Whether this summer is set to be sunny or rainy, I strongly recommend that everybody go straight to the stores and stock up on accessories to complement your summer outfits. After all, accessories are never out of place. The weather may change but you still need to care about your style, looks, health and mood.

Let’s start with footwear, though some might argue that relegating shoes to accessories is a bit of a stretch. How about a pair of sandals for feet that have grown tired of heavy winter boots? The Italian label Pollini now offers bright colored flat sandals made of reptile skin, which are available at Crocus City Mall. These sandals aspire to revive the glamour of the 1950s. The same label offers braided wedge-heeled shoes that can be found at the multibrand boutique Podium on Tverskaya. Their lucky owners will feel like sliding back into the 1970s. They are stylish and practical. What else could anyone want?

For the guys, I recommend that you go for Sisley Moroccan flip-flops, which are available on Novy Arbat, and Alberto Guardini sandals from the multibrand boutique Sedmoi Etazh. Don’t worry – the prices are not sky-high. The sandals have no sole: Their bottoms are made of the same material as their uppers – pony skin. Wearing these sandals you will look good in any part of the world you choose to travel around this summer.

Now for sunglasses. Some people think sunglasses are for show-biz stars and the mafia, but, in reality, they provide a necessary shield against the pounding rays of the summer sun. Then again, for party animals who can’t miss a single party, Gucci offers glasses to wear at night. They look just like ordinary sunglasses with tinted lenses and curving frames, but they’re a bit more sophisticated in their ornamentation.

If you don’t want to wind up in bed with sunstroke, you can’t do without a straw hat or panama. Provocatively bright Comme de Garcons hats available at Le Form will be an excellent finishing touch for your summer image, especially if you want to look like Gavroche. By the way, acclaimed designers have been capitalizing on the lumpen theme for several years now, but the most successful here is the Parisian designer of Japanese origin, Rei Kawakubo.

For women, I recommend buying a kerchief. A bright yellow kerchief from Dolce & Gabbana seems to have been designed especially for successful and trendy women. It can be used in multiple ways: tied around the neck or around the head, or as a pareo.

Your summer handbag should be as light as possible. Handbags and backpacks from Italian designer Tina Cantini, which are now available at the Fashion Continent boutique chain, are designed especially for carefree vacationers who will be swarming the streets of various Mediterranean towns this summer. Patterned with bright colors, these bags are extremely playful, but despite their carefree appearance they are firmly sewn, have convenient handles of wooden rings and are very roomy. Such bags are just indispensable for leisure travel, picnics or going to the beach. And the prints of peaches, goldfish and hearts lend them a special charm.

In Russia, an umbrella is an indispensable summer item. Our climate is such that a shower may pour down at virtually any moment. So, if you don’t want to get drenched to the bone, it is best to buy an umbrella right now. The most durable are the Burberry checkered umbrellas which can be found at the multibrand boutique Red Code located inside GUM department store. After all, the British would naturally know everything about brollies. Although it seems less likely, Italian brands are also good. Benetton umbrellas are definitely the largest of their kind. I would guess that they could keep two or maybe even three people dry in a summer shower. Other advantages include the traditional black color and, well, the price, of course.

Regarding what I would call your means of seduction, consider buying a particularly arousing choker necklace with the word "SEX" inscribed on it. It is from the Dolce & Gabbana’s new collection. People around you may not notice the inscription but it will definitely raise your spirits and make your behavior more appealing.

Without a doubt, necklaces with amulets shaped as angels, crosses and magic crystals are poised to become this summer’s hit. You can find them at Sedmoi Etazh where collections from Babylone are now on offer. I particularly liked the one made in the style that Marilyn Monroe liked to wear.

LOCATIONS:

Crocus City Mall

65 km Volokolamskoye Shosse Tel: 727-1961

Podium

9/17 Tverskaya Ul. Metro: Pushkinskaya Tel: 229-5035

Sisley

15 Novy Arbat, shopping center Moskvichka Metro: Arbatskaya Tel: 201-4712

Sedmoi Etazh

28 Tverskaya Ul. Metro: Mayakovskaya Tel: 937-9430

Gucci

6 Tretyakovsky Proyezd Metro: Lubyanka Tel: 933-3373

Dolce & Gabbana

8 Tretyakovsky Per. Metro: Lubyanka Tel: 933-3376

Sedmoi Element

1 Smolenskaya Ploshchad Metro: Smolenskaya Tel: 241-3022

Red Code

3 Red Square, GUM department store Metro: Teatralnaya Tel: 929-3406

Benetton

60a Sheremetyevskaya Ul., Ramstore — Maryina Roshcha Metro: Rizhskaya Tel: 937-2600