2012 Independent Spirit Awards

The Independent Spirit Awards, the most casual and relaxed event of any award season, took place in Santa Monica, California, Saturday evening and while many still rocked attire someone would expect to see outside the Kodak Theatre, there were several splashes of beach vibed wear on this season's most uniquely colored carpet. Below is a selection of each, my best dressed female and male.

 Zoe Saldana, wearing the colorful and beachy Balmain Spring 2012 mini dress, perfected this look with Nude Brian Atwood stilettos. Her beautiful, brunette, beach waved hair and gorgeous skin tone made the look that much more, while her makeup was simple and timeless.

Zac Efron owned the carpet tonight in head to toe Lanvin. The actor perfected the outfit with his perfect beach colored and styled hair, while as always, gracing us with his good looks.

Fun In The Sun

When talking about beachwear every season, I tend to run across women who have trouble finding the right accessories for the beach or pool. It is always easy finding a cute swimsuit, but finding the right cover ups, shoes and beach bags tend to be more of the problem while shopping. I found the perfect stuff for your Spring Break or Summer fun in the sun and hope it helps all of you while on your prowl for the best beachwear of 2012.

This is the perfect cover up for a long day out in the sun, following dinner afterwards. Pair this with some cute rhinestone sandals or wedges, cute coctail right and fabulous sunnies and you will be on your way to success.

Trina Turk 'French Riviera' Tunic Cover-Up on sale now at Nordstrom for $91.

This piece is perfect for a day of shopping, sun and sand. It is flirty and feminine and great with a pair of rhinestone sandals.

Profile by Gottex 'Samba' Ruffle Cover-Up Dress at Nordstrom for $98.

Maxi dresses are super rad and look good on any body size and shape. Perfect with a pair of wedges or flats while exploring the night out on the town.

Robin Piccone Tie Dye Cover-Up Dress for $146.

This is perfect for a day in the sun following a nice ice cream at the local ice cream parlor. Super casual and cute.

Elan Convertible Cover-Up Dress for $38.

This dress is perfect for the full day in the sun, simple yet fun. It is comfortable yet flowy, enough room to dance and run around it while playing in the sand.

Make + Model 'Seaside Stripe' Henley Cover-Up Dress on sale for $28.

These beach pants are super chic and flirty. Perfect for the bike ride or car drive to the beach or pool. They are comfortable and funky, the perfect combination for making your way to the waves.

Becca Crochet Cover-Up Pants for $68.

All of these adorable sunnies can be found at Loft.com or your local Ann Taylor Loft store.

These fun sunnies are all currently 2 for $34 (online exclusive.)

Square Sunnies for $24.50

Round Sunnies for $24.50

Aviator Sunnies for $24.50

Cat Eye Sunnies for $24.50

These perfect sandals for the day at the beach or out in the sun can be found at Nordstrom.com. 

These Nine West 'Larysa' Wedge Sandals can be found at Nordstrom for $79.

These rhinestone Sam Edelman 'Ross' Sandals can be found at Nordstrom for $100.

These super chic beach totes can all be found at Nordstrom.com

This super fab, sparkly Deux Lux 'Resort Stripe - Small' Beach Tote is $102 at Nordstrom.

This sweet, adorable Juicy Couture Beach Tote & Towel is $128 at Nordstrom.

This casual but flirty Juicy Couture 'Gen Y' Tote is $88 at Nordstrom.

Flirty and Feminine

Red lace dresses seem to be very popular right now and that's a good thing because anyone can wear this color and lace is uber sexy and sweet. You have to be careful with lace though. You need to be sure that you pick the right dress for your body type. While this is crucial with everything you wear, it is extra crucial with red lace. Sometimes, it will emphasize on areas that need to be a little more under the radar. The lenght of the dress is also very important. You don't want it to be too short because it will look tacky. Make sure it doesn't come up any further than right above the knee. If you want the dress to be a little shorter than above the knee, try making sure your dress has sleeves to make this look elegant yet still sexy.

Nicole Kidman

Shailene Woodley

Ashley Greene

Here are some places you can find this look.

Try this French Connection 'Lizzie' Lace Dress at Nordstrom for $198.

This classy Theia Strapless Sequin-Pattern Dress can be found at Neiman Marcus for $495.

Brilliant Coats

While we are still awaiting beloved Spring, it is very common for the days and evenings to be slightly chilly. Recently, we have seen many celebrities out and about sporting awesome, bright, fun and festive coats. The goal for spring coat shopping this season is to look for fabulous bright colored coats, while wearing neutrals underneath. You can also spice the outfit up with a super cute printed scarf, fun and flowy bright pants or colored denim. Many outfits can be produced with a vibrant colored coat, you are not as limited as you would think. Below, we see Jennifer Lopez, Rachel Zoe, Pippa Middleton, Whitney Port and Jessica Alba rock these unbelievably adorable coats.

Jennifer Lopez

Rachel Zoe

Pippa Middleton

Whitney Port

Jessica Alba

Find these crazy cool coats at Nordstrom.com

Shop for this Gallery Single Breasted Pant Coat for just $98.

This MICHAEL Michael Kors Hooded Trench Coat (Nordstrom Exclusive) is $118.

For those gorgeous, curvy women, try this Steve Madden Belted Stand Collar Trench Coat (Plus) for $128.