Fall is my favorite fashion season because it’s all about transitioning; changing your wardrobe, slowly but surely, over to winter wear. With cold weather comes adaptations, and that also applies when it comes to clothes! Today, I’m taking a summery dress and showing you how to wear it on Indian summer and early winter days. Presenting the Floral Ruffle Dress (no points for creativity) from Wet Seal.

This cute, patterned dress features a black shell with a printed chiffon overlay. The unique florals feature tiny red and light pink flowers. It has a scoop-neck top and elastic waist, along with a cape-like top and sleeves. The whole dress is very forgiving and flattering – sure to suit many unique body shapes. Like I said, we’re going to explore how this dress fares in different climates.

Let’s start with warm.

On a warm day, a chiffon dress is a great choice. I chose red floral flats that perfectly compliment the print of the dress. The light pink leatherette purse will fit all your school supplies or necessities for a day of shopping, while also matching the pattern. A brown belt is a cute way to break up the dress and add even more definition at your waist. Top it off with simple accessories (pearl studs, a charm bracelet) and you’re ready to go!

And now onto a chilly day.

Dresses are surprisingly good for cool days too! Just add a pair of tights or leggings underneath and a neutral cardi to stay warm. Because the dress’ base is black, I stuck with that. Add a pair of boots in brown or grey as to not blend in the with leggings. The purple purse is very winter-y, but also matches the vampy red florals. Top it off (literally) with a black beanie, which serves the purpose of keeping you warm and also looks very boho-chic. I stayed with simple pendants for the jewelery, as the dress is already detailed.

And it’s that easy! Tights and cardis are your main weapon in the quest to winterize your wardrobe. Don’t be afraid of purchasing sundresses like this one at the end-of-summer sales going on now; you can definitely wear them throughout the winter.

Dressing for a wedding is just like dressing up for any other special occasion, but there are a few rules to wedding fashion. The first and most important of these: don’t upstage the bride. This means no white, of course, but also nothing too flashy or revealing. And if the ceremony is in a house of worship, keep your shoulders and cleavage covered up out of respect. But that doesn’t mean what you wear has to be boring!

In fact, summertime wedding fashion is all about having fun — bright colors and playful patterns fit are perfect for these kind of occasions. And the best part? You don’t have to spend a lot to look great at any wedding you attend this summer — all of these dresses would be perfect for a summer wedding, and they’re only $20 or less each!

While you continue to cope with April showers, I’m here to remind you that it’s nearly time for May’s flowers! If the rain has you in a slump that not even Cee Lo on repeat can get you out of, you might have to take some more drastic measures. Like busting out those spring clothes that channel your cheery, summer self.

And what better way to channel spring than with bright, happy florals?

Even though the flowers might be a little scarce in your area at the moment (hell, even the sun is scarce in my part of town), now’s the time to start pulling out your bright-colored, floral print items for spring. Why? Well, for one thing, maybe that great floral top will inspire Mother Nature to get a move on with the spring weather. And if that doesn’t work, well, at least you’ll be looking splendidly springy until she does.

The wonderful and surprising thing about spring florals is that there really is something for every kind of style; there are lots of small floral prints in light colors if you like to dress girly, and large graphic floral prints in bright colors for those of you looking to make more of a splash (and not the April rain puddle kind). From skirts to dresses to bags to undies (??), everything’s coming up florals this season. And here are 15 items to get your garden wardrobe started.

[Click on the image to shop it!]

[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap, where our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities (or faux-lebrities, like Kimmy K) are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you an spend way less...and save the rest for Margarita Mondays.]

After the longest winter ever, it is finally March. Spring starts in three weeks (!!!), and I am beyond ready to put my winter clothes into hibernation. I love tights and scarves and boots as much as the next girl, but I’m too stoked for vibrant colors, sundresses, and open toes…

So when I saw an outfit Rachel Bilson went for a stroll in, I pretty much spontaneously combusted from glee/envy. We all know Rachel is one of Hollywood’s most consistently stunning fashionistas, and once again, she does not disappoint.

Dress, Jacket, Necklace, Booties.

