Houston is in that in-between fashion season, where it may seem like spring one moment and summer the next. What's a stylish dresser to do?

Sydney Ealand got the balance just right at the grand opening of Atrium in a creme-colored shift with studded shoulders and banded hem by Rachel Roy (purchased at Macy's), with Sam Edelman metallic gladiator sandals (picked up at a New Orleans boutique), Laura Merkin metallic clutch (from Saks Fifth Avenue) and Gucci sunglasses tucked in the collar of her dress. Her hair was casually pulled back into a pony tail.

"I just threw it on to come here," said the 27-year-old civil engineer about her casual ensemble. "I like to mix classic stuff with trendy pieces."

Topping off the high/low look, a Cartier watch (a gift when she graduated from Vanderbilt in 2005) and a Cynthia Rowley designer Band-Aid on her arm. "My best friend wanted me to look fashionable, even after I cut myself," she said.

— CLIFFORD PUGH