Cheryl Shops

Almost exactly two years ago, I was heading out to Montauk to get married. (Coincidentally, it was also an unseasonably cold, rainy weekend.) While my wedding was fantastic and magical, the months leading up to it were, to put it mildly, one of the most stressful periods of my life. I was one of those people who read too many wedding blogs and became obsessed with art-directing every last detail of my wedding; I nearly had a nervous breakdown over tablecloths. But although it seemed a bit loopy at the time, one of my best ideas was wearing all white dresses for the entire weekend of my wedding. Not only did everyone know I WAS THE BRIDE, GODDAMMIT, I ended up with a bunch of cute summer dresses, all of which are still in regular rotation in my closet, with the exception of my after-party dress, which suffered an untimely death via whiskey-and-pizza stains. (Hey, I hadn't eaten carbs in a month—give a girl a break!) I'm of the mind that one can never have too many little white dresses—they're the summer cousin of that perennial wardrobe classic, the little black dress—so here are a bunch of this year's favorites, all under $100.

A few years ago, I had a quietly fashion-forward coworker. I say quietly because she was cool and laid-back about fashion, but in a very directional way; her trendiness wasn't in your face. She was engaged, and her ring was rose gold; at the time, I found it a bit uncharacteristic—rose gold seemed so retro, not even in a so-bad-it's-good way—but all of a sudden, it seems like the coolest thing, and I can't get enough of it. So it's good that there are a lot of great options for rose gold jewelry under $100, including pieces from some of my favorite designers. Here's what I want to add to my collection*.


Clockwise from top left:

For my birthday a few weeks ago, I treated myself to this Miss Havisham pendant necklace from one of my favorite designers, Alexis Bittar. It's one of his rare pieces under $100, and it's a great size for layering.

I am late to the Gorjana party, but I recently bought a few bracelets and I am now fully addicted. I love the delicate, timeless pieces, like this infinity charm bracelet, which don't overwhelm my teeny-tiny bony wrists.

I love jewelry with a sense of humor, like these punky-prim asymmetrical London Calling earrings by Joomi Lim.

A key to wearing rose gold is that it can't look too precious; the chunky look of this Lisa Freede stud ring ensures that won't be an issue.

I have a handcuff pendant that I bought on my honeymoon in Greece; people often stop me on the street to ask where I bought it ("On this narrow little street in Fira, Santorini..."). Next time, I'll tell them to check out Jules Smith's Friskey Charm necklace.

Confession: I follow Nicole Richie on Twitter; as far as celebrities go, she's rather amusing. Social media aside, I am also a big fan of her jewelry line, which features pieces that look more expensive than they are, like this House of Harlow 1960 Rif Pebble Cuff.

Bing Bang is one of my all-time favorite jewelry lines, so much that I try to limit my attendance at their periodic sample sales, lest I get into major trouble. But at $35 for these dainty yet rocker-cool wing studs and $68 for the talon ring, I can even afford to pay full price. Yay retail!

You say oxblood; I say crimson; you say bordeaux; I say burgundy. No matter what you call it, this dark, blood-red hue is shaping up to be this season's must-have color. To avoid looking like Carrie, however, I suggest using it sparingly; a little pop of color goes a long way, without taking you to full-on Goth.