fashion advice for real people

Although Garage, a Canadian-based clothing and accessory retailer, may feature a lot of teen wear, they have some great - and cheap - styles for summer.
I’m 24 myself and still love the place. They have some adorable sundresses, jeans that fit and offer length to us tall ladies, and super cute accessories.
Of course I love to splurge when I find that great bag, pair of heels, and don’t even get me started on the Betsey Johnson line, but if I have just a bit of money here and there and want to get a bag full of bargain - but still quality - stuff, I can always find what I’m looking for at Garage.
For even a hundred bucks you can get a super cute outfit or two, some accessories to match, and they even have a fun little candy rack set up at the front of the store…why I’m not quite sure but heck, I’ll take it.
They don’t have the most vast or varied selection but there are definitely some sweet pieces I have picked up this year already that are definitely going to be staples in my wardrobe for the summer season to come, and beyond.
You can check them out for yourself online via their website, or visit one of their many retail stores, which you can find in every province as well as across the U.S.

We are always worried about what we are wearing, what is in fashion for us, but what about our furry little friends? If a dog really is man’s best friend, shouldn’t they get to dress in style too?
Okay, some people think dressing up dogs is a little strange, some find it pointless, but I think it’s pretty cute. There are some terrific retailers out there offering some adorable and super stylish doggie fashions, so if you are like me and would like to get your hands on some of these, here are a few places you will want to check out.
A Canadian-based company, Glamour Dog is a company well worth checking out if you are looking for sweaters, coats, shirts, even dresses and Halloween costumes for your dog.
They ensure that each and every one of their dog outfits is not only fashionable but functional as well, and the specially tailored clothing lines featured on their sites are designed specifically with your dog in mind.
Your dog will not only look super cute but be comfortable, which is very important and also keep them from getting disturbed with you for dressing them up like Batman.
Another retailer you will want to check out is The Little Windup Pup. They not only feature a vast selection of clothing for your dog but as well dog beds, dog bowls, dog carriers, dog collars, dog pajamas, dog tees, and even jewelry for your dog.
Their mission is to bring customers the most unique and ever-evolving collection of designer dog apparel and accessories, and their staff is committed to providing customers with the best service possible so if you have any questions or need help shopping online they will be more than willing and able to help you out.
They even have a collection of unique items for your dog which are a lot of fun, such as the poochie polish and pink dog visor.
If you are looking for a more high-end store for dressing your dog, there is At The Dog Shoppe.
Their online boutique is vast and easy to navigate through. It offers the best in dog tees, dog polos, dog fleeces, dog coats and much more.
They have a ton of adorable and modern t-shirts and mom and dog matching outfits which are really sweet. Their prices a bit more expensive than some of the smaller retailers but well worth it for the quality you receive.
Whether you are a fan of doggie fashions or not you have to admit that some of these products are pretty darn cute, and if you have pets they are worth at least checking out.
We have all been there - we head to the salon thinking we know exactly what we want and looking forward to leaving looking like a star, until…
It has probably happened at least once to you. On your way out of the salon you are wishing to yourself that you could just invent that time machine and go back a couple hours, maybe rethink your decision.
To avoid this from happening again, there are a few tips that I would like to offer to help you choose the right hairstylist, one that you can trust and feel safe with, so you no longer have to clench your nails into the side of the chair when you see them reaching for the scissors.
One of the first and most important steps is going to involve you taking a bit of time to look around and see what is out there. Finding a good hairstylist is going to take some searching, but it will be more than worth it in the end.
You may even want to make a list of all the available hairstylists in your immediate area, and make sure that you stick pretty close to home because after all, you are not going to want to have to travel for hours every time you need to get your hair done.
Once you have made your list, you should start narrowing the selection down by crossing any off that are too cheap or too expensive. Sure there may be some fantastic hairstylists in both categories but trust me, you can find affordable hairstylists that are very reputable and very good at what they do.
You are going to want to do some background research on the stylists left on your list. Check to see how long they have been in the business, how much total experience they have, how many salons they have worked in, and find out what their clients have to say to them.
