LOUBOUTINS SUCK | Your Under-$150 Spring Shoe Guide

via Bionda Castana

Originally posted in The LOOK

I picked up my first (and only) pair of Louboutins on a whim. I'd been invited to meet the celebrity shoe designer when he was in Toronto for a Christian Louboutin Exhibition at the Design Exchange. For a fashion blogger, this was a major coup. I rifled through my entire shoe collection at home, freaking out because none of my shoes felt worthy of my shoe idol. And then I remembered a $300 gift card I'd been saving. This was happening. 

I left an hour early for Toronto and headed straight for one of my favourite places in the world - the designer shoe department at Holt Renfrew. Surrounded by ladies who lunch and all those gorgeous shoes, I couldn't help myself. I landed on a pair of stunning black and gold spikey-toe pumps and asked to see them in size 9. 'Well, Louboutin only goes up to 39, which is more like an 8, but they will be fine.' They weren't. I knew it. But I figured I'd work them in. Shoes this expensive must mold to your feet, non? Minutes later I'd blown $800 and was walking onto Bloor St. feeling like a boss. 

Nobody wants to admit it. In fact, in certain circles, saying so would be sacrilege. But if you've ever owned a pair of Louboutins, I'm sure you'll agree - they're uncomfortable. No, wait, that's being nice. They're torture chambers. I've talked to dozens of other Louboutin victims who secretly agree.  They might look pretty and you might get some small satisfaction from prancing around the room in your red soles, but after about 6 minutes, the pain sets in. The searing, burning, want-to-rip-your-feet-off pain that makes you leave the party early and never want to wear heels again. And I'm the kind of person who lives in heels. Unless you have abnormally tiny toes, there just isn't enough room at the inn. So, not only does the sky-high pin-sized heel make you feel like you're a giant baby tottering around in your mom's heels, but your feet are simultaneously being suffocated which turns your feet as red as that iconic sole. And then there are the long-lasting effects. No matter how much they hurt, you continue to wear them anyway because of the mountains of guilt - after all, you dropped a whole mortgage payment on them. Okay, let me just come right out and say it - Louboutins suck. 

I love heels. I adore the Holts shoe department and am still willing to spend the occasional paycheque on the perfect designer shoe (Choo > Louboutin all the way). But clearly, I will never buy Louboutins again. And if you suffer shoe envy every time you see those painted red soles - believe me, you are not missing out. 

Now, I get most of my shoe kicks for under-$150 - a great pointy-toe flat at ALDO, a made-in-Brazil beauty at Le Château, or a pair of sporty white tennis kicks from Sportchek or Soft Moc let me stay on trend without destroying my feet or my spring shopping budget. 

Want to step up your shoe game this spring? Check out our guilt-free spring shoe guide, with the coolest little flats and prettiest printed heels for under $150, not a single red sole in sight. Phew. Happy Friday!

SEE OUR SPRING SHOE GUIDE HERE...

COACHELLA COOL | The 15 Festival Finds You Need + #WIN with American Eagle

via American Eagle on Instagram

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

Festival fashion is like the hipster of the fashion world - so predictable, so ironic and yet, so undeniably sweet that I can't help but love it anyway. Blame it on the feathers, fringe or fedoras (or all of the above), but I look at pics of girls heading to Coachella this weekend and can't help but be jealous. I mean, if I were young(er) and single(r) (I love you if you're reading this, cute husband), unencumbered by the daily grind of jobs and kids (love them, too) and responsibilities, I'd sobe heading to Coachella this weekend. In fact, I'd be going to all of the music festivals this summer, not so much for the music (though I'd pretend that was my reason), but to look as cute as the American Eagle girls. Seriously, look at the picture above. Think they have anywhere to be? Any deadlines? No. Their only goals that day are to spin circles in the dirt, let their floral kimonos catch the sunlight and show off their perfect accessories on Instagram. Vain? Totally. Fun? So fun. 

