Is there such a thing as cute UV-protective clothing?

I'll be the first person to admit, even with my history of skin cancer, I'd rather wear a teensy weensy bikini to the beach than dress like this:

Cute on the kiddos. Less so on me. (Image credit)

I know that sunscreen is not perfect, but it's hard to cover up when everyone else is flaunting it.

When SummerSkin, a Portland-based sun protective clothing company, became a sponsor of the AIM walk I'm organizing later this month, I promised I'd give it another shot.

Since then, I've been introduced to Summer Kramer, the creator of SummerSkin. Like me, she's a patient-turned-advocate who is doing great things both locally and nationally to raise awareness about melanoma.

I am very excited to share that Summer and her team have just launched an Indiegogo campaign where you can test out items from SummerSkin's clothing and accessories line at a fraction of the normal retail price. Plus, 10% of proceeds go to OHSU Knight Cancer Institute melanoma research program.

Here's a sampling of what she's offering:

I don't usually plug brands on my blog, but this is a company and a cause that I am 100% supporting. Please help spread the word on Facebook and Twitter: #SPFyRevolution

And, of course, get shopping!

I rented the runway

Me and Tim at my friend's wedding.

Saturday night was our first wedding of the summer. Instead of buying a new dress (or recycling an old one), I caved and finally ordered from Rent the Runway. If you're not already familiar with RTR, it's a web-based company that let's you rent designer dresses and gowns for special occasions. The rental costs are a little steep (about $70 to $200 to rent most cocktail dresses for the weekend), but it's such a fun concept. I've always wanted to try one of Herve Leger's iconic bandage dresses, but buying one would cost more than a month's rent.

Renting one for the weekend set me back about $125 (including round-trip shipping and insurance), and I feel like it was totally worth it to get to play dress up for the night. My favorite part of the website is that it features photos and reviews of each dress by real women so that you can get a better idea of what size to order and if the style would be flattering for your body type. I wish more online shopping sites offered customer photos in addition to reviews.

Anyhow, I highly recommend the service, and I can't wait to rent again!

Pretty in purple

Last week, I traveled to Boston for another round of PCORI grant review. On the way home, I had a few extra hours to kill in the airport, so I took full advantage of the free WiFi and did a little online shopping. I adore this purple dress I found from Nordstrom. This shade of purple is definitely one of my go-to colors for making my skin tone pop. Here's how I would style it for a Saturday afternoon out with my girlfriends. What color can you always count on to make yourself feel pretty and confident?

Summertime by katielise: Dress Topshop / Sandals Sam Edelman / Wallet Kate Spade / Earrings Bauble Bar / Sunglasses J. Crew / Nail polish Julep

Is your skin "in"?

When I look at Carly Rae Jepsen, I don't think,
"this girl needs a tan." I think, "Where can I
buy that dress?"

You may not think of your skin color as a fashion accessory, but some people do. A recent article in USA Today presents a fascinating perspective on the status of "the tan" in the context of the fashion and beauty industry.

The article cites a beauty industry analyst who has noticed a sharp decrease in the number of celebrities and models who are shunning fake tans. It's a trend I've noticed, too. While a summertime tan is still the norm, the year-round permatan isn't as ubiquitous as it once was. Not in magazines, not in catalogs, not in real life.

I love this quote from Elle magazine's beauty director:

"The idea of people taking a step back to, 'What is my skin tone?' and celebrating their true skin color is very freeing. It's not about dark skin tones trying to be paler or pale skins trying to be darker."

This quote epitomizes what I try to encourage on my blog. Whether you're dark, olive, fair, or any shade in between, owning your natural skin tone is so much sexier than running around looking orange.

Plus, it's incredibly liberating not needing to wait in line at the tanning salon, spend money on overpriced indoor tanning lotions, or worrying if I'll smell like spray tan before I go on a date. Because, let's be real. That shit stinks.

Gearing up for wedding season

At the Oregon Coast, wind and rain are the norm, so I was thrilled to have such calm weather when I went to Canon Beach last weekend for my friend Chelsea's bridal shower/bachelorette party. A group of us stayed in a house, not unlike what I'm planning for Liz's bachelorette in CA later this month. Ack! Still need to figure out a few last minute details for that.

I've decided this summer is "the summer of the wedding." At one point between July and August, I have weddings four weekends in a row! I've been stalking Rent the Runway and trying to decide if I should recycle old dresses or splurge on a one-time designer rental. Decisions, decisions. Here are a few of my faves. One of my favorite parts of RTR is that they have customer photos for all the different dresses. You can see how they look on other women with your skin tone, body type, etc. which is sometimes hard to do when shopping online.

