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: 

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She Sells Seashells

Chanel and Louis Vuitton, Resort 2010 - photos courtesy style.com

The nautical trend was ubiquitous this season, particularly for the resort collections where Karl Lagerfeld, Sonia Rykiel and Marc Jacobs clearly had buoys on their minds.  Many of the runway takes were quite literal but unless you want to look like you're actually about to board a yacht, a piece here or there will do.  Horizontal stripes, navy accents and flashes of gold (faux or real) say that you're ready for your ship to come in.  Real Life Runway Tip:  Horizontal stripes always get a bad rap but did you know that narrow stripes actually create a 'ladder effect', tricking the eye to look up and down rather than focusing on your width?  If you want to be really strategic about it, put narrow stripes in areas you want to downplay and wide stripes in areas you'd like to accentuate and you'll be ready for some smooth sailing.  There are just so many good sailor puns!

Here are a some of my fave Riviera-worthy finds:

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The Life Aquatic

Brigitte, Coco, and Audrey in the can't-escape-trend du jour, stripes.  Does anyone else feel like hitting le Club 55 for some rosé and moules right about now?

Rainbow Brights

Diane von Furstenberg, Stella McCartney, Nanette Lepore, Spring 2010 - photos courtesy style.com 

Ever noticed when packing for a sunny séjour, your suitcase is filled with cheerful scarves, vibrant tunics and playful pareos while your everyday closet is awash in a sea of blacks, greys and tans?  Like many of you, I'm often guilty of choosing practical over pretty.  I constantly have that in-store debate over whether to invest in the classic, black option or say, a punchy yellow or persimmon piece of gorgeousness.  Black almost always wins.  My Spring 2010 resolution?  Follow the lead of the DVF, Stella McCartney and Nanette Lepore runways and herald in spring with colour.  Black is slimming but who wants a skinny piece of depression when you can feel like you're going on vacation every day?  One more reason to inject a little more colour into your wardrobe?  If you can believe it, only one in five of us actually has the proper skin-tone to get away with wearing black.  Check this out: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1240616/Black-clothes-years-effect-fashions-favourite-colour.html

So come on, get happy and try out some of these rainbow-hued goodies:

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Soldier of Love

Stella McCartney, MaxMara, Chloé, Spring 2010 - photos courtesy style.com 

In honour of St. Patty's Day, I thought it best to leave the green beer to the frat boys and instead, focus my consumptive energies on the green hue du moment:  army.  Since fashion always reflects our current culture, you are going to see camouflage and army references everywhere this spring.  Avoid uber-trend burn-out by embracing the softer side of military chic as seen at Stella McCartney, MaxMara and Chloé.  Subtly salute the trend by sticking with neutral shades of khaki, army green and hints of gold but keep fabrics soft, relaxed and sweet.   Not exactly your stereotypical drill sargeant but hey, we're all about love, not war. 

See my favourite military-inspired picks below:

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