LE CATCH

$110*, kirna zabete

This lace-trimmed Phillip Lim tank is my new favorite fancy, edgy basic. So easy, so good. Come cooler weather, I'd sport it with crisp blue jeans and a black boyfriend blazer, but right now, it's all about this...

1. 3.1 Phillip Lim lace tank, $110*, kirnazabete.com
2. Finn heart and arrow earrings, $485, barneys.com
3. Proenza Schouler PS 11 holographic patent leather bag, $1990, netaporter.com
4. Yves Saint Laurent nail polish in Vert d'Orient, $25, nordstrom.com
5. Elizabeth and James sandals, $298, shopbop.com
6. Zara skirt, $59, zara.com

* Kirna Zabete is having a legendary end of season sale right now. Among the plum finds are this amazing Erdem blouse (for under $300!), this striking Peter Pilotto top, this forever-stylish Proenza Schouler bag, and this chic and versatile Lizzie Fortunato clutch.

$107, warehouse

It's almost unfathomable that I don't already have a lightweight motorcycle jacket like this in my closet! Seriously, the concept is genius, because it's perfect for California's cool summer evenings (or east coast buggy nights) or just plodding around a frigid air-conditioned office. It's definitely the kind of thing I'd dress up (slung over my shoulders with a strapless dress) or down, like this...

1. Stella McCartney top, $800, netaporter.com
2. Warehouse biker jacket, $107, warehouse.andotherbrands.com
3. Clare Vivier wallet, $230, shopbop.com
4. Gucci ballet slippers, $425, neimanmarcus.com
5. J.Crew jeans, $115, jcrew.com

A few days ago I was inspired by this picture to bust out my sequin pencil skirt, usually reserved for evening events, and wear it with a denim blouse and barely-there sandals. The look went over well at a work meeting and then on to lunch with a friend. It's easy but glitzy and fabulously unexpected. These sparkly skirts by J.Crew (or this one in white), BCBG (on crazy sale!), and Moschino Cheap and Chic can help you pull it off in a snap.

Photo: Harper's Bazaar

A friend told me the other day that she thinks of me as a skirt person. I thought this was interesting because I don't wear skirts more than pants or even own that many skirts. But I was more than happy to take the compliment. And, besides, I do love wearing a skirt, especially right now.

$350, shoplatitude

I love how this dress reads globetrotter, like it was snapped it up at some exotic, faraway bazaar. And yet it perfectly suits back-at-home, real-weekend-life.

1. Gypset dress, $350, shoplatitude.com
2. Jerry Grant ruby and diamond cluster earrings, $398, stevenalan.com
3. Foley & Corinna bag, $315, piperlime.com
4. Topshop nail polish, $10, nordstrom.com
5. Jeffrey Campbell skull-studded sandals, $109, nordstrom.com

My jewelry designer friend Pam has long had a knack for wearing the right, bathing suit-appropriate baubles. She avoids anything overly blingy or pieces that scream beach, like a puka shell necklace. In fact, the kind of things she wears--leather strand bracelets, stacks of thin gold rings, fun necklaces--even stand up to the Ditch Plains waves she regularly surfs. The girls in Hawaii have a similar thing going, as they're accessorized with jewelry that looks designed to go with a string bikini, but could also work post-sunset, too--kind of like these lovelies from Gorjana, Monica Vinader, Carolina Loyola, and Blanca Monros Gomez.

Photo: Frankie's Bikinis

$67, asos

Summer's only just begun and yet fall clothing is already starting to trickle into stores. I'm seeing loads of cool biker-inspired minis, with asymmetrical zips and leather detailing, including this graphic skirt and this sleek black one. Both will bridge the seasons and transition nicely into winter along with a pair of black tights and French editor boots! I'd wear this skirt right now with...

1. Madewell blouse, $74, madewell.com
2. Henri Bendel earrings, $48, henribendel.com
3. J.Crew pave bracelet*, $125, jcrew.com
4. Isaro by Jill Golden cuff*, $88, jcrew.com
5. Rebecca Minkoff bag, $195, shopbop.com
6. Prada sandals, $370, nordstrom.com

*Get these for $93 and $66 respectively (25% off everything in store today only) by using code LOVEJCREW at checkout.

School's out and we traveled to Hawaii last week to celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary for my in-laws and do some serious relaxing. We also surfed, snorkeled, hiked, swam, kayaked, and played endless rounds of Go Fish, on top of some long, uninterrupted nights of sleep. Below are a few pics and highlights. All in all, it was a wonderful family gathering and a slice of thank-my-lucky-stars-heaven!

