Style

Although dresses get a lot of attention in summer, for most women, pants carry the day.

BEAUTY EVENT: Due to customer demand for more natural products, Ulta Beauty in the Stonecrest Shopping Center will hold the “Natural Isn't Just A Look” event every Saturday through Aug. 1. The event will spotlight the store's natural and organic brands and hold demonstrations. Store hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. The store is at 7844 Rea Road. 704-540-9090; www.ulta.com.

Q. In August, my grandson will be married in a 5 p.m. church ceremony, followed by a reception at a country club. I am unsure whether to wear a long or short dress. The two mothers and bridesmaids will be wearing long gowns. Although there may be no rules, I would like to wear what is most appropriate.

It is hot. And that's not just us whining. The temperature is up, so is the humidity, and we're back to that familiar summer-in-the-Carolinas heat.

In fashion, earthy, nature-inspired trends tend to evoke a familiar palette. The vivid greens of plants, the browns and blacks and whites of animal hides, an occasional splash of ocean blue. But now, enter geodes. Simply-sliced agate and sharp-sided crystals project a raw, unaltered pureness, yet shine bright in stunning violets, fuchsias and turquoise.