I always joke that my friend
Susan Cernek is the nicest person in fashion. She has a mouthful of a title at
Glamour, but she always looks drop-dead gorgeous
and friendly, with a megawatt smile and easy laugh. So, I asked her to share her
summer uniform with us (in hopes that we could copy ruthlessly:).
Here's Susan's take:Here, my husband Rob and I are on grill duty at our dear friend's house in Southampton. I've worn these tortoise
Ray-Ban Wayfarers since '06. I've tried on a zillion other pairs since then, but these are the only sunglasses that suit my face/don't make me look like a crazy person.
I got the shirtdress at Zara last year for our honeymoon, and it's now my summer go-to. The special twist is that it looks like a man's dress shirt since it scoops up a bit on the sides--making it a bit risque to wear to work but flirty and sexy for weekends. A word of caution: Never use the fabric belt that shirt dresses come with. Fabric belts can look floppy--not exactly a description you want anywhere near your midsection. You need structure to flatter your waist, so go with a thin leather belt.
For beauty, I stay light. I love
Diptyque bath oil; I dab it on after the shower for a light scent, instead of a heavy perfume. And my go-to lip "marker"--
Revlon's Just Bitten in Flame--gives you a cheery, pretty hint of color, like you just ate a popsicle from the Mister Softee truck.
Here's how to get the look:
Wayfarer sunglasses: Ray-Ban, $194.Shirtdress: Similar styles here.Belt: 7 Hills, $36.Thong sandals: L.L. Bean Signature, $69.Lipstain: Revlon, $8.99.Messy French bun.P.S. Another lovely
summer uniform.
My friend Susan Cernek (who also happens to be the Fashion Development Director at Glamour) shared the best tip with me the other day: Pack in a single color scheme. "For my two-week honeymoon around Italy, I packed all blue and white pieces," she told me. "That way, I could pack more efficiently, and mix and match."
A bonus tip? "Pack a red dress," she says. "Red always looks dramatic in photos, even if you're lost, like I was here."
One of my New Year's Resolutions is to dress up a little more. For example, even just adding a pair of black heels to a regular outfit makes such a difference. Here, Susan Cernek looks so pretty. (And I love this Urban Outfitters pair.)
So, last night, I hosted the Cookie Swap!
The ladies came over at 7pm with containers full of lemon squares, magic bars, homemade thin mints, and Cornflake cookies, among many others. The coffee table was overflowing. (Toby made a quick cameo before bedtime; you can see him cuddled in my friend Samantha's arms above.)
We passed around pitchers of ice-cold milk (and bottles of wine), and people found cozy spots on the floor to hang out.
Megan (right) made her grandmother's recipe for bark with almonds, chocolate and Matzoh!
Susan Cernek, a fashion editor at Glamour, didn't have time to make cookies, so she brought bottles of nail polish instead. :)
Alex came home just in time to say hello to the ladies, including pretty Lee from Copenhagen.
Toby zonked out about fifteen minutes into the festivities, but we still doted on him (and his sweet bald head) by video monitor.
Remember this post about Susan Cernek? She is my lovely friend and also Glam's fashion director. Every time we hang out, I have a wonderful time despite feeling a little shabby next to her always-incredible ensemble. Turns out I'm not the only one who admires her style: Susan is "The Sartorialist's little darling" and has appeared on his site countless times. Don't you love her Charlotte-Gainsbourg-esque look?
Elle.com has a great slideshow of Parisian street style. (My mom and I are still obsessed with Paris, so we are eating this up.) I especially love the second shot of the gorgeous Susan Cernek, who was there for Paris fashion week.
