Summer Blues: After 5 Style that will put a spring in your step

What a great pair of skinny pants for a night out this summer. We love this print that also comes in a skirt. MILLY offers 2 great top options to wear with it. The first is a 19” long sleeveless top of the same pattern, which is fabulous with these pants (Wear it on it’s own or with a longer white tank underneath, if you are taller or concerned about having enough coverage). The second is a sophisticated, yet easy dolman sleeve sweater with open stitch detailing at the neck. Milly is a contemporary brand, but has an easier fit than many contemporary brands – and this pair of pants has stretch in them, too. The side zip and higher rise create a smooth line.

Public School is an amazing line out of New York, that won several CFDA awards, the most recent being the CFDA VOGUE Fashion Fund Award, further proving their well earned place of respect in the fashion world. Started as a menswear line, they launched womenswear this year, and did a special collection for J.Crew. So, when looking for a tuxedo jacket, we know they have the design and fit just right. The shade of blue is saturated and timeless – we love it. Pair this jacket with a skinny black cropped pant and black tank for a dressy night look or distressed jeans and a tank with black heels for an edgy look. You will wear this year round

The combination of matte and shiny silk in this blouse really showcase what is one of the most beautiful shades of blue we’ve seen this season. Madewell points out that this works great with denim, and we agree. A white pair will dress up your outfit with a pair of metallic strappy heels, while a pair of blue denim boyfriend jeans will give you that cool feminine tomboy-inspired feel. But it will absolutely work with a dressier pair of crepe pants, too.

A brilliant burst of blue, mixed with black in this stylish ombre patterned blouse, works perfectly with any of your black pants for a night out – with the girls or that special someone. The piped zip front gives this modern fitting blouse just the right amount of edge to bring out just a little bit of your tough girl. Pair it with Tahari’s coated jeans, shown in this picture (also found through the “shop it” button) to complete the look.

The brilliant blue of this Ellen Tracy dress is just too pretty to pass up, and the textural material really showcases it in such a sophisticated way. This classic sheath style gets dressed up with the gold beading along the neckline. The gold is not bright, adding a smart finish so you don’t even have to worry about wearing a necklace. You can wear classic nude pumps to complete the look for an elegant dinner or dress it up with strappy gold heels for an afternoon wedding.

Lafayette 148 New York calls this the Dayna River Ripples Pencil Skirt. If that doesn’t evoke nature’s inspiration, we don’t know what does. It’s made of a cotton sateen fabric, elevating this pencil skirt for a dressier dinner or shower. We love the easy pairing of Lafayette’s navy linen top, and it will work just as easily with a clean white button down shirt or blouse.

If you are looking for something truly dressy for an evening wedding or charity function, we adore this navy sheath from Tadashi Shoji. The pale lining really showcases the gorgeous detail of the lace and accentuates the pleated bands that create an hourglass silhouette – whether you normally have one or not. What more can we ask for? Complete the look with a silver shoe as shown, or something in the nude/gold family, like this one in stone.

This pop of pool blue is a summery accent for a night out. The black accent easily ties it back to black, as well as any neutral.