When Crocs first came out, they weren't my style, to put it nicely. I spent Easter with a friend's family one year and her mother put a new pair of the regular Crocs in everyone's basket – except mine. I had never been so happy to be the odd one out. They were frumpy, made for gardeners, and worst of all – flats. Shoes sans heels make me feel more casual than I like most of the time. You know those things that just make you feel better about yourself? Like when you've just gotten a haircut or a pedicure? Heels do it for me.
As much as I love being in heels, my boyfriend likes to give me a hard time about how much I complain about my feet hurting me. After a long day of shopping in SoHo last weekend in heels I swore to him that I would find a comfortable heel that wouldn't leave me feeling like I ran a marathon.
What: The first Crocs high heel! These incredible 3-inch heels are designed with the classic comfort of croslite material (that rubber stuff all crocs are made out of). They're lightweight, have circulation nubs to stimulate blood flow to allow for the ultimate shopping trip, and the footbed forms to your tootsies for a custom fit.
I went by the nearest Crocs store in Manhattan this weekend and tried these gals on – they're the ultimate summer heel for walking around the city. Just $49.99 for comfort AND style in a heel.
And take a peek at our Spring Shoe Guide to keep your feet stylish this season.
Gwyneth Paltrow has been turning more heads than usual at the premieres for her new movie Iron Man. Paltrow, 35, showed up to a string of screenings wearing tiny black dresses paired with towering pumps.
The dearth of fabric has caused some media types to encourage women – even ridiculously fit women with fabulous, flauntable legs – to tone it down a bit. Be fashionable, they seem to say, just don’t do it in a miniskirt.
But it doesn’t seem that the whole issue here is about moms wearing minis. At least part of the issue appears to be about women wearing skirts that are entirely too short (see above, left). Some things should, in public, always be covered by clothing. When it looks as though the public (whether lucky or unlucky is a different issue entirely) will be able to see those things if one bends to pick up a pen, I think that, plain and simple, your skirt is too short.
I firmly believe that confidence and a bit of style – not a birthday after 1980 – should be the only requirements for pulling off a short dress. But if your bare bottom is sitting on the screening room seat because that one yard of fabric can't quite cut it, at least put on a pair of leggings.
What’s your take? Should there be a direct relationship between age and skirt length, or should we all just try to keep from flashing one another when we cross our legs? Post your comments and tell us what you think.
And check out at the two dresses below – they're far from frumpy, and we think they’d look great on women of any age.
Nanette Lepore must have had this debate in mind when naming the "Alluring" Minidress ($130). It's covered up on top and short enough to show off a bit, it's got all the visual balance you need built right in.
This stretch satin dress ($160) makes a sexy, curve-hugging statement, but doesn't shout out the cut and color of your lingerie.
And believe it or not, this is not a new debate. Check out the hot topic of whether women like Hally Berry and Kate Moss are too old for a mini-skirt.
I love you. I really do. I love that I can't leave you without spending at least $100, and without seeing something—a plain cotton tee, a family-sized bottle of shampoo, The 40-Year-Old Virgin on DVD, a Kitchen-Aid mixer—that's not on my list but that I absolutely cannot live another day without. And I love that I can own a Devi Kroell, Zac Posen, or Jovovich-Hawk design without having to take out a hefty bank loan. But (you knew there was a "but" coming, didn't you, Target?) I need to stage an intervention: your GO International line? Yeah, it's not good.
You know that SNL skit where Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen play really avant garde, out-there artists named Nuni who force their uncomfortable guests to sit in chairs that spin or are made of hair? This line would be perfectly at home in that cringe-inducing world of the future. Your awkward color story—neon green, strawberry pink, wash-me-out peach and shiny green-gray—is part early '80s disco and part futuristic nightmare.
