These are not your mother’s legwarmers

Legwarmers aren’t just for jazzercise anymore!  The past several seasons, we’ve seen a resurgence in the popularity of this fun accessory, with plenty of twists & takes on an old style.  There is a dizzying array of colors and styles to wear with just about anything.  With such a huge selection available, this inexpensive accessory can change a plain wardrobe into a chic fashion-forward collection by adding color and style.  These season, legwarmers are back at their peak!

Legwarmers are the perfect overlay for leggings or tights; they look great with jeans, and they also look fantastic on their own with skirts, dresses or shorts.  Put them inside boots or over the top, with flats, sneakers or high-tops.  Super hot this season is striped legwarmers of all styles, like these Pink & Black Dance Dreams from Huggalugs.  There are three basic styles of legwarmers.  First are smaller ones that come with tights to cover & cozy the ankles and add dimension to the tights, like these leg warmers from Eliane et Lena.  The second kind are a more traditional knit legwarmer, more like the dancer type from the ’80s.  These come in prints, stripes and solids and cover the bottom half of the leg or can be stretched up to cover the whole leg.  A good example of this style is Huggalugs, which come in stripes, metallics, prints and solids, gathered or flat.  These can be pulled up high, and with a skirt look just like leggings!  They also scrunch down in beautiful gathers to cover the lower part of the leg in cozy warmth.

The third kind are the layered type, which are rows of lace or fabric ruffles sewn over a lighter-weight knit legwarmer.  These aren’t as long as the ballerina type, and not as warm, but pack a stylish punch in bright colors and interesting textures.  There are even faux fur legwarmers, like these from Wheat!

Ruffles!

Lace!

Wear them long!

Wear them for arm warmers!

Gathered!

Printed!

Wear with boots!

Wear with tights!

And of course the traditional ballerina look.

Everything But The Princess carries a huge selection of leg warmers for girls – I MEAN HUGE!  Why not try a pair this fall?  I’ll bet you love ’em!  If you’ve already got some, why not try a different style?  Legwarmers are a quick, inexpensive way to add impact to your fall wardrobe with flair.

Top 10 Looks for Back To School

Back to school? Are you crazy? On this first day of August, I’m thinking about what the kids are going to wear as they start school in just a few short weeks. Gone are the days of the nicely delineated Labor Day to Memorial Day school year that I had. Back then (you know, when the dinosaurs roamed the earth), we had a good, long summer. Plenty of time to get thoroughly bored and forget how to hold a pencil. And we were excited to go back to school!
Nowdays, they are starting earlier than ever, and the summer weather of August just isn’t right for those “cool” fall clothes. What’s a kid to do? Never fear:  Classroom inspiration is here! There are plenty of stylish ways to wear Fall Transition outfits that are weather appropriate and look great during those first weeks, then transition beautifully into the cooler weather of autumn. Check out Everything But The Princess’s back-to-school style guide for some great ideas for fresh, first-day looks.

