Break into Tiers!

Pulled from the pages of Lucky magazine, this 'Spotlight on: Tiered dresses.'

I love this look! The cardigan tones down the drama of the ruffled tiers (making them daytime suitable!) without losing any of the romance.

Parker Blue's Tiered Ruffle Dress (also available in 3/4 sleeve or as a tank-tunic) is perfect for those looking to flex their fashion muscle. For those a little more hesitant, Sweet Pea's Hi-Neck Ruffle Top gets the same stylish point across with far less frills.

See more ruffles at tee-zone.com
and complete the look with one of our Cardigans!

Tying the Knot

Flipping through this month's Lucky magazine I found this style detail on knotted blouses. I love this look- a little business casual, a little retro-chic.. versatile, and less fussy than you think.




Parker Blue's cap-sleeve tie collar top (left)is a great, tee-shirt version of this. Lucky paired their blouses with an A-line skirt and heels, but this number looks just as cute with leggings or jeans and your favorite flats.




For a less traditional tie-top, Sweet Pea's Banded Tie-Neck (right) has a looped drawstring neckline with a single side bow.. and it comes in two great prints. (And if you like those prints, have you checked out our new Mixed Prints collection?)

Michael Stars' Cropped Tie Cardi (below, left) turns any tee into a tie-neck. It's also a great day-to-night dress-up-your-tank-top and cover-those-chilly-shoulders cardigan. And if you love this look but can't be bothered with the bow, Velvet's Bow-Front top (below, right) has all the flair and none of the frill.

Looking for more? Click here for Tee-Zone's favorite ties.

Shopping around Shoes

I set out last week to buy myself a new pair of shoes. I found what I was looking for at Nine West, where for $89.00 (a steal, if you ask me) I became the proud owner of these fabulous platform wedge gladiators (below & 1). They're light, and comfortable, and look amazing (in fact, a woman saw me trying them on and asked for a pair herself!).. but when I got home, I realized I had no clue how to wear them. I brought them in to work at Basic Basic for some help.


With Megan's help, I set out to match clothing to my new shoes. Who hasn't planned an outfit around a favorite pair of shoes? I know I'm not the only one. So I'm sharing my findings here. A sort of how-to wear this season's must-have sandal: the Gladiator.

Click to enlarge.

To start with, I knew I needed something hot to wear this out with. We went with long Tart leggings (2) - they're thin and tight, with a little sheen. If you prefer a thicker legging, So Low makes a great pair. On top is this Ruffle Tank by Parker Blue (3). It's long enough to cover all your questionable areas, and the ruffles add a sexy twist. Juicy's Sleeveless Ruffle Front Top is a nice summery alternative, or if you prefer something a little simpler, this Sleeveless Ruffle Tunic by Zooey has the same feel with less flounce.

On the other hand, I wanted to try the shoes with something girly, but not necessarily sexy. After trying on a few dresses with no luck, Megan grabbed Young, Fabulous, & Broke's Silk-blend Melrose dress (4). We found that the shoes looked best with an A-line skirt. The Melrose dress flows beautifully, and the pleating on the chest gives it a sweet little babydoll feeling. This Sleeveless Tiered Dress by Splendid ran a close second to the Melrose. To dress the sandals up, you can try Susanna Monaco's Pleated Scoop Tank Dress.

Finally I needed something to slum around in. Dressing these babies down was easier than I expected. I grabbed my new favorite white tee (Petit Bateau's Short Sleeve Light V-Neck.. it's their new super-thin fabric. I wish all my shirts flattered me like this one!) On top of that I threw on Juicy's Jacquard Terrycloth hoodie (5) in a color called "So Sari." I love the drawstring bottom, and the wide hood. So comfy! Kritik's hoodies are just as fantastic, and come in some seriously vibrant colors. A denim mini skirt or your favorite jeans will look great to finish off this outfit.

So I left the store a happy camper, with lots of new clothes (yay!) and tons of ideas, and hopefully helped a few of you that found themselves in the same situation. I'm debuting the shoes this weekend - wish me luck!


rachel rose