Fashion Me Fabulous

We have a little brother, Bloke ! Etsy brings us tee shirts and vintage jewelry . How do you wear a crazy skirt ? What do you wear to the beach ? Save on summer skirts . Splurge on a pedicure . Our Facebook galleries now contain some of becca's most recent purchases as well as some of her closet's funkier pieces. Pop by and share your thoughts.

Project Design is our own friendly competition where we put together collection of independent designers for you to rate on your very own imaginary runway. Linen is my favorite summer fabric. It's light. It feels great. It breathes. And, best of all, it looks great. Nothing says summer like a light, cotton tank top, a breezy linen skirt, a straw bag and a pair of cute canvas sandals. Which linen skirt says summer to you? Long Linen Skirt by EasternlyYours Linen Wrap Skirt by PeekoApparel Linen Leather Look Skirt by couvert High Waisted Linen Skirt by Emilykatz Tiered Linen Skirt by glamspoon Linen Sailor Skirt by megannielsen poll by twiigs.com

A reader asked us via Facebook to find a proximity to the dress Anita wore in West Side Story . In order to stay awake through this whole thing, this post will be in real time. The things I do for you. And no, I don't care for Romeo & Juliet either. I am currently sitting on the couch being annoyed by skipping gang bangers in tight pants. Their fighting looks like homoerotic wrestling, and I find myself unable to take this movie seriously. Oh, look, now they are being the picture of nasty by throwing rotten food. Hoodlums indeed, officer! You give it to them for their yucky food fight. Anita, where are you? I don't understand turf wars. We certainly have them here halfway between Chicago and Detroit, but it all feels like a waste of life and youth. Yellow jacketed Jet has a questionable voice. Oh, the buggin' street. Now that's tough guy talk. I'm fairly certain I would like enjoy this more if I liked the vocals that were popular in the 60s. Girls! Hi, Anita!

I have a friend who is the most impressive wheeler dealer I've met aside from my father. She knows more about jewelry than dealers twice her age, and chances are good she's been doing it just as long as they have. Garage sales are her element. She can sniff out a good buy and walk away with it at half price. Me, I can't see through all the hand towels and stuffed animals to uncover the vintage lace gloves and antique bracelets. Of course, I'm not getting up at five in the morning to bargain with the best of them either. Do you love to haggle for deals or are garage sales a sleepy event for you?

Welcome to the new FMF weekly reader poll. We're hoping to get to know a little more about you, our beloved readers, and have a little fun with fashion questions. Last week , we wondered if you were a bronze beauty or a guardian of your natural skin color. This week, we wonder what you wear when on the beach or at the pool. poll by twiigs.com

My friend is sitting next to my on the couch and said, "That's a pretty skirt! What do you wear with it?" The key to wearing a boldly colored piece is to match or pick neutrals for your largest pieces, and use unexpected colors, turquoise here, in the smaller details. This complete look (including the bag and shoes you can wear with everything) is only $134.64. How To Wear a Tri-Color Skirt by Fashion Me Fabulous featuring Forever21 magenta lace skirt, Twelve by Twelve $28 lilac tee, New York & Company $16.95 nude peep toe sling back, Dillard's $23.70 nude purse, Kohl's $16 layered necklace, Target $49.99

Shop: James Anthony Apparel Specialty: Men's & Women's apparel feature unique illustrations Why We Love It: These t-shirts and simple dresses move beyond typical graphic prints you can find at most stores for something really different and eye catching. Price Range: $16 to $42 More Info: James Anthony Apparel is being exhibited at Alphonse Berber Gallery in Berkley, CA. Favorite Items: Dirty Knees Cutout Dress $38 ; Antique Baby Doll Dress $44 ; Japan 1903 Racerback Dress $40 (pictured)

Fashion Me Fabulous has a brother! His name is Bloke , and he's a menswear blog. You may remember some FMF menswear content from the past, which was written mostly by Mike. He's now blogging all things menswear over at Bloke . Tell your boyfriends, husbands, brothers, friends, fathers, cousins, uncles, grandfathers and any other men in your life. Bloke is here, and they too can be fabulous (or some equally complimentary term with a more masculine feel)! Also, you can hear Jael Paris and Mike on last night's broadcast of Late Night Jenga Jam. They gave some great fashion tips!

