I need to go to Target

I’d imagine if I lived in the States, I’d love Target for sure. Every time a designer for Go International line comes out, I want to cross the border and make a day of shopping at Target. I still haven’t done that. Why can’t Target ship to Canada?? Now everybody’s going gaga over Richard Chai for Target. I gotta agree there is some really awesome stuff there, I’m sooooo tempted to drive to Target in Buffalo this weekend! I especially love the preppy looks.

Love the blazer and bermuda short combo. And you gotta roll up the sleeves like that. Twill Blazer - Blue Dream ($39.99) and Corduroy Bermuda Shorts - Ebony ($26.99)

I’ve got a hankering for A-line striped skirts now. And fitted vests would look great for work. Pieced Striped Tank - Ebony/ Heather Gray ($14.99), Pieced Striped Tank - Ebony/ Heather Gray ($29.99), and Pieced Striped Tank - Ebony/ Heather Gray ($29.99).

Totally secretary-chic! Love the color of the skirt. Purple is THE color of the moment right? Long Cardigan Sweater - Washed Indigo ($39.99) and Colorblock Tie Dress - Passion Purple ($44.99).

And how can I say no to such a cute LBD? Would be perfect for work too, either with a white shirt underneath or a cardigan over it. Sweetheart-Neck Dress - Ebony ($39.99).

Any of you darlings got any piece? Do you like?

What to wear with stripe bermuda shorts?

Lia Kes Striped Long Bermuda Shorts $174 on sale for $56 at The Hip Chick. I’m debating if I should get these bermuda shorts. You know I’ve been on a roll with bermuda shorts lately, but all the ones I bought are either of solid colors or thin pin-strips. I’m liking these, but do they look too “stripey” to you? What would you wear on the top? I don’t necessarily want to go for the nautical look, just a look that’s appropriate for work. I’m thinking maybe ruffle-y tops in rich shades like plum purple or pomegranate red?

I could definitely get by this summer with these shorts

The heat is sweltering and I’m loving it. I can’t believe I just said it, especially we don’t even have air conditioning in our new house yet. But I really don’t mind it. I think it might be because the memory of the brutal winter is still not that distant. I’m getting on a shorts binge now because of the lovely heat.

Radcliffe Fencing Short $175 $53. These shorts look quite good, despite their sort of high-waisted-ness. Good thing they aren’t too high or too tight, unlike these, which are just terrible. And the buttons are a nice touch.

Converse by John Varvatos Cropped Linen Tie Short $145 $94. How cute are these? Who knew Converse could make such cute shorts, complete with canvas belt and ties at the hems.

James Cured by Seun Mocha Cuffed Shorts $160 $29, just the right shorts to go hiking in.

Striped Linen Shorts $22.99 $19.54. The tan stripes are lovely and the ribbon is just up my alley.

Summers are all about cool drinks but winters are ideal for a visit to the hookah bar where you can order your favorite flavored tobacco. Yes the hookah is back in the game.

Cute shorts

I’m actually a shorts fan, you probably wouldn’t know it since I wear so many dresses and skirts, but I am in the summer. I like tailored slim cut bermuda shorts for work and short shorts for fun weekend activies. I’m partial to ones that have wide cuffs, they make my legs look skinny :). I’m also warming up to sailor shorts, as long as they aren’t too tight and too high-waisted.

Sine Cuff Shorts in Graphite $185

Theory Manu Tailor Shorts $175 $87.50

Johnson Shorts Suella Sailor Shorts in Cream $253 $76

Ya-Ya Nice Cuffed Shorts in Chocolate $130 $39

Old Navy Mid-Rise Cuffed Bermudas (11″) - Khaki $26.50 $19.50

Old Navy Clean-Front Shorts (5″) - Green Empress $19.50 $16.50

Delias’ Sydney Safari Short $34.50

Delias’ Morgan Low-Rise Skinny Short White $29.50

And what shorts do I NOT want? These!  OH MY GOD!  Tacky tacky tacky.

Rojas The Heavy Metal Shorts $102.95.

