i like brown and black together.  for my job, i have to wear black pants and a black blazer and black shoes, and i love wearing a brown shirt under the blazer
I hate the idea of summer vs winter colors, but i do agree with summer vs winter fabrics.  Velvet is a winter fabric, so is wool.  maybe its cuz im from the desert.
i also hate the idea that flip flops are considered bad.  as long as you arent wearing socks with them a la k fed (one of my biggest pet peeves fashion wise) they are very cute and perfect for casual dress.