Western boots are an easy addition to any look, especially these ones by ASOS.  They’re just like a cropped pair of Chelseas, only with a pointier toe and a single buckle over the front of the boot.

Styling is simple with any black boot, especially one with such a low, wearable heel.  The bonus? They’re only $73.

If you aren’t familiar with Christophe Decarnin’s work (recently replaced by the 25 year-old Oliver Rousteing as creative director), be forewarned: you may experience moderate to extreme eye orgasms. While almost the entire line is absolutely incredible, the leather and denim jackets are must-sees. If you’re playing into the summer of goth and have a pile of money under your mattress, consider me jealous.

Oddly enough, possibly the simplest piece in the collection is the studded biker jacket. That should give you an idea of how amazing Balmain can get. Unfortunately, the pièce de résistance of the collection – the studded leather gilet – seems to be sold out everywhere. On the other hand, look at it…not the least bit surprised that it got immediately scooped up. My favorite of the leather biker jackets is the embellished leather jacket: a plethora of zippers and asymmetrical studs. Easily my favorite part, however, is the detailing on the bottom pockets. Metal chains attached on the inside of the zipper!

Another great piece is the distressed denim biker jacket, with off centre zippers and double belt detailing, not to mention the unique wash and worn sections. While the range of prices for the collection go from extremely expensive to…well, extremely expensive, these Balmain jackets are something you’ll have at your disposal for years to come. Even if wear them out and have to repair them, they’d look even better!

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed perusing through what menswear has to offer the Summer of Goth, and what a pleasant surprise all of the pieces below have been!

If you’re going to be doing goth menswear during summertime, it’s a bit of a challenge to do dark during all that light – go for leather accessories, versus heavier bits like jackets and such.  Freedom from Doubt’s leather bowtie is an ideal formal accent, while fingerless gloves from Odyn Vovk are excellent for midsummer evening frolicks (when hands won’t get too sweaty).  Accent with easy gunmetal toned Cheap Monday Zamir bracelets and balance with an exquisite ring like Marco Baroni’s.

As for the rest of the look, a simple printed button up as Comme des Garçons’ floral and skull shirt and layer with Lanvin’s double breasted coat when evenings come or days turn colder than we’d want them to be.  Finish off with some brilliantly detailed Pskaufman 0008 boots, and you’re set whether you’re wearing shorts, trousers or something in between.

As wise friend of mine just keeps freaking saying, it’s the summer of goth.  After those words itching my brain for a time, I realized while looking around, that he’s right.  In the words of Hova, all black everything.

2011 goth is about mixing classic wrap and draping with classic tailoring.  An ideal example of this is Junya Watanabe’s draped button up coat; a brilliant outerwear rendering of the basic button up.  AllSaints’ Capri dress has all the flowing mystique you’ll be wanting for your look, and used into combination with their Eucharis hand chain.

In the world of accessories, it’s so easy to take black from basic to beyond; layer Savant’s lurex cage bra over a tee, tank (anything, really), and some heavy jewelry like Shanka’s resin skull ring, Linea Pelle’s leather wrap cuff, Modekunge’s black cross necklace or True Lies’ Over Bite ring, featuring three real human teeth.

As for footwear, boots are the big choice; leather, lace up, chunky - Trippen’s Layers boot is all of the above.  If the Layers don’t float your boat, a solid Doc Martens or Rick Owens inspired boot will fit the bill.

It seems that Obakki has a bag that likes to reinvent itself; first we have their slouchy triple zip Cowl (or Rumi bag, depending on who you talk to) in 2010, and now we have the Tate in 2011.

Both bags feature that slouch (or cowl, as Obakki calls it), triple front zips, a semi circle top zipper, and what appears to be an identically sized right strap buckle.  The other side even has the three back folds!

Just think: no additional design required, and loads of profit from a $695 bag that they used to hype its existence as ‘only a handful of bags in the entire world’ in order to move more units.  Genius!

UPDATE: I’ve heard this bag style is actually from 2009. I don’t have visual proof [yet], but would welcome some!

Canadian leather wear doesn’t get much better than Mackage, and some of the most delightful pieces are currently on the sale racks at Privé.  There are textile and leather jackets, leather dresses, gloves, even a few puffer jackets.