Spring styles to keep an eye out for

eLUXURY.com’s designer and contemporary spring guides are a must-see, whether you are doing some serious shopping or you would like to get some inspirations to put your own outfits together. I’m loving these looks, they are all about crispy colors, subtle prints, clean lines, and great fitting — show ‘em those gorgeous legs and waist!

Roberto Cavalli Matisse Dress $1,401

Marc Jacobs Collection Swan and Mouse Print Dress $2,400
Marc Jacobs Collection Runway Patent Peep Toe with Misplaced Heel $545

3.1 Phillip Lim Knit Motorcycle Jacket $585
3.1 Phillip Lim Cuffed Wide-Leg Pants $340
3.1 Phillip Lim Tally Oversized Carry-All $725

D&G Dolce & Gabbana Striped Bead Tee $175
D&G Dolce & Gabbana Stretch Wonder Fit Jean, Ink Wash $265
D&G Dolce & Gabbana Zoe Patent Belt $255
D&G Dolce & Gabbana Two-Tone Carla Pump $455

D&G Dolce & Gabbana Strapless Pleated Dress $625
D&G Dolce & Gabbana Emy Striped Patent Belt $455

L.A.M.B. Leopard Ruffle Collar Blouse $225
L.A.M.B. Belted Shorts $165

Marc by Marc Jacobs Cashmere Colorblock Dress $368
Marc by Marc Jacobs Dr. Q Colorblock Groovee $498
Marc by Marc Jacobs Patent Round Toe Pump $470

Leather gloves make every outfit better

I was browsing Maxstudio.com’s always stylish lookbook and I noticed so many of the outfits are punctuated with a pair of leather gloves. This is such a simple and chic way to make an outfit pop. Now I really really want a pair of leather gloves, preferably long enough to reach half way on my forearm. Strangely, Maxstudio doesn’t offer the gloves they used in the pictures. So I found this perfect pair at Nordstrom, elbow length Ruched Leather Gloves cut from supple nappa leather and lined with soft silk ($135). They will go perfect with any of these casual or dressy outfits.

SATIN DEVORE BUBBLE DRESS $298
GLOVE LEATHER VICTORIAN BOOTS $299
18GG FINE WOOL TURTLENECK SWEATER $98

RAYON SILK CROCHETED NECK BLOUSE $168 $128
DOUBLE FACE WOOL JACKIE O PANTS $168 $128

SILK WOOL JERSEY BAT SLEEVE FROCK $188 $118
CASHMERE SCARF $128
ARCHITECHTURAL WEDGE SNAKESKIN SHOES $149

HAND-KNIT CASHMERE & WOOL CARDIGAN $268
MACRAMED CREPE ROMA BLOUSE $168 $128
SOLID WOOL GABARDINE SHORTS $118 $88
70′S LOAFER PUMPS $149

And by the way, I have a coupon from Maxstudio for you. Save $20 off your purchases of $100 or more at MaxStudio.com, code cj07.

Ms. Liz Claiborne

I’m sure many of you have heard by now that Ms. Liz Claiborne passed away on Tuesday at the age of 78 due to abdominal cancer, a condition she had been fighting for 10 years. She was one of the co-founders in 1976 of Liz Claiborne Inc., which became one of the most successful apparel companies in the world. When she retired in 1989, the publicly traded company had grown into a $1.2 billion powerhouse, generating $110.3 million in net profits. From the get-go, Claiborne had a clear idea of the clothing she wanted to design, and her groundbreaking concepts became the backbone of the better-price sportswear area of department stores. In an interview with WWD last year, Claiborne said, “The concept was to dress the American working woman because I, as a working woman with a child, didn’t want to spend hours shopping. Things should be easy. You don’t have to dress in that little navy blue suit with a tie. I wanted to dress her in sportier clothes and colors.”

She was such a role model as a strong professional woman for all of us. Let’s honor her by looking at her fabulously classic clothes and accessories at LizClaiborne.com. Go to the site or a store, perhaps get yourself that much-needed beautifully fit skirt or those straightleg pants for work, or that delicate bracelet right for any occasion.

White Sateen Blouse $59 and Tonal Embroidered Flare Skirt $119

Stretch Jersey Striped V-Neck $35 and Twill Audra Boot Cut Pants $69

Voluminous Roll-Tab Floral Shirt $59 and Sloane Poplin Roll-Tab Shorts $45 on sale for $32.99.

