BCBGMAXAZRIA “Britte” Tribal Print Skirt $71 – Short, tight and tribal. What’s not to love about this cute, high-waisted number?

Thou wouldst to wear a muumuu, else nothing,

but work awaits ye, chic o thee must be.

Hark! Ensembles o’er here! Thrice beest thine!

And all that is made cometh from here,

the States that doth be United in

America. Except for all shoes.

Find thyself looking bright to work ere’day,

Support thee and thy country in this way.

***Sparknotes version: Three looks for work on a summer’s day. All made in the USA, shoes not withstanding. See it all here.

Photo: Lucky Magazine

From left, starting at top:

Leaves of Grass Udolfo Silk-Georgette Maxi Dress $730, net-a-porter.com

T-Bags Printed Satin Halterneck Maxi Dress $215, net-a-porter.com

Milly Rope-Print Stretch-Jersey Maxi Dress $420, net-a-porter.com

Winter Kate Damien Bias Cut Maxi Dress $339.90, my-wardrobe.com

Rag & Bone Stretch-Cotton Maxi Dress $195, net-a-porter.com

Halston Heritage Printed Maxi Dress $966, farfetch.com

Tibi Paisley Ruffle Maxi Dress $891, my-wardrobe.com

Thomas Wilde Peso Printed Silk-Chiffon Maxi Dress $1,110, net-a-porter.com

Theory Yellow Gold Tylie Intellect Maxi Dress $536.25, my-wardrobe.com

Don’t forget to follow @JessicaLapidos for all her festival updates!

Denim - Denim can be hot and heavy, especially when wearing a longer pair. Cotton jeans are the best for breathability, but pairs with stretch will move with your body. Chrissy suggests either a  98% cotton/2% lycra or 96 % cotton/4% Lycra combination. The below pairs from Ksubi, J-Brand and AllSaints are great options.

Tees and Tanks - Breezy cuts made with soft fabrics are what to look for here. Chrissy suggests Pima and Supima cotton and blends with polyester so clothing retains its shape, even through inevitable summer sweating. Rayon is another great fabric to keep in mind as it drapes well and keeps its shape when wet. The tops below from Topshop, Vince and Erin Kleinberg look hot and will keep you cool.

Dresses - It’s difficult to go wrong with dresses in the summer, as most styles will help you beat the heat. But for that extra chill factor, Chrissy suggests cotton for every day, natural silk for more formal occasions and spandex blends for a body-conscious look. You won’t go naked with the below from Milly, Roberto Cavalli and Etro.

If you want to learn more about Chrissy Volk, check out her website adahliavolk.com. If you have questions about any of the styles shown here, holler at me on Twitter @CrystlMeatballs.

An adorably young, swimming-trunked Michael Kors sits in the lap of his fabulous mother Joan amongst his latest ready-to-wear and the quote:

“My Mom, Joan, has always been my biggest fan, she’s a constant source of support and inspiration, so to her and to all the great mom’s out there…Happy Mother’s Day!”

Aww, what a nice boy that Michael Kors is, so good to his mother! I bet he calls her regularly — I’m just saying, would it kill you to pick up the phone every once in a while?*

Other mom-designer windows featured are: Milly designer Michelle Smith and Rebecca Taylor, both with moms named Patricia; Lela Rose with mom Deedie Rose (cutest name ever); and Yigal Azrouël with mom Remond. [WWD]

*Best when read as an old Jewish woman…like most things in life.

1. Invest in a tent: Not to camp in silly, to wear! Tent dresses are the best fat day cures in the whole entire world. Just make sure it fits you well through the chest and arms to avoid looking like you’re wearing an actual tent; that’s when this look becomes unflattering. Above: MinkPink Table Manners Dress $88, shopnastygal.com

2. Wear pants at your actual waist: Here’s the thing, low rise pants are not flattering if you carry extra weight in your stomach. Try a pair of high-waisted pants that sit at your natural waist, the smallest part of your stomach. Adding a wide leg is even better – it’s like distributing that weight downward to even-out your figure and make you look taller. Above: Milly Woolen High Waisted Trousers $328, julesb.co.uk

3. Opt for an empire waist: When the waist of a dress sits above your natural waist and flows into an A-line skirt, it draws attention up and away from your problem area. Choose a dress with a structured, well-fitting top in a fabric that isn’t clingy. Above: Marchesa Empire Silk Chiffon Gown $5,821, boutique1.com

