We’ve professed our love of Tracee Ellis Ross‘ style on the FB before but I especially love how she puts her summer evening looks together: chic, uncomplicated, and with a touch of the bohemian and vintage.

I especially *heart* that she’s feminine without being frou-frou (girl after my own heart), and for summer that can be hard to pull off in the sea of ruffles, flowers, and pink that accompany the season. She seems to prefer abstract yet clean lines, vibrant prints that catch the eye instead of overwhelm it, and strategically placed pops of color that make you look twice. It’s a cultivated, smart, signature style all her own (it probably didn’t hurt having Mama Diana’s closet to learn from growing up). 😉

Channel Tracee’s sophisticated summer sensibility with any of these pieces, *almost* all for under $100!

~Adriana

Streetwear brand AKDMKS has unleashed their Summer 09 Ladies Collection:

Anchored by bold denim pieces, the line is perfect for those looking to re up their summer jean selection:

And if you’re looking for something a bit different, they also have lots of colorful graphic t-shirts:

Check out a few of their items (all under $100!) at www.80spurple.com.

4th of July is in a matter of weeks, and this $45 Limbiate Tote by Aldo is the perfect accessory:

Mix and match with a summer white dress, blue wedges, and understated jewelry for a patriotic look:

Today I decided to reminisce on when Rihanna first burst on the scene with her Caribbean inspired ditty, Lovin that you Want:

This was a long, long time ago…way before the Balmain, Louis Vuitton, and court dates.

Back then it seemed her style was more Beyoncé meets Aaliyah (tell me that dance sequence doesn’t remind you of Rock the Boat!)…

…all in all the video is light, fun, and has a cute Lance Goss cameo!
How times have changed, huh?

Always on the look out for cool, I stumbled across the website for New York based company Good Wood, which makes hip hop inspired necklaces, two finger rings, and earrings out of wood:

Top Row: Biggy, $18; Zebra Jungle, $20. Bottom Row: The Fresh 2 Finger, $18; Boombox, $18.

Endlessly affordable, most pieces are under $25….

Left to Right: Brooklyn Bridge Pendant, $22; Tupac Pendant, $18.

Whaam! Pendant, $22.

…And the accessories perfectly meld urban culture with fashion and innovation:

I love it!

See more at www.goodwoodnyc.com.

Our friends over at Stuff Fly People Like have uncovered these yet to be released Nike Blazer as the hot shoe of the moment:

Get into them!

Read more here.

This $162 Elena Maxi Dress is part of plus size retailer Igigi’s new limited collection:

The fun and splurge worthy style features a bra friendly bodice, empire waist contrast band, and even comes with a shrug!

See more plus size picks at www.Igigi.com.

According to FabSugar, J.Lo has decided to pull Sweetface from the racks after six years of booming sales:

A spokesperson said, “In light of some new company strategies, we have decided to put the Sweetface line on hiatus while we prepare to reintroduce the brand in the near future with new messaging points and an entirely new fashion point of view.“

The high end contemporary line, born as a spinoff to J.Lo’s more urban brand by JLo by Jennifer Lopez, apparently had $200 million in sales in 2006. Sales have been down, but I don’t think the brand is out for good.

Read the rest here.

Spring 2010 Menswear designers like Gucci, D&G, and Emporio Armani are currently showing in Europe, and I decided to pop online to take a look at the newest trends for the fellas.

First I took a peek at Dsquared2…

… for obvious reasons!

You might remember, last year DSquared made headlines for having a majority black cast:

At the time, website Fashionista said in an article called Changes on the Runway, “In reverse of how shows usually go, the majority of the models were black, with just a couple majorities. Now, there’s a delightful rumor…that next week’s Lanvin show will have an ‘all ethnic’ line up.”

Welp, this year, Brazilian Jean Carlos (in the 1st picture above) was the only splash of color in DSquared2’s whole show.  Quite a drastic change, so I decided to see if other shows kept up with the celebrated diversity of yore.

Emporio Armani featured two men of color:

Vivienne Westwood provided some eye candy:

And surprisingly, Calvin Klein represented with a handful of brothers (maybe it was that New York Times article by Cathy Horyn where she shouted out Francisco Costa for his homogeneous lineup):

But for a large majority of shows–Gucci, D&G, Moncler Gamme Bleu, Iceberg, John Varvatos, Prada, Moschino, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, Gianfranco Ferre, Burberry Prorsum–they were decidedly back to their old non-diverse tricks:

We always hope that a large outcry, an all black issue, and numerous blog and newspaper articles will effect a true change. But after all the hubbub of last season, it seems things have returned back to normal (for the men’s shows at least).

With all the love Gucci gets from Soulja Boy and Gucci Mane, you’d think they’d have at least one brother!

What do you think?

Pictures care of NYMag

ATL songstress Ciara is in California prepping for the BET awards this weekend. She chose to bless the hot West Coat weather with a thin low cut halter, fuchsia wedge heels, and a pair of pum pum shorts:

While I couldn’t quite pull this look off, Ciara has the slim build and height to perhaps get away with short shorts. And besides, we’re sure it’s hot in Cali, thus warranting such a…sparse outfit.

But what do you think? Is Ciara hot, or does her outfit make you go hmm…?