L.A. Style Guru Melissa Akkaway Advises on this Summer’s Hautest Looks.

Melissa Akkaway is well known for her fashion acumen; after all, she owns one of the most popular boutiques in town called Beckley, located just near Urth Caffe on Melrose. Since today’s the first day of summer, Melissa was generous enough to dish out some of her summer fashion wisdom – what to wear no matter what kind of event you have this weekend.

BEACH BBQ: Cut-off denim shorts worn a bit oversized and slouchy such as J Brand’s. Pair the cut-offs with a white fitted tee from Nation or Matt Berson and throw in some gold strappy sandals for the beach chic look. Don’t forget a light weight wrap sweater and a hat to protect you from the sun. I’m loving the Goddis knit sweaters (see below) that come in all sorts of great colors, stripes, hoods, etc…

P.S. Eugenia Kim makes THE best hats ever! Personally, I like to feel casual at the beach and kick off my shoes so I need to make sure my outfit reflects my relaxed style at the beach.

SUMMER WEDDING: Like most of us, we all have summer weddings to attend and we all struggle with the endless questions of long, short, what if its hot, humid, cools down at night, etc… Here is my full proof solution for always looking your best this summer at the 50 weddings you’re invited to:
First, you cannot go wrong with Halston Heritage! If the wedding is during the day, choose a light summery color like peach or coral and for evening go with deeper tones. If you enjoy the darker colors, navy blue is a staple summer color in my book and always looks sharp. The most important tip of all and regardless of wedding call times…pair your dress with great jewelry. This summer I say take a look at Alexis Bittar’s collection and you’re sure to find the perfect pieces for every outing.

OUTDOOR DINING: I love dining outside and drinking Rose in the warm summer months.
In these situations, I love wearing flat sandals from Guiseppe Zanotti, as they make a great statement to a simple sleeveless white dress (a recent favorite purchase of mine is the white sleeveless from Prada). I’d suggest adding long layered necklaces in any color, but my personal favorite are the turquoise necklaces I just bought from Kenneth Jay Lane. And never leave home without a great wrap for cool California nights. Faliero Sarti’s cashmere wraps keep me warm and cozy and still looking cute after dinner.

MUST HAVES FOR TRAVEL: I travel pretty often so I’ve gotten used to packing the perfect suitcase up instead of dragging extra heavy bags with useless items that I end up not wearing. This summer I am traveling to Europe for my best friend’s wedding and my must have’s include a white boyfriend blazer that I can wear over a short dress for evenings or over my romper during the day to keep my shoulders covered. I love Smythe blazers and jackets to death! They’re perfectly tailored and look great with all outfits. I also packed up an amazing Missoni bathing suit and cover up for the days by the pool. I think having one statement bathing suit that you can wear all summer and does not go out of style is key!

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