Gloves are priced at $60 (from up to $130), puffer jackets from $276-290, leather jackets (like this hoody for $296) and a heavy pea coat-like blazer for $270 (from $540) – this isn’t a sale to miss.

Need an in at Privé? Get it now.

In times of miserly spending, one must look at basics for good investments.  A standard trench is always a proper choice for the style savvy, and always a safe buy in times of tight wallets.  I’m loving a good neutral trench about now, but I’ve been hearing from multiple sources it’s about to be the Summer Of Goth, so black is clearly an option as well.

These are the Ordinateur trenches by Prose IV, in standard camel and jet black.  The best part of these trenches is they turn into multiple looks since they’re able to be broken down into 3 seperate pieces.  It’s all about the deconstruction, yo! For $343, you’re acquiring a minimal of three different jackets; more if you get creative with pinning and such.  THIS JACKET HAS ME SO EXCITED!

If I told you that you could have your choiec of 15 bowling bags, many of which are made from real leather and priced from $80-189, I imagine that you would be pretty stoked on things.  That is just the scenario with Zara, who has a delicious pieces that are beautiful and affordable.

demiCouture favorites are shown below – the striped Sailor, crackled leather classic, two tone Rigid and mustard yellow small basic bag.  See the entire bag collection for quite the education on what the high street is capable of offering at reasonable pricing… you may be pleasantly surprised!

Worn once! Beautiful, soft leather and perfect condition with a little intentional manufacturer’s distressing (coloring) on the toe!

Size 10 womens/8 mens.. what a deal.

And they’re gone! Thanks!

Pyrrha‘s wax seal inspired jewelry never fails to make a statement.  I had the pleasure of visiting Pyrrha’s Vancouver studio today, and got to view demonstrations on how the jewelry is finished after casting.  Check out the images below; they’re a wee glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes at the seal adornments.

If you like what you see, check out their online shop; particularly the wax seal necklaces (those are my favorite)

Gestuz is a label for the feminine dresser; slightly draped, effective pastel minimalism rules the day.  Gestuz has a crop of perfectly summer 2011 pieces on sale at Privé, where pieces are more than 50% off – for instance, the tuxedo blazer shown below is only $78 (from $228!).  All prices are $22-135, so there’s something for everyone.

These pieces are perfect for the wandering suburbanite, ideal for events of wearing over your bathing suit.  Need an invite to Privé?

Rose gold is the hottest metal shade, occuring on jewelry to Alexander Wang bags.  For an easy up to the moment look, try mixing other metal types with rose gold.

As for our finger favorites, we have mostly minimalistic pieces; Dominic Jones’ Tooth ring (on sale) and Deco rings and Katie Rowland’s Rose Lilith Fang (my favorite).  Airella Collection’s Enamel piece is slightly more decorated, while Francesca Villa’s elborate Kilimangiaro piece is a wonder of design, though out of reach for most of us budgeting mortals.

It’s always a great day when you find an affordable handful of necklaces [etc] to add to an arsenal.  I’m horrible with jewelry; I break it, it breaks on me, and I never really replace anything.  Thus, I’ve got about 3 pieces (if I’m lucky) that I end up rotating because they’re the only ones that still have a working clasp or a ring hasn’t been busted, so needless to say I was thrilled for a number of reasons when Uranium reached out to me.

Not only do I have a few kick ass, awesomely wearable pieces, but they’re actually rad – and affordable.  I can solidly recommend both pieces I chose; the Church ($40) and Parallèle ($58) necklaces.  These choices weren’t surpriing, considering my affinity for religious themed paraphanalia and wee things to hide other wee things in.

These two pieces are acutally from the men’s Hayden collection; I encourage you to visit the Uranium site and thumb through their vast collection of mens and womens pieces.

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I got a welcome jolt back to the land of intense accessories today, thanks to True-Lies – a French label that creates jewelry featuring real human teeth.  They’re sterilized and varnished, and adhered to a handful of very creative designs, my favorites being the Dreamcatcher Deluxe necklace, Bite Me Deluxe harness, triple Over Bite ring and the Unique Design necklace.

These are guaranteed to be traffic stopping adornments, and as unique as the teeth they feature.  I’m gunning for a piece, myself.. would you bare someone else’s teeth?

