Do you ever find yourself skipping over some of your favourite clothes  - perhaps designer pieces, or silk – when getting dressed for work, in fear of those dreaded sweat stains throughout the day and more dry cleaning bills? Michelle Shemilt did, and noticed that her Bay Street colleagues did too.

With no previous background in the fashion industry (aside from a bit of modelling) the Torontonian decided to dive right into a fashion venture that would provide a solution and “add an extra layer of confidence to women’s wardrobes.”

Her line, Nudy Patooty, is a basic undershirt line made from 95% supple bamboo fabrics, with an added 5% of spandex to maintain a form fit. With an added layer of protection in the underarm, the undershirts are anti-odour, 3x more absorbent than cotton and regulate your body temperature.

I think that any gal on the go can relate to Michelle’s experience and spot the need for this type of undergarment in their own wardrobe. Today Nudy Patooty’s crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo launched and I strongly encourage you to check it out and contribute if you feel inclined to do so. Your support through Indiegogo will also provide you with the opportunity to snap up Nudy Patooty tops in black or nude for the reduced price of $35 from the regular $50.

After trying on some of Michelle’s samples I can say that the fits are great and the fabrication is very soft and comfortable. Although I have yet to test out the product for an extended period of time, I feel confident that it would provide the extra protection and “layer of confidence” that she promises. Most importantly though, we have to support our young female entrepreneurs in this city and country. This girl deserves a pat on the back for being courageous enough to leave her Bay Street job and pursue her dream. Good luck Michelle and Nudy Patooty!

For more information please visit NudyPatooty.com and Indiegogo 

Corktown is quite a funny little place in Toronto. Surrounding the area you can find The Distillery District to the south, Regent Park and Cabbagetown to the north, Leslieville to the east and the financial district to the west. Over the past six years or so that I’ve lived in the area, I’ve seen it transform in a rather incredible way. Recently I read an article in which a Vancouver architect states that you can pin point the inevitable growth of a neighbourhood by the opening of a cool independent coffee shop. And that’s just how I felt when my favourite Corktown coffee shop, Redline, opened its doors. It was like a glimmer of hope for the neighbourhood, and since then shop after shop, and business after business has slowly begun to pop up along the sleepy stretch of Queen East.

Personally I love how quiet and ‘offbeat’ or ‘quirky’ the neighbourhood is, and while I hope that never goes away, I still get excited when I come across a new business in the area. Recently while walking home from the Distillery along Parliament, I couldn’t help but notice a bright new modern space that opened up on King Street. Most shops along that strip focus on furniture and home decor, so I was surprised to find that it was a spa upon taking a closer look.

As luck would have it, I received an email one week later from Prologue Lifestyle‘s co-owner, Elle, inviting me to experience the spa first-hand.

The spa interior is open, airy and modern (one of my biggest spa pet peeves is when they are overly frilly and girly) and I couldn’t help but admire and compliment their clean and sleek surroundings that would easily appeal to a more sophisticated clientele of both men and women. There aren’t too many spas around that I can think of off hand that make you feel like you’re hanging out in a cool loft space, but Prologue really does.

It could be because the spa’s owners, Elham (Elle) Ayoubzadeh and Raymond Luk, are both just really cool themselves, and ‘get’ their clientele because they are their clientele. They know what they want. For example, upon walking in Elle greets me and directs me to take a seat. Except I’m not shown to a dimly-lit room with trash magazines and zen fountain, instead I take a seat at their elongated counter and she pours me a glass of wine. It wasn’t any sort of special treatment either, Prologue’s wine and coffee bar is a permanent feature of the spa. When I admitted that I might have to come back just to use their bar as new work spot, Elle and Ray were totally welcoming, and revealed that many of their clients (including many who live in the connected condo) often pop in for a coffee or post-work “happy hour” even when they’re not due for a treatment.

When it comes to their products, Prologue has made a conscious effort to carry a small selection that is, for the most part, exclusive to them in Canada such as their products from Sun Bum and Nellie Tier. Brilliantly, they also launched an online store through their website in order to provide demand for their products to clients throughout North America, and to those in the city who seek the convenience of shopping from home.

