If I had a sugar daddy...

Striped pouf-sleeve ballet tee by Rachel Pally
$135 at standardstyle.com

Since I don't (yet)

Balloon-sleeve pima cotton tee by Splendid
$50 at urbanminx.com

Transition-tees 2.0

"I know you already wrote a post on what you call 'transition tees,' but a lot of those are now either out of stock or dead links. Can we get an updated selection, please? I need something cute up top for the weekends and I feel like I've outgrown my Urban Outfitters supply. Since I usually wear black or neutral colored shorts, I'd love something with a bright print and/or color."

A transition-tee redux post - what a tremendous idea!

Just yesterday, as I noted the threadbare patches on my beloved first-ever transition tee - a ruched neck, cap-sleeved, tissue-thin Ella Moss in fire-engine red - I was thinking how timely publishing a sequel to my initial post on this very essential wardrobe component would be.

For those who punch-in at an office where the dress-code is more college campus than law firm, these 14 shirts below might well qualify as your any-day-of-the-week above-the-waist option. For the rest of us, however, the sheer material, punchy-colored stripes, bold graphic prints and flutter details are best left post-work or at the very least, hidden-'til-happy-hour underneath a cute swing jacket like this.

If you would like a more thorough run-down of the casual-style-enhancing power of the transition-tee, click here to read the original post.

Oh, and because my reader failed to mention a desired price-point, I punished her by slipping in a few neutrals toward the end. Remember, sometimes an of-interest neckline or sleeve can be just as exciting and attention-grabbing as a bright color or loud print.

Also remember, if you write me with a question, you need to include as much information as you can so that I might serve you to the best of my ability.

Mmmmm...serve you.

Happy shopping!

Slub stripe top ($10.80 at forever21.com

Flutter top ($15.80 at forever21.com)
Cabbage rose tee by Mossimo ($14.99 at target.com)
Confetti tee ($30 at fredflare.com)
¾ sleeved shirred scoop by L.A. Made ($36 at tobi.com)
Scoop neck tee by L.A.M.B. ($65 at nordstrom.com)

U-neck top by Paige Denim ($98 at nordstrom.com)

Sylvester top by Ella Moss ($94 at saks.com)

Striped navy crew by Ya-Ya ($65.40 at fashionchateau.com)

Cap-sleeve tee by t2 ($31 at activeendeavors.com)

Cropped cut-out T by American Apparel ($14 at americanapparel.net)

Gianna ruffle-neck by Elizabeth Gillett ($114 at couturecandy.com)*Jersey scoop neck tee by Vince ($72 at shopbop.com)

Puff sleeve tee by Alice + Olivia ($88 at shopbop.com)*

*your editrix's top picks

I can't think nor write in this GD heat

I sat down last night and then again this morning prepared to write a what-to-wear-in-99-degree-heat post complete with an unrelated picture of the baby lovepuff sleeping on top of my wallet - his way of ensuring I don't leave without arousing his "you're-leaving-me-alone-again??" fury - and more topic-appropriate recommendations from both "If I had a sugar daddy..." and "Since I don't (yet)" price points, but on both occasions, I got as far as promoting a threads-free Tantric Sunday, tissue-tees and v-plunge linen cover-ups before the AC-free stifle of my apartment (the pup and I both prefer jungle hot over a faux cool) caused a complete creative-writing meltdown.

So while I'm out doing my best poolside impression of Eva in Capri (coinslot included), do me a favor and grant me a teensy bit of slack on the minimal creative output you'll see here today.

The kind of slack, I guarantee you, I won't be granted elsewhere...

If I had a sugar daddy...

Sylvester scoopneck tee by Ella Moss

$94 at saks.com

Since I don't (yet)

Scoopneck puff top by Corey Lynn Calter
$40 at tobi.com

Spring Essentials (pt. V): wide headband and transition-tee

I can take a hint. I can read into the comment drop-off since I embarked on this six-part epic. I get it, you aren't interested in lengthy explanations for why this item made my list and that one didn't. In fact, you probably don't give a whit about my list at all. I made the mistake the FOX reality show production team does -- I took a 30-minute concept and tried to stretch it out over 12 one-hour episodes. For that, I apologize.

From what I can tell, you just want put-downs of style-retarded DC women, pictures of my puppy and sexually-charged descriptions of women for whom I'd leave my future husband, move from the city to the country and give up premium cable for scone baking, berry picking and crystal worshipping.

That's what the comment metrics tell me, anyway.

So unless I hear differently, I'm going to channel my energy elsewhere and only give you the witty highlights instead of the full analysis. And like every academic I've ever known, if I've already written something on the subject, I'm gonna reuse - and redirect you - instead of wasting my time with redundancies.
Starting here with headbands. And here for transition-tees.

And since there aren't any pictures to distract you from that TPS Report, watch my second favorite scene from one of the most influential films of my formative years, Heathers:

The transition tee

It wasn't until I got my first job (i.e. my first substantial paycheck) that I discovered the irreplaceable wardrobe staple that is the transition tee.

What is a transition tee, you ask?

A transition tee is a stylish, high-quality t-shirt that can seamlessly transition from serving as your bikini cover-up in Phuket to looking cute under a bolero for Sunday brunch to topping off a pair of premium jeans on a casual Friday at work.

In the fashion industry, the term "high-quality" is almost always tantamount to really expensive. In this case, yes, the 15 transition tees I've provided for you do cost more - four to five times more - than a GAP or Urban Outfitters t-shirt, but believe me, they're worth it.

I haven't had the pleasure of owning all the tees I'm recommending in this post, but I have tried most of the brands, and in addition to maintaining their shape far better than their less expensive counterparts, they also resist fading in a major way -- a non-negotiable requirement of a transition tee.

My favorite transition tees are ones with unique sleeves, simple round or square necklines and a tissue-soft texture. If I only had the money to purchase one, I would definitely invest in a red Ella Moss scoop-neck cap-sleeve. Mine is more than two years old, and I still wear her once or twice a week with jeans, dressy shorts, even black work trousers.

And after at least fifty washes, my baby Ella is still as red as the day she begged me to take her home.

Ladies, your transition tees:

Top to bottom:

1. Helium scoopneck by Velvet ($68 at anthropologie.com)
2. Icebox tee ($34.95 at anthropologie.com)
3. Radiant scoopneck by Michael Stars ($44 at anthropologie.com)
4. Seaboard scoopneck by Rebecca Beeson ($48 at anthropologie.com)
5. Tia peasant tee by Rebecca Beeson ($58 at anthropologie.com)
6. Mesh and Jersey cap-sleeve by James Perse ($76 at shopbop.com)
7. Seagull print crew by Primp ($66 at shopbop.com)
8. Cheryl top by Ella Moss ($97 at urbanchiconline.com)
9. Banded top by Ella Moss ($90 at urbanchiconline.com)
10. Hannah tee by Velvet ($65 at activeendeavors.com)
11. Ebony ¾-sleeve by Zooey ($65 at activeendeavors.com)
12. Cap-sleeve top by Karen Zambos ($147 at couturecandy.com)
13. Shine top by Michael Stars ($42.75 at couturecandy.com)
14. Puff sleeve dot top by Theory ($75 at southmoonunder.com)
15. Pixie flutter v-neck by Ella Moss ($79 at daszign.com)