One mom approved must-have for both fall and college is a chic fall jacket.

The perfect fall jacket is neutral, goes with all your favorite clothes and fits just right.  Not to mention, it “keeps you warm on those walks to class. You don’t want to catch a cold!” (Thanks, ma.)

This year there are lots of options out there regardless of your style: denim, military, leather, oh my! With so much variety at so many price points, why choose a favorite?

A fall jacket will take you to the field to watch football, on a walk home from an evening class when the air starts to feel crisp, and even out at night.  Though if you’re going to a party, and don’t want to lose your coat, see if you can find a hot yet chivalrous boy to lend you his oversized jacket. If you’re wearing a feminine outfit underneath you’ll instantly achieve the “Cardellini effect” and have an excuse to find Mr. Hottie another day!

If you’ve grown a bit sea sick from all the nautical-inspired clothes you’ve been sporting this summer, why not return to dry land and go more utilitarian with the military-inspired pieces dominating stores?  These pieces have a harder look, with cargo pockets, neutral colors and grommet detailing.  Though many of these pieces are quite masculine, the neutral coloring means they can easily be softened with feminine pieces such as floral dresses.  Think combat boots with tights, a floral mini dress and cardigan.  So cute!

The best thing about this style? While military inspired pieces have been pretty trendy for a few seasons now, the utilitarian coats are a classic investment piece that can stay in your wardrobe for years to come. And they’ll come in handy if, you know, you ever need to go on an incognito stalking mission. What, just me?

With so many summer colors and patterns to choose from this year, it’s hard to know what to pair them with. While you could pair the bright yellows, pretty pastels or the super popular turquoise with denim, khaki or another solid neutral, the bold black and white prints available this season are a more interesting way to go.

There are many interesting black and white items to choose from, on everything from shoes to headbands to rompers.  This year they can be found on black and white prints in the form of stripes, florals, an abstract print and many, many more interesting patterns.  Additionally, white items with black accents, or black items with white accents are a super cute way to wear this combination.  With so many black and white items to choose from, who needs to live in Technicolor?

Oh the joys of summer – sunshine, beaches, the end of school, sandals… and of course, rising hemlines!

As the temperature starts to rise, it’s time to bare those legs, soak up a little vitamin D (just make sure to wear sunscreen!), and enjoy the lovely weather. Sure, you could wear shorts, but then you gotta deal with that whole “thighs rub together and shorts ride up” situation. Plus, skirts are way more fun, and a cuter, flirtier way to show off those gams.

So enjoy the start of summer with a skirt. Here are 16 perfectly adorable options to choose from. Just remember, knees together when you’re getting out of the car.  No one needs to see you pull a Britney!

This combination of accessories will take you from the beach, to the bar (just toss the shades in your bag!), and even on the morning walk home.  All your bases are covered as a hat will cover up your tousled bed beach hair and shades can help you avoid making eye contact with anyone throwing you judgmental looks.

With milliners such as Eugenia Kim designing hats for Target, there are many stylish options that won’t break the bank.  And as the uber-chic fedora is back in style, those fearful of the floppy J-Lo-esque hat have another choice.

There are so many chic shades and hats to choose from, you’ll find it hard to make a choice. So don’t! Just pick up a set for every day of the week. 

There are some things that you can’t get away with past college, but contrary to what some may believe, tie dye is not one of those things. It’s shown up on nearly every runway and celebrity this season, and unlike those tie dye tees you used to make at summer camp, it’s taken on a whole new level of fun sophistication.

Tie dye is perfect for spring: it’s fun, it’s colorful, it’s easy to create, it goes perfect with cut-off jean shorts and flip flops… And if you’ve become a recessionista, tie dye is easy to do yourself! Just gather some friends, each buy a different color and dip away! You an make everything from cute tanks to summer scarves! But if you’re lazy/not artfully inclined (I know my tie dye projects always come out looking like a hot brown mess….), there are plenty of already-made options to choose from.

[Click on each item to get all the deets.]

There are many options of shorts available, with every length imaginable to cover up as much (or as little) as you want, whether you’re going to the office or to the bar. Or, for those ladies who think picking out two pieces of clothing is far too much to ask of anyone, there is always a romper to try out. (Yes, try it out! I guarantee it will look better on you than you think!)

Despite what you may think, just like skirts and dresses, shorts and rompers can be worn out day or night. You can even wear them on a chillier day with tights underneath, meaning you can indulge in a little instant gratification right now before the temps start rising.

1. Bold graphic patterns instantly add visual interest to any outfit, even if you’re just wearing jeans and a tank top.
2. Patterns are also a cinch to wear; they can either be paired with neutral fabrics, or by drawing colors from the large assortment found in the print itself.
3. For the daring fashionistas out there, you can add even more fabulosity to an outfit by mixing patterns. Pair a large pattern with a small pattern or match up prints with similar colors. And for those of us not looking for make a big statement, there are also smaller, more delicate prints such as flirty floral fabrics available this season.

Yes, there really is a pattern and a print for everyone. The only problem is, with so many options this season, how do you choose?

Don’t! Stock up on a wide variety of patterns and prints for a bright and fun spring/summer wardrobe. Don’t worry – you can dress ‘em down and mute ‘em with a blazer or a sweater come fall.

I love rain boots a little more than anyone my age probably should. However, I feel this love is justified – on top of being SUPER adorable, wellies also keep your feet dry, making them practical as well. Over the last few years, retailers have rolled out all sorts of fun, bright-colored, patterned boots for you to go dancing in the rain. They start relatively inexpensive for the hesitant puddle jumper, and quickly escalate in price, for those looking to invest in a pair of multi-seasonal boots.

While you might be seeing stars by the price of some of these boots, keep in mind, if you buy a pair of quality, 100% rubber boots they will not only last you a life time (Hunter’s, after all, were used during trench warfare in WWI), but when lined properly can take you to -10 (Celsius that is) weather.

With the quick approach of spring showers, wellies, joined by raincoats and umbrellas, are the perfect remedy for being able to stomp to class without looking like a drowned rat. With lots of fun patterns, styles and colors to choose from there’s plenty of ways to stay dry… in style.

Not to mention, you can always invite boys to stand under your super cute umbrella…

I'm on a bleepin' bleepin' boat

According to reliable sources – namely, Punxsatawney Phil – there are still six weeks left of winter. That’s six more weeks of singing the winter blues as we trek to class in our layers upon layers trying to avoid frostbite while still looking cute. Worst of all, that’s six weeks of craving cute spring clothes that retailers are dangling in front of us while we lug our winter coats around the mall.

The tail end of winter sure does suck.

But, it doesn’t have to! Looking to the Resort 2010 collections (also known as Pre-Spring), there are many trends that can be incorporated into our winter looks while still channeling the feeling of warm months to come. What better way to kick those winter blues (covered in icicles) than with nautical clothes? Who wouldn’t rather be on a boat (bustin’ 5 knots, wind whippin’ out my coat) than braving the winter weather?

OK, so putting on some madras and a pair of Rainbows isn’t exactly possible right now, but it’s really easy to incorporate some nautical looks into your winter wardrobe with a little creative layering. Tights, long sleeve shirts and cardigans makes it possible to enjoy nautical clothes now, and then you can strip that stuff off when the snow (finally) melts in the spring. Need a little fashion warm-up? Let’s hit the high seas!