A varied collection of flat boots are my go-to all year round. Black leather can’t be beat for durability, wearability and generally looking best while beat up.  Besides, I’m going to contiue my Summer of Goth into a punk foray.. I could never deny myself a few rough and tumble items.

For the tall, look for a minimalistic high shaft with a proper thick[er] sole (sewn, not thin and glued), with an almond shaped toe that mimics a riding boot aesthetic. Ballin’s pair are ideal, while the pebbling of the leather and lack of split boot top (think behind your knee where your leg bends) only adds to the want factor.

Mids, keep your boots funky with a few buckles here and there, or even possibly a spray of lace up like Strategia’s calfskin style.  These are more to a traditional military style hybridized with a basic riding boot.  Alberto Fascinani’s leather covered studs on his chunky heeled Chelsea are my undisputed favorite – try wearing something with these and not looking fantastic!

There are times when an underdog brand gets their designs so close to success it hurts.  Things hurt mostly because you see how easily it could have gone right, especially with these MTNG and Sixty Seven bags – they’re almost ideal, if it weren’t for that goddamn Heinz 57 leather disaster.

Mix and matched leather was found on a vast number of leather jackets and bags in the eighties, and has [clearly] never been meant for wearing.  It just looks cheap, and all I can think when I see the stitching holding the pieces of multi colored skin together is how much time was wasted making a leather piece so fug!  Other than the leather mishap, the size and shape of the bags have hit the mark; even the strap designs should remain just as they are.

If only a single tone skin was used, these pieces could have been so lovely.  Just think on it.. minimalistic, simple and effective – isn’t that what an intricately woven accessory should hope for in a leather accent!

How high are you willing to climb in a flatform? These days, platform footwear is mimicking the ever-present search for a higher heel, no matter how comical the results.  The highest flatform I’ve seen so far appears to be the Substitute wedge by Club Kid; they are a super high four inch platform, for a total height of seven inches!

That’s a damn tall leather brick to be standing on.

For all those suffering divas who feel they’ve had to get drab in flats to go skating have been vindicated! Dsquared seems to have designed a high heel solution to the traditional flat skate in their new calfskin skate boots.  They’re nearly two thousand dollars worth of disaster, and available for pre-sale!

Any takers?

It’s always a great day when I stumble upon leather pieces that take on the classics, yet still get the heart rate up. A solid leather jacket can accent any look, and you don’t have to be looking the biker part to pull the look off easily.

The first was the Gar-de Donar leather jacket ($218 from $695); matte leather riddled with buckles and perfectly paneled to balance the look.  If you’re brave enough, venture into the territory of the Karluk trousers ($159 from $525) – jersey and suede combine to create a statement trouser for multiple seasons.

PRIVÉ has these pieces and more on sale; check em out.

Crochet styles used to be only for delicates, but have taken a turn to a more detailed mainline availability.  One can acquire shorts, or even a rain mac following this style for quite affordably, though watch for ‘crochet-like’ fabrics that imitate the weave rather than actually provide it (such is what you give up for lower priced items).

For the more glamarous of you, Anna Sui’s dress or Sandro’s Estrella top are perfectly demure statement pieces.  Footwear also follows as a prime area for the crochet trend, available in chunky heeled booties (as Topshop’s Artwork) or in a flat espadrille like Ralph Lauren’s.  I’m really into the Sandro tee; you could layer and experiment with it in so many ways.  Do you have a favorite?

Since summer 2007, colored denim has been a hit.  It’s still going very strong, living off seasonal color palette revisions and following denim’s cut and sizing changes.  As it stands, we’re seeing a lovely balance of cools and hots, as presented in picks by Rag & Bone, J Brand and Current/Elliott’s pieces.

Colors remain bright in summer, though a dusty rose makes an appearance for balance (and since it’s so damn easy to wear!).  I’m partial to the raspberry J Brands ($176), though am very into the green Current/Elliotts ($168).  For the rest of the crew, we have the pink J Brands, rose Rag & Bone, royal blue Current/Elliott and turquoise Rag & Bones.