Vancouver has a new option for the ladies, or men that fancy themselves gender defying – Queens boutique in Gastown.  Queens packs a street wear punch; you can acquire accessories, re-worked vintage men’s tees (made to fit the female form), and some pretty sick nail art.

They’ve got a nail technician in every day, that had quite the range of styles, all of which start at $40 and go up with add-ons (gems, that sort of thing).  IMO, Queens’ pieces are best worked into a juxtaposing style look; streetwear is simple, and you will need to mix it up to stand apart.  Logo tees are ace under leather, while a large earring or blangin’ nails will do any look justice.

Need more info? Check out their location deets.

An update to an easy flat is always welcome in my world, no matter what style it is.  I’m having a long term affair with takes on the brogue flat (clearly), so that’s dominating this crop.

For a lace up style, Dorothy Perkins’ coral style is definitely the wonder buy. As for detailing and shoe structure for the money, Topshop’s Kelsey is something you will get more mileage out of, though the price triples – for someone looking to wear this style often during the next few months, you’re going to want to put in a slight investment into product.

Miista’s Lesca boots are more of an intense take on a Chelsea shape, for a very reasonable rate.  If you’re into the slip on variety, Bertie has a piece that appears to be somewhat of a laceless brogue.  For those with larger budgets, Opening Ceremony’s Julietta is a beautiful choice, though my favour lies with Miu Miu’s.

Everyone I’ve ever known to love draping has loved Complex Geometries, and with good reason.  One friend of mine has always been in love with them, and always waits patiently for a CG sale to arrive.  It’s rare that Complex has such beautiful pieces that work so well in current season on sale, but Privé has a collection to yearn for on sale right now.

These pieces are more than half off, with the entire range offered priced from $29 – $125! That’s a reckless deal.  demiCouture favorites include the Intersection Tee ($35 from $89), Laval tank dress ($48 from $129), grey Pillow tee ($39 from $99), Skewed Square tank ($30 from $79) and the black wool Stifler jacket ($125 from $337).

Get into Privé before these beauties sell out!

Leather dressesare still at the forefront of style, and when they’re of a nude shade it’s double trend action in one piece! [demiCouture nude trend report]

Ted Baker has made a simple 60s shift of beautiful light leather, which just happens to be £120 off at Littlewoods.  This piece would look fabulous layered with a darker leather jacket, tuexedo blazer or even an evening shrug for a summer night coverup.

A front to back leather piece isn’t a typical find at Zara or Topshop, so snap this baby up while you can – it’s only £175.

For great prices on a range of womens shoes, swimming costumes and lingerie, visit Littlewoods.com – with free delivery on all items.

It’s not that kind of kitty, tsk tsk, you lot of pervs!

Cats have been a popular choice for animalia items over the last while, and summer 2011 is no exception – we’re seeing pussies galore all over the high street and beyond.  Critter cats are some of my favorites (as you likely know), and we have plenty of pieces to adorn oneself with.

For accessories, the Catla or Timney scarves are excellent summer neck wraps – I’ve been waring thin scarves for a few weeks now, loosely knotted and hung around my neck with one large loop.  In terms of jewelry, I’m loving the imagery of Del Gatto’s pendant, and the rings from Betsey Johnson and Deadly Ponies.

In the realm of clothing for the more intense print lovers, Your Eyes Lie’s Digital Kat is pretty much my favorite kitty print.  French Connection’s siamese pullover and Paul & Joe’s printed trousers swing in at a close second, though  are both excellent in their own right.

Canadians are getting spoiled with the onslaught of Northern friendly private shopping discount websites, the newest being DINSTINCT.  They offer brands at up to 80% off, are located within Canada and carry some excellent brand worth your attention and money.

DINSTINCT offers the standard package within membership; timed sales, referral bonuses ($12 per membership), and accept payments via credit cards, though offers a few stand apart features: Paypal acceptance (you can write e-checks straight from your bank account), and brands you’ll actually get crazy over (currently offering J Brand, Rudsak and Kensie eyewear) with a bonus of male specific sales for the gents.

Bits to keep in mind is DINSTINCT only ships to Canadian addresses, which is apparently changing soon.  You’ll also be charged taxes according to your province, so remember that for buying totals.  A bonus is being able to track your packages via Canada Post, and a current promotion for free shipping if you purchase three items.

Get into DINSTINCT, and get ahead of the curve.