I've handpicked the 15 festival finds you need right now to score some of that Coachella coolness, whether you've already planned your spring/summer concert season or not. Read on for my top picks from American Eagle and don't miss our giveaway at the bottom of the post. I don't have any concert tix to give away but I can certainly help get you dressed for whatever fun concerts come your way.

Happy FriYAY!

SEE MY FESTIVAL PICKS + ENTER THE CONTEST HERE...

SPRING STYLE CLASS | 3 New Ways to Wear Wide Pants

via H&M

Originally posted in The CLOSET

There's no denying the staying power of the skinny. Some of you might not remember when skinny jeans blew up but I remember it very well. I was living in Toronto in 2005 when I started to notice women give up their bootcuts in favour of calf-clenching skin-tight jeans. I remember waiting for the subway, watching girls of all shapes and sizes get strangled by their new skinnies, thinking how super awkward they looked, and how I would never, ever intentionally choose pants that made my bum look big.

Of course, I gave in. We collectively figured out how to wear them right. We learned to balance out our super fitted bottoms with loose sweaters, long tunics and oversized cardis. We discovered in pictures how cruel white skinnies could be and how tan skinnies made it look like we weren't wearing pants at all. Stores finally started offering us varying styles of skinnies to suit our bods, from jeggings to skinny boots, with loads of stretch thrown in for good measure.  And while I swore I'd never go there, turns out skinny jeans are pretty much all I've worn for the past 10 years.

I'm not going to claim that this is the end of the skinny but there's clearly a style shake-up happening with the fashion pack right now. Cool girls everywhere, from Jennifer Lawrence to Kendall Jenner are currently opting for wider leg pants - think super flared '70s jeans, wide cropped culottes and flowy palazzos that make skinnies look SO last season. I don't know about you but I'm ready for some breathing room. They might look a little funny now but remember - we said that about the skinny, too. 

Read on for 3 cute ways to wear wide pants this spring. And breathe...

SPRING STYLE HACK | Dress Luxe for Less

via RW&CO.

Originally posted in The LOOK

You know where she works. You know she didn't just win the lottery. And yet somehow, she manages to look like she's sponsored by a designer every. single. day. Super stylish women are no different than the rest of us - they just have a few style secrets tucked away that they employ every day. And more often than not, they don't have more clothes (or even more expensive clothes) than we do. They just know how to choose them better. Hate them? Don't. You can look like a lady of luxury, too. 

I've handpicked 15 key pieces that will give you that just-rolled-out-of-my-mansion look. The best part? Each piece checks out for under-$100 and nobody will ever know. Unless they read this blog. Then they'll know, too. And then you'll both look like you just rolled out of your mansions. Win. Win.

Happy Easter weekend, bunnies! Hope your immediate future is filled with chocolate. Excuse me while I test out my kids' treats. I mean, it is my motherly duty after all. Nom, nom, nom....

READ MORE...

TOTAL JEANIOUS | 5 Ways to Reinvent Your Denim This Spring

via Harper's Bazaar

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

Toronto Fashion Week just wrapped up and, as always, the people-watching was amazing. Sequins were shining, fur was flying, girls showed off in power prints and boys represented in bright blazers. But this season, it seemed like the lower-key looks got all the attention. The Fashion Week paparazzi passed over girls in sky-high heels and went crazy for style bloggers in sneakers. The over-the-top gowns might look amazing on the runway but outside the tents, sweatshirts, jeans and ball caps looked right at home. Blame it on normcore or our collective obsession with street style but even the fashion pack wants to keep it real right now. 

One of my favourite trends for spring '15? Denim, of course. We all wear it, we all live in it, and even though it's been around for decades, it manages to look new every single season. From ripped white skinnies to dark seventies flares, there are so many fresh ways to wear denim right now. Whether you already own loads of pairs or are ready to update your collection, the stores are filled with plenty of covetable pairs you'll want to add to your closet this spring. Don't say I didn't warn you ;)

Looking for a little springspiration? Check out these 5 looks that bring together some of my favourite denim trends of the season...

SEE THE LOOKS HERE...