The Signature Facial that I experienced that day was top notch, but I must emphasize how blown away I was by the spa itself and my overall experience. I think the concept behind Prologue Lifestyle is genius, and love how inviting and comfortable Elle and Ray have managed to make their stark (but striking) modern space. I wouldn’t be surprised if Prologue Lifestyle soon became the place to be in the east end on a Friday night.

Try somewhere new! For more information on Prologue Lifestyle please click HERE!

True to BOSS’ signature style, Womenswear Brand & Creative Director, Eyan Allen, created a collection featuring feminine silhouettes and sophisticated tailoring, combining natural shapes and three-dimensional details.

The men’s collection, adhered to a similar classic aesthetic.  Inspired by Menswear Brand & Creative Director, Kevin Lobo, the line featured timeless styles like double-breasted cashmere jackets, modernized with leather and fur embellishments.

Guests at the event included the international press, American celebrities including Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby) and Gerard Butler (Playing for Keeps), as well as Asian stars Chow Yun-fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and former Miss Hong Kong contestant turned actress, Cherie Chung (Once a Thief).

Things don’t get much better than a fab designer collaboration. I just love ‘em! As a major sucker for great packaging design, my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw Matthew Williamson for Benefit Costmetics‘ exclusive sleeve-wrapped Benetint and Highbeam.

These two products are serious no brainers from Benefit. It’s like not having a classic white t-shirt and good pair of jeans in your wardrobe. They’re basics that every beauty drawer needs. This week Benefit launched a giveaway on Facebook to offer a lucky winner the complete Matthew Williamson makeup kit, Matthew Williamson scarf and Foxy Originals for Benefit Bracelet.

To coincide with their main contest they have kindly provided one set of Matthew Williamson-wrapped Highbeam and Benetint for one lucky GracieCarroll.com reader to WIN!

All you have to do to enter is LIKE Benefit and GracieCarroll.com on Facebook and then comment below once complete. Contest ends on June 21st and is only open to Canadian residents. Good luck!

ps. don’t forget to visit Benefit on Facebook to enter their main giveaway to get your very own kit!

Today though, one need not depend on a studio to be crowned with fame; we can all be our own directors, streaming our very own multimedia reality program thanks to the far reaching world of social media. In the age of Twitter and Youtube, capturing the attentions of millions isn’t something for your bucket list, it’s for your daily to-do list.

This year’s Power Ball, an annual event hosted by Toronto’s Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, contemplated fast fleeting fame in our modern era, and paid a cheeky ode to the often crude pursuit of the spotlight (think Bling Ring, the ring kids not Emma Watson) by way of entertaining art installations.

Asked which “celebrity” they remember as having the most unforgettable 15 minutes of fame before completely disappearing, co-chairs, Anthony Novac and Isa Spalding, both go immediately to film.

“That has to be Mark Hamill, right? After Star Wars I think his next biggest gig was a cameo on The Muppets. Was there a more recognizable star from 1977-1983?” declares Novac. “In fairness [though], with three Star Wars movies, you might say he got 45 minutes.”

Alternatively, Spalding suggests Mercedes Ruehl. “Never heard of her?” she asks. “She rose to fame in 1991 when she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in The Fisher King. And after that? I’m not too sure, but I think she was on an episode of Law & Order.”

The unpredictable nature of the beast known as fame decorated the rooms at Power Ball. Between the open stage where interdisciplinary artist Zeesy Powers toyed with partygoers expectation, as she invited them on stage only to share with them her unfiltered first impression of them before the crowded room (the artistic shock value was in the guests reaction to Powers, captured on camera and projected for all to witness) and the “installed” party girls (artists KTL & Sybil) dressed up in tiaras and throwing cake decorated like a Visa card, the social commentary was as lively as DJs Physical Therapy and Deko-ze dance beats.

As for the evening’s most convincing pursuit of fame via notoriety, the award goes to the reveller who stepped out of her party dress (and panties!), just before the soirée end.

A toast to 15 minutes of fame!