Any reputable, qualified hairstylist will be more than willing to offer you a few names on their list of clientele, and you may even know someone who already goes to them which would be fantastic because then you could get a firsthand opinion on the stylist and on what they have to offer that keeps their clients coming back.
One of the most crucial things to do is check the salon the stylist works in. It may be anything from a fancy upscale salon or a basement in their home, but either way it is important for you to have a look at their work area and how well they take care of it.
While you are there, check out the products and tools they use and sell, and if you can, pick a stylist who specializes in your type of hair because they will offer specific products and tools that are going to work best with your hair type and leave you with the best results each and every time.
The best salons are those that are kept very neat and tidy, because they will want to make sure they are giving a good impression and want to make their clients feel welcome.
Okay, so a few hairs here and there doesn’t mean you should kick them to the curb, but there is a standard that you should have in terms of cleanliness and ensuring this is a salon you are going to look forward to coming back to time and time again.
Once you have dropped your list down to a few respectable names, it is going to be time for you to get up close and personal.
Consultation appointments are going to be incredibly helpful, and will allow you to speak one-on-one with the different stylists, see what they have to offer, what their opinion on your hair is and what they would advise to do with it, and what they expect you to pay for them styling your hair.
If you are a risk taker you may even want to ask them to give you a haircut right then and there, so you can see what their style is, what they have to offer and whether you would be interested in returning to them in the future.
The best hairstylist is going to be one that understands and meets your needs, someone who transforms your hair as you want it but only if they know it is going to look good, and who is going to listen to what you like and dislike about your hair and always make sure you are happy before you leave the salon.
Choosing a hairstylist is a very important and often lengthy process, but this is someone you will be able to rely on for all hair dilemmas and dos for the rest of your life, so you will be more than glad that you did it.
There must be something in the LA water, because it seems as though one female celeb after another is coming forth and announcing the big news of their preganncy.
Oh well, pregnancy is a wonderful thing and one thing that is lots of fun with any pregancy is maternity clothes shopping. These days there are so many fun and funky maternity styles available, a far cry from the limited wardrobe selection that our mothers had.
Let’s take a look at how some of the most famous women in Hollywood are staying in style during their nine months of pre-motherhood.
You knew that she was going to be on the list, and I decided to put her right at the top. Not only is Jessica Alba one of the most stunning women you will ever set your eyes on, but she seems to have a pretty decent head on her shoulders as well.
She is sexy yet sophisticated, and has definitely carried that style over into her pregnancy.
Of course she dressed up for this pic to hit the red carpet, but even on the day to day through her pregnancy Jess has managed to stay in style, choosing high-end maternity fashions that suit her sexy-chic persona.
If anyone knows how to show off an oversized chest from pregnancy and do it classy, it is Halle Berry. She was already drop dead gorgeous to begin with, but pregnancy has definitely treated her well.
Halle is literally glowing, and her months of maternity have only added to her voluptuous curves, in all the right ways.
Halle has dressed often in bright colors throughout her pregnancy, but always in hues that flatter her skin tone and hair. This jewel-toned royal blue color for instance does wonders for her.
You really can’t be mean to a woman when she’s pregnant can you, kinda like don’t hit a man with glasses?
Well, Jamie-Lynn is adorable, but I have to say her maternity style is pretty boring…Then again, she is just a teenager so I’m sure fashion is the last thing on her mind right now.
Jamie-Lynn has a very casual, almost preppy fashion sense, and so although she is somewhat trendy and definitely covers up more than her sis Brit did during her two pregnancies, she could definitely use a little spicing up.
Here is a real sweetheart mama to be. Although Minnie Driver continues to keep quiet on the father of her baby, it is obvious that she is in fact pregnant.
She has always had a casual, sort of bohemian-chic style, and I think she almost always looks great. Here she is dressed sweetly in a simple black dress and violet cardigan, with stunning slingback peep-toe pumps.
We may not know who the baby daddy is, but one thing we do know for sure - Minnie Driver is a beautiful, stylish Hollywood mama to be.
There are sure to be more mamas to be added on to this list in the near future, because if it’s not something in the water, then it is sure some sort of Hollywood fad.
Who do you think is the most stylish pregnant celeb in Hollywood today?
There are some terrific fashions out for this spring and summer, and if you are anything like me, you are simply dying to take a look at the hot new shoe trends of the season. For all you footwear fashionistas, here are a few of the top picks and information on where you can get a pair for yourself.