Top 10 Back To School Transition Looks

Tru Luv Tribal Rock Feather Tee	1. Dress up a tee. Simple tops are the ultimate in versatile. The tee is a year-round staple that looks fun & funky and can be dressed up too. Pair with some bold accessories and fancy new shoes, and it looks like a million bucks. Tees can be worn with a cardigan or jacket for those cool mornings waiting for the bus and top shorts, skirts or pants nicely, depending on the weather. These days, tees come in such a huge variety of styles, with screen prints, sequins, peek-a-boo shoulders – and any sleeve length you like. They’re anything but plain! There’s sure to be a tribal top, dress-casual fusion tee or lusciously colored tee that will suit her fancy.
Elisa B. by Lipstik Lace Motorcycle Jacket	2. White. Well, it’s not Labor Day yet, now is it? Why not white? Crisp & clean, white looks fantastic with tribal prints, soft pastels and cheery brights. White cropped jeans will look great with dressy tees (see #1!), and a white jacket is the perfect topper for any back to school outfit. Anyway, here on the west coast, we don’t stand on ceremony-who needs rules? We wear white in good weather all year round. If you like to tone it down in the winter, simply switch to winter white, cream or ivory for a versatile look that matches anything.  White is one hot ticket!
Biscotti Lilac Fairy Ruffle Dress	3. Pretty pastels. Soft hues are easy on the eyes and come in lightweight and heavy fabrics to suit your weather and mood. Head-to-toe pastel is always a good choice, but it looks fantastic with white (see #2!) or black too. Pastels go nicely together as well, so feel free to mix & match.
Catimini Floral Print Smocked Dress	4. Summer brights…in the fall. Bright colors are cheerful and totally school appropriate. Pair brights with black or brown to make them autumn-y, like topping a tunic top or short dress with a cardigan and finishing with leggings or opaque tights if it’s cool. Like this dress from Catimini’s fall 2012 collection – wear with or without the top underneath; with or without leggings (see #6!). It’s cute, cheerful and completely convertible. Desigual offers a stunning array of cheerful brights in prints and solids this fall too, with fall shorts, skirts, coats and dresses galore. See the Desigual Fall 2012 girls collection here.
Hannah Banana Powerful Stripes Jacket	5. Light jackets. Mornings are cool and afternoons hot. That means jackets! More than ever, there is a huge selection of jackets, shrugs and hoodies to suit every taste. A denim basic is fine – and you can pick 3/4 sleeves, cropped or classic styles in every color of the rainbow. Hoodies are still super popular, owing to their versatility and overall comfort. Who doesn’t have a favorite sweatshirt? And then of course there are twists on the classic blazer. Like this striped 3/4 sleeve jacket from Hannah Banana. Vests are a great variation on this theme too, perfect with long or short sleeves–even over a tank!
Brums School Girl Shorts with Tights	6. Layered. Layered is in. And it’s a great way to express yourself with plenty of mix & match choices. Fall shorts are hot for a reason: she can wear them layered with tights or leggings, with longer shorts underneath, with knee-highs or bare-legged for the perfect level of comfort. And oh how cute! Like these schoolgirl shorts from Brums, shown here with a tee and blazer and over striped tights. Also looks fantastic over short boots with knee-highs or legwarmers and bare legs. And they are looking fantastic for fall! Wow! Look at all these shorts! Layering also works great with dresses, as you can pair a dress with long sleeves underneath or a shrug over the top and then add leggings, tights or legwarmers when things get cool.
Eliane et Lena Fall 2012	7. Boho. Bohemian is chic, and if your gypsy girl likes the details of flowers, beadwork and accessories, this look is perfect for her. Layers of pretty colors with ruffles and prints are fun and attractive. Don’t forget to top it all off with a pretty scarf like this Luna Scarf from Eliane et Lena.
Misha Lulu Misha’s World Tee & Skirt	8. Schoolgirl. Okay, I realize this is obvious, but skirts and knee-highs, plaid, pleats and peter pan collars really are cute for school. Mix & match styles for short or long sleeves, tights or bare-legs and boots or flats – everything comes together prim & proper and perfect for back-to-school!
Lipstik City Girl Tee & Polka Dot Skirt	9. Twirly Skirts. Feminine, funky or cute – short skirts are the perfect fall transition item. Whether they are gathered, dirndl style or tiered, skirts give her room to move and play (especially with Monkeybar Buddies) and look dressy enough for lunch with grandma. And they are definitely cute! Like this darling City Girl polka dot tiered skirt from Lipstik. Pair with a 3/4 sleeve top for a go-anywhere look that dresses up or down nicely, then with tights & boots when the weather gets cooler.
Ooh! La, La! Couture Ultra-High Top Sneakers	10. Ultra-high Sneakers & Boots. Comfortable and breathable canvas sneakers are ultra-hip in sky-high heights. Like these Penelope Wildberry for Ooh! La, La! Couture High Tops shown here with the Coco dress from Ooh! La, La! Couture. They are perfect for playground and they look fantastic with dresses & skirts, shorts and jeans.

The first week of school is so exciting, and kids really want to make a good impression and look their best. With these fall transition ideas, they can look fantastic without being uncomfortably hot. For more great back-to-school fashion ideas, visit www.EverythingButThePrincess.com.