4. Go vintage shopping: They don’t make ‘em like they used to, that’s for sure. In an age of fast fashion and mass produced everything, garments are not made of the same high quality they once were. Dresses from the 50s and 60s were tailored to actually fit a woman’s body correctly and give her a waist. Try on some different options and find what looks best on you, but dresses from the 50s, 60s and 80s are good places to start. Above: Vintagephilosophy 1950s NEW LOOK Cocktail Dress $159, etsy.com

5. Buy a bra that fits: And no excuses! As an intimate apparel industry veteran, I can’t tell you how many women I’ve heard say “this new bra changed my life.” A proper fitting bra lifts and separates to give you the shapely figure you deserve. It also improves posture and, I guarantee, confidence that will be noticed by everyone. Stop by a department store with a good intimate apparel department, and someone can measure and help you find the perfect fit. Above: Betsey Johnson Stocking Stripe Lightly Lined Demi Bra $48, betseyjohnson.com

6. Cute shapewear won’t kill you: Shapewear – UGH what a gross word, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be. Shaping and smoothing garments have come a long way since girdles, as many of them can pass for regular clothing. Smoothing and shaping tanks with a touch of lace look like normal slips or camis, so you don’t need to worry about being frumpy when removing your clothes. Above: Shapeez Tankee Long $ 85, unbelievabra.com

What are your tips for hiding a tummy under light spring clothing?

You have all been seeing Rent The Runway all over Fashion Indie and that is because we are all totally obsessed with the concept behind this brilliant website! Rent The Runway today, use promo code: indie2010 for $10 off purchase and receive one FREE ticket to Prom 2010!It’s so simple! Visit www.RentTheRunway.com and….

Browse through our array of A-list designers and find a dress you love. Or two!

Schedule a delivery date and your dress will appear on your doorstep, in two different sizes. Just to be safe.

Put your dress in our handy pre-paid package and drop in the nearest mailbox. We take care of the dry cleaning!

It’s that time of year again when flowers blossom and little birdies hatch… oh yeah, and everybody gets married!! Rent The Runway has a whole category devoted to weddings to help make your life easier, especially on you wallet.

I have two back to back weddings approaching, one of which is this weekend. I actually should be packing right now, but I can’t even begin to bother with that. I’m on Rent The Runway checking out their latest inventory selections for Spring Weddings, still trying to decide which dress I want to rent. Of course you always want to look your best at weddings; you’re seeing people who you haven’t seen in months, sometimes years. Here are some of my fave choices so far:

Jenn Hyman and Jenny Fleiss are the brilliant entrepreneurs behind Rent the Runway. These young ladies know a thing or two about starting a business; within five months they’ve grown to more than 300,000 members and just this week, they launched accessories. We chatted with Jenn & Jenny about the recent accessories launch, upcoming plans for the site, and much more.What inspired the idea of Rent the Runway?

JH: Looking at a closet jam-packed with clothes and realizing I still didn’t have anything to wear. I wanted the dream – a constantly revolving wardrobe of the hottest designers and latest trends – without the high price tags.

JF:  We really wanted to address the constant problem that occurs for women – a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear!

Why did you decide to add jewelry to the site?

JF: Customers requested the desire to rent a complete head to toe look – so now we’ve provided them with a complete Cinderella experience!

JH: We had a huge response from our members that once they’ve committed to renting a dress, they want to go all out and get the complete look. Jewelry helps women express more of their personal style – they can take a dress and by nature of the accessories make it feel more uptown, edgy, classic or boho.

What is your typical day like?

JH: Every day is a new adventure. A typical day would involve lots of interactions and conversations with our team, at least one appointment with a designer where we’re either buying from the collection or partnering with their brand to build unique marketing programs, a few partnership related conversations -whether with US Weekly or Gossip Girl, lots of interaction with our technology team (and usually my getting impatient about when new releases will launch!) and of course, a few conversations with our amazing members!

JF: Busy! Part of the day I spend in our warehouse, meetings with team members, administrative stuff, QAing the site – favorite part of the day is checking out any updates on our facebook page!

Best moment of your job so far?

JH: The best part of starting Rent the Runway is that every single day I have a new best moment. I love our team so much and I love that we are bringing incredible experiences to women – and enabling women even for one night to strut their stuff with confidence and take on the world.

JF: I loved the initial trial we ran. Seeing women’s’ responses and how happy dressing up made them was truly inspiring.

Favorite designers on the site

JH: I love all of our designers on the site but I hold to the statement that you’ll never feel sexier than when wearing a Helmut Lang dress (or a Yigal Azrouel), Matthew Williamson puts all eyes on you, and Catherine Malandrino is perfect when you just want to relish being a girl!