Here are our kids and their cousins racing/chasing their grandparents (in the distance) to their favorite swimming spot on the North Shore of Oahu. Every afternoon several huge green sea turtles would beach themselves here for their late day nap, while others swam around us in the surf. The beaches on this stretch of coastline also have some of the biggest and most famous (and scary) waves in the world during the winter, but in the summer they are a placid swimmer's paradise.

The mountain landscapes on the rainy side of the island are Amazonian in their lushness. But Hawaii is so "new" and remote, the jungle is almost totally devoid of many of the animals and insects you typically find in the tropics. I am not a fan of snakes or biting insects, so I like this.

Here I am at Sharks Cove, where we snorkeled and saw schools of crazy beautiful and sometimes rather large fish. Thankfully, no sharks! Oh, and yes, I am wearing my Victoria's Secret bikini bottom! Postscript: Everyone is asking about my top, above, and kaftan, below. I bought them both a ways back, so they are no longer available, but here's one similar to the top, above, and a few others I love here, here, and here.

This Clare Vivier canvas tote summed up my mood over vacation and happily accommodated all our gear, from sunscreen to sarongs to a growing shell and rock collection carefully curated by my kids.

We reigned over the deserted beach in our backyard from dawn to dusk.

We also hiked up to Waimea Falls for a dip in its pool. If it looks like the set of Lost (to which I was addicted), it's because it is--the show was shot here. Fortunately, we had more food than the Survivors, but we also struggled in vain to crack and eat/drink a coconut until our friendly neighbor, a local, taught us how.

Speaking of food, the best meal of the trip took place at Cafe Hale'iwa, where this painted fish welcomed us. The kale salad is off the charts, and though they don't sell wine, you can buy yours in the adjoining Bonzer Front, the only wine store I have ever been too that also sells surfboards. And the wine is good. And they sell clothes. I was both thrilled (as the retail establishment that can please both me and my husband is a rare find) and puzzled, until my husband explained that behind the Bonzer Front, is the Campbell family whose various entrepreneurial achievements include the invention 40 years ago of the Bonzer (surfboard), viewed by surf aficionados as one of the greatest design breakthroughs in the history of the sport.

We spent one night in Waikiki (above), so my kids and I could surf the beginner-friendly seemingly endless waves. It was barrels of fun, since I actually do enjoy surfing, just not shopping for surfboards, in case there was any confusion.

Me in my vacation uniform. In this case, it's a Turkish-inspired kaftan that I gave to my best friend and decided to take back. She was OK with it...

$183*, shopbop

There are so many things going for this Rebecca Minkoff shoe: its now-and-later (post-summer!) wearability, its walk-to-work-friendly block heel and about-to-big mule-like silhouette (yes, mules are coming back in!). What's more, it's on sale* (48% off) through Thursday.

1. Proenza Schouler dress (40% off), $1170, netaporter.com
2. Warby Parker sunglasses, $95, warbyparker.com
3. Marc by Marc Jacobs bracelet, $74, shopbop.com
4. Joli clutch, $35, shoplatitude.com
5. Rebecca Minkoff heels, $183*, shopbop.com

*Get this price (and an additional 25% off all other sale items at Shopbop) by typing in EXTRA25 at checkout through Thursday 6/27.

I've just returned from a week-long holiday in Hawaii (the north shore of Oahu, to be exact) and dealing with post-vacation flotsam: multiple suitcases to unpack, carry-ons filled with sand and half-eaten snacks, along with stacks and stacks of mail. At least my own suitcase is unpacked (I did it last night as soon as I put the kids to bed!), and the process was relatively quick given my vacation wardrobe consisted of kaftans, shorts, dresses, and shoes. Make that shoe. Besides my running sneakers, I brought a single pair of simple thong sandals, which I literally wore non-stop during the entire trip. They're an old J.Crew pair from last year that are no longer available, but they look similar to the ones above, and proved themselves to be sand-to-city chic. In other words, they stood up to climbing craggy lava rocks and bopping around Waikiki. The only thing is that after this trip they don't have much mileage left, so now I am in the market for another pair. I've narrowed down my options to these by Michael Kors, Prada (the same shoe worn by the woman on the right), Topshop (in brown), and J.Crew. Thoughts or other ideas welcome!

P.S. Look out for vacation pics and highlights shortly!

Photo: The Sartorialist