Summer style has a way of making us rethink everything in our closets. Heavy layers disappear, linen takes over, and suddenly the simplest outfits become our favorites. A white button-down, a breezy sundress, denim shorts, or a classic black tank are often all you need. The secret? It's the jewelry.

We just marked all sale shoes, clothing, and accessories to 60 percent off, and there are so many items that I have in my own closet. So I thought I would share my top 10 picks. They're my top picks because I own and wear them—in fact, I've worn all of them this spring and summer.

It started with a simple question: What is that game? At the Waynewood pool, Aaricka Oliver and Jenn Morthole kept getting stopped by curious neighbors peering over their table. That curiosity turned into lessons, the lessons turned into a business, and Mount Vernon Mahjong was born.

I know everyone is sick of hearing about sets, but there isn’t a season that goes by when we don’t have a ton of different options. This summer is no different. There are sets for all occasions, and we keep getting more in every week. The set trend also isn’t going anywhere. I just got back from Resort Market, and it was, once again, all about sets. Read more about that later in Alexandria Stylebook.

Dressing in the summer can be a real pain, especially if you are not a sundress girl—which I am not. I really wish it wasn’t the case, but it is. Of course, I wear a ton of Tibi, but sometimes I just need really casual options. I think a lot of our clients do as well.

Even though we just unpacked our final shipment of Tibi Summer, we also just unpacked our first delivery of Tibi fall. This is the first of three fall deliveries and it always starts with what Tibi calls the fundamentals–pieces that you know work, help you feel like yourself, but also help you wear more creative pieces because they make the rest of your outfit feel grounded. Tibi would call these the WOFs or the Without Fails, and as a Tibi loyalist, I couldn’t agree more.

It’s hard to believe the Fourth of July holiday is past and we are headed for yet another summer sale markdown. I always feel like July 4th is really the true start of summer. We still have tons of great warm-weather items on sale, and the prices keep getting better. All sale clothing is now marked at 50 percent off, both in-store and online. Shoes and handbags are 60 percent off as well.

 If you’ve ever noticed your blonde becoming brassy, your brunette looking dull, or your vibrant color fading faster than expected, you’re not imagining it. Summer creates the perfect storm of UV rays, chlorine, saltwater, heat, humidity, hard water minerals, and frequent washing, all of which can strip away the richness and shine you left the salon with. The good news? With a few simple habits and the right products, you can keep your color looking vibrant all season long.

Jeff Erickson isn't entirely sure what a painting will become when he starts it. He spreads color across the canvas, builds up layers, then scrapes them away to expose vibrant reds and yellows that once disappeared beneath muted blues. The process isn't about control; it's about discovery.

What is that line? “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Okay, so this post isn’t about an invention; this item existed, but not in the way I had wanted it to. I had actually been thinking about this or trying to find the right version for a decade. Well, over a decade - ever since I started wearing reading glasses when I turned 40.

I mentioned in last week's earlier post that all people want to wear in the DC summer heat is a bathing suit or a dress. It really is a horrible time of the year to have to confront your closet. Sometimes you don’t want to put on an expensive dress because you know it will take on sweat, sunscreen or maybe even sand and salt if you are at the beach.

Sale time means we have to try and keep up with what other brands are doing for markdowns. Just so you know, we will always price match our competitors during our sale time. So if you see something marked down lower than what we have it priced at, let us know and we will match it.

When the temperatures rise as they seem to be doing there are only two options for getting dressed. One is putting on a bathing suit and going to the pool; the second is throwing on a dress. It is really the only way. We always try and make sure we are stocked with all different options, from casual to event dressing.

Dan Murray once thought his career would be made under the hood of a car, but today he can be found under the beam of stage lights, microphone in hand, crooning Jazz classics to adoring crowds across the DMV. In less than three years, the Northern Virginia native has gone from singing in the shower to performing at some of the region’s biggest venues and becoming one of its most recognizable musical talents.

I have to give credit to finding this next line to my algorithm. A tank dress from Sold Out NYC popped up as Vogue’s must-have summer dress. It really was such a great cut, and as I clicked through to find out more information, it was also at a great price. I really felt like this was the t-shirt line I had been trying to find for so many years.

It is that time of year again: the time where we become a bit of a used car sales lot. We get out our red pens and we start slashing prices, at a rapid pace. Over the years I have learned it is better to let folks know when the upcoming mark-downs will be, so they can decide if there is something they have been eyeing but wanted to wait for sale they can plan accordingly.

For Kim and Kevin Gilliam, opening Frolick Dogs was never just about giving four-legged friends a place to play, it was about creating a place where owners could build stronger relationships with them. Today, more than a decade after opening the area’s first canine sports club, the husband-and-wife team have built one of Alexandria's most beloved and unique destinations for dog-lovers and their companions alike. 

There is a moment in every home when renovation gives way to something more personal. At Rosecrest, that transition unfolded over time, shaped by daily life, family needs, and a thoughtful collaboration that carried the home beyond completion into something deeply lived in.

It is hard to believe I am saying this, but we are starting to unpack our first pre-fall delivery, and it is a great one, from Ulla Johnson. Of all the brands we carry, I think they do the best job at making sure most of what they offer for this delivery are pieces you can buy now and wear now, but also transition perfectly into the early fall months when, let’s face it, it is too hot to wear anything that is fully from fall collections.

I landed in Ho Chi Minh City with jet lag, zero Vietnamese, and a vacation of two and a half weeks stretching out ahead of me. Saigon did not ease me in. It hit me immediately — the heat, the motorbikes, the noise. But after some delicious Vietnamese food and hitting some amazing shops, I was completely in love with it. Here is what four cities across two weeks actually looked like.