltie’ Sandal: Love the look of these although I do not know how comfy they are. That said, Frye makes pretty comfortable shoes so you are off to a good start.
• Seychelles ‘Mixed Emotions’ Pump: Adorable. Read the great reviews. 
• Kate Spade New York ‘Isabel’ Patent Sandal: I have a happy client who loves these, although I found them uncomfortable. But then I do have the fussiest sandal feet in the world. They look stunning on the foot. 
• REPORT ‘Marks’ Bootie: Get a head start with Autumn in these. Pick a fun colour. VERY comfy. 
• DV by Dolce Vita ‘Jamison’ Boot: Get another head start for Autumn. Also very comfortable. Love all the colours. These have made my lists before and the reviews confirm how great they are.
• Kate Spade New York ‘Simon’ Pump: I almost bought these in yellow, but the citron stilettos with the striped heels won out. Very lady-like, retro and comfy. Love the yellow. 
• Fidji ‘E827’ Sandal: Fab high-vamped sandal from Fidji who makes very comfy shoes. Goes up to a size US 12.5. 
• Donald J Pliner ‘Dasan’ Sandal: If my feet could handle the thong detailing and we had hot weather, I’d snap these up. So gorgeous!

Be sure to browse through all the colours and phone customer service if your size is not available online. Nordstrom is great at tracking down items when they are sold out. Up next: accessories.

Nordstrom’s end of Spring and Summer 2012 sale is here. It is not to be confused with their Anniversary Sale in July, which is when brand new Autumn and Winter items are bought in at discounted prices for a short period of two weeks. 

There is a LOT on offer. Here are my top clothing picks:

• Tadashi Shoji Asymmetrical Ruched Mesh Dress(Petite): Fits beautifully and has sleeves. Slimming, contouring and forgiving. Remember that you can virtually never find fab cocktail wear when you’re hunting it down. Having something ready in your wardrobe is a great idea. Although it’s petite, it will fit regular height gals too.
• Rachel Pally White Label Short Caftan Dress (Plus): This dress is available every year because it’s a winner. Great fit, flattering length, alluring and comfortable.  
• BOSS Black Belted Shirtdress: Gorgeous colour, thick fabric and slightly stretchy. Exquisite quality.  
• Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique Belted Cap Sleeve Sheath Dress: Great drape, substantial fabric, cool belt and nice colour. 
• Silver Jeans Co. Thick Stitch Stretch Denim Capris (Juniors): The rise is low and they run quite small. Great for petites. 
• Silver Jeans Co. ‘Tuesday’ Denim Capris (Indigo Wash — Juniors): Fab pair of cropped jeans. LOVE the length shown on the model. 
• KUT from the Kloth ‘Bardot’ Skinny Boyfriend Jeans (Transform Wash): Another fab pair of slightly more relaxed cropped jeans. 
• KUT from the Kloth Skinny Boyfriend Jeans: These fit tighter than the ones above. Stay away from this style if you have a wider calf.
• Nic + Zoe Chambray Flirt Skirt: A flared denim-rich skirt for a change. Nice vertical seaming and interesting panels. 
• Phillip Lim Silk Crêpe de Chine Pants: Fun trousers with zippers, patches and drawstring waist. Zip up the zippers and pull up the hems for a pouffy harem pants effect.
• Mimi Chica ‘Challis’ Slouchy Tapered Crop Pants (Juniors): So cute. Perfect for hot weather. 
• St. John Collection Slouchy Crepe Pants: Stunning drape and quality. Elegant and fashion forward. Also available in slate. 
• Nanette Lepore ‘First Crush’ Pleated Pencil Skirt: A skirt with a little more length and fab pleated hemline detail.
• Nic + Zoe ‘Painted Stripe Flirt’ Skirt: The stitched down pleats up top give this a great fit. Cool and covered. 
• MICHAEL Michael Kors Stripe Tee with Ruched Zip Side: Crisp, clean basic. 
• Vince Camuto Zigzag Tiered Jersey Top: Wear it on it’s own, layered over a button down shirt, or under a topper. 
• Weekend Max Mara ‘Nice’ Tunic Shirt: Fun over slim bottoms or as a bathing suit cover up. Love the pockets. 
• St. John Collection Fitted Blouse: If it doesn’t overwhelm my small frame, I’ll take one of these please. Dramatic, clean and beautiful. 
• Foxcroft Long Sleeve Shaped Tunic (Plus): Foxcroft makes the best button down shirts for plus sizes. Truly. 
• Bobeau Drape Neck Shirt: Lightweight, airy and does not require a camisole. Stunning shade of green. 
• Nanette Lepore Stripe Jacket: Impeccably tailored and very bold. Very strong shoulder line. It’s also quite short so consider yourself warned. I’m thinking hard about whether I’ll add this cheerful piece into my wardrobe because it pulled at my heartstrings. Runs small. 
• T Tahari ‘Mariella’ Jacket (Petite): So elegant it hurts. Looks best buttoned-up. 
• Elie Tahari Exclusive for Nordstrom ‘Melissa’ Contrast Trim Jacket (Nordstrom Exclusive): A well cut jacket. Great on a regular height or tall, inverted triangle body type. 
• Gibson Structured One Button Jacket: I have many happy clients in this jacket because it’s soft, stretchy, casual and has a longer back hem. 

Be sure to browse through all the colour options. Call Nordstrom customer service if your size is no longer available online, or just get to the stores and try stuff on! Top picks for footwear and accessories are on their way.