LE CATCH

$76, topshop

A quick whirl around Topshop yesterday turned up these African print pants, which I liked so much I wore them out of the dressing room and straight through to dinner out with friends.

1. Chloe ruffled top, $995, netaporter.com
2. Ray Ban cat-eye sunglasses, $144, jcrew.com
3. Wendy Mink hoop earrings, $138, anthropologie.com
4. Kayu raffia clutch, $115, modaoperandi.com
5. Joie sandals, $87, joie.com
6. Topshop print pants, $76, topshop.com

When I was in high school I used to rip out pages from Vogue and Elle and tape them to my bedroom walls, floor to ceiling. Literally, every inch covered. It was like fashion mag wall paper. I am sure many of you can relate, and also understand that I can't really do that anymore, as I share my bedroom with my husband, and in retaliation he would likely paper his side with the high school boy version of the same, in his case, pictures of waves and Sports Illustrated swimsuit models--not ok. Plus, the tape and glue would really not be kind to the Phillip Jeffries grasscloth wallpaper. Fortunately though, I don't need to, because now we have Pinterest, for sure the greatest tool ever invented for discovering, saving and organizing inspirational images from fashion to design to entertaining and lots of other stuff.

I am guessing that a good number of you know this already, so you might wonder why I am writing it. Well, there are two reasons. The first is that I keep discovering friends who have not yet tried Pinterest. I end up exhorting them to try it, and it occurred to me I should do the same here for any of you who may not yet have tried it. (Trust me, try it, you won't be sorry!!) The second is that for those of you who want to see more of what's inspiring me in the realm of fashion (like the pic above*) beyond what appears on LE CATCH, this is the place. In particular, if you follow my Fashion board you will see a running tally of much of what I am loving fashion-wise on the web. If you like LE CATCH, you will probably like this board!

*P.S. You can find this great clutch here (and a smaller version with slightly different color here)!

Photo: EESH

$95, dorothy perkins

I find this lace babydoll dress irresistibly cute, particularly on a hot summer evening with...

1. Dorothy Perkins lace dress, $95, dorothyperkins.com
2. Miguel Ases earrings, shopbop, $160, shopbop.com
3. Blue Q pouch, $8, asos.com
4. Charlotte Olympia sandals, $945, netaporter.com

j.crew

A blistering LA heat wave over the weekend led to a marathon of pool sessions with the kiddos and multiple swimsuit changes. As I was plumbing the depths of my bathing suit drawer on Sunday afternoon for yet another dry suit I came across an old blue and white striped J.Crew tie-string bikini bottom that I've had for years (like a decade!). As I pulled it on, the side tie string snapped and my good old faithful bottom was no more. Thankfully (and just in time for the 4th!), J.Crew has a current version of it, above, along with this forever-cute polka dot style and other one pieces, all 40 percent off right now, through Wednesday. Plus, free shipping and free return. Now, back to those cannon balls!

$110*, kirna zabete

This lace-trimmed Phillip Lim tank is my new favorite fancy, edgy basic. So easy, so good. Come cooler weather, I'd sport it with crisp blue jeans and a black boyfriend blazer, but right now, it's all about this...

1. 3.1 Phillip Lim lace tank, $110*, kirnazabete.com
2. Finn heart and arrow earrings, $485, barneys.com
3. Proenza Schouler PS 11 holographic patent leather bag, $1990, netaporter.com
4. Yves Saint Laurent nail polish in Vert d'Orient, $25, nordstrom.com
5. Elizabeth and James sandals, $298, shopbop.com
6. Zara skirt, $59, zara.com

* Kirna Zabete is having a legendary end of season sale right now. Among the plum finds are this amazing Erdem blouse (for under $300!), this striking Peter Pilotto top, this forever-stylish Proenza Schouler bag, and this chic and versatile Lizzie Fortunato clutch.

$107, warehouse

It's almost unfathomable that I don't already have a lightweight motorcycle jacket like this in my closet! Seriously, the concept is genius, because it's perfect for California's cool summer evenings (or east coast buggy nights) or just plodding around a frigid air-conditioned office. It's definitely the kind of thing I'd dress up (slung over my shoulders with a strapless dress) or down, like this...

1. Stella McCartney top, $800, netaporter.com
2. Warehouse biker jacket, $107, warehouse.andotherbrands.com
3. Clare Vivier wallet, $230, shopbop.com
4. Gucci ballet slippers, $425, neimanmarcus.com
5. J.Crew jeans, $115, jcrew.com

A few days ago I was inspired by this picture to bust out my sequin pencil skirt, usually reserved for evening events, and wear it with a denim blouse and barely-there sandals. The look went over well at a work meeting and then on to lunch with a friend. It's easy but glitzy and fabulously unexpected. These sparkly skirts by J.Crew (or this one in white), BCBG (on crazy sale!), and Moschino Cheap and Chic can help you pull it off in a snap.

Photo: Harper's Bazaar

A friend told me the other day that she thinks of me as a skirt person. I thought this was interesting because I don't wear skirts more than pants or even own that many skirts. But I was more than happy to take the compliment. And, besides, I do love wearing a skirt, especially right now.

$350, shoplatitude

I love how this dress reads globetrotter, like it was snapped it up at some exotic, faraway bazaar. And yet it perfectly suits back-at-home, real-weekend-life.

1. Gypset dress, $350, shoplatitude.com
2. Jerry Grant ruby and diamond cluster earrings, $398, stevenalan.com
3. Foley & Corinna bag, $315, piperlime.com
4. Topshop nail polish, $10, nordstrom.com
5. Jeffrey Campbell skull-studded sandals, $109, nordstrom.com

My jewelry designer friend Pam has long had a knack for wearing the right, bathing suit-appropriate baubles. She avoids anything overly blingy or pieces that scream beach, like a puka shell necklace. In fact, the kind of things she wears--leather strand bracelets, stacks of thin gold rings, fun necklaces--even stand up to the Ditch Plains waves she regularly surfs. The girls in Hawaii have a similar thing going, as they're accessorized with jewelry that looks designed to go with a string bikini, but could also work post-sunset, too--kind of like these lovelies from Gorjana, Monica Vinader, Carolina Loyola, and Blanca Monros Gomez.

Photo: Frankie's Bikinis