Coral is one of the hottest colors of the season, and this blazer is amazing. Bright, bold, fun, and full of energy, it is the perfect staple for this season. (Well, once you cut off that horrible flower…) Rachel pairs hers with a cream drop-waist dress, creating a casually sophisticated, slightly boho look. An edgy black necklace adds an interesting element of contrast to this bright aesthetic. Open toed boots are one of those trends that never quite catch on, because really, it makes no sense. And yet, they’re an interesting alternative to sandals or pumps if you’re feeling adventurous.

This is a great sophisticated day look that combines the structured edginess of the best winter fashion we fall in love with every year, and the vivacious femininity that makes spring fashion so awesome to wear. Cheers to Rachel for making it happen.

Get more celebrity looks for less here.

We all have our go-to stores that we, uh, go to when we need to stock up on some new wardrobe essentials (or when we just have an hour to kill and the mall reaches out and wraps us in its warm embrace). But what about all those other stores? The ones that you walk past on your way to Auntie Anne’s without a second glance? The “mom” stores, the old lady  department stores, the stores that don’t start with “Forever” and end with “21″? Surprise! Many of those stores are filled with major cuteness that you’re missing out on! (Except Chico’s – keep walking, little lady.) We know you’re not one to pass up a cute cami, so we scoured these under-the-radar shops and pulled out all the goodness you never realized existed.

I hate Walmart. Like, really, really hate Walmart. So much so that I’ll drive half an hour out of the way  and drop an extra $20 to avoid stepping foot in a Walmart. I’m opposed to almost everything about America’s not-so-favorite superstores — especially the fact that they stopped handing out those smiley face stickers at the door. But when I’m home with the family during breaks, running errands for my mom typically means I’ll have to make a trip to the big W, as much as I may protest and swear that Target is just SO. MUCH. BETTER.

Here’s the thing, though: on my last trip to Walmart, my 16-year-old sister tagged along, and during my hunt to find bargain paper plates and the latest Nora Roberts paperback for my mom, she dragged me over to the women’s clothing section to see what they had. And what they had was…actually really cute. She and I tried on a few fun tops and dresses, and I ended up walking away with a lacy going-out top that all my friends loved — for only $6.

Now, I won’t call myself a Walmart convert just yet, but I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. And I might head back there next time I’m home to stock up on cute-enough-t0-wear-out-but-cheap-enough-that-I-don’t-care-if-I-spill-pizza-sauce-on-them tops. And rainboots. And sweaters. And….

Around the holidays there are a lot of reasons to dress up, and I’m not talking about putting on anything but sweats (which in college might feel like dressing up). I’m talking up getting all dolled up for a special occasion. Whether you have a sorority formal, a fancy party to go to with the family, or need something special for New Years Eve, now is a good time to start scoping out looks. Though people are starting to get their Christmas shopping in, it’s not quite the rush yet, meaning there will be a slightly shorter line for the changing room than a few weeks from now.

Any girl who’s been to the mall in the past 2 years knows that there are a ton of dresses to choose from out there. That means it’s easy to find one appropriate for every occasion possible, but also hard to choose the very best one. (I’ve never been good with options.) Just remember these 3 key things:

1. Choose what works best for your body, not whatever cut is trendiest. We can’t all wear sparkly shift dress, you know.
2. What you’re wearing to impress your high school crush on New Years Eve may not be the same thing you want to wear to a Christmas party with your parents’ friends. Choose a slightly longer length (you should be able to sit down comfortably in it, without covering your lap with a napkin) and more chest coverage for events you’re going to for work or with your family.
3. Go all out. Ruffles, sparkles, cut-outs – all’s fair in love, war and party dresses.

[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap, where our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities are spending $5,000 on an ensemble (even one that's supposed to be vintage), you don’t have to. All you have to do is click on the goods and - boom - you can buy the entire look. For cheap. Yes, we know - there is a spot for her in heaven.]

Leighton Meester is my favorite person ever to exist. I know, that’s a totally insane bold statement considering her contribution to society is a few catchy tunes and an embarrassingly addictive teen drama, but seeing as how she is the woman who brought the fierce, fashionable, crazy-bitch-in-charge Blair Waldorf to life, I think she deserves over-the-top accolades.

