Coco Chanel said, “Before going out, remove one accessory.” The intention here was to avoid over accessorizing. I have recently read a dissent about this, but I generally think it’s good advice. I certainly adore accessories but too many accessories can certainly kill your look.

If you check out most celebrities, they have a few accessories on. For example, they may have a stunning necklace on with a simple pair of earrings. In this case, they will likely skip a bracelet. Or perhaps there is a killer bracelet and earrings, a necklace would be overkill. Less truly is more. Sure you can layer necklaces or wear a bunch of bracelets, etc but skip something somewhere else. Last but not least, all your pieces should work together but they do not need to (and should not) all match. If you pare down your accessories, each piece will be noticed more and your look will be much more streamlined. We know it’s hard to leave a favorite piece in the drawer!

Ever see your favorite star in a great mix of patterns and envy the look? You too can get this great look. Mixing patterns can be scary, as it is truly a balancing act but it’s not as hard to do as you think.

Your first, more bold pattern, will be your centerpiece. Once you have that picked, you will want to pick anything else to compliment this. Typically, a finer more muted second pattern will work best. Both patterns should be in the same color tones. If you follow this rule, you are sure to look like a star.

Leggings can be a bit tricky and we want to make sure you are wearing leggings appropriately. The best way to wear leggings is with a tunic or a shorter dress (mid-calf or above). You can also pair them with a longer length sweater. Belts are a great accessory with leggings. Leggings should never be worn as pants ladies! Think of them as an alternative to hosiery.

We love these two tunics from Language Los Angeles that both work really well with leggings. The Bamboo Beach Pocket Tunic looks great with white, grey, or brown. The Steel Floral Tunic works well with either grey or white.

Without fail, there are new trends for every season. We women relish in this tradition. We RUN to the mailbox to see what the fashion magazines are showing as the next “big thing”. While I feel you should embrace trends, you have to choose which ones are right for you. For the last two seasons, high-waisted jeans and skirts have been in style. This look unfortunately doesn’t work for everybody. Metallics are also trendy can easily be worked into anyones wardrobe. I could go on for days about each trend but the point is, before you embrace the trend look in the mirror and ask yourself if this trend really works for you. You will always find many that do and a few that don’t. Last tip: you don’t have to combine multiple trends with every outfit.

With Summer here, it’s time to reassess your shoes. So here are a few tips I have for keeping your Summer shoe selection stylish.

First, put the boots away. Boots are TOTALLY hot in the Fall & Winter but look to heavy for Spring & Summer. A few months without them will make your reunion in the Fall that much sweeter. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

For socializing (non-office) in the Spring & Summer bust out your strappy sandals, espadrilles, wedges, and slides. These look light, airy, and right of the season. However, leave all the sandals for play time. They are never office appropriate. Luckily the other choices will do the job to go to work.

Heels are sexy, no one will argue that. Well if they do argue it, they will lose. However, heels are not always comfortable and sometimes not even the best look for your outfit. Many women with back, ankle, or foot problems need an alternative to heels. Other women, simply want to be comfortable. We have good news, there are great choices in flats these days and you don’t even have to trade style for comfort. Plus, you can wear flats for evening and still look hot. If you are looking to do flats with an outfit for evening, we suggest going with a great metallic, embellished, or satin look. These will generally bring a little more glamour and dress-up factor to the shoe.

The Lago Tank from Liquid just arrived at Artfulwears.com and I think it’s a MUST HAVE for Summer. This exquisite tank features a gorgeous modern graphic print and is finished with several large matte wood gold beads. I love it paired with a white or denim mini or white or denim pants. Get yours before they are gone!

For all the dedicated readers of the Artfulwears Blog we are offering a 24 hr discount. Take 10% off an order of $100.00 or more (code: Blog10) or 15% off an order of $200.00 or more (code: Blog15)  at Artfulwears.com ! This coupon is good for Friday May 16, 2008 only. Shop now!

Artfulwears is your destination for great contemporary women’s fashions from around the world. We features brands such as Majestic (Paris), XCVI, LTB by Little Big, Oramomi, Cino, Butterfly Dropout and many more. In addition to great clothing, you can find unique jewelry from Saundra Messinger, Evelyn Knight, Chan Luu, and many other at Artfulwears.com. Don’t forget to check out the chic travel goods, handbags, and other great accessories.

XCVI lovers will be happy about the new arrival of some great Summer fashions from XCVI.

The Wheatfield Dress is a great dress for day or night. The River Blue color is easy to accessorize and looks great with most skin tones. Change your shoes and jewelry and you can get a totally new look. You will love the easy fit.

XCVI took the very popular Afternoon Skirt and bought it back in a cropped length. We have the Cropped Afternoon Skirt available in two great colors, both neutral. They are perfect for Summer.

I adore the Parachute Crop Pants. The fit is amazing and the cut is very slimming. The Forest Hills (olive green) color is a perfect neutral that looks great paired with black.

If you are looking for a more streamlined skirt, I suggest the Pirhouette Skirt. Available in two colors, this long a-line skirt can be taken to work or dinner.

The days of women being able to get by with just a few different types of bras are over. Just like you need to coordinate shoes with your outfit, you need to coordinate your bra. Luckily, much progress has been made in bra technology and it’s pretty simple to find exactly what you need.

So what does your bra wardrobe need to have in it? First, everyone must have a skin color and a black tee shirt bra. This is your basic everyday bra. A tee shirt bra is smooth and will not show lines or marks. Skin color will work with almost any color top and black is need for under dark clothes.

Next, you need a few strapless bras. Yes, I said a FEW. Due to the shapes, padding, plunge/no-plunge, back thickness etc., you need to have a few choices that are different shapes. You will be amazed at how the wrong bra creates the wrong shape under your clothing. The strapless bra will be necessary with a variety of thin strapped camisoles and dresses.

I also suggest having a convertible bra. This is a bra with changeable straps that will allow you to make it a racer back or even strapless. You can also change to clear straps. While some clothing items work better with a strapless, others need clear straps. A convertible plunge bra is even better. This allows for deep v-necks etc.

These are the bare minimum basics. Certainly the more choices you have the easier it is to pick the right undergarments for your outfit.  I suggest trying clothing on with the bra you plan to wear with it when you get it, that way if you need to get the right bra you know in advance.

One last tip, nude/skin-colored bras are much more transparent that white. White bras under white clothing show through.