Dinstinct is quite a strong newcomer in the private shopping sale world; they’ve been holding quite the recent sales of vintage luxury items (first with Louis Vuitton), and now with a collection of rare authentic Chanel pieces.

This is a group of vintage jewelry and leather pieces that you would find at Gilt Groupe, only Dinstinct is located within Canada so those up North can actually buy the pieces for sale!

Favorites are the quilted shoulder bag, black Caviar wallet and gold Eiffel ring.  There are loads more jewelry available; this is but a single example – dive in before they’re sold out!

Need an invite?

There are times when a knockoff is welcomed by the public, though certain items must be observed.  The fake should be as high a quality as to not seem a caricature of the original, and should not be embarassing to wear.  Unfortunatley, the Jeffrey Campbell Fruitbowl is both of these things – this is a replica that should never have happened.

It’s not like I have a purist’s hate on for replicas (or JC for that matter), I only like to see inspirations properly conceived.  Not only is that shape of the ‘wood’ platform clunky, but the cutout design appears highly cheap, even for a high street design.. this was one design to be kept in the replicant vault.

Casual summer dressing for the street style appreciating man isn’t easy in this day; we are bombarded with hideous offerings masked as ‘fashion’, when simplicity is the real ruler of effective street style.

A basic tee can be layered, built upon and easily altered within the changing seasons, making a smart top a smart financial choice.  The tees to the side are from Elvis Jesus, which is currently on sale @ PRIVÉ, many for more than 60% off.

The faves I’ve posted are the block printed black and white ($35 from $99), and the striped collar piece ($45 from $130).  The Singapore paint splattered denim shirt ($69 from $200) and thinly knit Austria cardigan ($86 from $250) are also smart choices – swing by and see them all.

Need an invite to PRIVÉ?

Oh how quickly their mind is changed!

Not so long ago in 2008, Donatella Versace was quoted as saying she has “work[ed] very hard to put the Versace line in the luxury section. I think to put the Versace line in H&M would confuse the brand“.   Apparently in 2011 Versace is willing to risk confusion for some quick dollars, because last night it was confirmed that Versace x H&M would launch a capsule collection on November 17, 2011 and a confirmed second collection released on January 19, 2012.

The official H&M x Versace release/preview video is below; expect archive inspirations and prints (which of course are the cheapest to duplicate; it makes sense to evoke the most striking visuals within budgetary constraints)

Will you be queueing up for Versace x H&M this coming fall?

Prada sunglasses have become the stuff of eccentric dreams, what with their curling art deco arms and Willy Wonka-esque circle frames and cat eyes.

These are some truly unique pairs of eyewear, and will undoubtedly assist in waving your own well manicured freak flag.  My personal favorite is the round frame tortoiseshell, followed closely with the white and red cat’s eye style.

They’re all $290, but hey, who’ll join me in counting their pennies?

I’m taking part in a summer clothing sale in downtown Vancouver in a few weeks, and you need to come by and.. buy! I’m selling a load of clothing, shoes and accessories, so grab it up because I want it gone.  It’s always so awesome when you find a new gem for an awesome price, and this is your chance to get ‘er done.

Other retailers include my friend Raffaele (works at JNBY and has a rad sense of style), Jordan Henderson, Erica Lapadat-Janzen, Yahya An-Dihn, Isaac Penn and Silvia Valencia.

CHEAP AWESOME CLOTHES! AND IT’S ACTUALLY DOWNTOWN! (..what more could you desire?!)

WHEN: Saturday June 25, 1PM – 7PM
WHERE: 566 Beatty Street [Googlemap] (hint: it’s right next to Chambar, which means right right next to the Stadium skytrain station)

RSVP on Facebook!

Suede platform pumps are intense statement pieces, and perfect for summertime evenings when evenings are drier.  The purple jewel tone is a beautiful shade, and translates well into pre-fall styles for longer wear when summer begins to wind down (if it even winds up).