JF: I love the Milly dresses we recently added but I love that part of the fun with Rent the Runway is experimenting with and learning about new designers.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?

JH: Just do it – this is the best decision I’ve ever made. Nothing feels better than waking up every morning and feeling excited about coming into work. Find something you love and you’ll be great at it!

JF: Go for it!  Start selling the product – don’t waste too much time on a complex business plan – as an entrepreneur you need to constantly be flexible and adapting to changing market and customers’ needs.

Can you tell us what’s next for Rent the Runway?

JH: A lot more hiring, a lot more dresses – look out for our new wedding and maternity businesses soon!

JF: Enhanced profile pages and more social – so we can engage with our customer and learn more about exactly what she wants!

Remember ladies first 1,000 Fashion Indie readers get $10 off their rental until May 9. Use promo code:  indie2010.

It’s the day before your event and you have nothing to wear!  You see your favorite celebrity looking amazing in a designer dress you could only dream of buying.  You have been dying to try that hot new designer but want to try it out first.

Enter Rent the Runway, an exciting new way for women to experience Carrie Bradshaw’s closet without the commitment!  Rent the Runway is an exclusive, invitation-only service that allows you to rent expensive, high-end designer dresses and jewelry for a 4-day or 8-day rental period for a mere fraction of the retail price.  We work directly with designers to build our coveted inventory, which includes dresses from Milly, Proenza Schouler, Herve Leger, Tibi, Catherine Malandrino and Badgley Mischka, and jewelry from Lee Angel, Subversive, Dannijo and many more lust worthy labels.

Indeed, the concept is revolutionary.  But we make it super simple!  Using our motto of Love. Wear. Return., you go to the site, browse our dress and jewelry collections by designer, style or by the date you need it. Your rental includes a free back-up size (just in case), return postage and dry cleaning fees.  (Did we mention the free advice from Rent the Runway stylists, fabulous fashionistas ready to take the intimidation factor out of the designer experience?!)  Your dress shows up ready to wear and when you’re done, just put it in the pre-paid packaging and drop it in the mailbox. Chic has never been so simple and the first 1,000 Fashion Indie readers get $10 off their rental until May 9. Use promo code:  indie2010.

An easy way to make a statement is to wear a bold, vibrant color. Incorporating just one of these items into your outfit is enough to stand out amongst a crowd and to grab some attention.

RED:
1. Diane von Furstenberg, $345, www.net-a-porter.com
2. TopShop, $30, www.topshop.com
3. Dior, $850, www.saksfifthavenue.com
4. Betsey Johnson, $55, www.betseyjohnson.com

BLUE:
1. Adam, $170, www.theoutnet.com
2. Steve Madden, $139.95, www.stevemadden.com
3. CC Skye, $495, www.couturecandy.com
4. Express, $29.50, www.express.com

GREEN:
1. Alberta Ferretti, $728.54, www.mytheresa.com
2. Collection Eighteen, $24, www.chickdowntown.com
3. Chie Mihara, $350, www.piperlime.com
4. Kenneth Cole, $103.60, www.macys.com

YELLOW:
1. Milly, $219, www.theoutnet.com
2. Delias, $109.50, www.delias.com
3. N.Y.L.A., $99.95, www.endless.com
4. Juicy Couture, $34, www.ssense.com

This spring, SSENSE is introducing designers Alexandre Herchcovitch, Maison Martin Margiela, Rick Owens Drkshdw, Twenty8Twelve, Milly, Current/Elliot and Kris Van Assche to their boutique, which already includes labels like Acne, Ksubi, Robert Rodriguez, Clu and Black Halo.  This, along with the re-launch of their flagship boutique, puts SSENSE in high demand.

Opening in April 2009, on the corner of famous St. Paul street in Montreal’s historic Old Port, the two-story boutique boasts over 80ft of window display space showcasing fashion’s most exclusive design labels. The store’s interior, dominated by black brushed metal and glass, is a modern update to the boutique’s antiquated facade.  On the main floor, luxury designers Alexander Herchcovitch, Maison Martin Margiela and Rick Owens will be paired with artistic, avant-garde brands.  A steel and marble staircase leads underground to the second floor, where labels like OAK, Current/Elliot and Acne can be found.

This addition to the already well-styled website, ssense.com, will add a bit of punch to its merchandising mix. A boutique that carries Herchcovitch, Margiela and Owens in the same space almost makes me wish I was Canadian, almost.