There’s nothing like a fabulous swimwear outfit to give us confidence and excitement for our next pool or beach visit! We’re showing you how to pair a neutral suit, color suit and pattern suit into an outfit that you can wear pre and post-swim!!!

The “Easy-Wear, Easy-Pair” Neutral Suit

Having a neutral base swimsuit is easy to pass off as a tank top for a pre or post-swim outing! Pair with a skirt, sandals and accessories for walking around the resort or meeting friends at a beachside bar!

The All-Color Ensemble

Pairing a terry towel co-ord with a brightly colored suit is the perfect outfit for bumming around a beach town with your friends! Go all in on the trend-forward look with an easygoing bucket hat, puffy sandals and colorful jewelry!

Grounding the Printed Suit

Pair your print with accessories that compliment the colorway of your suit! Identify a base color (in this case, white or blue!) and work off of it to build an outfit that subdues the loud nature of a print. We love this outfit for an upscale poolside resort look!

More Swim Favorites

The post From Swim to Shore! The Post-Swim Outfit appeared first on Madison to Melrose.

As August nears it’s end, we’re seeing Fall collections enter stores left and right! Even though we’re excited for the chillier weather to come, temperatures weaving in and out of high heat are a sore reminder that we’re still between seasons. With stores changing stock from shorts to sweaters, how are we supposed to navigate our lingering need for lighter layers?!
Luckily, there’s still a wealth of breezy pieces online that are perfect to combat a hot day – you just have to know what you’re looking for. Natural fibers like cotton and linens are key for breathability. Avoid stifling fabrics such as rayon, nylon, polyester and silk fibers! Here are five variations of summer fabrics to look for that we love:

Voile, a 100% cotton semi-sheer lightweight fabric that has wonderful drape. Because it is so lightweight, cotton voile is perfect for creating flowing dresses, blouses, tunics, and skirts that are perfect for warm weather. (via fabric.com)

Cotton gauze is 100% cotton. This lightweight and translucent fabric has a soft and crinkle texture with a loose knit weave, allowing for breath-ability and comfort. With its unstructured weave, cotton gauze allows for a slight vertical stretch and minimal horizontal give.  (via fabricwholesaledirect.com)

Linen, made from the fibers of the flax plant, is known for being durable and breathable. Linen is conventionally used for warm weather apparel because of this! (via onlinefabricstore.com)

Seersucker is the quintessential warm-weather fabric known for its crinkled texture and breezy quality. Seersucker’s texture creates a space between the skin and the fabric that helps improve heat dissipation and promote air circulation, making it perfect for summer dresses, suits, pants, and jackets. (via fabric.com)

Crinkled linen woven fabric with a gauzy crinkle texture is lightweight and breathable, perfect for a relaxed fit summer garment. (via Blackbirdfabrics.com)

Check out our favorite hot weather pieces below to carry you through the final stretches of summer!

Bottoms:

Tops:

One Piece/Dresses:

The post Hot Temps, Cool Wardrobe: Weather the Heat Wave In Style appeared first on Madison to Melrose.

Summer Sale Update: Stores Moving into Fall & a Summer Wardrobe Checklist

Dear Friends,

It has been some time since we have reached out to you.  So much has happened in the last few months, it’s really quite unbelievable.  We hope that everyone is staying safe, healthy, and finding joy wherever possible.  We are well here in LA.  Making the most of each day through business, family, fitness, and COOKING!

Through the course of the quarantine, our goals as stylists have been to offer inspiration through our blog, social media posts, and Pinterest boards (take a look if you have not seen them!) As well as offer virtual services for editing closets, shopping and outfit styling. 

As California has moved into a phase where stores are now tentatively open, we have shared video content of what items are on the sales floor, how dressing rooms are functioning and safety/health protocols to put you more at ease and in the know.  We hope that these videos gave you an idea of how shopping looks right now and offered you some sense of comfort in your decision to shop in-store or not.