Simple and affordable, these strappy sandals make a great addition to any wardrobe.
They are embellished and very modern, and one of the things I love best about these sandals is that they are so versatile - dressy enough to wear for a night out on the town, and yet casual enough to wear on a day to day basis.
They would look supremely elegant with a cute wrap skirt and skirt or that little black dress, but pair it with a pair of khaki capris or an olive green sundress and you have an adorable summer day ensemble, available from Nina Shoes for $89.95.

I absolutely love these shoes from Celine. They have a sort of retro feel, and I adore the bright colors of the straps.
They scream hot weather, and I can already imagine wearing them with a million different outfits. They are funky and fun, and definitely intense.
Bold colors are all the rage this season, and there are no shoes bolder than these platforms intensified by pops of multi-colored patent.
This is one pair of shoes that you do not want to miss out on, well worth adding to your collection.

If you want fun and femininity, look no further than these gorgeous platforms by John Galliano.
They remind me of a Mary Jane, retro-styled and yet modernized at the same time.
Galliano always puts so much detail into his shoes, and here has used yellow which is the hot hue of the season.
The best part about these shoes is the fascinating girly details which are accented, and which really help put this shoe over the edge.
Winter is behind us, and let’s start off summer with a bang with these hot, fashionable, gorgeous spring and summer shoes.
Does anyone else notice that Paris Hilton’s style seems to change as often as she changes boyfriends?
Now that she has been with boyfriend Benji Madden for a few months, she seems to have taken on his wardrobe as well.
The inseparable couple are almost hard to tell apart, both in dark ensembles of hoodies and tees, with sneaks to match.
Although it is cute and sort of sweet in a way…it seems that Paris changes her wardrobe every time there is a new love in her life.
At least these days she is covering herself up a bit - sorry A LOT - more, and they sort of remind me of a young teenage couple in puppy love, what with the holding hands, shades and all.
France has just passed a law on skinniness and I am hoping that the rest of the world follows suit.
They have just adopted a groundbreaking bill that makes it illegal for anyone in the country - including magazines and websites - to promote extreme thinness.

I think it is about time that a law like this was passed, what with the issue of weight and how serious it is in our world today.
Take a look even just a few decades ago, and our icons looked a heck of a lot different than they do today. Keep in mind that weight is an issue that affects both men and women alike but which is much, much more predominant an issue among women.
We always hear about which female celebrity has lost or gained weight and what it is doing to their career, and don’t even get me started on the fashion shows - I swear sometimes when those girls hit the end of the runway and turn to go back they are invisible for a minute as they turn to the side. This is not surprising since their waists are about the size of my pinky finger around.
I am a thin girl myself so don’t think I’m here having a hate on for these skinny ladies, but I do have a problem once I can count all of their ribs.
The biggest problem I have is that these women are creating an image for young girls to look up to, whether they know and care or not.
I don’t really think it is only the celebrities that we should be blaming, because they are having this sort of standard put in front of them and if they don’t meet it they have even more to deal with than us regular woman because everything they do is put on display for the world to see.
I don’t think any of us should be completely demeaning on celebrities or designers on this issue but instead help people everywhere to start realizing skinniness is not fashionable, and why is beauty such an important issue to us anyway?
We can still have fashion and all the wonderful things that come along with it without having to put a standard on the body size and shape that someone should have.
Taking a look at some of the other countries around the world, namely those that have bigger issues to worry about other than the way they look, countries where people really are starving and who do not have the means to resources as we do.
If we could all stop thinking about how we can take more and start giving to those who need it, we may find that we have some more important issues to worry about.
I have a daughter myself and the last thing I want is for her to grow up thinking she has to look like she hasn’t eaten in a couple years to feel beautiful.
I think if we were able to go back to an era like the ’50s where we had gorgeous curvy sexpots like Ava Gardner and Marilyn Monroe that we would understand, what we are seeing now is not beautiful at all, we are just used to it.
I’m sure that these women also had concerns about their weight but the difference is that they were not striving to be pin thin, and they had healthy, womanly figures.
I remember even just a few years back when the Olsen twins started losing a ton of weight - like they had any weight on them to lose in the first place - and everyone was shocked.
At that point, even in the media, skinniness was not considered “beautiful” or “in style”, at least not as much as it is now.
It seems that every single woman, especially celebrities, are worried about their weight - most of them openly - and are constantly trying new fad diets to get skinnier.
There are a ton of stars I could name just off the top of my head who have experienced a dramatic weight loss, and whether they claimed it was due to “drug problems”, “stress” or any of the other lame excuses they come up with, the point is that they are in the spotlight and have a significant effect on the way young girls think and feel about themselves, and so because of this they have a responsibility to take their role model persona at least remotely seriously.
I have to tell you, I have had just about enough of this nonsense. This is not to say that I agree with women - men too for that matter - being unhealthy and overweight, but for god’s sake eat something, just do it in moderation.
We all seem to have a problem with limits. We never know how little is too little and how much is too much.
The new law passed in France may not end up having as dramatic an effect as many of us would like, but I definitely hope that it raises a few more eyebrows and makes people - especially the authority figures in the fashion world - start to realize that this is not a joke and that it may be “funny” or “tabloid material” in the celebrity world but that there are real people in the real world who are growing up and believing that this is the norm.
Keep in mind that I am not trying to criticize anyone, celebrity or not, for having an issue with the way they look, everyone has issues to deal with and I think it is that much harder for celebrities sometimes because everything they do is set in the spotlight.
But what I am saying is that something needs to be done so that women around the world can stop feeling as though they are not beautiful just because they may not look like that super skinny model on the magazine.
We can still have fashion and everything that goes along with it without making anyone over a size zero feels as though they are worthless. I love fashion I always have and always will and I just can’t wait until our view of beauty gets even a little bit back to the norm. When we start to focus once more on the actual fashion, the beautiful clothes that are created and not on how skinny the person underneath is.
Recently she was spotted at an Iron Man promotion dressed in a black Preen mini-dress and sky-high McQueen heels.
She definitely looked picture perfect, her luminous blonde hair and sparkling eyes, and those mile high legs … bonjour!
Gwyneth has been appearing at one event after another, looking fit and absolutely stellar each and every time. I’m so glad to see the Gwyn out there again. She’s not only beautiful but she’s real, and that’s something we can all look up to.
Via: FabSugar
Michael Kors is a fabulous fashion designer as we all know, and he has a gorgeous handbag selection to choose from.
The problem is deciding which one of these hot accessories you want for yourself. Here are a few of my personal favorites.

The Brookville Medium Bowling Bag is a gorgeous Michael Kors creation that features double straps with a 10-inch drop, and a magnetic snap closure to ensure your valuables stay protected.
There is an inside zip pocket as well as a cell phone pocket and three open pockets.
This would be the perfect bag for going out at night with the girls. It will carry your makeup, wallet, phone, PDA, keys, and everything else you need to fit in there, with room to spare.

This is a great daywear bag. It is a bit smaller and features double handles with a 7-inch drop, so it is tighter over the shoulder but super cute when paired with jeans and a t-shirt or a cute summer dress.
I love the buckle detail on the front and sides, and the canvas lining with zip pocket, 3 open pocks and cell phone and key keepers are great because you don’t have to scrounge through your bag to find what you are looking for.

This is a really fun, funky bag. It is actually ideal for either day or night which is nice, and comes with a printed canvas in giraffe print.
The shoulder strap has a 8 1/2-inch drop, and features a magnetic snap closure, hinged hardware detail at the straps and an interior zip pocket, 2 open pockets, a cell phone pocket and key keeper.
I envision this hot little number with a little black dress or even a modern workwear ensemble, maybe in chocolate brown to not make the outfit too dark.
I’ll tell you right now that if you are looking for more than just a fashionable and modern handbag, one that is also durable and timeless, a Michael Kors handbag will be perfect for you.
I have several myself and if I could afford to buy his entire line I would, in a second. You will certainly not regret a purchase like this, and I would also advise that you check out what else he has to offer, everything from sunglasses and sandals to watches and fragrances.
If you are interested in any of these handbags or any other pieces from the Michael Kors’ collection, you can purchase them through the Michael Kors website as well as through retailers that offer his line.
I love lingerie. Love, love, love it. I know that many women are afraid to wear lingerie, but it is important to know that there are enough styles and designs of lingerie out there that you will find the perfect lingerie.
Whether you are looking for something more demure or are ready to go for all out sex appeal, here are a few of my favorite pieces of lingerie which will help you to look your sexiest.
With summer coming up, this is the the perfect piece of lingerie. This stunning retro halter style corset can be worn in the bedroom or out for a special date.
Made of cotton poplin this corset fits your body like a glove, smoothing and streamlining your figure.
The bright red color is fabulous and eye-catching and the white polka dots make it flirty and fun. If you are wearing it to a day event, consider covering up a bit with a cute shrug or light sweater.
The corset is availbale from Frederick’s of Hollywood for $54 USD in sizes 32-38.
This entire ensemble from La Senza is innocent and sexy, from top to bottom.
The garter panty, bra and stockings all come separately, and together give a sort of school girl-burlesque look.
I love the ruffled layers on the panties because it gives a flirty touch, and the cotton candy pink color.
I loved this outfit the minute I saw it, and I am heading out tomorrow to get it for myself.
The entire outfit tallies up at under $100 to boot. There are also other styles and colors of stockings to choose from.
I found this lingerie shop one day while browsing the Net, and I’m so glad I did.
Like I said before, I am definitely a huge lingerie fan, and Heart Throb Lingerie has one of the largest, sexiest collections of lingerie I have ever seen.
I especially adored this Emotion bra, panty garter set which is frilly and lacy and oh-so-beautiful.
This is a really adorable little three-piece ensemble that includes an embroidered flower eyelet mesh ruffle bra top, garter belt and g-string panty.
Sweet yet saucy - I love it.
Here is a great lingerie retailer if you are looking for the whole package.
Not only do they offer one of the world’s largest collections of lingerie, but as well sexy Halloween costumes and much more.
One of my favorite ensembles from 3 Wishes is this gorgeous little number. It is an off the shoulder fishnet bra top with a little leopard print ruffle trim on both the bra and panty.
Sure there’s not much there but that is all the fun, and it is definitely an eye-catching lingerie set.
These are just a few of the many gorgeous pieces of lingerie out there, and I will definitely be sure to keep you updated on what else I find.
In the meantime, take a bit of time to browse through the selections from the lingerie retailers featured here and you are sure to find some great pieces.