When it comes to me and hats, we have a pretty sad relationship. It’s only in recent years that I’ve really become comfortable with wearing them in both summer and winter months. Before then, I always considered them a huge nuisance and couldn’t be bothered to fuss around with a contraption on my head.

Now that I do like to wear them, however, I’ve been faced with a bit of a problem: I always lose them. This winter alone I lost three of my favourite hats! I’m starting to seriously consider bringing back that childhood trend of tying everything to yourself. Remember when mittens were strung together and pulled through your jacket sleeves? Genius!

This summer I thought it would be great to get a classic Panama hat. It would be easy to wear, provide the protection that I need, style that I want, and wouldn’t be too floppy and annoying to deal with. When I met an old friend’s stylish pop over the last long weekend, he threw his Panama on top of my head and explained that if I were to get one I would have to look out for the Ecuador stamp to know it’s a genuine Panama.

Soon I found one I loved, but it was $150. It’s not that the price of the hat is too high, but I worried that it might be too much to spend on something that I would most likely lose in a matter of weeks, or even a week.

While digging through one of my favourite antique markets near my cottage on Saturday, I found this rather high-top straw hat, for a mere six dollars! And I thought: “now that’s a price I can afford to part with.”

What I Wore: Kate Hudson for Ann Taylor skirt (courtesy of Ann Taylor), vintage sun hat, Designers Remix tank top, Sol Sana sandals from Sauvage, Celine sunglasses.

Get The Look: Womens Insight Swimwear,  Silk cream maxi skirt from Tibi,  Pamela woven sun hat by Inverni, Smokey brown sunglasses by Tom Ford, Charm & chain ava name necklace by Sarah Chloe, Ryan neon-leather sandals from Juicy Couture

This past weekend marked the massive celebration for Arts & Crafts‘ 10th anniversary. Could there be a better way for one of the world’s major indie labels to celebrate a big birthday than to host a huge music festival in downtown Toronto? Don’t think so. With major bands like Broken Social Scene, Feist and Bloc Party headlining the show, the event was highly anticipated for months and was not to be missed. Since festival season is really just getting started, I sent my street style photographer, Rebecca Ramsdale, out in the field to track down some of the festival’s fashion highlights to get us inspired for the rest of the summer.

Where you at Field Trip on Saturday? What were some of your favourite festival highlights? Leave a comment and let us know!

Together with Toronto’s Hincks-Dellcrest Centre — a Toronto-based organization that helps over 8,000 children and families a year — Canadian screen stars including the evening’s hosts David Sutcliffe of CBC’s Cracked and Natalie Brown — next to be seen in in the television series Bitten on Space — came out to help raise funds in support of critical children’s mental health programs, such as prevention, early intervention, treatment, training, and research activities, as well as raise awareness around the issue of children suffering from mental health problems.

Other celebrities in attendance included musicians Jimmy Shaw of Metric, and the event’s DJs K-os, and Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene.

And what brand better than MaxMara — a fashion house renowned for creating classic contemporary looks — to turn to when in want of clothing and accessories that have elegance enough to infuse one’s look with a touch of Hepburn, while retaining a trendy and youthful element of cool.

To aid us in our effort to mature your seasonal closet, we called upon Avril Graham, the Executive Fashion & Beauty Editor of Harper’s BAZAAR, to share her expertise and guide us through the season’s hottest trends, and the corresponding must-haves from MaxMara this spring/summer.

Below, Graham divulges expert tips to help secure longterm wardrobe investments, rather than bids on passing fashions, plus the scoop on the clothing to help you do it.

Rule I: Colour — “It makes the whole outfit pop if you add that spot of colour.”

A fan of MaxMara’s revival of their colonial safari looks, Graham recommends perking up the muted tobacco tones of this trend with pops of “sunshine colours, almost like an African sun,” including coral and orange. Another go-to colour to contrast against neural palettes like black and white this season is azure blue, a “key colour” this spring/summer, picking up the perfect accessory in this shade (check out the bag below), makes for a versatile way to stay on trend.

Rule II: Graphic Patterns — ”You don’t have to have just the one pattern; it’s all about interpreting them in a much more artful way, and putting them together as one look.”