And the styles, oh, the tiny, unflattering styles. Who among you, Target designers, thought a satin romper would look good on anyone besides Judy Jetson? And what man—because I know a woman wouldn't dream of doing this to her own sex—thought to put the button details on a drab pullover right across the bust line? An actual headlights incident is embarrassing enough; why would anyone purposely make it look they had four nipples, all standing at attention? And can we talk about the Dynasty-meets-Battlestar Galactica jacket ? Really? Metallic linen, puffy sleeves and the illusion of shoulder pads—a triple whammy of distastefulness.
Finally, let's discuss the times when it's appropriate to use stretchy, shiny lamé: never. There is never an appropriate time. Your pink and silver colorblock dress cuts right across the widest part of a woman, making her look hippy on top of unnecessarily lumpy. And if you're going to ask me to layer two dresses, as you do with your foil-print zip dress/cotton tank dress combo, you'd better make sure the top layer doesn't make me look like a wrapped, trapped baked potato with pockets.
You know, Target, I'm always willing to give you another chance, so don't look at this as a Dear John letter. Think of it instead as a "Get Your Act Together" letter. I'll always need $1.99 seasonal melamine plates and Choxie chocolates (well, maybe not "need"...) but if things on the fashion front continue in this way, I might just have to pass up the clothing department altogether.
Thanks for understanding,
SheFindsErin
P.S. You might want to browse our Spring Fashion Guide for some tips on what's really hot this season.
Generally, we love shapewear. But every shapewear devotee knows that there’s always the risk of that awkward moment when you disrobe to reveal to that special someone that your fantastic cleavage was in fact the work of floppy silicone bra inserts. Still, much as a torso trimmer may make you look like you’re stuffed into a tiny tube sans clothing, the other eighty people who saw you that day will be none the wiser – and probably think that shapely silhouette is the result of a strict kale and pilates regimen.
The website claims these products will give you a “sleek, lean silhouette under tight-fitting fashions.” Personally, I’m not too enthusiastic about the idea of my man slinking around in a silk jersey dress that clings to everything. But maybe I shouldn’t be so judgmental. If a guy wants to wear a one-piece tank top and brief combo with a tummy-flattening panel, I suppose he should have that choice. Unless he’s my boyfriend.
What's your take? Would you buy your guy a slimming tank to match your Spanx cami?
For some shapewear options for you, check out our ladies-only Shapewear Guide.
We're eco-friendly from our organic shampoo right down to our vegan sneakers. But when that time of the month rolls around, we unwittingly become planet crushing nightmares. In North America alone, women add 12 billion pads and 7 million tampons — plus all that packaging — to landfills every year. They may be called "sanitary pads", but there's nothing sanitary about the thought of used, chemical-laced feminine hygiene products polluting our planet. As if getting our periods wasn't punishment enough, now we have to live with the thought that the impact from our monthly visitor lasts a whole lot longer than a month.
So how far should we go to keep our periods from negatively impacting our planet? One simple switch: opt for organic cotton pads and tampons that aren't bleached with chlorine. Seventh Generation has an eco-friendly line of pads and tampons that are chlorine free. That means they're safer for our bodies and for our planet. Think about it: if toxic chemicals are so harmful to our soil, what good could they possibly be doing to our most delicate body parts?
Take it one step further: eliminate as much waste as possible. I have yet to see a public restroom that has sorted recycling for tampon applicators, pad pouches, and paper strips; we're lucky if we even get a brown paper bag to stash our sanitary trash. So go applicator-free with tampons like O.B. It can get a little messy, but we're washing our hands anyway, so why not skip all that excess waste and get right to the point? It's easy to get over the ick factor when we picture the alternative: wastebaskets, and then landfills, overflowing with used applicators. Gross!
