With life getting faster and faster, do you ever feel like just getting away from it all?  No, I don't mean hauling your SUV to Muskoka for a weekend at your cottage on Lake Joe, though that does sound awfully nice.  I mean, really getting away from it all - no Blackberries, no ceramic flat-iron, no Facebook.  Just you, a porch swing and a wheat sheaf in your teeth.  Ahhh...there is something so refreshingly simple about the country.  Now you know that Karl Lagerfeld has never set foot on a farm but somehow, he and many other 'city folk' designers were seriously inspired by pastoral chic this year.  If you want to take a little romp in the fashion hay yourself, take your cue from the D&G runway and pair white with rich brown accents.  I love the laid-back feel of it all and the best thing about being country chic without having to move to a farm?  You can still have your Starbucks.  Phew!        Real Life Runway Tip:  Once the thermostat moves up a few notches, feel free to ditch the jeans and you'll have a whole new look.  Gap also carries some long, flowy white dresses that would be perfect for a carefree roll down any hill à la Laura Ingalls.  Didn't you just love that?!  If you're under 25, just google it, then find your closest hill. 

Great Whites

Michael Kors, Karl Lagerfeld and Fendi, Spring 2010 - photos courtesy style.com

I had every intention of going to the gym last night.  Fortunately, my friend called and twisted my twistable arm all the way to Dairy Queen.  Not surprisingly, that's where our journey ended.  Ice cream flavours, I've realized, are a deeply ingrained part of one's psyche.  My mom loves Vanilla and you'd expect that would make her straight-laced, predictable even.  The real ice cream truth?  Fact is, and this is so true of my mom, if you prefer Vanilla, you are supposedly a colourful, dramatic risk taker who tends to be emotionally expressive and highly creative.  As much as I adore colour, I couldn't help but fall in love with this season's crop of gorgeous little white dresses.  The LWD made an appearance on nearly every designer's roster this spring and has all but replaced its black counterpart.  The LBD is sooo 2009.  The thing that I most adore about this new must-have is its ability, like all true classics, to be transformed by a simple little shoe change or accessory.  You can rock the Casper by pairing a white frock with lucite trimmings or go for a silver-lining as seen at Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren and Fendi.  With white as your canvas, vivid red or turquoise accessories lend a dramatically gorgeous effect.  You see?  Vanilla is anything but boring.  Real Life Runway Tip:  Never, ever, and I'll add another EVER for good measure, wear a white bra or underwear beneath white.  Always go for nude underthings as they'll do an immediate and welcome disappearing act.  Concerned about looking ghost-like?  The drugstore shelves are stacked with   bronzers and self-tanners that will help lessen the effects of a Vitamin D-free winter.

Take a look at these fab LWD's and some perfect go-with accessories:

• 
• 
• 
• 
   
• 
• 
• 
• 
   

 

Get Cracking

Chris Benz Spring 2010, Martha Stewart.  Photos courtesy Harper's Bazaar and marthastewart.com

There's something so unapologetically pretty about Easter egg hues.  With Easter Weekend upon us, I thought it appropriate to shine a little light on the pretty, amped-up pastels that inundated the runways this season.  Chris Benz mastered the look perfectly and I like to imagine even the most jaded editors trying desperately to conceal their delight at this springy scene.  After a long winter, I think we're all very ready for spring.  Hope you all have a wonderful Easter with your family, friends and Mini Eggs.

Even though stores are closed today, check out these sweet pieces.  Oh, and if you haven't heard of Anthropologie, check out their site at www.anthropologie.com.  They now have a few Canadian locations and you can even order online!

• 
• 
• 
• 
   
• 
• 
• 
• 
   
• 
• 

 

Wrap Party

CWise from Top Left: Derek Lam, Burberry, Thakoon, Derek Lam, Gucci, Fendi, Spring 2010 - photos style.com

Being pregnant means that as my belly expands, my fashion choices get increasingly slim.  Having a baby = exciting.  Not being able to shop = flat out depressing.  Thank goodness for shoes!  No matter how big I get or what kind of a day I'm having, I can always count on these purveyors of pleasure to help me feel fab.  The best part?  They always fit.  I am always a size 9.  Please don't let me get swollen ankles.  Speaking of which, designers had ankles all wrapped up this season with soft ties, hardware and covetable cuffs, bringing this often-ignored body part centre stage.  These beauties can make an otherwise ordinary outfit extraordinary and since they're wrapped around your ankle, you won't ever have to worry about losing a shoe, Cinderella-style, at midnight.  Is it normal to have simultaneous shoe and ice-cream cravings?  Real Life Runway Tip:  Soft, buttery neutrals are your best bet for invoking everyday foot envy.  Greys, caramels and taupes will make your legs appear longer rather than cutting you off in all the wrong places.  Black ankle-wrap pumps are equally stunning if you feeling like channeling your own little Sasha Fierce.   (PS - Sorry about the late post today...late night at Fashion Week in Toronto.  More to come on that later)

Click on the thumbnails below to see some of my faves: 

• 
• 
• 
• 
   
• 
• 
• 

 

Jess in Grey

 

Boots - Le Chateau
Leggings - Garage
Camisole under sweater - Urban Planet
Grey sweater and belt - Suzy Shier
Bag and owl ring - H & M
Headband - Old Navy
Circle scarf - Banana Republic
Sunglasses - Winners

I know that the blogosphere is completely overwhelmed by sartorialist knock-offs but I must say that there is a lot to be said for seeing what 'real' girls are wearing.  I have a few friends who constantly inspire me with their sense of style and thought I would share some of their looks with you.  Jess has been my friend since grade one and is one of my most creative friends.  Instead of selling lemonade like every other kid,  Jess would pull out her mom's sewing machine and craft hair accessories and felt brooches to sell to her neighbours.  As she's grown up, she has graduated from felt to fashion and is amazing at putting together a look.  Okay, so obviously everything looks good on a blonde, 6' tall pilates instructor.  What Jess does best, though, is that she never tries to hide her height like so many other tall girls.  She wears her clothes (stilettos included) with a confidence that makes people do double-takes.  She can make a shirt from Dynamite look, well, dynamite, but knows that the key to making cheap look chic is all about the accessories.  This tonal grey outfit is a perfect spring look when it's too warm for jackets but too cold for tees.  Luckily, the snow in this pic is already becoming a distant memory.  Keep checking back for more looks from my RLR Girls!