Tag Archives: Fashion

Keep Your Feet Cool and Cute In These 5 Breathable Ballet Flats

May 19, 2014Fashion & Style, Style Guideballet flat, Fashion, Shoes, summerAlicia

Summer is quickly approaching and that means it’s time for sandals and flats. I love ballet flats. Ballet flats have been my go-to shoe for about three years and I don’t know how my feet survived 30-something years in something other than ballet flats or wedge sandals during the summer. Actually, I do. I wore either my black or tan pair of Earth mary janes for years and I still love them but they’re too hot to wear in the summer and maybe they are a little worn out. Ballet flats come in a lot of styles and colors. Some have bows, some are quilted and some are embellished with studs! I’ll show you some of my favorite embellished ballet flats another day. 🙂

Below are five pairs of breathable ballet flats. These flats either have a breathable lining and/or insole. You can feel confident that your feet won’t sweat in these shoes this summer. I hate summer foot sweat which is why I also wear wedge sandals in the summer.

I’ve shown you ballet flats for little girls, now it’s time to show you breathable ballet flats for women.

1 – Hush Puppies Chaste Ballet – Hush Puppies are a tried and true shoe brand. The breathable lining and a cushioned insole are sure to keep your feet comfy and cool this summer.

2 – Patagonia Maha Breathe – I love the Atoll Aqua color as shown above, but these flats are available in 6 colors in case you’re not fond of aqua shoes.

3 – J. Crew Quorra Ballet Flats – Look close and you’ll see Xs and Os on these sunwashed aqua ballet flats. I think this color is really pretty but if aqua shoes don’t excite you you’ll be happy to know that these J. Crew ballet flats are available in four other colors.

4 – UGG Kellis Crystal – These flats don’t necessarily look breathable but from what I’ve read the breathable leather lining helps fight overheating feet and if these flats are true to the UGG brand they are very comfortable.

5 – Reebok ‘True Studio’ Ballet Flat – While these aren’t my favorite color, they look comfortable and definitely breathable. These ballet flats are probably best for yoga or around the house.

Talk to us!

Do you have a favorite pair of ballet flats? What do you look for when shopping for flats? Do you consider breathability when shoe shopping or is style more important?

4 Children’s Sneakers That Will Add Color To Your Child’s Step

February 7, 2014Fashion & Style, Shoes, Style GuideChildren's Sneakers, Fashion, ShoesAlicia

Sometimes a kid’s outfit needs to be jazzed up with a little color and style.

These four children’s sneakers adorably colorful and super in every way!

1 Burberry Tom Check Hi-Top Trainers
Don’t let ‘trainers’ fool you. These Burberry sneakers are available for infants and girls up to size 35 (U.S. 3 1/2 girls)
– $195

2 Melissa Shoes Mini Polibolha II Jelly Sneaker
Does your child need a little more tread on their shoes.. everywhere on their shoes? How adorable are these jelly sneakers? They come in other colors. These are available in toddler sizes 5 through 10.
– $55

3 TOMS Colorblock Botas Shoe
These colorblock canvas shoes are sure to be comfortable and easy to wash, a plus in my book! With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One.
– $44.00

4 Nike Girls’ Air Max 2013 Running Sneakers
If you are looking for a more traditional shoe these colorful Nike sneakers would be a great fit. These are available in sizes 6 and 7 now.
– On sale now for $109.98 from $139.

Would your child wear a pair of these sneakers?

5 Fancasual (Fancy + Casual) Dresses For Little Girls Sizes 4-14

November 6, 2013Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Ages 10-13, Fashion & Style, Style Guidedresses, Fashion, little girl fashion, styleAlicia

Madelyn, my 7-year-old, informed me a few days ago that she is ready to clean her closet of any dresses she hasn’t worn in a few days. A few days? She said that if she hasn’t worn them in a few days they aren’t a favorite and should be given to a little girl who will appreciate them. Seriously, I thought.. she actually heard something I said?!

So, we went through her closet and took out a bunch of stuff most of which was too small and she took out a few dresses that were not too small but she hasn’t worn more than once or twice. I had to accept that we were getting rid of relatively unworn pieces but we will deliver them to Goodwill and I’m sure there’s a little girl who will love the dresses as much as I did when I bought them for Madelyn.

girl's dress wishlist

I asked Madelyn to come up with a list of what she wants and doesn’t want in “fancasual” dresses. That ended up being quite the project. She got a whiteboard and dry erase markers and asked me to make ‘want’ and ‘don’t want’ columns then she spouted off a list of characteristics she’s looking for in a dress. Maybe she should be a dress designer after all. I have always thought career choice was an odd one but now that she’s getting older and better able to share her thoughts with me, I see it.

Here are the columns. I was a good listener despite some of her strange requests like ‘gross, uncomfortable stuff’. I wanted so badly to ask what dress she’s owned that was gross or had uncomfortable stuff on it? Really?

Two more questionable characteristics in her ‘don’t want’ list are blah and ugly sleeves. As we went through her old dresses I asked if each was ‘blah’ or had ugly sleeves. What’s an ugly sleeve anyway I asked? She said “it’s one that’s puffy or has things dangling from it”. Ok. We didn’t come across a dress with ugly sleeves so apparently I haven’t made that mistake yet.

Here are 5 dresses that Madelyn hand-picked that meet most of her ‘want’ requirements.

You’ll notice that blue from the ‘don’t want’ column was ignored when it came time to actually choosing dresses. 🙂

1 – Splendid ’Sparkle Lux’ Dress | Available in girl’s sizes 7-8, 10, 12, 14 – $68

2 – Soprano Beaded Peter Pan Collar Sleeveless Dress | Available in sizes 7-8, 10-12, 14, 16 – $42

3 – Ella and Lulu Striped Floral Dress | Available in sizes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 – $38

4 – Truly Me Stripe Hooded Dress | Available in sizes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 – $54

5 – Ella and Lulu Colorblock Dress | Available in sizes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 – $38

Madelyn was a little concerned about the beaded collar on dress #2 but when she saw that it is called a Peter Pan Collar, she agreed that might be the best dress ever!

What is your daughter’s dream dress? I’d love to know what she says if you ask her! It might be different that you expect. I didn’t expect unicorns and no ‘ugly sleeves’… that’s for sure!

New-Mom Style and Fashion Tips

February 20, 2013Fashion & Style, Style Guideclothes, Fashion, mom, styleAlicia

For a lot of new moms, finding a balance between fashion and comfort can be difficult. New moms often find that their wardrobe consists of sweatpants and tees and many, like I did, wear maternity pants for months after having their baby because they are comfortable. This time in a new mom’s life is often called the fourth trimester!

It is very important however, for new moms to dress fashionably even if they are still over their ideal weight and can’t fit into their stylish pre-pregnancy clothes. Shopping at the closest department might not be the answer though. After having my second child and once I realized that I wasn’t going to fit into my size 6 pants again anytime soon, I went to a department store to buy an entirely new wardrobe. I ended up buying pieces that didn’t fit me. Why? I was tempted by the ‘regular’ size stuff in the store and thought surely I’ll lose the extra 15 pounds in a week or so. Needless to say, that wasn’t the case.

Plus size fashion from fashion world gives new moms who are a size 12-32 a lot of options allowing them to get out of the sweatpants and baggy tees. I’m all for wearing comfortable clothes but it’s very important for self esteem, to say the least, that we dress to impress even when at home with the kids. Wearing clothes with some style just makes people feel better, don’t you agree?

A couple of my favorite pieces from Fashion World, for example, are the Joe Browns Antique Vintage Dress (pictured above) and the Angel Ribbons Christie Rainbow Jumper. Pair the jumper (aka sweater) with your favorite pair of skinny jeans or leggings and ankle boots, for a cute and comfortable outfit that you will feel stylish and confident in!

Fashion tips for new moms:

Wear clothes that highlight areas of your body that you love.
Don’t be afraid to accessorize
Empire-waist dresses are a great option for new moms
Pairing a flowing top (not baggy) with leggings or skinny jeans will help you look thinner
A long necklace can also help make new moms look thinner

Are you a mom whose go-to outfit is sweatpants and a tee or are you a stylish mom who understands that you can have the best of both worlds.. style AND comfort?

What are your must-have ‘fourth trimester’ pieces?

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

App to the Rescue! ‘Good Looks’ iPhone App Creates a Personal Style Catalog of your Outfits

May 31, 2012Fashion & Style, iphone, New postsFashion, Good Looks app, iphone, styleAlicia

iPhone app to the rescue!

Choosing an outfit is a struggle for me every day. It’s pretty sad. I just got notice of a new app called Good Looks which allows the user to capture, sort, and plan outfits using her iPhone’s camera and based on what she already owns.

Here’s more about the iPhone app..

Good Looks app for iPhone Merges Fashion and Technology, Enables Users to Find Inspiration in their Own Closet!

Height & Hands, a Boston-based design and development firm, launched the Good Looks app for iPhone®, a personal style catalog that allows you to capture, sort and plan your outfits using your iPhone’s built-in camera function. With Good Looks you can create new versions of your favorite outfits using what you already own or see what you’re missing to make your shopping trips more efficient. The app is built around the premise that it’s easier to see what works in your closet by keeping track of what you’ve worn and when you wore it.

“We designed Good Looks to be a fun and simple closet companion to use while you’re getting dressed in the morning,” said Good Looks Creator, Amy Parker, Owner of Height & Hands. “I was keeping track of what I wore every day using my phone’s photo gallery when I realized that I had no way to sort through them quickly.”

The app is easy to use: snap a picture of your outfit, then categorize it by season, rate it’s formality and add your own tags and notes. The outfit is then added to your gallery andcan be easily sorted using the info you’ve assigned. Can’t recall if you wore that outfit to your last meeting? Good Looks can help you remember.

The app also features a calendar with integrated weather forecasting, allowing you to plan your future outfits or view past outfits chronologically. Did you wear that last Wednesday? The calendar acts as your personal style journal to help you add variety to your looks.

Other planning tools within Good Looks include a “wear again” feature that allows you to schedule favorite outfits for a specific date in the future. The app draws from Height & Hands’ web design background to provide an intuitive and seamless user experience set against a simple and visually appealing design.

“With Good Looks, we want to inspire people to shop their own closets and evolve their own sense of style, simply by keeping track of what they wear every day,” said Parker.

Good Looks is available for download on the iPhone App Store for $1.99

About Good Looks

Good Looks is a personal style catalog that allows you to capture, sort and plan your outfits, get inspired to shop your closet, evolve your style or get out the door faster. It’s easy to see what works by keeping track of what you’ve worn and when you wore it. Create new versions of your favorites with what you already have in your closet or see what you’re missing and make your shopping trips more efficient. For more information visit http://goodlooksapp.com/.

For style tips and fashion news, follow along at Good Looks Daily.