Our latest update is to share how the stock is flowing through the stores.  As of the last few weeks, spring/summer merchandise is on sale and many retailers are offering huge markdowns.  The incentive for stores is to move through their stock so that they will have room for fall merchandise which will be arriving in July.  Although this timing is the same as prior years, it offers new challenges to those who have paused on summer shopping due to COVID-19 and all of the changes it has presented to us.

We decided that you might find it helpful to have a Summer Checklist of must-have pieces that will move you through the balance of the season and inspire you to shop your closet, shop in-store when applicable, or shop online.  We encourage you to jump on the sale opportunities now as it will be very hard to find shorts, sundresses sandals, and swimwear in late July/August. Trust us on this!!!!

We were thoughtful when creating this list by considering our new lifestyles that are much more home-focused while also including domestic travel and wellness.  Once you read through this list, take a look in your own closet FIRST!  You might be pleasantly surprised and realize you have most, if not all of what you need.  If you do find you are missing pieces, we are happy to help complete your list by offering virtual shopping services, consignment box deliveries as well as in-store shopping when applicable.  Be it everyone’s situation is unique, we will sensitively create a service that will work best for you.  We consistently display safety guidelines by wearing masks and gloves when working in-person with a client.

Please feel free to reach out to meg@meggallagher.com if you have questions or additions to our checklist, want to learn more about the services we offer at this time or just want to say hello.  With those I have connected over the past 4 months, it has been utter happiness to hear your voice or see your face on a screen.   

Be well my friends and happy summer!

x Meg & Keli

Our Essential Summer Checklist has been Updated for 2022!

SUMMER 2022 WARDROBE CHECKLIST

 •  White Denim

•  Blue Denim

•  Lightweight Summer Pant for Work(neutral color)

•  Classic White Tee

•  Fitted Tank (neutral color)

•  Short or Skirt (neutral color and flattering length)

•  2-3 Easy Cotton Sundresses

•  2-3 Colorful Designed Tops (for WFH Zoom Calls or Going Out)

•   Cotton Sweater or Cardigan

•   Jacket (denim, wrap or blazer- casual fabrics)

•  2 Pc Lounge Set

•  1 Workout Look (sport bra, top, legging or short, hoodie & workout sneaker)

•  1 Beach/Pool Look (maillot or 2 pc suit, cover-up, hat, beach/pool bag, sunglasses and flip-flops)

•   Cross-Body Bag for Shopping

•   Tote Bag (including a pouch that can be used on its own)

•  White Based Leather Sneaker

•  Gold, White or Black Flat Sandal

•  Mule or Flat

•  Classic Hoop Earrings

The post A Summer Wardrobe Checklist & Update From Meg Gallagher Personal Stylist appeared first on Madison to Melrose.

Revamp this iconic print for summer with four trending ways to wear Tie-Dye!

1. The Denim Replacement

Ground tie-dye with white, black or neutrals for a sophisticated take on the free-spirited pattern.

2. Co-ords, Dye-on-Dye

Take on tie-dye in the form of matching sets or bold head-to-toe tie-dye combinations.

3. Color Matching

Identify a color that appears within your tie-dye pattern and work your outfit and accessories around it!

4. The Unexpected Replacement

Replace a white tee with tie-dye for your next blazer + tee combo!

Tie-Dye Pieces We Love:

The post How to Wear Tie Dye in 2020 appeared first on Madison to Melrose.

This week we’re bringing attention to seven black-owned businesses who help shape the fashion industry in trend, quality, print and style!
Let the colorful prints of Stella Jean and light seersucker pieces of Lemlem define your summer. Find elegance in the everyday treasures of Brother Vellies and Mateo. Delve into the dreamlike creativity of futuristic street-style brand Pyre Moss, or the softly geometric evening wear of Cushnie. See how Jade Swim makes fashion history utilizing minimalism to create iconic swimwear!

Join us below as we celebrate our industry’s black creatives with a stylish edit of classic & trend-defining pieces we love!

BROTHER VELLIES

JADE SWIM

MATEO

LEMLEM

PYER MOSS

CUSHNIE

STELLA JEAN

The post Seven Black Designers We Love appeared first on Madison to Melrose.