In the Glossies: J Brand & Figure-Loving Frocks

The August issue of People Style Watch has a section dedicated to helping ladies find their curvy side, even if they have a boyish figure. And while I love that J Brand’s hip-enhancing skinnies got a shout out, what really caught my eye were the shapely dresses. It just so happens that a waist-defining silhouette is my dress of choice, and we’ve got a whole category dedicated to the figure-enhancing frocks at shopbop. In fact, our head buyer, Erin, made it her pick earlier this year, calling the look “timeless,” “ladylike,” and “always chic.” I think those are three pretty darn good reasons to love it.

Talent Show

Mid-July is kind of an unofficial holiday for us. Why? Because it's the time when we can finally get our hands on those fall runway styles we lost our minds over last February at fashion week. What have we snapped up so far? Well Derek Lam's uptown bohemian Off the Shoulder Dress and pretty plaids from Ports 1961 for starters, plus Lela Rose's ladylike Lantern Sleeve Dress and Thakoon's punk-meets-posh Luiza. The "most wonderful time of the year"? For fashion-obsessed folk it's right now. Celebrate with fresh-off-the-runway fall dresses, from right here, in the Designer Boutique.

Knee-Length Dresses for Your Ladylike Side

Showing a little leg? Great. But showing a lot of leg? That's so 2007. This year flaunt what your momma gave you in the must-have knee-length dress. The prim and proper style is turning out to be the It look of the season, and your favorite brands have taken note. Vera Wang offers up an elegantly feminine short-sleeve number with a sexy side slit, while Nanette Lepore took the floral route. Rachel Pally's in on the action with her signature slinky jersey, and DVF does the length (and has been doing it for years) to perfection. So give your mini a rest and give ladylike a try. Find the knee-length dress that suits your fancy, at shopbop.

Frill Ride: Ruffles & Tiers Add a Sweet Touch

Remember that ruffled pink dress you had when you were six? Remember begging your mom to let you wear it to the first day of kindergarten, the grocery store, Suzie Nickel's birthday party? Well that dress is back, and it's showing up in oh-so-fashion-forward inspirations. Think ruffles and tiers on dresses and tops from the likes of Susana Monaco, Milly, and Ella Moss. It's the sweet style you've been craving for years. Find it at shopbop.

Give It A Whirl

It's a desperate (if familiar) scene: you've texted "on my way!" but in reality? You're still standing in your underwear, the entire contents of your closet in a heap on the bed. Never have your separates felt so sinister, so dauntingly complex. Who to turn to in your time of need? The one-step chic of a dress. And sweeping maxis to swingy minis, elegant halters to shoulder-baring strapless styles, Foley + Corinna to Karen Zambos, and every Ella Moss and Shoshanna in between, we've got just the dress to get you out the door in style. Summer's here. Get dressed for it, right here, at shopbop.

We Made the List

InStyle is always a source of inspiration to us here at shopbop, so we were excited to see our name in the pages of their special Shape issue. Featured in their Top 20 Online Shopping Sites list, shopbop was lauded as the place to go for the Best Dresses:

Find your best dress here.

Give it a Whirl! Flirty Summer Dresses

It's a desperate (if familiar) scene: you've texted "on my way!" but in reality? You're still standing in your underwear, the entire contents of your closet in a heap on the bed. Never have your separates felt so sinister, so dauntingly complex. Who to turn to in your time of need? The one-step chic of a dress. And sweeping maxis to swingy minis, elegant halters to shoulder-baring strapless styles, Foley + Corinna to Karen Zambos, and every Ella Moss and Shoshanna in between, we've got just the dress to get you out the door in style. Summer's here. Get dressed for it, right here, at shopbop.

Happy Memorial Day!

Whatever your plans for this Memorial Day, I hope the sun is shining and the grill is hot. I just got back from a stay in the great north woods of Wisconsin, three days of wearing nothing but my worn-to-shreds jeans and favorite tees. It was bliss but I’m ready to get back to more refined style, so for tonight’s barbeque, I’m going with a sweet dress and sleek flat sandals. What’s your ideal Memorial Day ensemble? Build it now, rock it at the next summer bbq.

Smooth Transition

This time of year yields peculiar weather. The day begins cool, by 3 p.m. the temperature has risen 20 degrees, and then it drops by 15 in the evening. On days like these, layering becomes a fashion art form, and if it’s done right, one outfit can take you from morning to night.

The easiest way to pull it off is to make a flirty dress the foundation of your look. I love the vintage feel and the on-trend, airy silhouette of Joie’s floral Kapri Dress. Layer on a cardigan by James Perse and a scarf by Love Quotes for morning; then ditch them in the afternoon heat. As the temperatures drop with the setting sun, use the scarf as a shawl for a perfectly evening-worthy look.