We have below a pair of Miu Miu platform pumps, on sale at Net-A-Porter for $416.50 (from $595), versus Steve Madden’s Beasst pump at just under $100.  Clearly quality differences are present, though for 1/4 the price of the Miu Miu pair even after the sale discount, the average buyer is smart to point themselves to the Madden pair.

TONIGHT, we have the first in a weekly line of parties at the just launched Haiku Studios within the Dominion Building.  Locally produced swimwear is all on sale, and you get Palm Bay to boot.. what’s not to like?!

WHEN: June 17th, 11AM-9PM
WHERE: 410 West Hastings Street [Googlemap] (it’s a short walk from the Stadium skytrain station)

The video for Edge of Glory has already been released [watch], and as we by now know, the Lady Gaga video dazzlement formerly associated with her songs put to film has been unsanctimoniously reduced to the dregs of pop culture fodder.  Gone are the days of grand spectacles of storytelling songs, hell, gone are the videos featuring costume changes.

With Days of Glory, we’ve got one scene. One outfit (unless you count that silk shirt thing), one hairstyle, one location.. a singular everything.  We don’t even have one product placement or one other.  Not only that, but it’s dull.  As a friend pointed out, it’s kind of a low rent version, of, well, Rent.

We get you have a penchant for musicals and emulating that she isn’t emulating Madonna, but rea-h-ly.. we’re bored.

One of the more.. interesting scenes (interesting because it had an extra)

Brock Anton, the moron now infamous for posting the below message on his FB during the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup Riot, apparently loves his white sunglasses.

As I’ve suspected for some time, douchebags love white sunglasses (and Louis Vuitton).

Now it’s a fact.

Maced in the face, hit with a Batton, tear gassed twice, 6 broken fingers, blood everywhere, punched a fucken pig in head with riot gear on knocked him to the ground, through the jersey on a burning cop car flipped some cars, burnt some smart cars, burnt some cop cars, I’m on the news….. One word…..
History )

Last night, the local Vancouver hockey team was decimated by their American challengers and thousands of morons took advantage of the mass disappointment to assault fellow revellers and police, destroy property and break into and loot local businesses.

Counting amongst the stores looted (as far as I know) is Louis Vuitton flagship, The Bay, Brooks Brothers, Michael Kors and a handful of smaller retailers which haven’t confired damage.  After searching on Craigslist today, it appears that 685 people have listed items on Craiglist tagged with Louis Vuitton. While not all of these people are criminals, I would wager that over half of this merchandise was looted last night.

We’ve learned that not only do douchebags hate books and love Louis Vuitton, but are also morons – what a crop of idiots just waiting to be hauled off to jail.

The level of hipocrisy is kind of hilarious when you think about it; Jeffrey Campbell served Forever 21 legal notice of action just over a week ago and now it appears that JC are releasing a very close clone of the famed Prada SS11 flatforms.

These Jeffrey Campbells are dubbed the Ad Long, and will be apparently appearing on Solestruck.com soon, if you’re interested.  I have to admit I rather love the Prada design, and while it’s silly there’s blatant copying (whilst suing, no less) – I have to admit I’m a little tempted to acquire the nude pair (there’s no way I’d pay $795 for an original, anyway).

There’s no word on how much the JC version will be, though one assumes about $150-170 will be the mark.  If you’re wanting a fake pair with actual espadrille detailing, Modekungen also has a close version for about $113.

Tobey Maguire has to be one of the most unsettlingly poor choices in the history of actors in fashion ad campaigns.  Maguire is boring, unattractive, shot horribly and looks brutally awkward as a preppy kid dressed up in his dad’s turtlenecks that he decided to poorly layer.

This is a sadly pitiful interpretation of a failed throwback image style that was better off not created.  Thanks for that, David Sims! (Well we won’t get petty.. he didn’t get a lot to work with)