Wedding Guest Dresses for Every Budget

Wedding season is officially upon us, and it seems like most mailboxes are overflowing with invites. As a wedding guest, you want to your dress to be:
1. Appropriate for the event
2. Comfortable enough for all the dancing!
3. Future Facebook profile picture worthy

With so many weddings popping up every summer, you might be shopping within some financial limitations. Here are my picks for wedding guest dresses for any budget:

Steal

{H&M // $18}  {bebe // $98}  {Jessica Simpson // $98}

Save

{Anthropologie // $198}  {Maggy London // $148}  {Banana Republic // $150}

Splurge

 {Tory Burch // $395}  {Kate Spade // $598}  {BCBGMAXAZRIA // $298}

Are you attending weddings this spring/summer? Where is your favorite place to find a dress?

xx,

Rachel

April Showers

Spring is definitely underway, complete with lots of rain. I don't mind rainy days. There's something impossibly cozy about spring thunderstorms. They do, however, require some special gear. I love my Hunter boots. I found one of their special edition pairs in the brightest pink. They always perk up my rainy walk, and they're boots of amazing quality.  I'm currently shopping for a new umbrella (thanks a lot, gale-force winds) and I love the classic style of trench coats.

Tory Burch // Target // Saks Fifth Avenue Collection

Burberry  // Henri Bendel //  Hunter

J. Crew // River Island // Burberry

What are your rainy day essentials?

xx,

Rachel

Seven Things to Love About Spring

Yesterday (at precisely 12:57 p.m., I'm told) we officially crossed into spring! I was in the best mood all day. It's no secret that this winter has been brutal, and I couldn't be more ready for sunshine and all the wonderful things that the warmer seasons bring. Here are some of my favorite things about spring:

1. Fresh flowers. I love picking up cut blooms for my apartment, passing all the lovely gardens in my neighborhood, and just being surrounded by things more beautiful than bare trees and brown grass. 

2. Bare legs. I'm ready to retire my tights and leggings in favor of shorter hemlines. These J. Crew shorts are a warm weather staple in my wardrobe. 

3. Longer days. More evening sunlight means pleasant evening runs. My neighborhood is full of runners and walkers. It's fun to see the community stop hibernating!

4. Baseball season. Go Reds! 

5. Dining (and drinking) alfresco. Spring begins my mad hunt for the best biergarten. I got a little spoiled in Paris with the adorable cafes with outdoor seating on every block. 

6. Open-toed shoes. I'm ready to retire my boots for a long time. Bring on the sandals and fun pedicures. 

7. Spring cleaning. My apartment could use a top-to-bottom fresh start. It's also a great time to donate wardrobe pieces I no longer love, making room for the new things I'm bound to find. 

What's your favorite part of spring?

xx,

Rachel

White (Night) Out

As much as I love a little black dress, there's something so chic about a night out in all white. I love pairing a statement necklace with these beautiful white cocktail dresses.

  

{left to right}

Saint Laurent dress // BCBG dress // Victoria Beckham dress 

BCBG necklace // Kate Spade necklace // J. Crew necklace

Cincy Chic is hosting Night in White next month - the perfect excuse to wear a LWD.  The event is being held at Obscura, my new favorite cocktail lounge downtown.

Photos courtesy of Obscura Cincinnati

So perfect for a girls night out! Proceeds from the event go to the Eight Days & One Hour Foundation's Stephen Morsch Nursing Scholarship.

Do you have a favorite LWD?

xx,

Rachel

Black and White All Over

The color combo of black & white feels so fresh for this long-awaited spring. 

{clockwise from top}

Zara // J. Crew // BCBGMAXAZRIA // Burberry Prorsum // J. Crew

Do you have any black and white pieces on your spring shopping list?

xx,

Rachel

Spotlight On: fresh® Beauty

On my latest Sephora trip, it became obvious just how enamored I am with the fresh ® products. Here are my picks for spring beauty:

Soy face cleanser
Normally, I'm fairly practical when it comes to cleansers. After all, you just wash it off after a minute, right? Wrong. This stuff is amazing, and worth every penny. I don't normally classify my skin as sensitive, but after using this gentle formula for a couple days, my skin was noticeably smoother and more even. I'm sold.

Sugar lip treatment

Something between a stain and a balm, these little guys are my addiction. As I'm wishing for warmer weather, I appreciate the fun and totally wearable shades (and the SPF!). 

Brown sugar body polish

I'd be happy to receive this for any birthday, Valentine's Day, Christmas, Columbus Day...whatever. Luxurious and gentle, it made this list for its ability to transform not-so-attractive ghostly winter skin into stuff that you actually want to show as the temperature climbs. 

Do you have a favorite fresh® product I need to know about?

xx,

Rachel