A Girl Cannes Dream

Many years ago, when I was but a junior in college fresh off a semester abroad in the City of Lights, I foolishly (and accidentally) booked my flight home out of Nice during the very week that neighboring Cannes was hosting its famous festival. Attempting to find a hotel room only a week in advance was my second mistake, and I had to resort to begging a bed off my very kind host mother from the first two weeks of my sojourn.

Sadly, that was my closest brush with the glamorous event, but it’s been enough to arouse a delusional sense of “I’ve been there” at the beginning of the festival every year since. Today kicks off the 2008 run, promising a flock of Hollywood A-listers and their international counterparts, as well as a red carpet that rivals the Oscars and lasts eleven days longer. The always insightful style.com took a look at the festival’s fashions through the years, and it got me thinking (okay, daydreaming) about the dresses I’d wear were I to attend the star-studded event.

First and foremost I’d don the Jovovich-Hawk Paloma Long Dress (pictured above). It’s old Hollywood glamour and incredible comfort (a necessity of luxury, per Ms. Chanel) rolled into one. Day two would find me in Milly’s Coin Beaded Long Halter Dress for a beachy take on elegance, and day three would be reserved for a little sass in the Vera Wang Lavender Label Sequined Sheath. Days four and five would return to glamour with Alice + Olivia’s Beaded Cross Chest Long Dress and Jovovich-Hawk’s Mina Dress. But what about days six through twelve, you ask? That’s when I’d ditch the flash bulbs in favor of the blue waters and picturesque beaches this coast is known for.

It’s a dream perfumed with champagne and sea spray, and I won’t be letting it go anytime soon. Because, let’s face it, everything’s a little more romantic en français.

First Fashion: The Best of What’s New

Countless examples of modern chic arrive at shopbop every day, and we’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t tell you we find a few eye-catching standouts to covet each and every one of those days. That’s why we’re bringing you First Fashion, your morning look at our favorites in What’s New. Have some style with your coffee.

Today, I have summer dresses on the mind, mostly because of these knockout pieces of eye candy:

With summer’s arrival comes a deluge of wedding invites, and with that, the search for a dress. This sweet frock is perfection. (Shoshanna Strapless Bubble Dress, in Kelly Green)









This little Juicy number is date-night flirtatiousness, and with a crisp white jacket, it can pull off office fun too. (Juicy Couture Scallop Dress with Belt, in Cherry Pie)










For those lazy days summer is prone to, this dress makes being comfy and looking coolly chic one and the same. (Splendid Jersey & Habotai Strapless Dress, in White)








Every great dress deserves an equally great bag, and Tory Burch’s Provence Metallic Woven Clutch is perfect with absolutely everything. You know there’s much more. Find it in What’s New.

Find the Perfect Dress for Any Occasion

The list of summer occasions is a long one. First there's a formal, then the big graduation, and the number of summer weddings requesting your presence has hit mammoth proportions. How to fit it all in doesn't concern you. No, you've got a bigger question on your mind: What to wear? We've got the answer. For that formal, slip into Jovovich-Hawk's endlessly flattering Paloma Long Dress. Start your new life adventures with ADAM's clean, white Embellished Waistband Dress. And for all those weddings? The Loeffler Randall Cowl Dress comes in a brilliant shade of teal that will have all eyes on you. (Go ahead, recycle it for your cousin's nuptials. We won't tell.) Your occasion attire just got a lot less complicated. Find your frock, at shopbop.

Top 10 Must-Have Dresses for Spring

There's one thing every fashionable girl turns to when she wants to look incredible with minimal effort: the dress. It's that fabulous piece of fashion that can transform any ho-hum day into pure brilliance in about 3.5 seconds. And from maxis to minis, strapless to cap sleeves, more than one style has set our hearts aflutter this season. We've picked our top ten, and they're just waiting for you to snatch them up, at shopbop.

Dress You Up

Transitional moments are apt to be awkward. We need only look to our 7th grade picture for proof. And, like the seasonal equivalent of middle school, early April has us staring into the depths of our closet, unsure of how to dress for the confusing, not-quite-spring weather. Who do we turn to in our time of need? Our trusted friend: the dress. On a bleak, drizzly day we're pairing a short, flirty style with tights and a cozy-luxe cardigan. And for those unseasonably warm weekends? We love the casual chic of a sweeping dress and skimpy sandals. Spring dresses fit for all of Mother Nature's moods? Find 'em right here, at shopbop.

Ornate Hemlines: Be Charmed by Trimming

When dress shopping, we used to concentrate on the flatter factor of the neckline, and the question of straps or no straps was invariably considered. Then there was the great empire-versus-natural-waist debate of 2007. In short: our dresses' skirts were feeling seriously neglected. Not anymore because this spring adores the ornate hemline. Rory Beca is doing it with a sweet little ruffle, and Jovovich-Hawk mingles eyelet, paisley, and scallops to brilliant effect. But that's just the beginning. Designers across the fashion spectrum have been charmed by elegant trimming, and it's changing the way we look at the dress. See for yourself, right here, at shopbop.