Smart Beauty

(ARA) - Summer fashion always calls for bright, fun colors that are a welcome relief after a long winter of black and gray. However, those bright summer clothes come at a cost -- more maintenance and tricky summertime stains. There are tricks you can use to keep your favorite summer clothes looking as fresh and bright in September as they did in May.

Style expert Sam Saboura, from TLC’s “Real Simple. Real Life” and author of "Real Style," has a few tips on how to not only add the hottest new trends for summer to your wardrobe, but also extend the life of your clothes:

This season, it’s all about shopping your closet. You can easily get the look you want by taking a pair of dark denim jeans from your closet, cuffing the bottoms and pairing them with embellished sandals and a bright top. No matter the month, a pair of dark jeans is one of the most versatile pieces of clothing you can own. To keep your denim looking darker and brighter longer, turn jeans inside out before you wash them, use cold water, add a color booster and stain remover and line-dry.

One of the best ways to stay cool and stylish this season is to layer sheer, lightweight tops. Layers add dimension and levels, and make you look put together and in the know with little to no effort. Keep the palette soft and neutral for a light, airy style. You’ll love the ease and comfort of this simple trend.

Two of this summer's hot colors are red and green, but it’s important to find a color that looks great on you. You can easily slim down your look by combining bright colors with contrasting dark colors. Draw attention to areas you want to play up by wearing bright hues like pinks and yellows, and use darker colors to play down areas you’d prefer not to highlight. It’s an instant makeover at no cost.

Moms and dads can let kids get creative when picking out clothes from their closet. Mixing and matching colors, patterns and prints is a great style for kids this season. Parents can feel comfortable knowing their kids’ creative pairing of clothing is right on trend.

When shopping your closet, it’s important to keep your clothes in great shape. Since many families are heading outdoors in the warm weather, they’ll be more likely to get dirtier faster -- especially if you have young, active kids in your household. To keep clothes looking good all season long, pre-treat stains and add a product like Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster (http://www.laundryroom101.com/) to your laundry because detergent alone is not enough.

For more information and tips from Sam Saboura, visit www.laundryroom101.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent