LE CATCH

$119, club monaco

I am a big believer in the simple white blouse and its forever fresh look. This one is boxy and loose-fitting, with a Chloe-esque vibe--qualities that make it suitable for just about everything on my summer agenda.

1. Club Monaco white cotton top, $119, clubmonaco.com
2. Sheriff & Cherry sunglasses, $115, netaporter.com
3. Liebeskind canvas tote, $195, shopbop.com
4. Ciate nail polish in Cupcake Queen, $15, nordstrom.com
5. Dorothy Perkins laser cut sandal, $79, dorothyperkins.com
6. Current/Elliot washed leather boyfriend pants, $658, netaporter.com

Year after year the fall runways typically feature a plaid print or two, but this go-around presented more than you'd see on an average day in Scotland, thanks to a consensus of designers, including Celine and Rag & Bone. Consequently, come September the streets will be awash in everything checkered, tartan, and houndstooth--and sometimes all in just one outfit! I'm not a big plaid person, but I do enjoy small doses of it, as in a blouse, a scarf, or even a jacket. I rounded up some pics for sartorial inspiration, so we can all start thinking about how to integrate this print into our lineups (I love how Taylor Tomasi Hill, above, accessorizes with a plaid blouse tied grunge-like around her waist), along with a few busy beauties to start wearing now, including a pair of Topshop pants, a button-down Joe's Jeans blouse and an insanely gorgeous lace and plaid Creatures of the Wind skirt.

Photos: Street Style Seconds, Harpers Bazaar, Wayne Tippets, Vogue, Garance Dore, The Nyanzi Report, Le 21eme, Getty Images, Pinterest

$89, warehouse

A throw-on-and-go jersey shift dress executed with a vibrant mash-up of prints is a total score in my book. And it'll win even more hearts with...

1. Warehouse jersey printed shift, $89, warehouse.andotherbrands.com
2. Dannijo silver-plated crystal necklace, $119, theoutnet.com
3. Annabel Ingall tote bag, $398, shopbop.com
4. Dorothy Perkins gladiator jelly sandals, $29, dorothyperkins.com

Vogue recently declared 2013 as the year of the clutch, and the bigger, the better. This is a good thing for me, because I love a roomy bag (and so do my kids, who are intent on making me their sherpa!). Stylist Vanessa Traina, above, flitting to a haute couture show in Paris last week, proves how to pull it off with aplomb. Because a large clutch can be/look rather unwieldy, I gravitate towards sleek and simple ones that I can tuck under my arm, or fold up and tote in my hand, such as this oxblood Clare Vivier, this leopard-spotted Phillip Lim (which features an easy-to-carry handle), this structured red outfit-making Victoria Beckham, and this graphic (yet very inexpensive) New Look.

Photos: Pinterest, Streetfsn

$88, j.crew

This simple utilitarian swing-cut sweater is poised to become integral to my everyday running-around-doing-a-million-things wardrobe. It's sooo good, and it comes in blue too!

1. J.Crew lightweight swing sweater, $88, jcrew.com
2. Ray Ban mirrored aviator sunglasses, $160, piperlime.com
3. Dannijo bracelet, $150, shopbop.com
4. Shashi crystal bracelet, $80, shopbop.com
5. Topshop bowler bag, $70, topshop.com
6. Prada metallic flats, $650, neimanmarcus.com
7. Tory Burch print pants, $250, netaporter.com

In my mind, nothing screams hot weather more than a Hawaiian print. The bright, eye-popping florals are festive, fun and, in a good way, kitschy. And I love how they stand out on a city street. I recently snapped up these cute palm tree-print Old Navy shorts (they look like old-school California surf trunks--perfect for lazy days at the beach!). These print-tastic pieces from Stella McCartney (the dress pictured above), J. Crew and Juicy Couture are also hot.

Photos: Style Spotting, Vogue, Pinterest

$80, topshop

For me, a little swingy mini might just be the coolest (and chicest) way to beat the heat. Chill out in this skirt with...

1. R13 cotton stripe t-shirt, $185, netaporter.com
2. Oliver Peoples mirrored sunglasses, $350, shopbop.com
3. Monki bag, $13, asos.com
4. Sol Sana sandals, $85, shopbop.com
5. Topshop Aztec boucle skirt, $80, topshop.com

For Fall 2013, Phillip Lim managed to make sweatshirts infinitely cooler by adding a side zipper and rendering the classic in different fabrics from leather to lustrous double-knits to French terry. I am, in a word, obsessed. Designers like Rebecca Taylor and Theory (love!) are also coming out with compelling derivations of this silhouette. I have a very strong hunch this is something we will all want to put in our weekly rotation, come autumn.

Photo: Style.com

$150, miss selfridge

I love a trophy jacket that makes a mouth drop. This beaded one might just make people keel over with envy!

1. J.Crew peasant blouse, $148, jcrew.com
2. Miss Selfridge beaded jacket, $150, missselfridge.com
3. Star Mela handbag, $95, shopbop.com
4. Elizabeth and James metallic sandals, $298, piperlime.com
5. MiH cropped jeans, $175, netaporter.com

A few weeks ago I received the above mystery text (I don't recognize the number and it's not in my contact list), which I assumed came from a NYC friend (UES= Upper East Side). But then again, perhaps it's someone from Birkenstock PR who somehow got my cell number....? Regardless, it got me thinking again about this hippie stalwart, which showed signs last year of reincarnating as fashion-forward footwear. Then yesterday I was in New York for the first time this sandal season, and lo and behold, I did indeed see some Birks about, executed in a comfortably chic way as seen below. (No, it's not New York, but wouldn't it be nice if the FDR looked like that?)

I must confess that I had long assumed that this comfie shoe I used to wear to Dead shows was not likely to find its way into my closet again. But since it now seems that Celine's iconic fur-trimmed version from Spring 2013 may have single-handedly resurrected this shoe (or at least sanctioned it as a fashionable option), and I have actually seen some women making it work, I am keeping an open mind. If I do feel inclined at some point, I'd go for this one or this one, or try something that is Birkenstock-inspired like this or this.

Now, having talked about the fashion, let's get back to that mystery text. It just so happens that in addition to putting sandals on my mind, it reminded me of an embarrassing incident from my past also involving unknown text senders, which I thought you might enjoy. And it's quite appropriate for LE CATCH, as it of course involves clothes, sort of:

A few years ago a friend of mine who had recently moved from New York to London was coming through LA on vacation and was planning to stay for a few days at the Beverly Hills Hotel. We had not seen each other in ages and exchanged some emails about meeting at the hotel or elsewhere before settling on lunch at The Tavern in Brentwood. On the appointed day, after attending my mommy-and-me class with my two-year- old, I headed over to the restaurant and was shown to our table. I was early, and I texted her to let her know I had arrived. Well, unbeknownst to me, she had ditched her New York (917) cell number that I had stored in my phone, but as you will see below, it took me awhile (and an unnecessary trip to the Beverly Hills Hotel) to figure that out. Here's the exchange with my "friend" (my texts are in green):

I should add that as I sat waiting in the hotel for my friend, it wasn't even the imposter's final text that clued me in. It was actually that my phone rang, and when I picked up, it was my friend calling me from The Tavern on her London cell phone wondering where I was!

Apparently, my mommy-on-the-brain ADD at the time was so severe (yes, that's what I'd like to blame it on), I had lost my ability to read, let alone to know when I was being mocked. I was SO mad, but it was pretty funny after the fact. And I have to give credit to this unknown prankster, whose preposterous messages somehow had me driving all over LA to meet them in their banana sunglasses so we could eat lamb's tail. And how did they know to zero right in on clothes when messing with me? Oh well, even though they did manage to disrupt my lunch plans, I deserved it, so I forgive them. But just barely.