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Check out the new spring colors of Keds Champions. And at a cool $35, you can have both!

Start with some high-waisted denim shorts:

Lyell at Refinery 29

Next, go for understated ruffles during the day and high-drama ruffles at night:

Bib Button Top-Topshop; Robert Rodriguez Ruffle Top

Then casual sandals when it’s sunny and fancy when it’s dark:

Gladiator- Jeffrey Campbell; Woven Sandal-Frye

Tote for day, clutch for night:

Striped Tote-Forever 21; Gold Clutch-Hobo International

-Valentina

When you’re short and you pop on a pair of sneakers, you run the risk of looking like a baby. “Diminutive” is the word. And if you’re like me, you’re so obsessed with adding height that all your pants are hemmed way too long for flat shoes anyway.

Ah, the horror.

One solution for this age old problem might be at Oak. May I present to you the wedge sneaker? It sounds gross I know, and maybe the term makes you think of those yucks that Victoria Beckham once wore, but these are a far better, yes? Too bad they’re sold out.

There are a lot of short women in this country. Maybe our cries will finally being heard.

UPDATE: A wonderful reader let me know that they have them at Urban Outfitters.

–Valentina

The other day, this girl I know was saying she wished she could find some fancy jellies (shoes not food) and then Saturday, I saw these Jelly Flats from J.Crew. Personally, I think I’d wait until they went down from their $45 asking price, but do what you want.

They also have red, green and black.

–Valentina

Why have I been sitting on this Carin Wester lookbook when I should be sharing it with you? Laziness. Pure unadulterated laziness. But, here’s my mea culpa post, and I think it’s well worth the wait.

Carin Wester is a Stockholm-based designer who started her own brand in 2003 after working for Paul & friends. Elle named Wester “Newcomer of the Year” in 2004 and “Design of the Year” in 2005.

According to the press release, the brands latest collection, dubbed “Purple of Mogador,” is based on the African legend of Mogador, a sorcerer and alchemist who discovered purple–well, jesus, if you’re going to discover a color, purple is definitely the way to go. Another inspiration for the line is “the typical 1980s surban Amazon women.”

The line is all about contrast–silk mixed with hemp and linen, purple merged with subtle grey and beige. Also the men’s line has feminine features, while the women’s line has masculine touches (note the frilly men’s shirt above).

Oh, and there are shoes too!

–Valentina

If you’re not in love with Susie Bubble check your pulse. Everyday on Style Bubble, she dazzles with her amazing fashion instinct and uncanny ability to wear everything well. And then she’s so cute and humble, you can’t even hate her.

Yeah, she’s one of those girls.

Check out her spread in the “Fashion on the Internet” issue of Fashion156.com. See Susie model designs by Simone Shailes, Sachio Kawasaki, Mary Katrantzou, Scott Ramsay Kyle, and Sukriti, and eat your heart out.

-Valentina

I’ve been bopping around in my canvas Keds Champions ever since Spring hit. However, I’ve reverted to my 6th grade self by wearing them sans laces. It’s an okay look, but admittedly kind of sloppy. So, I was pretty excited to see these Vans Aunthentic Lo Downs in Lucky magazine.

The lack of the third lace hole perks the style up a bit, and polishes up the classic shoe. I’m into it, but I’m waiting for the blue to come out.

-Valentina.

I used to live for this De La Soul video, and I felt like watching it today, so voila! I give you “Me, Myself & I.”

And here’s what’s on Threadtrend’s radar:

• I almost peed my pants when I saw these Used Jeans on Denimology.

• Fashionologie has pics of those crazy Agyness Deyn mannequins. Is this Agyness mania getting a little out of hand, or is it just me?

• Trendinista compares the Christian Dior Fall 08 collection to orchids.

• Around the Way Girls has Dimepiece Designs‘ Summer 08 collection.

• Vice interviews Renata Molho who remembers when fashion wasn’t all about profit.

Everyone knows that Louis Vuitton hates copycats, but this is ridiculous.

Artist Nadia Plesner started her Simply Living campaign last October, selling posters and shirts depicting a Darfur victim. The twist is that the victim channels Paris Hilton, while carrying a chihuahua and a designer bag.

Her thought process for the project was this:

My illustration Simple Living is an idea inspired by the medias constant cover of completely meaningless things. My thought was: Since doing nothing but wearing designerbags and small ugly dogs appearantly is enough to get you on a magasine cover, maybe it is worth a try for people who actually deserves and needs attention.

One hundred percent of the profits go to Divest for Darfur, a foundation that helps the victims of the genocide. Pretty awesome, right?

Well, Louis Vuitton doesn’t think so.

According to Plesner’s website, the luxury goods company sent her a letter in February, demanding that she end the campaign immediately and referring to her website as “Exhibit 1.” Like any self-respecting artist, Plesner told them she wouldn’t comply with their request. So…..on April 15, they slapped her with a lawsuit. The company, which is known for aggressively fighting LV fakes, has demanded:

• $7,500 for each day that Plesner continues the charity campaign
• $7,500 for each day their letter is published on her website
• $7,500 a day for using the Louis Vuitton name on her website

And that’s not all. They also want her to pay for their lawyers and $15,000 for damages.

I’m sorry to not be more eloquent, but they’re really a bunch of dicks. I don’t really buy their intellectual property argument. This is art, and it’s not even being sold for profit but, rather, to help human beings who are living under horrific conditions.

I find it totally frustrating that Louis Vuitton promotes their brand and image as iconic, practically acting like their product is integral to our civilization, but then pulls this kind of stuff when an artist portrays it as such. They can’t have it both ways. If they want to sell their goods as symbols of luxury, they should expect that artists would contrast that with symbols of human suffering.

They should be happy that their symbol is earning money for a worthy cause. Now go buy the stuff.

-Valentina

Source.

The thing about Anthropologie is that they’ve got a lot of “cute, if only” stuff, meaning almost everything in that store would be cute if only it didn’t have a giant bow, a big floral applique, or giant buttons right on the thighs. I can’t handle too much razzle dazzle.

That said, I will say this for the place, they have great jeans–they carry Joe’s Jeans that aren’t in other stores–and sweet shoes, like these bronze peeps:

They’re a great replacement for the ubiquitous flip-flop.

–Valentina