Graphic patterns are a wide spread SS13 favourite, while the trend of mixing patterns, too, has tickled down from the international runways on to high street fashion. As Graham suggests, try a more artful approach to patterns and give mix-matching a try. Or, go for a graphic black and white pattern, like the pant suit below, to channel the season’s in-demand ’60s vibe.

Rule III: Less is More — “Have a more elegant demeanour and err on the side of caution.”

Summer is the season of evening soirées, but, due to the diversity of cocktail parties — ranging from old school formal to new school smart casual — this can often present a tricky dilemma, namely: what is considered overdressed and what is deemed underdressed when speaking of official cocktail attire. Should our lady readers find themselves stuck on the matter of what qualifies as proper dress, do like Graham and just remember “not to show too much skin.” In other words, design your outfit around muted glamour, and go for a simple dress that relies on accessories to take it from smart casual to formal. We fell in love with Graham’s black and white silk pick above. Architectural in silhouette and classic in mood, this is a dress we are confident will do well at standing up against passing trends.

If you happen to be as obsessed with cute kitchenware as I am, then set of blue bird measuring cups featured in my Paleo Gluten-Free Coconut Flour Banana Pancakes recipe may have caught your eye. They are from non-other than the super cute online home shop, Colom and Brit. A coral sculpture from $24.00? Oh! Maybe the octopus is even better? Or do I just need them both? See, I can hardly visit the home page without filling up my shopping cart in mere minutes.

For this City Guide I wanted to step away from the major cities we all know and love, and instead learn about somewhere that’s not quite as obvious, but a hidden gem nonetheless. I called upon Colom and Brit‘s founder, Gloria Franklin, to give us a tour of her Cleveland, Ohio. After all, a woman with her eye and taste is sure to have some great recommendations for where to go. Take it away Gloria!

City Guide: Gloria Franklin of Colom and Brit’s Cleveland:

Where To Eat:

Breakfast: Breakfast at Sweet Melissa‘s is a great way to start off the day! The exposed brick wall and industrial lighting really gives the place character. I’m pretty plain when it comes to breakfast so I just go for the Classic but everyone loves their wraps. Get there early, it fills up quick!

Lunch: You have to have lunch outdoors in Little Italy. This place has so much charm! The brick road is lined with cafe tables and back-to-back, family-owned, old school Italian restaurants. Seriously, every place is so good, it’s hard to recommend just one restaurant. After lunch, stop by the Italian bakery and get a freshly made dessert to go.

Dinner: I tend to choose places to eat based on the restaurant’s atmosphere and decor rather than their actual food (seriously, I could order a rice cake and be perfectly happy as long as the restaurant had a great vibe), but if The Grotto in Shaker Square had an unimpressive environment, I would still eat there. This place really does have amazing food! They have an extensive wine menu and their chicken dish is delicious.

Where to Drink:

The Bar: Pier W has amazing panoramic views of Lake Erie. It’s known as one of the most romantic restaurants in Cleveland but if you go during happy hour, it’s way more laid back. The live pianist reserves the classical music for dinner and plays uptempo Billy Joel and such for happy hour. Great views, amazing bar, 1/2 off seafood, 1/2 off drinks, you can’t beat it!

The Party: The Warehouse District has the best nightlife in Cleveland. With blocks of bars, lounges and clubs all within walking distance, dancing and barhopping is highly encouraged.

Where to Shop:

The Shoppes at Crocker Park: Whenever the weather is nice in Cleveland, you have to be outside and enjoy it because it doesn’t last very long! Crocker Park is an outdoor mall filled with chain restaurants and great retailers like Anthropologie, H&M, Sephora, etc.

Yellowcake Shop: I am a Project Runway Junkie! Former contestant Valerie Mayen opened her own boutique and sells her designs right here in Cleveland.

Where to… go for a scenic drive: 

I like to drive down Lake Road in the Cleveland suburb of Bay Village. This street is borders the lake and is lined with charming lake cottages and beautiful mansions. There are plenty of areas to park and enjoy the beach as well.

Do you have any favourite spots in Cleveland? Leave a comment and let us know!