Is this summer’s gloomy weather getting you down? Do not fret, dear fashionistas. Although the sun has failed to show its pretty face in the last few weeks, you can find comfort in colorful and sparkling jewelry that will surely add some brilliance to your rainy days.

Summer fashions are seeing flamboyant shades of orange, peach, coral, red and pink. So set your flashy wardrobe ablaze with bright gemstones that complement the palette. Light up your next night out with an orange sapphire, rhodolite and diamond ring:

And a pair of orange garnet and diamond earrings:

Or if you want to infuse your summer style with a bohemian appeal, wrap your wrist in a trendy red coral bangle bracelet by jewelry designer Andrea Barna:

Make a bold fashion statement with vibrant jewelry designs, all the while capturing the essence of what summertime should really be like: sun-kissed and sensational!

Favorite Summer Shoes by jackieheartsb on Polyvore.com

My favorite new summer shoes include a bevy of adorable, colorful sandals; platform heels and bright-colored flats. All–yes all–of these shoes are under $60 and all are available to purchase online.

A few surefire picks: the gray Havaianas slingbacks, which are perfect for vacation if you are going to be doing a lot of walking or shopping. Also, these $20 Ecote triple-button t-strap sandals from Urban Outfitters are a no-brainer steal.

What are your favorite shoes for summer?

Shoes above: Target blue print platforms, Target pewter ruffle wedge sandals, Target blue pointed flats, Forever 21 brown platforms, NYLA beaded medallion sandals, Urban Outfitters ecote triple-button sandals, Havaianas slingback sandals, Urban Outfitters Kimchi & Blue mint flats, Pierre Dumas beaded sandals, Pierre Dumas white t-strap sandals, Aerosoles gray and brown wedges

When I told my sister I was buying a romper, she laughed in my face. I don’t blame her! I was initially very anti-romper, thinking they looked like toddler clothing or diapers remixed into adult wear. Awkward!

Rompers are a love it or hate it trend, but the four rompers above are undeniably cute and relatively inexpensive.

Will you be buying or wearing a romper this summer?

From left: Silence & Noise knot front gray jumper ; Ecote printed floral halter jumper ; Buffalo black twill romper ; Silence & Noise white romper

I’m not the biggest fan of the term “real girl” (because I think models and actresses – in spite of their above average looks – deserve the respect of being recognized as “real” too), but for those of us who don’t have a paid glam squad on hand to style us into fabulousness, the trend lists can be daunting. Sure “boyfriend” jeans and jackets are in, but so are “boho” dresses, “’80s pop colors,” “aggressive accessories” and gladiator sandals. How does one pull it all together in a look that doesn’t feel too fashion victim-y? I found inspiration from Bluefly’s buyers.

Our buyers have distinctly different styles, so seeing how they translated the “boyfriend” trend was illuminating. Kate (far left) is hipster chic, so she paired a boyfriend tee by Torn with a vest and wore it over leggings and flat gladiator sandals. Joanna (next to Kate) likes to mix and match classic pieces with statement accessories and killer outerwear (she’s the coats buyer, of course), so she rocked a cropped leather bomber with a bright purple tee by LnA in a nod to classic ’80s style. Sandy (standing next to Joanna) keeps it boho chic, so she chose a Wildfox Couture tee with a hippie-inspired graphic, while Jessica (far right), always luxe and on-trend, pulled a jacket-to-jeans boyfriend look together complete with aggressive cut-out platforms by Pour La Victoire.

The Style Note here is: Find the individual trend piece(s) that jive with your style, then mix and match them with what you’ve already got to update your look.d

I’m loving two current trends: brightly-colored heels (think demure, ladylike peep toes or pumps in orange, yellow or lime green patent leather) and crazy booties and sandals with sky-high heels or creative cutouts. I love a good pop of color on the foot, and I admire an out-there heel…but I don’t know if I’m ballsy enough to combine the two trends.

Lately, I’ve been seen lots of fuchsia and purple-colored confections show up on my Watchlist, so obviously someone out there is loving the combo. But are they actually wearing them? I want to hear from you fashion-forward ladies….would you sport these stunners? And if so, what are you pairing them with?

I was glad to find that I wasn’t the only one puzzled by the idea of dropped-crotch leggings. But ever since I wrote that post, I’ve started to be alert to their presence. StyleFeeder oona claims she’s seen them all over Italy, and apparently, they are now hitting the streets of Moscow, per The Sartorialist:

So what do we think? Like them any better on real people?

On a separate but related note, I was cruising around at Brown’s Fashion and stumbled upon designer Pam Hogg’s latest collection. You can purchase her superhero-esque collection as separates (leggings and T’s), but I’m digging this jumpsuit more:

Having grown up believing Wonder Woman was a feminist icon, I can appreciate Hogg’s inspiration. But in this economy, is anyone going to shell out more than 500 pounds to look like a glam Power Ranger?

Has the “It” Shoe replaced the “It” Bag? According to journalist Hadley Freeman it has, as evidenced by the crazy high heels (we’re talking about 6-to-8-inch stilettos) that scuffed up the catwalks in New York, London, Milan and Paris.

But I say it’s all about the “It” Accessory. With the economy going to pot, it’s all about using one or two amazing statement accessories to add new flavor to your favorite, broken-in pair of jeans or a “this old thing” dress.

Will you be buying a pair of “It Shoes” like the pair featured above for this season? Or are you with me on sticking with accessories?

Ah, why is it that the trends that recycle are never the right ones for me? I’ve been catching up on Season One of Mad Men and coveting the full skirts, nipped waists and va-va-voom silhouettes of the late 50s and early 60s. But instead, the latest clothing craze to make a reappearance hails only from the early 90s (isn’t there a rule that you have to wait at least two decades before bringing back a fad?)

I vaguely remember hypercolor shirts — clothing that changed color, depending on your body heat — from my high school days, though I don’t remember them being particularly in vogue with upperclassmen. It must have been the middle schoolers running around trying to collect strategically placed handprints from the opposite sex. To refresh your memory, check out this ad from Gennara, the now-defunct makers of the “Meta-morphic Color System”.

American Apparel has reintroduced the hypercolor t-shirt, and from the glowing reviews on their site, it seems to be a hit:

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