I spent a lot of time in high school feeling silly. Like the one people were making fun of, the one who stuttered or said the wrong thing or who had the fact that they were sad or embarrassed or afraid written right across the center of their face. I hated that what I was thinking and feeling was so obvious all the time. And part of it was paranoia, I'm sure, but part of it was true: I was the one who people - even my friends - teased. A lot of the time, I was the one the joke was about. Maybe because it was simple to figure out what would make me blush, or cry. Or maybe because I was, as I feared, silly.

Maybe I was just easy to tease. I still am, I think.

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For our last day in Florida, I thought I'd dress up like a rainbow.

I rarely wear super-bright colors - and even more rarely wear a whole bunch of them at once - but I was inspired by my rainbow jelly sandals and the presence of palm trees to get crazy with it.

Purple bag, orange shorts, chartreuse cardigan, turquoise belt and jewelry...why not? To me, this look works because while the colors are all bright, they're also all the same kind of bright (vibrant and jewel-toned), because all of the pieces are simple shapes, and because everything is centered around a single neutral piece (that grey tank).

I've owned this dress for a couple of years now, and I love it so much, and yet this is the second time I have ever worn it. Because while I'm usually all for wearing whatever you want wherever you want, and generally pay very little attention to things like dress codes and occasions...this dress is pretty specific. It kind of demands to be worn in close proximity to palm trees.

It's such a romantic dress, but also surprisingly easy - almost like wearing nothing at all - which meant I wanted to keep the rest of the look simple: gold hoops, Grecian-inspired jelly sandals that are both the most comfortable things ever and super cute (they were my favorites all summer long last year, and it looks like this year will be the same), and my very stylish Club Med wristband. That's it.

Everyone should own a red dress.

I've owned a handful over the years - none of which have cost more than forty bucks; I think this one was $15 at H&M - and they're always what I break out when I'm feeling like I could use a lift. For a special date. For a big Girls' Night Out. For any event, basically, where I'm OK with being The Girl In The Red Dress (because when you wear a red dress, that's what you are, and that's what everyone will refer to you as for the duration of the evening and in subsequent recaps).

Many of my red dresses have been very, very bare, and some have even been cut-down-to-there, but this one - which is more of a tunic, really, and could arguably be called a "shirt" (not that calling a dress a shirt has ever made me disinclined to wear it as the former) - is the kind of shape I want to wear right now. Super-short (with opaque tights during the daytime), but with a boxy cut and covered-up arms to balance out the shortness. And tall, flat boots to make the effect a little more sporty than sexy.