You said breezy skirts were one of your favorite items for summer . Us too. Since thin layers of cotton shouldn't be pricey, here's a great selection of loose, colorful skirts under $50. Top: cranberry skirt with boho edge, Nordstrom $34 purple floral print skirt, Anthropologie $49.95 full blue floral mini, Dillard's $29 Middle: blue print drape skirt, Target $27.99 Ikat print maxi skirt, Macy's $44.25 purple ombre mini, Dillard's $29.40 Bottom: country plaid skirt, American Living at J.C. Penney $38.99 red/pink floral skirt, Dillard's $24 purple full skirt, Victoria's Secret $39.50 Top: multicolor floral mini, Cutiemus $36 orange print mini skirt, Urban Outfitters $48 blue gingham skirt, Mod Cloth $34.99 Bottom: yellow linen skirt with contrast trim, Forever 21 $15.80 blue dot skirt, Forever 21 $22.80 pink linen skirt, Forever 21 $24.80 I dress summer skirts down with a graphic tee and lots of jewelry. How do you wear them?

Pedicures are a great way to wake up your feet after a long winter of hibernation. They're also a great way to pamper yourself a little. I'm not one to spend money on having my toes painted, but when sandal season starts I do like to get one pedicure to get me going. I know a lot of women who get frequent pedicures. I know some who even get them all year. I'm terrible with nail polish so I understand the desire to have it professionally done. However, I've just never had the income to splurge like that. Like I said, I do like one late spring pedi to kick off the warm weather, but this year I'm broke so I have to go a mega save and give myself that pedicure at home. Are pedicures a save or splurge for you?

Who: Kiss Kiss Vintage on Etsy What: brooches and accessories When: 1950s-1980s How much: $5 and up. You can get 15% off on the 25th of every month. Favorite pieces: ornate brooch $36 (pictured); cateye sunglasses $52 ; Rome scarf $15 (want!); Grecian style brooch $10 ; abstract 1940s bouquet pin $8

We're still recouping from a fun weekend of celebrating becca's birthday. Go out and get some sunshine. We'll be back tomorrow.

Get ready for summer: Stock up on polka dot dresses , but make sure you have the right bra for all those summer styles. We put together a great look for under $150 for all the walking you'll have to do this summer . In the details: Art Lab conjures up beautiful avant garde apparel. I'm still drooling over this embroidered bag and these killer wedges . Grab a great vintage purse for cheap at Better Than Naked . We want to know: Would you spend $50 on a costume necklace when you can get them from Forever 21 for $5 ? Are these shoes quirky chic or too Avril ? How bronze do you go in the summer ? Should you choose style and price over quality ?

Project Design is our own friendly competition where we put together collection of independent designers for you to rate on your very own imaginary runway. Last night I heard playwright/novelist/actor/fellow Armenian Eric Bogosian speak about his latest novel. Since then, I've been in a writer-y mood. I want to play with words and, apparently, wear them. Which words would you wear? agnes earrings in text by foundling Words Vintage Typewriter Key Earrings by KeysAndMemories I Heart Etsy by CatherineMarissa Doll Necklace by cbtscloset Fabulous Necklace by NaturalatHeartToo poll by twiigs.com

becca's birthday is Sunday. We're planning on doing something involving a whiffle ball and a go kart since we don't really have the money to shop. But I have fist fulls of imaginary dollars! becca loves purple, dresses, and ruffles. She also looks killer in a pencil skirt. Look! All four in one dress. This curve-loving dress by Black Halo is deliciously retro and could easily go from an office to a party. It's $345 at Chick Downtown. becca's also a sucker for an unique print, so I think she'd love this sea print sheath from Versace ($1,955 at Neiman Marcus). Her grandmother's jewelry gave becca a deep love of big statement necklaces, something she's embraced fully since college. In this dream world, I could get her this crystal burgundy necklace by Sonia Rykiel ($1950 at Net-a-Porter). Appealing to becca's Betsey Johnson love is a more realistic option, and I'm sure she could find many ways to wear this pearl cluster chain ($125 at Nordstrom)

Welcome to the new FMF weekly reader poll. We're hoping to get to know a little more about you, our beloved readers, and have a little fun with fashion questions. This week the sun is shining bright here in Chicagoland. If it's anything like that where you are, no doubt you want to be outside soaking up the sun. What kind of summer skin do you have? Are you a bronze beauty or a sunscreen queen? poll by twiigs.com

This weekend, I went on a walking tour of historic buildings in my town. Even after two hours, my feet were happy since I've stocked up on cute walking shoes from Naturalizer. It's in that soft soled spirit that this week's $150 Challenge centers around a pair of brown wedges from my first stop for walking shoes. This look should keep you cool, comfortable and stylish wherever your feet go this season. Get the whole thing for $146.50. Cool, Comfy Weekend Stroll by Fashion Me Fabulous featuring Forever21 accessories brown wedge sandals, Naturalizer $59.99 orange paisley dress, Forever 21 $24.80 apple tote, Target $19.99 straw cloche, Urban Outfitters $34 floral necklace, Forever 21 $7.80

I've been missing China lately. I want to eat unidentified food and some of those honey-fried bananas from the Muslim district of Xi'an. I want to feel adventurously lost and re-enact a scene from North by Northwest while trying to avoid mosquitoes. Alas, a $2000 plane ticket is way out of my budget. That mood has made me positively swoony for this Asian-influenced embroidered crane bag . The red, white, blue and gold colors scheme will make it easy to work into your wardrobe. (If you're worried about carrying a white purse, it's also available in black.) The wooden handles scream summer chic. It's $138 at Trashy diva.

