LE CATCH

This summer, sneakers and dresses go together like palm trees and sunshine. This dynamic duo is both practical and stylish--i.e., ideal for running around the city and trekking across far-off lands! However, the key to nailing this look is sporting the right dress. Aim for one that is on the feminine side (to counterbalance the tomboy-ish kicks) and features an easy, relaxed silhouette. (The strapless gem, above, is past-season Reformation and the last dress, below, is by Diane Von Furstenburg.) I also love these by Rebecca Taylor (the ultimate day-to-night travel dress!), Asos, The Reformation, T by Alexander Wang, Astr, Veronica Beard and Cloe Cassandro.

Having logged loads of beach time recently, I can attest: the high-waist bikini trend is real--and hotter than ever this summer. It seems everyone I know has one of these retro-spirited suits--except me! I'm ready to ride this wave now with any of these suits by Montce (above), Zimmermann, Marysia, J.Crew, Mara Hoffman, She Made Me, Tularosa, Matteau, and Asos.

Photo: The Salty Blonde

$29, h&m

I'm gaga over these Gucci-inspired embroidered kicks from H&M!

1. Mango top, $12, mango.com
2. Topshop sunglasses, $38, topshop.com
3. Anne Sisteron rose gold cuff, $585, annesisteron.com
4. Gucci canvas tote bag, $1250, bergdorfgoodman.com
5. H&M sneakers, $29, hm.com
6. Mother jeans, $200, netaporter.com

I never managed to get my paws on the above (past season) J.W Anderson top, but now, Banana Republic (of all people!) comes to the rescue with this super chic and way less expensive derivative. Sold!

Found: dreamy dresses that slip from the bedroom to the beach! Thanks to some stylish holidaying Brits, I discovered Three Graces London, an up-and-coming line of nightwear-turned-daywear dresses. Signatures include relaxed, nearly sheer silhouettes rendered in the finest, whisper-light cotton, linen and silk. New Yorker Leandra Cohen, below, proves that these dresses can even pound the city pavement. I'm swooning for this cotton mouselline lovely (on sale, last picture), this striped Victorian-inspired dress, this cotton voile maxi, and this billowy halterneck (second snap below).

Photos: Lucy Williams, Leandra Cohen, Martha Ward

$169, frankie shop

The skin-revealing cut-outs and lace-up shoulders make this a summer day stunner.

1. Frankie Shop cut-out dress, $169, thefrankieshop.com
2. RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Beloved, $36, netaporter.com
3. Joanna Laura Constantine hoop earring set, $243, shopbop.com
4. Oliveve Laine brass ring bag, $298, anthropologie.com
5. Marc Jacobs sandals, $295, shopbop.com

Pinstripes, step aside. It's time to polka dot. This perennial print is popping up (again) everywhere, and with good reason: the eye-catching dots are both feminine and fun and endlessly versatile. For a fresh feel, I like mixing mine up with other prints, like camouflage and florals. My polka dots picks include this Robert Rodriguez dress, this J.Crew top, this Reformation skirt, this Fifth Label romper, this Lolli bikini, these Tabitha Simmons slides, this Ganni skirt, and this Realisation wrap dress, pictured above.

I've decided I want to be Italian in my next life. And I'd like to live on Sardinia, because I feel perfectly at home there! Last week I happily existed on plates of lobster pasta, long swims in the sapphire-colored sea and late-night bedtimes (i.e., activities in which I do not regularly participate in LA!). My seven travel mates--fellow mamma mias--made for one big Italian family. It was La Dolce Vita from start to finish. BTW: Sardinia boasts the highest rate of centenarians in the world (22 centenarians/100,000 inhabitants). Which means I'll be living a l-o-n-g dolce vita next time around! Read on for more deets. (P.S. Cute mini skirt, above, is by March11.)

We stayed at the white-washed Mediterranean-style Hotel Romazzino, perched on a hill overlooking the clear blue waters off Costa Smeralda. The beachside set-up, above, called for lots of lounging around. I tried to counterbalance my lounging/carbo-loading at the hotel's epic outdoor gym, but miserably failed.

For us, every day in Sardinia was a beach day, but just a different beach! By boat, we sought out the most secluded ones we could find. Our favorites were sprinkled around Cala de Volpe. As we beach hopped and soaked in the sun, I went through several bikinis and dresses a day. My fringed dress is by Love Shack Fancy (I love that it can be buttoned/unbuttoned all the way) and my polka dot suit is from And Other Stories.

The best Italian aperitif--and my new summer drink: an aperol spritz! So refreshing and light.

That almost all of us had packed a wrap skirt is a testament to its greatness! Mine is by The Reformation and several years old, but my friends sported some new, just-out versions by Lisa Marie Fernandez, Dolce & Gabbana (on sale!), Milly, The Jetset Diaries, and The Reformation. My tie-trimmed one-piece is Minkpink.

The Med doles out mind-blowing blues!

One day we boated to La Casitta, a small restaurant hidden away on a private, uninhabited island called Santa Maria. After we arrived at the unmarked stone platform dock, above, we were whisked away on a golf cart to the restaurant, a renovated shepherds' home built in the '20s, surrounded by wild gardens. We feasted on fresh-harvested clams, oysters, sea urchins and, yes, lots of pasta. My floral-themed ensemble--a Natalie Martin cover-up and La Reveche bikini--helped me blend in with the scenery!

This stretch-waist, off-the-shoulder Stylekeepers dress served me well post-lunch at Cala de Volpe, where I gorged on the best truffle pizza, fried calamari and bellinis ever (below)! I'll definitely need this dress in my next life!

Among all the new trendy fall looks trickling into stores right now, my favorite silhouette is the puff sleeve blouse. This voluminous style feels fresh and feminine, and the airiness reflects next season's oversized '80s vibe. Bonus: these blouses also work now. I'd like to make a big statement in these mostly wallet-friendly pieces by Petersyn (pictured, above), Mango, And Other Stories, Pixie Market, Tibi and Stella McCartney (on sale!). The jeans, above, are by Frame.

For weeks, I'd been mentally packing for my trip to Sardinia. (Pics/deets to come!) I had my bikinis, caftans, sandals, and dresses lined up. The only thing missing: the do-it-all sweater that goes from the airplane to the air-conditioned hotel. A light-enough knit that I can throw over my shoulders when the evening breeze blows in. Kind of like the perfect transitional sweater that works overtime from late summer to early fall. So, I did some poking around and found some good candidates, including the Sea eyelet sweater, above, this cropped Spencer Vladimir (on sale!), this patched J.Crew (40% off), this button-trimmed Altuzarra, and this classic Loewe.

Photo: Man Repeller