1. Topshop chiffon dress,
2. Lucy Folk sunglasses,
3. Clinique Marimekko Lipstick in Passion,
4. Gucci raffia tote,
5. Tibi sandals,

At Cecconi's in South Beach on Friday night, I witnessed major fashion heat, with dresses up to here and plunging necklines down to there. This sexy hot pink dress would have fit right in!

Recently, a friend kindly asked me to join her for a few days of epic Caribbean R&R. The invitation also came with one special request: could I please bring an extra suitcase full of pretty dress loaners for her? I happily obliged, focusing on pieces that can be worn in a variety of ways (see pic above). Here are some of my faves from (above, also this tie-it-up ), (it's reversible!), (sandals to stilettos), (one-shoulder or strapless), (wrap dress meets swimsuit cover-up), this beach to street kimono, and this blouse/dress.

Photo: Ramya Giangola

Last summer, it was all about the one-shoulder dress. This season both shoulders come out to play! The strapless dress, formerly reserved for nighttime festivities, are more than ever sunshine-ready, particularly these from , , , , and .

Frills and ties, oh my! The deep V in the back is the (most romantic) finishing touch.

I'm not lying when I tell you these Celine-inspired lace-up sandals go with everything!

Even though spring hasn't yet sprung in my neck of the woods, I'm still slipping into my new warm-weather dresses, layering them with transition-smoothing pieces like light leather jackets and sneakers (similar to pics here). My latest favorite frocks include this flowy (above, also ), this feminine , this crochet , this slip-like , this asymmetrical and this chiffon maxi.

Spring fever has me lusting for this date-night dress! (Never mind the April snow!)

Last summer I borrowed a pair of silk slides from my mother, which I never returned and wore into the ground (i.e., with jeans, dresses, shorts, caftans, etc). Well, I just bought the replacement (and a pair for my mother, too)!

The fun details--rope ties, lace-up sides and grommets--make this dress a standout.