Hali Chic: April 2014

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Spring Must Haves: The Shoes

I can't have a "Spring Must Haves" series without listing off the shoes that I'm currently loving for this season!

The Slip On Sneaker

Nothing says "easy breezy" like a pair of sneakers that don't require the added effort of lacing up. These are great for travelling because they are ubber comfortable and can be quickly taken off at security... I mean seriously, who wants to be that girl that holds up the line because she has to fiddle around with her shoes? These can be styled with cut-off jean shorts, boyfriend jeans, black skinnies, leather skinnies, rompers, etc... essentially everything you currently have for spring and summer already. The best part is that this year the patterns and texture combinations are limitless and to tell you the truth, its going to be hard to narrow it down to just a few pairs. No matter what your budget is for a new chic pair of sneakers, I hope you like some of my picks below! If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I have been loving my "Alegra" Coach slip on sneakers and I may or not be adding to Slip on Sneaker family soon :-) ... Any guesses as to which lovely pair it will be?

The Sling-back Mule Sandal

The slip on mule was a hot trend for Fall 2013 and the trend continues with a Spring and Summer mule that has an adorable peep toe and sling-back addition that adds functionality and fashion to a classic design. I can see myself styling these with a slim fitting white denim, a bold printed top, and of course an adorable handbag. I am leaning more towards the lighter neutrals versus black mainly because they will be easier to pair with my spring and summer pieces. As you will notice from my picks below I am loving the stacked heel versus a thinner more dainty heel because I plan on being out and about more so comfort is key!

Designer

1. Loeffler Randall "Alix Bootie" in Beach Leather 2. Rag & Bone "Wyatt" in Camel

Under $200.00 CAD

1. Steve Madden "NONSTP" in Natural Leather 2. Aldo "Jaggard" in Cognac

I am going to insert a minor pet peeve... Regarding the "Jaggard" Sandal, for some odd reason Aldo does not offer a size smaller than a 6 online from the Canadian website, but if you go to the USA website they list a size 5. I feel like that is highly unfair. End Rant.

To even out the rant... I just wanted to say a big Thanks for all of the positive feedback on the blog! Since the blog went live, several of you have reach out to me to help you find a certain item that you had a hard time (or no time) finding and of course my shopaholic heart fluttered at the chance! So happy to have been able to help you out and I can't wait to see how you style and pair those pieces. :-)

As always, follow me on Instagram at Hali_Chic for outfit pairings! Leave any comments below with what you are lusting for this Spring/Summer or let me know what item you currently are loving from our closet!

Thanh

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Spring Must Haves: The Handbag

With the snow melted and April showers upon us here in Halifax, I thought this was the perfect time to chit chat about some of the handbag trends and pieces that I am lusting for at the moment. When I'm looking for a new handbag, I tend to lean more towards classic colors like black, beige, brown, and navy... but this year I find myself stepping out of my comfort zone and lusting for pops of color and pattern.

Pretty in Pastels

First up is all about the delightful pastel colored crossbody bag! Pastels in general are always heavily represented in most designer Spring/Summer collections year after year, but this year the colors that stand out the most to me is the fresh pops of Mint and Turquoise. During the spring and summer season I tend to be more active and on the go and may not necessarily need to lug around a lot of extra items so a crossbody bag is a great fit. My little shopaholic heart has been lusting for the 3.1 Phillip Lim Mini Pashli in "Sage" or the Loeffler Randall Mini Rider Bag in "Mint". Which one do you think I should get?

1. 3.1 Phillip Lim Mini Pashli Bag / 2. Leoffler Randall Mini Rider Bag

Looking for the same punch of color but one that is a little easier on the pocket book? Check out my Turquoise options below!

Under $200.00 CAD

1. Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac - Light Turquoise

2. Kate Spade New York Cobble Hill - Mini Carson Bag

Under $100.00 CAD

1. Fossil Sydney Top Zip Crossbody / 2. Forever 21 Subtle Thing Crossbody

Leopard is the new Black

The oh so famous leopard print is so versatile that it is a must have in your closet. In this post I will be focusing in on the leopard print clutches that I have been lusting for... but don't be surprised if you see more leopard printed items in future posts!

Getting back to the clutch, I have rediscovered my love for clutches over the past year and it's definitely nice to simplify and only tote around the essentials. Sometimes I find myself digging into my larger handbags and finding the most random items that I'm not sure when or why it was placed there in the first place. A clutch sized bag also offers a great way to inject texture, color, and pattern into your outfit without it being "too much of a good thing". Normally I would give some budget friendly options for the items that I am lusting for... but I just haven't found anything that caught my eye.

Clare Vivier makes the most amazing quality clutches that are each adorned with a single 14 karat gold plated medallion and she offers a wide variety of colors, leathers, and materials to fit any lifestyle or personality. Oh, and they also do Monogramming too! So this would be an adorable gift for any fashionista in your life! I personally want to add the fold over clutch to my collection in the near future because I'm not very tall so it fits my frame well and I love the added dimension that the foldover design offers.