I admit, Leighton’s personal style may not be Upper East Side/recessionista unfriendly as Blair’s, but she has an unassuming, down-to-earth, accessible sophistication that I admire.

Dress, Wedges, Purse, Sunglasses

This dress is totally another reason to wear white after Labor Day. The texturing makes it interesting – you don’t even have to do a ton of accessorizing to elevate it to super stylish. The espadrilles are totally casual, but are not nearly as blasphemous and slobby as flip flops. You can easily transition this dress into fall/winter by adding tights and swapping the wedges for boots. Throw on a blazer and this breezy look becomes sleek and (slightly less importantly) weather appropriate.

There are a lot of reasons to look forward to autumn: pumpkin spice lattes, the leaves changing color, good television, and – oh yeah – Fall fashion. September is the January of the fashion world, with designers battling it out to set this year’s trends, and magazines battling it out to report them.

The September Issues are back for another year, and bigger than ever. This month’s Vogue was over 700 pages. Glamour released its largest issue in 20 years.  And don’t forget about InStyle, Elle, Marie Claire, and Harper’s Bazaar. That’s a lot of reading material, even for a seasoned fashionista. So consider this your fashion cheat sheet. I’ve drooled over slaved over pages and pages of bags, boots, coats, and colors to bring you this seasons it items (without 497 pages of ads). Enjoy!

THE THEME: Military.

This trend has slowly been making its way into the fashion world over the past few seasons, but it’s still going strong in Fall 2010. (A fact that makes me even happier that I bought that black military inspired pea coat with gorgeous gold buttons last March for 60% off.) Try it out with a studded shirt, combat boots, or skinny cargo pants. Once you’ve got a feel for it, break out the army fatigues.

THE COLOR PALETTE: Jewel Tones.

Fall has always been about the richer colors. But last year’s burnt orange and deep turquoise shades have been replaced with deeper, darker colors, inspired by everyone’s favorite jewels. Emerald green, ruby red, and amethyst can turn a simple top into a statement piece. If you want to start small, try a suede purple pump, or a deep blue bag. Either way these colors are the perfect middle ground between passé pastels and nineties neon.

THE PRINT: Leopard.

Animal print tends to get a bad reputation. Worn in neon colors in the wrong ways, animal print pieces can often appear tacky. But this year, safari has gone chic. If you’re up for the challenge, search the racks for your perfect leopard print dress and pair it with a pair of nude pumps. New to the animal kingdom? Start with an accessory. Update your LBD with a leopard print clutch or a hot pair of leopard booties.

THE BAG: Structured.

Personally, I’m a fan of the oversize tote. The idea of not being able to carry my entire life around with me is a little frightening. (How do I choose between my day planer and my Tide To Go pen?) But when I saw InStyle’s full page spread on framed satchels even I wavered. Refined, polished, and classic, the structured bag is one item that will never go out of style.

THE SHOE: Lace Up Booties.

This year’s boot? A little shorter and a lot edgier. Flat, lace up, combat boots are casual, cool, and comfortable. Wear them with your skinny cargo pants and leather jacket or with a dress if you’re looking to rough up this season’s Fall florals. The best part? The more you wear them, the better they look.

What’s the one thing you should have in your closet before moving to school?  It’s definitely not a pair of sweats or an oversized tee. But, if you do it right, this very special wardrobe essential can feel just as good.

I’m talking about the cotton dress. The kind of dress you can put on no matter how many pints of Ben & Jerry’s you ate last night and still look like a million bucks, without sacrificing comfort.  This dress is ESSENTIAL for college life.  It can be dressed up with your hottest pair of heels, or dressed down with a pair of flip flops or flats.  Really, it should be called the Endless Opportunities Dress.

If I haven’t sold it enough already, think about this:  Maybe you start to put on some frosh 15 and the band of your kind-of-tight-pre-college skinny jeans are cutting into your flesh.  While you could look like a schlump in a pair of sweatpants with your school team stamped across your tush, you could INSTEAD slip on this dress, a pair of leggings and some cute boots, and look and feel super hot.  Yes, this dress is that amazing.  And the absolute best part? The cotton or jersey material making up these frocks makes them super comfy AND easy to wash.  Which, once you’re doing your own laundry, is a definite MUST.