Posts with tag pool

There is something old school and luxurious about sitting by a pool, wrapped in a white terry cloth robe, sipping cucumber water and waiting to be called for your massage. However, those day spas can be pricey, and with everyone tightening their belts, this is the kind of luxury most of us give up first. You know, before food and gas.

But wait! Before you turn away from the dream of lavender scented lotion and gentle, soothing hands, consider scheduling your beauty treatment on a Tuesday afternoon or Thursday morning.

It's August, which means that summer is drawing to a close. Are your end of the season getaway plans all in order yet? Where are you off to -- maybe the beach, or camping? Or are you (or a loved one) getting ready to go off to school? If so, make sure you pack a towel.

And if you want a truly functional towel, you should probably check out the Towelini.

While looking for something else, we stumbled upon this fabulously Italian lingerie line, Parah Noir, and their sexy Milan fashion show. From what we can gather through Google translation of an Italian fashion blog, it's a legendary corset line that was big in the 90s, and they're making a comeback.

Two of the models were were sexy Italian film "stars" Linda Santaguida and Costantino Vitagliano. Apparently they're a couple, and love each other a lot based on these steamy pool photos.

At first we thought it wasn't a terribly practical line, but once we saw the picture of models wearing the velvety, bondage bras standing at the buffet table, it made a strange sort of "only in Italy" sense.

Experience the Fellini-like event in the gallery.

For some of us, summertime is a hot, sweaty nightmare of frizzy hair and shiny makeup collapsing like an ice cream cake in the sun. Between bug bites and sun burns our skin is a wreck, and we suffer from both the heat and the humidity. There is a whole post over on Stylelist about products that can help us survive the terrors of the season. And we need the help.

Meanwhile, there there are the charmed few, summer folk who thrive when the temperature climbs above 80 degrees. Just drop them at a pool, or anywhere there is sand, palm trees and surf. Their toes are always tan and bare, their hair tossled, and their faces sunkissed.

They look healthy, not hot. Casual, not sloppy. As if they just finished a particularly soothing yoga workout, and are about to sit on a warm, breezy deck watching the sun set, sipping something icy, tropical and fruity. In the gallery, their celebrity representatives, looking sexy, relaxed, easy going and enviable.

Being the voracious readers that we are, we're always checking out reading lists (and no, we aren't in Oprah's book club, even though she does have some good picks now and again). That being said, we were quite thrilled with Style.com's summer reading list -- the list itself is based on fashion, although the books aren't actually about fashion.

(Because you know, if it has to do with fashion at all, it's work for us, so we totally give ourselves a pass to take any of these out to the pool and read for a couple of hours. We're working.)

So you scored an invite to a swanky poolside bash this summer, or, maybe it's not so swanky, but you still have people there you want to seriously impress. No doubt you're going to sport some killer shoes, and you'll probably have a fabulous bathing suit and cover-up planned. To finish the look, though, don't forget your sunglasses!

Does the idea of strutting your stuff in a string bikini make you cringe? Some women get so concerned about wearing a bathing suit in public that they forget about the one item that should be at the top of their shopping lists for beach season -- a cute cover-up.

If you've got some extra bulges to hide, or just want to be modest, don't settle for an old tee and a pair of gym shorts -- treat yourself to a swimsuit cover-up that you truly love.

Some girls are born with a delicate, slight build. Others go through life with shoulders like a linebacker. And, while broad shoulders can make shopping for tops, dresses, jackets, and bathing suits a little more frustrating, we want to take a moment to point out that strong shoulders are sexy. So, the first thing you need to do with those broad shoulders is hold them up and back. Good posture, regardless of figure flaws, is always flattering.

Now that you know that, we can discuss specific bathing suit styles. Take a look through the gallery for suggestions of what to look for and, just as importantly, what to avoid. Happy shopping!

When we think of Old Navy's swimsuit selection, our minds instantly drift to preppy pink patters, flirty florals, and a few retro prints rounding it out. Imagine our surprise when we walked in and were confronted with a glamorous metallic, plunging, deep-v neck one-piece!

The sun is getting brighter and the days are getting longer, and for most of us that means more days out having fun in the sun. We certainly hope that sunscreen is simply an automatic for you at this point, but wouldn't you like another, more dramatic looking way to protect your face from the sun's rays?

Some of the swimwear shown by Amaya Swimwear looked like something you might pick up this summer for your neighbor's pool party -- fresh, pretty, flattering, and totally wearable.

Other pieces, however, were High Fashion Swimwear, with capes, cutouts, and details you wouldn't dare get wet -- perfect for days out on the yacht or that A-list pool party in the Hamptons. Seriously fashionable or seriously wearable, all the suits had stunning details and interesting accents.

I loved that they ran the gamut -- it almost seemed like real people could wear even this to the beach, given the proper motivation (like promise of really, really beautiful boys). And, for the most part, the models were beautiful and real; a couple looked underfed, but most of them looked healthy and comfortable in their skin. And that is a Good Thing for those of us feeling just a little nervous about beach season.

Be sure to check out the gallery of these designs and others from Rip the Runway!