American Apparel For Summer 07

In celebration of the fact that American Apparel recently opened their Australian outlet (YAY!), here are some of their pieces that I am dying to own this summer…

Baby Rib Cross-Back Summer Dress

The baby rib cross-back dress looks to be the perfect summer item. If you can only buy one thing for the warm weather, make it this. I was SO excited when I first saw this on the site, it’s a fabulous length with a beautiful cross-over back & I want to have its babies. Truly! I really advocate wearing dresses when the weather is warm, because they’re just so simple. You can wear them alone or style them mercilessly! This dress — which comes in black, white, cranberry, lemon & navy (soon) — could be worn with sandals, sunglasses & a headscarf or dressed up with a little ballerina-wrap cardigan & stilettos. I intend to wear it both ways, with some surprising twists to boot!

Interlock Wrap Dress

The interlock wrap dress is another perfect dress. Classic & chic, every woman should own a wrap dress. No more “I can’t dress myself” days! I like it in navy, the colour is rich & inky, but it also comes in black, cream, brown, eggplant, purple & asphalt. They’re also about to bring it out in size x-large, which is great news for curvy vixens! Again, this is so simple to wear. Hallelujah! I want to wear it with a turban & platform boots & lots of bangles…

Cotton Spandex Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirt Leotard

I love the jersey short sleeve t-shirt leotard (phew, try saying that 3 times quickly), though I didn’t at first. It reminds me of bodysuits from the early 90s & there is no way I’d wear it on its own — I’m not that confident! (I bet Cory Kennedy could pull it off, though!) However, an item like this is a TOTAL blessing for us long-torsoed ladies! I have so many cardigans & t-shirts which aren’t long enough in the body for me, & while I like my stomach, sometimes I don’t want to show it off. This is the item for those days. Wear it under a dress, with jeans & a cardigan, a high-waisted skirt or with a maxi-skirt if you’re in the mood for a bit of “ballet teacher chic”!

Cotton Spandex Jersey Double U-Neck Dress

The jersey double u-neck dress is soooo sexy & comes in a rainbow selection of colours. It has a low back & is quite short, so is brilliant for girls with glorious gams! If you’re not sure about wearing it as a dress (since it does look quite short), use it as a layering piece over a vintage slip or jeans, wear it with a long cardigan or coat & major heels. Try it with legwarmers & a man’s business shirt. You get the picture! To look super-slim, buy it in a darker colour & thank me later!

Tri-Blend Short Sleeve Women's Track T

I love grey, relaxed pieces, & the tri-blend short sleeve women’s track t is no exception. It looks so soft, I just want to curl up with it. It’s the sort of thing that is always going to get a lot of wear, since it’s so basic & will complement practically everything in your wardrobe. Put it with extreme fashion items — it’s like adding a dash of yoghurt to a hot curry. The juxtaposition will temper the flavour of your super-stylish piece & make it look even better. Try it with a pencil skirt, a leopard-print mini or cute shorts. I promise you’ll wear it to death!

Lamé Leggings

Black lamé leggings make the world go round! They are SO Catwoman! I don’t think I need to convince you any further. Buy them NOW!

Nylon Tricot Figure Skater Dress

Ooh la la! Je te presente the figure skater dress. On first look, I didn’t like this much, but the more I consider it, the more it grows on me. The cut at the back is super-flattering & I love the way it moves. I like it in black, shiny violet (!) & magenta, phew! The best thing is reading the comments from all the women who’ve bought it — they all seem THRILLED with their purchase & say that the dress makes them feel sexy & sassy. You’d be hard-pressed to get a better review than that…

Fine Jersey Racerback Tank Dress

I am also rather keen on the jersey racerback tank dress, especially in black, royal blue & teal. It looks like it has quite a loose cut, so if you want to make the most of your waist, chuck a belt around the middle or wear a short cardigan buttoned up to create a super-femme shape! Other than the wide cut, I can’t fault this, it’s lovely & perfect… though it would be nice to see it in white! I could incorporate it into my faux tennis chic!

I’m so excited about shedding some of these cumbersome layers for summer, I can’t even begin to tell you! Glee to the max!