The Range: My Best Buys of Summer

When you write a fashion blog, it’s easy to fall face first into overspending. This year, I’ve worked hard to shop consciously instead of haphazardly. So while I haven’t purchased very many pieces for summer, I feel like nearly everything I have purchased has been a winner. Here are the best things that I’ve purchased this summer.

This Spanx dress is a classic piece that I wear every time I need something easy and stylish in a hurry.   The material is a good weight, much thicker than most t-shirt dresses.  The side vents keep it breezy.  And the quality is quite good.  It’s a smidge on the pricey side, but the cost-per-wear value for me is high.  Also in solid black.

For two years, I’ve been looking for a real leather crossbody bag that wouldn’t break the bank.  This AllSaints Captain bag is it.  The leather is gorgeous and feels very expensive.  The shape is simple and chic.  The exterior pocket is great for essentials, like your phone.  And the price cannot be beat at $129. 

Full disclosure, I did not buy this dress.  I joined a panel discussion at the MM LaFleur store in Georgetown last week, and they offered to dress me for the event.  Since I’ve been wearing MM for over a decade, I happily accepted.  This Ciela dress is the one I chose, and I loved it enough that not only would I buy it, I did buy it in a different color.

The material is thick and stretchy.  The dress is impossibly comfortable.  The color selection is fabulous.  And the side ruching is great for the days when you don’t feel your best about your body.  

One of the reasons that I’ve been shopping more thoughtfully is that I subscribed to Rent the Runway.  For just over $100 per month, I receive multiple items to wear for weekend date night, special events, work trips, and every day life.  I ordered these linen BlankNYC shorts on a lark, and they are incredibly.  I loved them so much, I paid to buy them.  

And, yes, it’s true that I usually don’t wear linen because it wrinkles, but this material is thicker and darker, so I barely notice the wrinkling.

Have you bought anything phenomenal this summer?  Leave it in the comments.

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