Finally, take the ultimate step - if you dare. Switch to a Diva Cup ($33). The silicone cups are reusable for up to 10 years, create no waste, and are making eco-friendly converts left and right. Sure, they're tough to market (no ad exec is going to jump for joy over the idea of showing us emptying our Diva Cups), but just because you haven't seen commercials doesn't mean there aren't plenty of women out there who will never go back to bulky pads and ineffective tampons. Investing in a Diva Cup is investing in our future. We save $400 a year in feminine hygiene expenses (that's enough to take a trip, donate to a green organization or use an I'm Not a Plastic Bag!) and countless dollars in waste disposal.
Just as we've switched from sipping wasteful bottled water to carrying a re-fillable Nalgene, isn't it time to take a better-for-us better-for-the-earth stand when it comes to our cycles? What better way to show we're pro-planet than by putting our bodies on the line for it?
We're all for it, but we see how concepts like the Diva Cup and the absence of mess-free applicators would make any gal a little uncomfortable. So we want to hear your thoughts: how green would you go when it comes to your feminine hygiene choices?
There's a furrier near my home in Chicago whose notorious trademark catch phrase is "Save the Environment! Wear Fur!" meaning (in the tackiest way possible) that, by wearing fur, you're preserving an element of nature. However, the phrase is losing its tongue-in-cheek, uh, charm as luxury retailers really are trying the eco-friendly mantle on for size.
Hybrid Lexus SUVs, exotic eco-getaways, and "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" totes fetching top dollar and inspiring countless knockoffs: all are signs that the luxury industry is desperate to cash in on our planet love. And furs are no exception. Now more than 20 fur retailers are dealing in goods made from the fur of brushtail possums, a forest-destroying species of critters from New Zealand. The furriers' thought behind it? The more brushtail possums we kill to make your coats, throws, and hats, the fewer brushtail possums there are to munch on New Zealand's trees.
Of course, they're not so blunt. Eco-Luxury Fur LLC, one of the companies marketing the possum furs, coined the phrase "All of the luxury. None of the guilt." Huh. So, when you curl up under your $3,000 hot pink possum-fur throw, you can know you did your part for the planet. And when you buy a Possumdown Kiwi Beanie from Shop New Zealand, maybe you'll feel you've put your $38 toward a good cause when you read the following: "Each night 70-90 million Possums in New Zealand eat their way through 22,000 tons of native forest. Your purchase of a Possumdown garment means that you have not only acquired a truly unique garment but also contributed to the preservation of our native forests." You go, global warrior!
So what's next? Coats made from the raccoons who go through our collective garbage cans? They're messing up our meticulously sorted recycling, after all. And my cats have nibbled through a good portion of my apartment's houseplant growth. Maybe I should have them made into some luxe "eco-friendly" slippers?
What do you think? Is there such a thing as eco-friendly fur? Would you wear something made from Earth's deadliest enemies (see the terrifying brushtail possum pic above)? What's the most ridiculous "eco-chic" bandwagon item you've seen. Sound off in the comments section below.
And if you're really jonesing to cover yourself in velvety fur, but can't bear to go eco-style, then why not opt for faux? It's not as fugly as it used to be, believe us. Fabulous Furs offers real-looking fur coats and jackets - and now they're on sale, so you can stock up for next season. We love this creamy white belted coat with fox fur trim ($200), this Persian lamb faux fur ($170), and this edgy black mink jacket ($150).
In a story yesterday, the New York Observer articulated a phenomenon that’s been irking us as we’ve wandered the streets of Manhattan lately: odd, over-the-top, arguably ugly shoes. Inventive? Certainly. Artistic? Sure, why not. But they’re also usually quite expensive and, from the looks of it, quite difficult to incorporate into a functional wardrobe. So overall, we’ve been questioning these heels’ appeal.
Take the two pairs above. The Christian Dior heel (left, $1,090) reminds me of a (albeit very good) French courtesan costume. The heel is, brace yourselves ladies, 5 ½” high. I can get behind the neutral color, but all those straps, the pyramidal cutout heel…they don’t seem particularly wearable.
