Libby Salerno - Blog

Ever have those gut-wrenching moments when you've just spent a small fortune on stylish new clothes, and then you really come to terms with how that just affected your bank account? Or your credit card balance? Oh, the horror of buyer's remorse!

Well, let me tell you, you should never, ever have to feel guilt from wanting to look great and wear your favorite brands. Even designer brands! Here are two easy tips that will keep you focused, stylish, and guilt-free forever.

Buy pieces you know you can mix and match with at least three other pieces in your wardrobe.

This way you know you're going to get some mileage out of the purchase, rather than just wearing it once and forgetting about it thereafter. For example, you've just found an amazing top, but it's priced a little on the high side for your budget. Think about it this way. If you have nothing else in your wardrobe to pair it with (jeans, trousers, skirts), then it does not make sense to make this purchase. If, however, you can think of three pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of dress pants, and two skirts that you can pair it with, well, that's at least seven new outfits you have! And that doesn't even count the different ways you can mix and match your accessories (shoes, jewelry, watches, hats, scarves - oh my)!

Shop sales only. Don't want to pay a fortune? Then simply don't. You'll still find all your favorite pieces. You may have to look a little harder, but they're still there! Take a look at the pieces I put together below. This was inspired by my friend Amy, whose favorite store is Anthropologie. Each of these pieces can be mixed and matched somehow; they are all neutral enough in trend, style, and color to go with many other items in your wardrobe; and they're all on sale! Total cost for all of these pieces together is $309.70.

Items Above, Clockwise from Top Left:

Battened Down Tee, $29.95; Breezeway Tee, $29.95; Sangatte Slip Dress, $69.95; Textured Bowtie Sandals, $49.95; Least Resistance Cargos, $49.95; Lemon Stick Wedges, $79.95.

This is, hands-down, one of the prettiest maxi dresses we've seen in a while. Ted Baker's BALFO dress is 100% silk and 100% gorgeous. It has a ruched bodice and contrast bow detail/waistband, and it retails for $420. Beauty. Find it at TedBaker.com.

In 1974, Dian Von Furstenberg created the wrap dress. And in February, DVF launched the Diane Vintage Collection - "reissued prints, classic styles, timeless shapes" - giving us more of what we love, with a bit of the brand's rich history. Here is a look at some of the Pre-Fall styles from the Vintage Collection.

In an early-morning haze, having woken up at 2am and not been able to get back to sleep, I decided to peruse some of my favorite sites to see what was on sale. And to my pleasant surprise, I found that Net-A-Porter had some amazing deals on some of my favorite designers. So, I pulled three pretty dresses for you to check out today! Happy Friday, and Happy Shopping!

She always looks effortlessly glamorous, and when the former Kate Middleton - now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge - stepped out at the 10th annual ARK (Absolute Return for Kids) gala dinner at Kensington Palace on June 9th, she did not disappoint. In her first public appearance since her wedding to Prince William, she donned a $6,000 off-the-rack Jenny Packham evening gown, in dusty pink, with beautiful chiffon and jewel details. The only accessories needed? Her wedding ring and her Prince.

My Dear Friends & Readers,

Someone, who shall remain nameless, recently told me that she is attending a summer wedding. And then she proceeded to describe to me what she is wearing to said wedding. It involved a very casual get-up, which, in addition to "capris," included - to my horror - flip flops. I'm sure the look on my face said it all, as I'm not someone who hides her emotions well. But in the hopes of saving anyone else from this wedding-style faux pas, I pass along the following style tip: It's never okay to wear flip flops to a wedding. There. I've said it. Now, here are some beautiful options to a flip flop that will keep your tootsies happy and your style in check!

As a very right-brained person, just about anything can inspire me. Nature, art, a color, a texture, a mood, architecture, a location, and so much more. Today, I am inspired by a bouquet of sunflowers we have in our home. They are super bright and cheery, and after considering their appeal, I put together the look above.

Take some time to look around yourself and get inspired this weekend. And let me know what inspires your style - I'd love to hear!

Items above: Dress, Milly at Net-A-Porter, $365; Cuff, Alexander McQueen, at TheOutnet.com, $654; Shoes, Tinley Road Aleksei, at Piperlime, $49.

Many times, I advise people to add a punch of color to accessorize their neutral-palette wardrobes. But today, I wanted to showcase these beautiful black and white cuff bracelets that stand out on their own with chiseled, textural elements. Dress up a t-shirt and jeans; accessorize a pair of suitpants and a button-down blouse; or wear with a cocktail dress.

Both cuffs from Blydesign and MaxAndChloe.com.

Sometimes, we have to take those lemons and make some lemonade. In this case, we'll take the rain and turn it into PINK lemonade! So when the clouds are letting loose and the skies are filled with fog, learn to make the most of it with stylish rain gear like the pieces pictured here!

I fell in love at first sight with this beautiful trench coat. It's so perfect for a rainy spring day. Pair it with pink shoes, colorful jewelry, and a stellar floral print umbrella, and you'll be turning heads every which way 'til Sunday.

Pictured: Trench Coat by Tibi, at CUSP.com, $561; Floral Print Umbrella, at Umbrellas.com, $65; Boots, Hunter Wellies at Neiman Marcus, $125; and Enamel Bracelet, Lauren G. Adams at MaxAndChloe.com, $148.