Cactus Flower
cactus flower, scarf, jordan doner
model wearing colorful scarves
\r\nVarious scarves, all Echo, $34–$78,
echodesign.com.
Cactus Flower: Happy Rays
cactus flower, happy rays, red dress
model in red dress and headband
HAPPY RAYS
\r\nGo long. A spicy ankle length dress frees you from the confines of a micromini — and lets you skip your morning leg shave!
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Crochet-trim dress, $28; multicolored scarf, $4; both Forever 21, forever21.com; gold sea horse necklace, Accessories for Target, $15, target.com.
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Cactus Flower: Knit Fit
cactus flower, knit fit, dress
model in a sheer dress
KNIT FIT
\r\nGrandma always said you’d have the boys in stitches. Top a simple knit shift dress with a sparkly beret and take a dip in the dating, er, spool.
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Gold Lurex trapeze dress, $60; multicolored sparkle beret, $17; both by H&M, hm.com; silk satin Delrey Flower scarf, Echo, $25, echodesign.com; cream lace ribbon triple gold chain necklace, Planet Funk, $24, planetfunk.com.
Cactus Flower: Montego Babe
cactus flower, montego babe
model in hat and cover up dress
MONTEGO BABE
\r\nWho says you need water to make waves? A bright bikini top under a lingerie-inspired gown is see-worthy in any setting — except maybe graduation and internships. Hee!
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Yellow and white eyelet dress, Bebe, $179, bebe.com; multicolored striped bandeau, XOXO, $39, everythingbutwater.com; green zebra-print paper straw\r\nfedora, Etnies Girl, $32, etniesgirl.com; green glitter bangle, Sweet Cakes, $6, 800-24-BELTS.
Cactus Flower: Berry Pretty
cactus flower, berry pretty, pink dress
model in a sheer magenta dress
BERRY PRETTY
\r\nIt’s not called hot pink for nothin’! To warm up a chilly spring morning (and your washed-out winter skin) wear a bold, vibrant color that’ll send those cold-weather blues running for the hills.
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Pink braided-strap minidress, A.B.S by Allen Schwartz, $275, absstyle.com; assorted gold bracelets, $7–$55, claires.com, bloomingdales.com, zad.com; black ribbed knee socks, K. Bell, $8, kbellsocks.com; gold glitter Carlyn flats, Sam Edelman, $123, flipfloptrunkshow.com.\r\n
Cactus Flower: Boulder Woman
cactus flower, boulder woman, sheer dress
model in a black and pink dress
BOULDER WOMAN
\r\nTo toughen up a sheer dress, add heavy gear like leather cuffs and silver chains. Hit the road in your biker-chick-meets-babydoll look and your Honda will feel like a Harley!
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Pink and black chiffon dress, BB Dakota, $40, nordstrom.com; striped racer-back tank, Arizona by JCPenney, $10, jcp.com; silver-tone elephant necklace, $13, girlprops.com; black and silver necklace, A.V. Max, $90, avmaxaccessories.com; black leather rhinestone cuffs, Mixit by JCPenney, $18 each, jcp.com
Cactus Flower: Cool Breeze
cactus flower, cool breeze, floral tunic
model in a black sheer dress
COOL BREEZE
\r\nA floral-print tunic is the definition of sweetness, but pretty flowers on black are bad — in a good way!
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Floral-print dress with balloon sleeves, Fleurish Clothing, $48, macys.com; paisley scarf, Forever 21, $4, forever21.com; gold chain-link necklace, Mixit by JCPenney, $24, jcp.com; gold triple-chain key necklace, Planet Funk, $24, planetfunk.com; gold owl necklace, Capelli New York, $18, 212-684-3344; gold cuff with white stone, Allison Daniel Designs, $98, allisondanieldesigns.com; knee socks, K. Bell, $8, kbellsocks.com.
Cactus Flower: Earth Toned
cactus flower, earth toned, pink dress
model in a pink dress in the desert
EARTH TONED
\r\nYou don’t have to go superbright to have fun with your look. Invite feminine accents like ruffles, lace, and bows to your softly hued dress and you can chill in style.
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Pleated tie-back silk dress, Taylor and Hyde, $169, macys.com; mini tiara, Icing by Claire’s, $15, icingbyclaires.com; purple striped wristbands, Le Tigre, 2 for $14, letigreusa.com.
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