Shop: ArtLab Specialty: Exquisite, unique fashion Why We Love It: ArtLab offers stunning, high fashion looks, that can be worn in everyday life. Price Range: $35 to $530 More Info: Visit the Designer's Website . Favorite Items: Charlie Chaplin Couture Bib $148 ; Lysistrata Bustle $85 (pictured); hoop skirt $220 ; Good Morning Jacket $298

Part of me wants to wear these studded "Skittle" sandals by Oh Deer! with white linen pants and a a high-necked black halter. It seems like a perfect twist to a rather traditional summer outfit. Part of me will always associate pink and studs with Hot Topic and Avril Levine, neither of which I care to have any connection to. Which part are you?

Who: Better Than Naked on Etsy What: purses When: 1950s-80s How Much: $20 and under Favorites: The name for starters wicker box bag $20 white patent frame purse $15

I love a statement necklace. The bigger the statement, the better the necklace. This beaded statement necklace from Nordstrom costs $57.90, which actually isn't that too bad for a statement piece. Also, this statement piece is bold, but has a versitility many bold necklaces lack. This could be dressed way up and way down. I can see this with a fancy dress or with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a cool sweetheart neckline. It's eye-catching and versatile, which makes it worth a splurge. On the other hand, it's just costume jewelry. It's unique, but if you were really determined you could probably find something similar for less if you didn't mind cutting back on the boldness a bit. Sure, you can picture it with a bunch of looks, but you could have several, less expensive necklaces from Forever 21 or Target for this price. Would you save or splurge?

My husband, mother and I were sitting in a restaurant on Main Street when we realized it was prom for a local school. Cue the limo parade! My two favorite dresses were a cute aqua bubble dress (Yea movement!) and a coral halter gown with what looked like gold tiger stripes on it. Believe me, that looked better than it sounds. However, most of the girls suffered from what becca and I call Midwestern Prom Syndrome. Symptoms of MPS include wearing a dress as generic as a bridesmaid gown; covering every inch of you in rhinestones, sequins, and satin to show how grown up you are; styling your hair in a way that requires industrial glue to stay put; neglecting in any way to make your look actually look like you. But that was not the horror of the night; after all, how frequently do teenagers stand out in a crowd? The horror was a girl in a lime and turquoise halter dress. She'd clearly spent a considerable amount of time and money getting the perfect tan for prom, but she neglected to bu

Is it possible to have too many polka dot dresses for summer? Polka dots were huge in the 50s, so some designs can't help but carry a retro appeal. The print makes them so sweet and the cuts make them flirty. I wear my brown and blue dot halter dress all summer and layer it with a blouse come fall. Which dress do you crave? Top: folded boatneck sheath, Tahari at Dillard's $128 pink trim swing dress, Pinup Girl Clothing $74 yellow tonal dots, Calvin Klein at Nordstrom $118 Bottom: pink ruffled dress, Miss Brache on Etsy $118 purple dot dress, BCBG at Nordstrom $160 maroon bombshell dress, Stop Staring on Daddy O's $89.95 cream tonal dot dress with ruffles, Kensie at Dillard's $158 Top: gradiant dot halter dress, Calvin Klein at Dillard's $128 white dot shirtdress, Adrianna Papell at Nordstrom $142 red trim sundress, Dillard's $49 Bottom: colorful strapless dress, Dillard's 39.50 green strapless dress, Fred Flare $65 maxi dress, Eliza J at Nordstrom $118 coral

Ingredients: Suede Patent Leather Zipper Wedge Heel Peep Toe Cool Cutouts Above is the ingredient list for a very fun pair of shoes. It's also a list of some of my weaknesses. I love shoes with these ingredients (especially suede--it's almost an illness). For them to exist all in one show is amazing, a little much maybe, but still amazing. I love the high contrast of the white patent and the black suede, but the shoe also comes in black patent and black suede (texture!). They cost $99.95 at DSW .

Charlotte Russe, you did not make these gorgeous strappy shoes . They're from L.A.M.B. , and I've been drooling over them for months! I'm still tempted to buy them, but I don't trust cheap heels to not kill me. Would you buy the plastic version of a shoe that is on clearance for $266 , or are the blisters and sore feet not even worth the $34.50?