All right, we got the hardest part of a planning for a beach vacation out of the way: the swimsuit. Let’s continue to work our way down the ultimate packing list, shall we?

Beach Cover-ups

• This Urban Outfitters coverup is chic, roomy and made of a light, flowy fabric. Wear at home with skinny jeans and a belt (to add shape) so you get more mileage out of it when you’re not at the beach.
• I love this casual coverup from Target. It has a classic dress shape, but an unexpected hoodie on the back and is made of a nubby, towel-y texture.
• This coverup from Target is a bit more classy than some of the others, which would be perfect if you actually want more coveragefrom your cover-up.
• Sarongs are the ideal beach accessory. You can wrap them in different ways around your body, depending on how flexible you are. Me, I’m not super-talented at tying sarongs, but I admire those who can turn them into halter dresses and whatnot.
• This minimalist (as in minimal fabric) cover-up from Bluefly looks like a cute beach dress. Alas, it’s quite see-through and flimsy, so try and limit it to only beachwear, hmm?
• If you want a bit more freedom of movement (read: bloated after that second cheeseburger), this trapeze shape from Victoria’s Secret is ideal.
• One of my favorites here is this cover-up from Jessica Simpson, who apparently now makes beachwear. The open-back is deliciously sexy.
• For a youthful, fun cover-up (with a bit of a scandalous v-neck), this one from Victoria’s Secret comes in this print version and other solid colors.

Get the whole scoop »

Imagine you’ve always grown up in rural areas…say, the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, And that the pinnacle of style in your high school was to dress head-to-toe in American Eagle, from corduroy jackets and cheeky t-shirts right down to those nasty little clogs. You could try to resist, but what’s the point, when the only other place to buy clothes is either Super Wal-Mart or…Super Wal-Mart?

Suddenly, once you head off to college, you’re plopped in the middle of one of the most powerful cities in the world. Filled with places to shop, from high-end boutiques to shopping malls.

Welcome to my life. Once I hit college, all of the fashion knowledge I’d like to think I acquired from religiously hoarding Vogue, Teen Vogue, Lucky, etc. suddenly came to light. I actually could wear dresses to school…and cute flats…and trench coats in the fall…and carry nice handbags…and oh, gosh, running out of money! I wasn’t exactly living off, oh, Ashley Olsen’s bank account so I needed to stop shopping like I was.

Fast forward to two years later. Between juggling two internships, planning multiple social events, heading up the school newspaper, holding down a 30-hour-a-week on-campus job, getting good grades, practicing the flute for the two musical organizations…well, let’s just say that shopping kinda took a back seat. I guess I shouldn’t say back seat per se…but I didn’t have the leisure time I used to have.

So my shopping has become streamlined, easy…and much less expensive. H&M, Forever21, Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters and (gasp) Target have become my mainstays. If I need to grab milk from Target, a capsule collection from Hollywould is just steps away. If I need a pretty cocktail dress for a date with my fiancé (yes, I’m engaged!) on the double, well, I can get one from Forever21 for less than $25.

Until I’m making my millions in the world of PR (one can only hope!), I’ll keep shopping where I know I can find things that look great and don’t break the bank. While still keeping an eye on the pages of Vogue, of course.

Oh, and here’s a secret: most people think my clothes cost three times what they do. It’s not what you wear, but how you wear it.

I can’t wait to meet you and discuss shopping, clothes, college, jobs and life in general! Until next time…where do you find the best clothing bargains?