“At the end of last year’s winter season I got a super comfy and adorable jumper for a steal ($12!) thinking it would be a fall staple this year.  Unfortunately I’m having difficulty wearing it without looking like I’m in elementary school. Any tips on how I can make this look more ‘grown-up’?” —Ekelt2

Having spent 10 years all jumpered-up in Catholic school, I feel your pain. If you don’t want to go quirky with the jumper, take references to other school girl accouterments and turn them on their heads. The school girl undertone will always be there with a jumper, so it’s really a matter of taking that aspect and controlling it. That means skip the mary janes, avoid a plain white blouse and tights should be a little more fun than the stark navy I had to wear back in the days when nuns ruled my wardrobe. The good news is that cutting out these additions still leaves you with quite a lot of other options. Outfit ideas after the jump!

My older brother is getting married to a girl I legitimately like. I’m happy for them. Really, I am. Keep that in mind as I make the following statement: Their wedding and all the surrounding events make me want to hurl. It’s not so much the constant “So what about you? Is there a boyfriend?” questioning I’ve come to expect from family, our friends and people I’ve not seen since I was maybe two feet tall. It’s the dresses. Cocktail dresses for the busty and hippy are a difficult thing to come by. Usually, it’s a shapeless mess of a tent dress or a slutty problem of a form-fitting one.

You, however, can learn from my years of double-D drama. Use these tips to find a happy medium that you’re not quite literally busting out of.

So, who out there has ever had to layer a tank top under, say, a DVF wrap dress in order to remain “covered”? Or have you ever felt nekkid wearing a strapless dress to work, so you threw on a tee underneath? Or a cardi on top? Don’t know about you, but my hand is raised way up in the air. Why is it that chic dresses sometimes just leave us feeling a little too exposed?

Luckily, I just found an awesome solution.

The other day, I was in a store, and there was a Halloween shirt ... in August? Sigh. But I love these Richard Sorger for ASOS Silk Georgette Skeleton dresses in yellow and black. They’re spooky and sexy at the same time—although, they will set you back about $250. The chillaxin’ skeleton is embellished for some extra pop, and the silk is so sheer that if you don’t wear something underneath it someone else may be able to see your skeleton. Frisky fashion editor Erin Flaherty says: “It begs to be worn with jeggings.’” These are skeletons you won’t be ashamed to let out of your closet. [Kingdom of Style]

While this sweet dress looks like it’s made of hundreds of paper hearts, it’s actually vegan leather (and um, kind of gives us a heart attack at $2,180). [Not Just A Label via Trendhunter]

Maria Sharapova was on hand to unveil a prototype of a dress that lights up when the wearer’s cell phone or smartphone rings. The dress was designed by British fashion student Georgie Davies for a school project and partnership with Sony Ericsson aimed at incorporating new technology into fashion. Davies said the dress was designed to connect to the wearer’s phone via Bluetooth technology. “When you’re in a pub or a bar, you can never, ever hear your phone,” Davies told Reuters. The good thing is this dress is actually wearable and not at all overly Sci-Fi-looking. The dress is knee-length, white, short-sleeved, and is embellished along one side with translucent white scales (think square paillettes) that move and light up. See more photos here. I’d wear it. Would you? 

Do you ever leave the house in an outfit that looks fine, but by the time you get to work you’ve convinced yourself that you’re the worst dresser ever? You want to run home and change, even though you have 5 minutes to get to your desk. Or you’ve spilled coffee all over yourself as you run for the elevator? Or maybe you’ve been invited last minute to after-work cocktails, only to realize your jeans aren’t swanky enough? We’ve put together the emergency outfit for you to keep in your bottom desk drawer at work for these moments. You won’t be confident unless you feel your best, so skip the bad outfit days.

Avon sells tons of beauty and skin products, but did you know you can actually add to your wardrobe by leafing through a brochure or surfing the website? We especially love Avon and mark’s jewelry. Check out our picks for sweet accessories, footwear, dresses, and a bonus makeup item from Avon after the jump.

I’ve always been a bit envious of friends who could go sans bra without feeling crazy self-conscious. That level of hippie-esque chest freedom, I figured, has to be awesome.

So, I tried it and going braless is definitively not awesome, if you ask me. That said, being married to a bra shouldn’t keep you from wearing slinky, criss-crossed fashions all summer long.

If you want to pull it off, you’ve got to get creative with your undergarments.

This might be the perfect spring dress. The bright turquoise is fun and casual, and the interesting pleat detail fancifies the frock for cocktail parties. The origami bodice is supported by interior boning, which is great for bigger-chested ladies who know that strapless bras don’t always do the trick. As an added plus, the sash at the waist adds a body-flattering detail. While this ladylike strapless number looks like the type of high-end fashion Scarlett Johansson would sport on the red carpet, we couldn’t be more stoked about the price: $47. [$47, LuLu’s]

It’s a plaid, plaid, plaid, plaid world! Or at least, it is for us when we see cute sundresses made hip by the preppy print. Go girly by accessorizing with a thick headband and pearls (so “Gossip Girl”), or make the look boho chic with some feather jewelry and braided sandals. “Check out” our cool picks…

1. Poofy sleeves and a collar make this dress super sweet. [$435, See by Chloe, ShopBop.com]
2. Wear this boyish shift alone or over pants.[$128, Modern Amusement, Saks.com]
3. The drawstring on this scoopneck can be worn loose or tight for several body types. [$58, Kimchi Blue, Urbanoutfitters.com]
4. This triple-button dress makes us want to go on a picnic. [$44.50, Delia’s, Delias.com]

Dresses are the easiest clothing to wear when the temperature heats up because all you need to add are jewelry, shoes, and a handbag. This spring and summer pretty much any dress style goes, but look for bohemian patterns, bright colors, and light fabrics.

We’re just dying to put some spring into our wardrobe, but we don’t want to freeze our tuckus off. So we’ll pair this bold color dress with a pair of tights, strappy sandals, and a cardigan. And since this one shoulder dress is less than $40, we’ll be able to pick up everything else we need too. Where? At Target, of course. Who doesn’t love one-stop shopping? [$39.99, Target.com]