ERIN by erin fetherston Riding the Wave Sheath

Nanette Lepore Wild One Dress

Diane von Furstenberg Mint in Manhattan Shift

Herve Leger Peruvian Night Dress

Minty fresh

It's spring break here in Oregon for some, but I'm having one of those weeks where every time I look at my to-do list I get dizzy and want to take a nap! Ever since November, I knew March/April/May was going to be insane, but now I'm finally in the middle of it all. Sometimes a girl just needs a little down time. For me, this means a combination of crafting, shopping, and march madness.

Oh, and of course, Pinterest. Here are some of my favorites this week.

Source: modeets.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: pshiiit.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: thecolorfullivingproject.blogspot.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: anthropologie.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: shop.nordstrom.com via Katie on Pinterest

White hot

Hate her music or serial dating habits all you want, but Taylor Swift has developed an insane sense of style. Last night at the People's Choice Awards, T.S. took a page from my own personal style handbook and wore white way after labor day. I adore white in the winter, and I thought this gown looked stunning on her.

Everyone always says, "Don't wear white, it will wash you out," but I think I'd rock this look if I had a fancy awards gala to attend. What do you think of this look? Is white on pale skin a do or a don't?

On beauty

Saw this image on Facebook today. The photographer was listed as unknown, but I love it. Isn't it the truth? Test yourself. Which of these models would you rather trade bodies with:

Model #1. Image: Indy Fashion Marketplace

Model #2. Image: Chictopia

DIY Peplum Top

I had one of those "ah-ha" moments the other day that was too good not to share. I've owned this shirt for about a year now, but I've never been able to wear it with a pair of pants. Because it's so billowy, I've always paired it with a pencil skirt--something I could tuck it into. By simply adding a belt, I was finally able to wear the blouse with a pair of pants. Plus, the silhouette morphs into a trendy peplum shape. I dig it.

Start with a loose-fitting blouse like this
one by Daniel Rainn.

Add a thin belt just below your natural
waist. And voila!

Happy Halloween!

Me and my friend Debbie dressed up as loofah's last weekend.

Happy Halloween! I hope you're all warm, safe, and dry. The weather hasn't been so great this week, has it? When I celebrated Halloween on Saturday, I got drenched, but at least I didn't have a hurricane to contend with (I'm looking at you, Sandy).

Anyhow, funny story: Shortly after I published this blog post about body image and Halloween costumes, I found myself waiting in line at Joann Fabric to purchase 25 yards of tulle. I had seen a couple of girls at the 5k dressed up as bath loofah's and I thought it was such an amazing idea that I had to be one, too. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. I got stuck in line behind another group of would-be bath-poufs who were having a really difficult time deciding which color fabric to buy. They seemed miffed that I had taken the last few yards of purple.

"Ugh, I can't be light pink! I'm not tan enough!" one of the girls said.

Of course, in my head, my first instinct was to think, wow, wasn't I just talking about this? My second thought was, what is this girl talking about, she's already eight shades darker than me.

As the bath loofah fiasco continued (they had the nice lady working behind the counter measure out 20 yards of light pink, only to tell her they wanted to do blue instead), I couldn't help but wonder why we sometimes have such skewed perceptions of ourselves. When I see olive skinned women berating themselves for being too pale, skinny women berating themselves for being too fat, etc. I wish I could smack some sense into them and let them see what they look like from where I'm sitting. I know I'm guilty of self-hate, too, but it just kills me when people beat themselves up for not being tan enough. I lived with that feeling for so long, and I wish there was something I could do to prevent other people from feeling the same way.

Side note: Totally reminds me of that scene from Mean Girls where The Plastics are huddled around the mirror, commiserating over all their physical "flaws." Enjoy!

Beauty diaries: Red hot

Yours truly rockin' her bright red lipstick.

When I was in college, I had an obsession with "the smokey eye." For whatever reason, when I attempted aforementioned smokey eye, it didn't look sexy like I intended it to. I looked more like a little girl playing with her mother's makeup than Christina Aguilera in Dirty. When I tanned--and my skin morphed from fairly light to medium beige--I was magically able to pull it off. On  nights out with my friends, I rimmed my eyes with blackest black kohl liner and loaded up on Maybelline mascara.

The one beauty look I never dared to try, no matter how dark my tan, was the bright red lip. Naturally, I was quite surprised to be called out at a makeover/fundraiser/event last year: "You with the fair skin, we're going to try red lipstick on you! It's so hot right now!"

