Picnic Chic

In preparation for the holiday weekend, CC has prepared a delectable post aimed at outfitting her Fellow Fashionistas in the most fabulous picnic finery. Enjoy, darlings!
First, you’ll need a cozy blanket or two. Why not opt for a Missoni beach towel? Available at barneys.com.
Naturally, you’ll need a picnic basket. This set is from amazon.com.
Now for the nums! In addition to a crusty baguette or two, a Granny Smith apple and some red grapes, you’ll need this delectable Redwood Hill Farm Cheese Collection from williams-sonoma.com.
A must for any picnic? A delicious wine that’s also a conversation piece: Bitch Grenache, at klwines.com.
Surely we won’t pour our robust red into a plastic cup! Perish the thought! Bring those Riedel glasses and keep them from tipping with these genius Picnic Plus wine glass holders, at digitalfotoclub.com.
Of course, you’ll need the perfect outfit, complete with a full-skirted frock. Unique Vintage dress at unique-vintage.com.
Complement that breezy dress with a pair of heels that won’t dig into the grass. Donna Karan plaid fabric cork wedge sandals, at net-a-porter.com.
Just in case it gets a tad chilly, you’ll need a proper cardi: Fiore cotton cardigan, at jcrew.com.
Along with your SPF, you’ll need some protection from those UV rays in the form of a wide-brimmed topper. Try this Eugenia Kim Honey sunhat, at shopbop.com.
To keep yourselves entertained: Some fun games! CC and Greg are hooked on Rummy 500. Playing cards at bicyclecards.com.
Travel Backgammon Set, at barneys.com.
Don’t forget your camera! Canon PowerShot, at amazon.com.
Happy picnicking, darlings!
xoxox,
CC

P.S. Be sure to check out my guest post over at Fellow Fashionista Park and Vivianne!

Picnic Chic

All the essentials for your déjeuner sur l'herbe (Manet,1863).
Moschino ad, Spring 2009
Chinese Vogue editorial, November 2008.
Vogue editorial, February 2009.
Consider a billowy full-skirted frock for your picnicking comfort...
Nicole Farhi, via nymag.com.
Cotton swing dress at unique-vintage.com.
Sunshine ruffle dress, at fredflare.com.
Diane von Furstenberg Dewitt dress, at shopbop.com.
Junya Watanabe skirt, pictured via elle.com. CC would love this worn as a strapless frock too!
Tibi Tropical Poppy strapless dress, at Bloomingdales.com.
Tsumori Chisato colorful stripe dress, at lagarconne.com.
Opening Ceremony voluminous dress at twentythirtyforty.net.
Creepy cool: Ineke Otte ant necklace, at inekeotte.nl; pictured via elle.com.
Pringle of Scotland ad.
For footwear, opt for chic flats or wedge espadrilles...
Tory Burch Caylan flat sandals; this and next at net-a-porter.com.
Stella McCartney canvas safari print wedges.
Keep the champ cold with this bottle tote, available at iloveuma.com.
Stay dry and chic with this reversible waterproof picnic blanket ~ it folds up to a tote! Visit katalinaklark.com to purchase.
Tote the noshes in a luxe Brooks Brothers Country Club picnic basket, at brooksbrothers.com.
Keep the comestibles from toppling with a steady stick table and wine holders from redenvelope.com. Pure genius!
Get your game on with a Classic Frisbee from wham-o.com.
Last image via teenvogue.com.

Happy picnicking, darlings!
xoxox,
CC

POSH PICNIC

In the manner of Déjeuner sur l'Herbe (Claude Monet, 1865), dine al fresco in style! Gather your friends, some oozy brie, a baguette or two, and a bottle of slightly chilled Pinot Noir . . .

The proper attire is essential to the enjoyment of a lovely picnic. I would opt for a comfortable, breathable sundress, preferably knee-length, with a full skirt. Be sure to wear boyshorts underneath so you can toss a Frisbee with your pals without fear of Britney exposure! Of course, you should tuck a cashmere throw into your tote bag, along with a lightweight cardigan. The Pashmina, while no longer an appropriate fashion statement, does provide elegant warmth, either as a shoulder wrap or chic blanket.

To guide you on your quest for the perfect picnic attire, I have provided a sample outfit from Cynthia Steffe's Spring 2008 show (at right, courtesy nymag.com). I love how this sundress has pockets! See below in this CoutureCarrie post for an extensive list of the best sundress purveyors!

While Manolos would look adorable with your Milly frock, they simply aren’t practical for grass and sand. So go with a chic gold flat sandal. I just saw the most fabulous pair in the Alloy catalog for less than twenty dollars! Or try this inexpensive Urban Outifitters option, the Helena Gladiator sandal, pictured at left. If you must wear heels, a platform huarache is acceptable, but only if it’s Louboutin.

Keep your accessories low-key and practical. No one wants to go hunting for your dangly earrings in the damp grass after dark! Opt for chunky bangles (like these "exotic" bracelets at right, just $14 for a set of 6 at spiegel.com!), a simple gold chain, hoop or stud earrings . . . you get the idea.

You and your crew will also need a beach blanket. I personally LOVE a double towel, or a couple of these chic Missoni printed terry throws (photo courtesy instyle.com/shopping).


SUNDRESS GO-TO:

Calypso

Forever 21
Lauren Moffat

Lotta Stensson (yellow strapless jersey dress picured at right, available at bluefly.com)
M Missoni
Mara Hoffman
Milly

Nicole Miller (tunic at lower right, also at bluefly)

Old Navy
Rachel Pally
Rory Beca
See by Chloé
Shoshanna
Splendid
T-Bags
Tibi
Tocca

Tory Burch
Trina Turk
Vince
What Comes Around Goes Around

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Now it’s off to the park! Bon appetit, and happy shopping!