The Look for Less: Rachel Bilson

While I actually haven't seen much of her work, I love Rachel Bilson's style. She's consistently chic and polished, carrying off everyday streetwear style effortlessly. Also, as someone who is also 5'3" like herself, she's great at showing how to wear the right proportions on a petite frame without being overwhelmed by her clothes. Top: Bloomer Silk Tunic, $27.80 at Forever21. Shoes: Madden Girl "Frankyy" at Zappos.com Sunglasses: Aviator Sunglasses, $19.50 at American Eagle Outfitters Necklace: Sterling Silver pendant, $24.99 at Target Purse: BC Catalina Clutch, $48.00 at Stevemadden.com

Maxi Dresses

I recently found a green Lux maxi dress at Goodwill and have been in love (and on the hunt) for maxi dresses ever since. It's great for when you just don't want to shave your legs but want to wear a dress anyway. Maxi dresses are great for the weekend or the beach with flip flops, thong sandals, or gladiator sandals, and if your workplace is casual enough, you can also wear them to the office (though maybe with a cardigan on if it has spaghetti straps, for instance). Keep certain things in mind before purchasing a maxi dress: Get the right cut: This is kind of "duh," right, but what exactly is the right cut for each person? If you are amply endowed in the chest you're not going to want to be spilling out all over the place. You might want to want to go with something that has thicker straps (so you can wear a supportive bra and not worry about the straps showing), a halter, or a dress with the cinchy elastic top where that will give you a little extra support in addition to the strapless you should probably wear underneath it. Get the right length: Maxi dresses, ideally, should hit you just below the ankle so that the dress covers up your legs but isn't so long that you end up tripping over the hem or dragging it in the mud. They should also work if they are slightly shorter, but only if they hit you at a thinner part of your leg, such as right below the thickest part of your calf. These dresses are probably best suited for the gladiator sandal look. Get the right fit: Maxi dresses should skim your body, not squeeze it like a tube dress or swallow you up in swaths of fabric (maybe Mary Kate Olson can do it, but somehow people also let them get away with wearing headbands and muumuus. Go figure.) You want the freedom of the flowly dress without being curtained in extra fabric that's going to make you look bigger than you are, restrict your movement, and make you warmer with more cloth than necessary. This Ann Taylor Loft dress is only $89.00 and is light and breezy and summery: perfect for a nice lunch out or for running errands. Here are some other maxi dress options for under $100.