The Best of Summer, From Fashion to Food

Best new black
White
What young, fresh, and a much-needed relief from pink? White! Current fashion darling Sienna Miller ushered in the trend with a dainty white strapless shift in the supercool Brit flick Layer Cake. This season, everyone from Dolce & Gabbana to Chloe is offering up fab eyelet frocks. An all-ivory ensemble is just as flattering as all ebony. Plus, no other color looks quite as chic with a summer tan.

Best beauty treatment for men
Bronzing
Bring some attention to those six-pack abs he's worked so hard to chisel. Self-tanners, whether applied in the privacy of home or airbrushed by aestheticians, accentuate a fit physique. Mix a sexy tan with a white linen shirt, and you've got a James Bond in Nassau kind of vibe. Faux tans are skin safe, accentuate a cut torso, and hide lots on little flaws. His face needs some UV-free color as well. Guerlain offers a metro essential: glitter-free powder bronzer just for men.

Best natural instinct
Earthy accessories
Add some personality to the neutral, clean-lined wardrobe. Mother Nature provides the bling inspiration. Though the live cockroaches recently seen on chain leashes pinned to models' lapels were a bit too much, bugs are a hot jewelry trend. Golden pendants of insects trapped in amber return to the scene. Scarab beetles, long appreciated abroad, are lovely in lapis lazuli and precious metal effigies, too.

Best way to start the day
The return of breakfast
Whether you're a follower of Perricone, Atkins, South Beach, or a crazy regime of your own design, skipping meals is certainly discouraged. Java swilling workaholics are finally nabbing some sustenance with their fix. Pare down to sausage and egg white omelettes if you must, but carbs are delicious. It's a quality of life issue. Normandy Stuffed French Toast at Breadwinner's or mantecadas from La Duni start a summer morning with a smile.

Best bad girl gone good
Patent leather
Chic and low-maintenance patent shines bright this summer. The look runs the gamut from private school uniform to Bettie Page. Black or white is always right, but kitten-with-a-whip lipstick red is a fun alternative. Look for patent leather gracing Lanvin's platform heels and Valentino's flats, wide belts, and the "it" handbag. Fendi's patent B bag rocks with shiny red oversized buckles.

Best men in sports
The boys of summer
Nothing beats an evening of baseball and beer. Hot dogs, handsome athletes, and perfect weather are also great perks. Cheer hometown heroes the Texas Rangers or Frisco RoughRiders at a balmy night game. While Arlington is a great stadium, Frisco offers the nicest women's restrooms in all of baseball. (Go check them out yourself.) Grab a comfy blanket and head for the berm.

Best brand management
Logo sunglasses
Okay, so being slathered in the designer's icon is so over. You can, however, satisfy the label junkie craving by flashing logos by your eyes. The interlinked Gucci G's and Versace's Medusa head add a bit of luxury to the temples. Coach decorates the arms with rhinestone butterflies and Cavalli uses a snaking gold knot to hold the frame together. In style? Absolutely. Incognito? Hardly.

Best way to chill out
Popsicles
Oh, the sweet relief of frozen treats in Texas heat! Oh, the nostalgia! Though our best memories are barefoot and popsicled, this isn't just for kiddies. Take inspiration from the Mexican paletas de crema and paletas de agua. Grown-up flavor combinations like chocolate with chiles, pineaplle mint, and ginger cantaloupe are divine. Even the most hopeless bachelor can macerate some fruit and freeze up a great date dessert.

Best retro cocktail
Kir Royale
Cosmos and tinis have had a great run, but when it's hot outside a simple cool apertif is in order. The Kir has just two ingredients: crème de Cassis (yummy black currant liqueur) and white wine. Trade up to champagne for a Kir Royale. It's known as "rince cochon" in France -literally "pig swill"- a term of endearment, really. Laze away the afternoon sipping the charming drink at West Village's Paris Vendome. A splash of Chambord and a slice of orange perfect the Kir.