This Prada shoe (right, $690), already pretty substantial and clunky, is made even more overwhelming by the odd undulations in that wavy pattern and the strange color combo. And what’s with that thin little strap and gold buckle? Yet, according to Saks, “popular demand” has forced the store to limit each shopper to “no more than three units every thirty days.” What’s going on here?
Perhaps I’m more alone than I have assumed in my rejection of the more-is-more shoe trend. We want to know: What’s your opinion on these showstopping shoes?
Shopping online is so great—no crowds to push your way through, no messy sales floors full of unfolded clothing, no long lines at a cash register—just a few simple clicks… and you don't even have to schlep heavy bags all the way home. Plus the bargain hunting is great too.
Then there's eBay, the ultimate place to look for a designer steal (and with the way the economy is going, it might be the only place I shop). But unfortunately, the great savings often come with greater risk. When you're buying items you can't see from people you don't know, it is easy to get taken advantage of. Recently, I've been reading about people getting ripped off buying M.A.C. makeup on eBay. After further investigation, and seeing people on YouTube acting almost shocked that what they received in the mail all the way from Hong Kong or Taiwan was not genuine (hmm, the country of origin might be a hint right there...), I am truly disturbed—not only at people's lack of online shopping savviness, but the potential harm that they could inflict on themselves by buying fake makeup: you don't know where this stuff is really coming from, what's in it exactly, and you're going to be putting it on your eyes and mouth? Come on ladies, be smart.
After checking out some of the guides on eBay and taking a look at my own M.A.C. makeup (I'm a huge fan), I've compiled a little list of things to look for to make sure that these popular items are genuine:
Lip Glass ~ Fake Lip Glasses tend to be much longer than a genuine one would be. A real M.A.C. Lip Glass is just short of 3.5" long and is 5/8" thick. All (20) of mine have a silver circle sticker on the bottom that says the NAME of the color and it's number. When it comes to the name, "red" or "pink" doesn't count. M.A.C. has specific names for each of it's colors so I would always check the name against the ones listed on M.A.C.'s website. And remember, the only ones that come in tubes are the Clear Lip Glass and the Gelée.
Eye Shadow ~ A M.A.C. eye shadow does not ever have a mirror and applicator. M.A.C. eye shadows have flip tops while paint pots and pigments have screw tops. And again look for the sticker on the bottom—this one will be in black with silver writing (except for the product number, which will be in black). Always make sure it has a color name! Eye shadows are also never separated into compartments.
Pigments ~ When you unscrew the cap of a M.A.C. pigment there should be a removable protective plastic lid across the top. This lid will never have a hole or a little spout for easy pouring. The easiest way to tell if a pigment is genuine is by testing some out on your hand. Real M.A.C. pigment is top notch quality and just a little bit of it will leave a rich color on your skin. It should also be difficult to rub off without makeup remover. (I even gently rinsed my hand under cold water and there was still a light color stain.)
Lipstick ~ A new M.A.C. lipstick never has a rounded shape that comes to a point in the center like most cheap lipsticks you find at the drugstore. A genuine one is cut on a slant that will easily glide across your lip—the one exception is the Slimshine Lipstick, which is just completely flat. As usual, check the name and number on the silver sticker.
Brushes ~ The black handle on aM.A.C. makeup brushis always matte, never shiny. The brushes will be labeled only with "MAC" followed by a three-digit number. The letters on a real M.A.C. brush are not engraved and so they should easily rub off. (The letters on my foundation brush are already completely gone.)
Hope these few little tips help. But I strongly urge you to purshase your M.A.C. makeup from Maccosmetics.com or a verified M.A.C. seller like Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Nordstrom—it might cost a little extra, but the quality is so great that the products will last you a long time.
Shopping online is so great—no crowds to push your way through, no messy sales floors full of unfolded clothing, no long lines at a cash register—just a few simple clicks… and you don't even have to schlep heavy bags all the way home. Plus the bargain hunting is great too. 