Shorts: J.Crew 4″ Chino Short ($45)

From Left, Sunglasses: Ray-Ban Aviators ($145) Necklace: Rebel Pendant ($79) Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Cherish Tote ($57) Top: Theory Striped T-Shirt ($172) Shoes: Keds Basic Sneaker ($40)

From Right, Earrings: Honeycomb Earrings ($30) Rings: Sugar Bean Three Stone Ring ($50), Love Ring ($42), Melinda Maria Poppy Ring ($95) Bag: Coach Leather Penny Purse ($198) Top: DvF Mallegra Blouse ($245) Shoes: Lennon Flat Sandal ($60)

For the Park.  This time of year, I receive a lot of e-mails about how to dress for barbecues, vacations and summer weekends.  I swear by dresses, but I know some of you love shorts.  So as I said this morning, if you’re going to wear shorts, you need to put in the extra effort to make them look good.  I see a lot of women wearing shorts with just a polo (fine for golf) or a t-shirt and some flip-flops, and they look unfinished to me.

I like a brightly-colored short like this pink pair from J.Crew (the indigo are also lovely).  Here, I paired them with a standard striped t-shirt for a relaxed look.  I like to roll or “jujj” the sleeve, but you may just want to wear a short sleeve tee.  For plus size ladies, I like this short sleeve tee with the navy yoke.  And for petites, this long sleeve shirt caught my eye.

Let’s talk about Keds.  If you’re searching for a simple summer shoe that is both comfy and chic, why would you choose a clunky pair of TOMS, when the original canvas Keds shoe is available to you?  If you’re looking for an alternative to sandals, I think a pair of Keds is the way to go.  I especially like these perforated ones; they’re so feminine.

For the jewelry, I would keep it simple with a long pendant necklace.  If you prefer the look of a bracelet, try something with color.  I like this pink resin bangle, or go for contrast with a turquoise bracelet.

I chose a pair of aviators (my faves) and a sharp canvas tote.  I like this bag because it’s great for the pool, the beach, the park or the farmer’s market.  If you don’t like the logo, it also comes in NY, LA, Paris and London themes.  (Why no D.C., I wonder? *wink*)

For the hair, I would think a teased up ponytail would be nice.  I might even try a slightly bouffant side ponytail.  For the makeup, I would keep the eye makeup natural with a hint of bronzer, a pink cheek and some darker pink gloss.  And a good, healthy coat of mascara never hurt anyone.

For a Casual Dinner.  I like the look of cotton voile in the summer.  It’s light and airy and chic.  This DvF top is the perfect representation of that, with its tunic shape and dramatic sleeve.  I also like this swiss dot henley from Gap and this voile camp shirt.  And if you want to splurge, this Tory Burch tunic also grabbed my attention.

I chose these sandals (available for less at DSW, as pointed out in the comments) because I loved the metal detail.  But I also considered using a pair of huaraches.

I went with these fun honeycomb earrings because the pattern is really on trend and the color was great.  (I also loved these simple studs.)  And I opted for a collection of small rings because I wanted to keep things understated.

For the bag, I went with a cross body–small-ish but still stylish.  I also LOVED this multi-colored resin clutch.  And if you’re looking for something larger, this Minkoff woven leather bag is to die for.

For the hair, I would either wear it down and wavy or up in a halo braid or twist.  It just depends if you want beachy California or 70s flower child to match your cotton voile top.  For the makeup, I would go with a shimmery gold eye and a sheer berry lip.