After they'd powdered my nose and glossed my lips, I actually liked what I saw. I ended up buying a tube of richly pigmented red lip gloss and a matching pencil to help the color stick. Since then, I've dabbed on the gloss for special events--or for nights out when I've been feeling frisky. More and more, I've been seeing the bright red lip, not just on fashion models, but on real women walking down the street.

And now, some inspiration. You so don't need a tan to pull this one off.

Image: YSL

Image: Pinterest

Image: Behind the Scenes Makeup

Dare to wear: Cobalt blues

Button up at Jcrew.com.

Every season, there's a color: A color that's all over the runways and that I pin and pin obsessively. This season, that color is cobalt blue. I can't get enough of it. I love it for being so rich and bold, but I also love it because it literally looks good on everyone. Pale skin, olive skin, dark skin--I dare you to show me someone who doesn't look pretty in a richly pigmented royal blue.

Tinley Road Silk Blouse at Piperlime.com.

Steve Madden Vegass shoe at Piperlime.com.

Accordion Pleat Skit at Bananarepublic.com.

Cobalt crops via Thesimplyluxuriouslife.com.

Heart and arrow earrings at Etsy.com.

Looking for more summer brights?

Magazines still sending mixed messages

Summer is upon us... or so the fashion industry would like me to think. I can't open a catalog or fashion mag these days without full-bleed images of beaches and bikini-clad bodies. I've already splurged on a short-sleeve lace top, a pair of bright red capris, and a pair of patent, nude pumps--none of which I can wear until June because my weather forecast looks like this:

But I digress. Every year it's the same: Magazines taunt me with exorbitantly priced beachwear (and matching Tori Burch accessories), while editorializing on how to lose those last few pounds. There's also the inevitable "True Story of a Skin Cancer Survivor." I just stumbled upon the first of the season in May's issue of Glamour by Shaun Dreisbach. The article itself is a good read. Its author highlights some important points that even I sometimes let slip through the cracks (e.g. reapplying sunscreen every two hours).

What drives me batty is that only ONE PAGE after this after this article, I'm confronted with a full-on bikini shot of Carrie Underwood. It's like telling me to go on a diet and then sticking a chocolate-dipped shortbread cookie in front of my face. Am I supposed to continue to reapply my sunscreen diligently or should I skimp so that I look more like Carrie Underwood? Seriously. With the mixed messages we're getting, what's a young, body conscious woman going to do?

Miss Underwood in the May 2012 issue of Glamour.

Think Carrie's a fluke? Think again. The same issue of Glamour also mentions:

• How to create a "bronzed glow" like Lauren Conrad... although, in an interview, Lauren swears she hasn't had a sunburn in years.
• A staffer who'd love to be stranded on an island with a simple white bikini because it would look so good with her new tan.
• How Alessandra Ambrosio (of Victoria's Secret fame) prefers neon colored swimwear because it flaunts her tan complexion.
• How to even out your complexion when your body tans faster than your face.

And no, it's not just Glamour. In April's issue of Vogue, Plum Sykes writes about how rich, full hues are "in" for spring, which is a boon for us pale folks. Sykes writes:

"Spring weddings/cocktails/luncheons are hard to enjoy when your chiffon frock renders your wintry complexion ghostlier than Gwyneth Paltrow's when her character dropped dead in Contagion."

Ouch, Plum. Ouch. She goes on to redeem herself (slightly):

"The most influential girls-of-the-moment--from Florence Welch to Frida Gustavsson--favor a quirky, edgy look achieved by wearing slightly odd colors, keeping their skin as pale as possible and their hair completely natural-looking."

In other words, Sykes may be rocking alabaster this spring because a handful of chic oddballs are, too, but what will she (or anyone for that matter) do when she catches a glimpse of Carrie Underwood or Alessandra Ambrosio?

Yes, you can wear yellow

I've been obsessed with Ashley Greene ever since I saw her on the March cover of Lucky magazine. Apparently she's been part of the Cullen clan since 2008. She's also appeared more recently on a few episodes of Pan Am. All I have to say: this young woman is stunning. Here are a few photos from her Lucky cover shoot. Proof that even pale girls can wear yellow.

Get Ashley's look with some of these bold spring pieces.

Add a pop of color to a cream colored dress.
Belt and dress, Bananarepublic.com.

Mustard yellow pants, Loft.com.

Skirt, Modcloth.com.

Two-tone shoes, Anntaylor.com.