Sorry to have been gone so long!

I'm back, and furiously excited about spring/ summer fashion. What I love about spring is that nothing looks forced. Gone are the skinny jeans and patent leather whatnots that look cheap even if they are labeled with a giant MJ. Days out on the grass, relaxing, can only yield soft, flowy, amazing clothes. A rustic quality is needed to exude this feeling, but tattered clothes are that- tattered. While preparing for finals, my mental oasis involves any where that this dress is appropriate, and even places it isn't.J. Crew Patchwork Dress, $495 (whoah!)

On a simpler note, this tank has something that I love, but can't describe. The color is preppy but casual, and I want it!J. Crew Tank, $15

Madras Mania!

The cheesy title of this post is something I just have to mention and feel strangely proud of.

Now: Back to business. I love madras. I do not know how to pronounce it, but I love it. I like that it is the best plaid can be: scruffy and in awesome colors. While this pattern is truly loved, we need to remember to take it in moderation. Like the infamous denim on denim disaster, madras is more of a go it alone print.

A marriage of the two best things (well, kind of) ever, Jack Purcell and Madras were wed Spring 07 at the hallowed store of J. Crew.

Proenza's Cooler

We were all excited for the GO International collections when it first came. Luella was fun. Tara Jarmon was frilly. Behnaz was... well, nevermind. Now that Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, our friends behind Proenza Schouler have their hands on Target, it will never be the same. Their pieces are what they call the best of Proenza Schouler. From basics done well,

Proenza Schouler for Target, $15

To classics with a twist,Proenza Schouler for Target, $30

this collection shines.

However, these are my favorites.

The "Real"-Way

Marc by Marc Jacobs, S/S 07

So often, we are surrounded by basics. Boring pieces that make boring outfits.

I have just realized that the best advice for creating interesting outfits is to look to the runway. Stylists spend hours turning a t-shirt-and-jeans into art. They can help you out too.

Old Navy White Tiered Babydoll, $16.50 J. Crew Shorts, $40 J. Crew Leather Wedges, $148

Gap Filled!

When Gap got its most recent CEO, he/she was quoted as saying that they wanted to return to the basics that defined Gap and made it popular in the 80's. This time warp fizzled and left of with colections that bragged about dorky hoodies with butterflies and rhinestones in the corner. Their RED brand is inspiring but what was once a staple of my childhood became a store filled with boring clothes that cost way too much. I really could write a novel about how frustrated I am by Gap. However, I was flipping through the new Teen Vogue (who is that girl on the cover?) and in the Shoes feature, there were a pair of braided Gap sandals. "Finally", I thought, "Gap is going to step out of Hoody-land and in to some fashion!"

Gap Sandals, $30

I've Got Summer Fever!

Blame those rascals in charge of chain stores, but it seems that as we emerge from the Holidays, we are being bombarded with summer fashions. It's a brisk 65 degrees where I live, but girls around the country are layering ski jackets and sinking their booted feet into inches of snow. Always impressionable, I am going to indulge my summer fantasies (not hard when you are surrounded by parabolas and Newton's Laws) and plan my summer uniform for the days so far, yet according to American Eagle, so close.

My mantra for summer fashion:

Understated prep with a hippie vibe.

First thing, a bag. It needs to be big to stash beach essentials as well as a yummy trashy novel.J. Crew Straw Bag, $55

I am not the bikini type, so I am always looking for a one piece that doesn't scream, "I'm wearing a one piece bathing suit!" This is it.J. Crew Swimsuit, $75Abercrombie and Fitch Floral Tank, $30

J. Crew Shorts, $78