A Case for…Getting Your Sample Sale On

Hey, everybody! We’re hosting a sample sale at the Ace Hotel in NYC. With NINE amazing Of a Kind designers, featuring all of the pieces pictured above and lots, lots more for up to 75% off. Yah. It’s kind of a big deal. And you should probably warn your boss that you have a, cough, cough, doctor’s appointment on Thursday and will need to pop out for an hour or so.

The Deets:

11a to 7p on Thursday, August 18, at the Ace Hotel, 20 West 29th St. Credit cards accepted!

The Designers:

Ace & Jig, Brook&Lyn, Erica Weiner, Lizzie Fortunato Jewels, Mary Meyer, Rachel Rose, Thomas Sires, Toujours Toi Family Affairs, and Tucker.

A Case for…Arrows

I’m not about to pack my bags for Albuquerque or anything, but I am sweating a  Southwestern aesthetic right now. This arrow motif is a lot more subtle than, say, a Pendleton jacket—which ups the likelihood that I’ll still want to wear these pieces 18 months from now when I’m suddenly into baby-doll dresses or Mondrian-inspired prints or god knows what. —erica

1) Iacoli & McAllister Hex necklace No. 2: Layer this with a pile of beaded strands and chains to give ‘em an instant update.
2) Me & Arrow mini arrow satchel: The subtlety is the sell here.
3) Pamela Love arrowhead bracelet: This sucker is about legit as it gets.
4) Mara Hoffman red arrows maxi skirt: How nicely would this go with a denim shirt and some Hatch chiles?

A Case for…Sturdy, Cool Weekenders

Rolling bags don’t belong at the beach. And, really, with the increased odds that some power-hungry flight attendant will try to force you to gate check any time you get on a plane, you’re probably best off carrying an easy-to-maneuver, squishy duffel or tote on those occasions, too. These four are up to the job (and easy to ID in an overhead bin). —erica

1) Property Of… Swamp Tommy trip bag: This is the military-inspired duffel you can never find at an army-navy store.
2) Master-Piece No 9 Mastertex: Because you really don’t have enough teal suede—or yellow anything—in your life.
3) Ernest Alexander overnight bag: Everything about this sucker is classic, but the navy canvas is just two shades bluer than you might expect.
4) Killspencer classic black leather weekender 2.0: Ok, you might get stopped at security because this high-gloss wonder looks like it’s smuggling something.

A Case for…Baja Hoodies

Good news: If you’re wearing one of these suckers, you can use the words gnarly and brah unironically. Kidding! You can, however, hang out at the beach once the sun goes down and, if things go as I always hope they will, eat marshmallows toasted/charred over a bonfire. —erica

1) Vena Cava Wasily baja hoodie: Just long enough to wear over a bikini.
2) Textile Elizabeth and James baja popover cotton jacket: The soft pinks and creams  give it an unexpectedly sweet look.
3) Sophomore baja hoodie: This fabric should eliminate any drug rug gags.
4) Gryphon vintage baja: Each one is made from found fabric and is therefore one of a kind—obviously up our alley.

A Case for…Sophisticated Canvas

Hey, everybody! It’s summer, season of the boat tote. And as easy as it is to love a big ol’ bag, canvas should not be relegated to farmers’ market outtings or trips to the Cape. The material has gotten pretty polished lately, and it’s time to expand your horizons with these four just-fancy-enough pieces that still have plenty of ease. —erica

1) Twenty8Twelve Daisy dress: The hot coral color screams movie (and Solo-cup rosé) in the park.
2) Adam canvas sailor pants: Because high-waisted and wide-leg feels pretty right-now.
3) Katherine Fleming Betty canvas/leather zip clutch: Look! It even plays well with other materials.
4) F-Troupe canvas saddle shoe: Proof that a canvas lace-up can be made to look fancy—no offense, Keds.

A Case For…Nice Sweatshirts

I’m not going to tell you that you should really own a bedazzled special-occasion sweatshirt. But I do think it’s worth having one just-polished-enough version—with an interesting cut, maybe, or a cool dye-job—that you can pull on with a pair of slim-cut chinos (if you’re a dude) or a maxi skirt (if you’re a chick) on days when you can’t possibly come to terms with buttons or zippers. These are four styles that let you fully acknowledge your schlubby state without looking like a totally worthless human being. —erica

1) Robert Geller dip-dyed sweatshirt: It’s as if a classic gray crewneck made bleach its mistress.
2) Wilt dip-dye shrunken sweatshirt: See? With a maxi. Sold, right?
3) Bodkin Savanna relaxed pullover: The rolled sleeve adds some class.
4) Folk crew sweat light loop: The cut and the ribbing deliver a certain Kevin Arnold appeal.

A Case For…Pink Sunglasses

You’ve done circular, tortoiseshell frames. You’ve done white Ray-Bans. (And you hopefully haven’t done those awful Kanye shutter shades.) Right about now, it’s time for something super-classic but ultimately lighthearted—and something very pink. These three pairs are reminiscent of summers spent flipping through Delia’s catalogs and trying to give yourself Sun-In highlights. —erica

1) Tenoversix for LA Eyeworks Vic Sunglasses: The frames have the color—and texture—of a Chupa Chup.
2) LNA sunglasses: Bonus: The lenses are tinted purple, ever so slightly.
3) Rodarte for Opening Ceremony Lost Boys sunglasses: Yup, that’s snakeskin.

A Case For…Silk Pants

If you can’t wear a legging—which, let’s be honest, you probably can’t most of the time—why not go with something that feels almost as much like pajamas? Silk pants are all over the place right now, and they always look polished, even when paired with a slouchy, burnt-out T-shirt that you may or may not have worn to bed. Here, five ideal pairs. —erica

1) Bodkin Trillium trousers: The five-button front is meant to be exposed.
2) Adam silk wrap pants: With its wrap closure, this style is way more modern than most cream pairs.
3) Layla Racy tie waist pants: How jealous would Princess Jasmine be, huh?
4) Rachel Comey Denizen pants: R. Comey makes these in a slew of colors and prints, but this, the wackiest, is the best.
5) Girl by Band of Outsiders Ami trousers: These look like a basic wool pant but feel a whole lot better.

A Case For…Scenic Dresses

Now that you’re comfortable with patterns—and mixing them, even—why not venture into the realm of landscape prints? The best ones are not as loud as you’d think, and there’s something nice about slipping on a different vista when a good chunk of this country looks like a massive slush puddle. These four dresses make for solid faux-getaways. —erica

1) Salasai Serene dress: This is what spring looks like—you know, that season where you don’t have to wear you snow boots?
2) Hussein Chalayan Desert dress: The loud colors and the details—there are signs along the highway, for god’s sake—really sell it.
3) Stine Goya Carla dress: There is something very Clint Eastwood about this dress (and I think it’s safe to say that has never been said about a dress before).
4) Ian R.N. printed chiffon tank dress: This sea print promises hours in the water even if you have no plans for a beach vacation.