Hi Belle,

I often accessorize with scarves at work due to a skin condition; however, in light of the rising temperatures I’ve been having trouble finding scarves that are work appropriate, yet lightweight and breathable enough.  Could you provide us with some suggestions?

Thank you, Erin

I sound like a bit of a broken record, but let me put in a recommendation for Love Quotes scarves.  They’re linen so they’re lightweight and breathable. I own the moonbeam and the bisque.  I would advise you to fold or roll them vs. hanging them, as they tend to bunch up and permanently warp when hung.

If you’re looking for a less expensive linen scarf, Sperry makes some pretty dip-dyed ones and Saachi makes nice, solid-colored ones.

Belle,

Can you suggest a good brand for t-shirts?  My Gap and J.Crew ones fall apart.  Need some tees for summer, please!

Lacy

I’ve had decent luck with Gap, but it can be hit or miss.  I like t-shirts from Splendid because they’re soft and they offer a lot of styles.  The “new” basic tee is my favorite, but I also like the long layers tee–it’s the perfect weight for me.

Rebecca Beeson is another great brand.  This tee, with an elbow length sleeve, is one of my faves.  And if you have a bit of money to spend, people swear by Vince tees and Alexander Wang tees.

As for less expensive brands, I love Caslon tees from Nordstrom. They wear like iron.  I also pick up Three Dots tees when I can catch them on sale at 6pm.

Hey Belle,

I was wondering what type of curling iron you recommend. I am interested in the Sultra Bombshell but it is $130.  Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Being a young supervisor, I have found your blog very helpful. Thanks.

Andrea

At home, I have a Conair curling iron.  It’s not fancy, but it gets the job done.  I’m actually in the market for a replacement, and I’ve noticed that most of the salons I go to use Hot Tools irons.  The prices are reasonable, and they seem to have a lot of sizes, including the tougher-to-find 2″ barrel iron.

Hi Belle,

I’m searching for a wedding dress, which is about as far as one can get from work-wear as possible. I thought, however, that you may be willing to do a post on where someone like me, who has plenty of time before the actual wedding and doesn’t want to look like a puffball, might look for simple, not-overly-expensive designs for the big day.

I went to David’s Bridal, which was its own circle of tulle-filled hell. I like tulle. I don’t like THAT MUCH tulle. And the beading, oh, the beading.  Any suggestions for understated dresses?

Teri

Have you tried BHLDN?  Missing vowels aside, the store has a wide election of styles from lacy to sleek.  You might try Watters, as well, many of their dresses are more understated.

I also think Nordstrom has some nice choices.  I would totally buy this Black Halo for a formal event.  You can also find wedding dresses at department stores like Saks and Neiman Marcus.

Hi Belle,

I’m wondering if you know of any regular, every-day body lotions that are combined with a SPF. I would like to include sunscreen in my everyday routine for more than just my face, but right now my options appear to be to double-layer lotion + sunscreen, and smell like I’m going to the beach. Any ideas?

Thanks, Amanda

I like Kiehl’s Creme de Corps body lotion best, so I would try their SPF version.  But if you don’t want to spend that kind of money, Lubriderm makes a lightweight SPF body lotion.