North Bay Woman

26 NORTH BAY WOMAN | S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 Summer EVENTS What to Wear, When and How By PJ Bremier Photos by Stuart Lirette Styled by Malia Anderson With the advent of summer comes a bounty of special occasions including weddings, concerts, informal afternoon parties, sparkling evening events and charity fundraisers in Marin, Sonoma and Napa. To help guide us through this busy season, we asked stylist and personal wardrobe expert Malia Anderson, owner of Style by Malia, to put together several looks that spotlight casual daywear or dressier eveningwear. "Because it's summer, everyone should embrace color and find things that are comfortable and fit well," she says spiritedly. "And, because summer days stay light longer than any other season, I like to feel that anything I wear for lunch can carry through to an event at four o'clock in the afternoon or seven o'clock in the evening." She adds that she also like to factor in the flexibility of a new wardrobe item before she makes a purchase, asking herself how she can change or accessorize to make it work for more than one occasion. And, that little black dress? Save it for later. "In summer, it's time to exchange the little black dress for the little white dress or the little yellow dress," she insists. "It has a completely different feel." Day | Casual Shanay of Santa Rosa wears denim jeans and a metallic sleeveless tunic by Free People are teamed up with a pair of sassy Michael Kors gold wedges and a three- way cork-and-metallic bag that can be worn across the body, held as clutch or dangled from the wrist. Blue-and-pink polka dot sunglasses by Tom from ECI in Santa Rosa complete the ensemble. "Metallics are trending now but the classic shoes and the cork bag add elements of a classic silhouette," Anderson says. "I think this is a very sophisticated look especially with the great beading on the tunic but it's super casual and easy to throw on so you can be dressed up for lunch, a concert in the afternoon or for an early evening event." When it comes to a daytime activity such as shopping at the local farmer's market or strolling the grounds of an art festival, you want to be comfortable but also stylish." Malia Anderson "

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