Petite Washed Linen Lace Border Dress $139 on sale for $103.90

Framed Coin Purse-Wristlet $42 on sale for $29.99! I absolutely love its retro chicness.

Social Delight CZ Multi-Strand Bracelet $38 on sale for $21.99.

LizFlex Randa Seersucker Sandals $69 on sale for $49.99

LizFlex Steffi Polka-Dot Flats $59

P.S. Announcing the big summer sale! Now through July 8th, you can get an extra 25% off sale items!

(Source: WWD.com)

For Dad

Father’s Day’s coming! What are you getting your dad or the father of your children? When it comes to shopping for my dad, I must stay pratical because he’s a no nonsense kind of a man.

I like nice shorts on a man in the summer. They look cool and polished.

Quiksilver ‘Bradley’ Plaid Shorts $49.50.

Victorinox® Cargo Shorts $70.

It’s never too late to introduce the man to a nice skincare routine.
Lab Series Skincare for Men ‘Instant Solutions’ Set $37.50

For dads who travel, a nice piece of carry-on is a must. Nothing flashy ’cause you know dads don’t want “man-purses”.

Tumi Boarding Tote $325

And speaking of dads on-the-go, this charger kit is so handy.
Tumi USB / Cell Phone / PDA Charger Kit $95

And for young dads who want to look hip and cool on weekends when taking the babies out for a stroll, get this bad-ass hoody and he’ll be bragging about fatherhood in style.
Ed Hardy Graphic Zip Hoody $143.

Shorts time!

Shorts are pretty low on my priority list. I never get an urge to buy a pair shorts when I go shopping, unless they are on a sale and I happen to need a new pair. I’m not the type to dress down in a pair of shorts, a tank and flip flops on weekends ’cause I like dressing up on weekends. It’s too “sloppy” and casual for my liking. But I love these looks from Andrew Gn’s Spring 2007 show — structured dressy shorts in a bright color, a high-shine metallic or an interesting pattern, paired with ultra-cool bubble-sleeved blouse or a feminine flowy top, and you can’t forget the slinky heels. It’s a different approach by letting the shorts be the focus of the outfit, rather than the background.

adam+eve Pleated Short $265

Johnson Wool Short with Cuff in Gold $220

Johnson Helen Shorts $253

Johnson Wool Short with Cuff in Cheek $220

Johnson Corduroy with Cuff Short in Aqua $154

Walter Tie Waist Short in Paprika $165

Rampage Yarn Dyed Poplin Short $39

Misamu

Hey hey my fashionista friends, happy Friday!! Monday is a holiday here in Canada. We get a long weekend I have a new coupon code to give you. You must take advantage of this. The fab europe-based online boutique, Misamu, is offering 15% off using the code mapetitechou!! You can find many of the popular designer labels on the site. And they ship to most countries and offer free shipping worldwide on all orders over 100EUR! Here are some pieces that I, at the first glance, found quite unusual. Happy shopping!

Milly Moy Rachel Brown Dress Trop 303EUR. Borderlining on looking like a neglige, it is air-light and sexy, and the print is gorgeous! Milly Moy makes some incredible print dresses. They are quite artistic, can even get somewhat “crazy” as some might say, definitely takes a strong sense of style to appreciate them.

Twinkle Bermuda Shorts Gold 262EUR. How cool are these, gold bermuda shorts?! You better wear them like it’s nobody’s business!

Milla Top with Braided Back Electric Blue 121EUR. Really like the braided back. By the way, we’ll be baring our backs a lot more in the summer now, don’t forget to get your back in shape Exfoliate and moisturize. Showing a beautiful smooth back is a lot classier — that covert sexiness — than showing a whole lot of cleavage.

LaROK CoCo Deco Jacket Black 269EUR. Is military style jacket still in? This one is cute with an edge. Naturally I like the girly ruched puff sleeves and cinched waist line. But the mandarin collar and the big gold buttons are really cool too.

Going to the beach

Is it beach time where you are? It’ll be nice and hot here next month. Although I don’t live close to a beach, our beloved amusement park Canada’s Wonderland will be open again for the season. We’ll be regulars there on weekends where I enjoy the waterpark. You need some easy breezy beachwear like me? Mix and match these simple, colorful and extremely useful pieces from Old Navy. You want to be comfy and carefree at the beach anyway, there’s no sense in spending too much on these basics. With prices this good, you can get one in every color

Slubby Knit Tunics $14.50

Smocked Tube Tops $12.50

Sweater-Knit Babydolls $19.50

Printed Beach Totes
$14.50

Sueded Cotton Shorts (3 1/2″) $15

Printed Flip-Flops $3.50

Velour Beach Towels $12.50. I love these towels!!

Spring shopping at Alloy

Get some summer essentials at Alloy.com, dresses, swimsuits, shorts, sandals, camis, tunics & more. I need more tanks and camis. You can never get enough of these basics. And I’m starting on the bikini shopping now. I can’t wait for Canada’s Wonderland to open for the summer season (love the water park!). 20% off ALL Swim!, and Free shipping over $75 use code: AECAFF.

BUTTON BABYDOLL $39.50

BUTTON DRESS $39.50

BALLOON SHORT $24.50

BILLABONG MAY DAY BIKINI $72.50. Love the non-matchy.

PATENT ANKLE STRAP $25.50

BUCKLE THONG $25.50

Deal Alert - Marc by Marc Jacobs Lightweight Stretch Twill Shorts

Marc by Marc Jacobs Lightweight Stretch Twill Shorts $148 on sale for $78. Love the side slot pockets with button-flaps and the cuffed hems, making these shorts preppy but not stuffy. Pair them with your romantic fluttery tops for a casual chic mixed look.

Massive sale

shopbop.com is one of my favorite online stores even though I’ve yet to buy something from them (I’ve come pretty close several times before). I was waiting for a massive sale. Perhaps I prayed hard enough. They ARE having a massive sale now. Stuff that was over $200 now is $50. That’s a sweet deal, yo. These are just some of the stuff I like. I don’t want this list to be too long…actually it is pretty long.

Johnson Louise Shorts originally $286.00 on sale for $85.80. Yes bubble shorts! I like anything bubbly.

adam+eve Hand Knit Cable Vest originally $285.00 on sale for $85.50.

Johnson Esther Shorts Originally $242.00 on ale for $72.60.

Sunner Rhapsody Belted Tunic Originally $185.00 on sale for $55.50.

Sunner Silk Empire Shirt Originally $207.00 on sale for $62.10.

LaROK Gothic Lace Soft Bubble Dress Originally $178.00 on sale for $53.40. More bubbles please!

gotta love sales!

Isn’t it funny that we can’t seem to stop shopping even though we all have humongous credit card bills to pay after the holidays? But who can resist when so many places are having great sales? I’ll just have to go out for lunch less this month. UrbanOutffiters has some cute pieces at very reasonable prices. Perhaps we can all still pay the bills after this.

Lux Floor Length Pleated Dress $29.99 (from $78)! I can’t believe you can get this gorgeous sleek black dress for almost nothing. And I love it how the model has a pretty lacy pink bra peeking out from underneath. That’s a really good idea to add a little va-va-voom

Kimchi & Blue Deep Pleat Skirt $34.99 (from $58). The model’s legs look miles long. Is this skirt’s doing? Well, she probably has mile long legs anyway. I hope the skirt can help mine or just make me look cute overall.

Kimchi & Blue Chiffon Abbots Blouse $34.99 (from $58). I’m a sucker for chiffon anything. You can also pick purple or peach for this one, they are all so pretty.

Lux Satin Babydoll Dress $49.99 (from $88). So it seems like the mini-dress will continue into 2007, which makes me very happy. This little black number looks versatile to me, you can dress it up with some bling bling or dress it down with a fitted top underneath.

Free People Daintiest Pointelle Hot Pants $29.99 (from $48). Now I don’t know how I could wear these in the middle of January, but these are just too cute! Well, if I can’t wear these outside, I’d wear them lounging on the couch in front of our new LCD HDTV :p