Now, I can already hear your shudders as I write this. However, the new breed of crop tops that have popped up all over the S/S ’12 runways like the ones seen in Proenza Schouler (pictured above) and Prada are sophisticated and streamlined. I promise.

Now, to pull this trend off successfully without regressing back to your Spice girl days there are a few key rules to keep in mind:

1. This trend is for a girl who considers her mid-section among her best assets. If you are self conscious in the slightest about your tummy (justified or not), throw in the towel before you even begin and focus on accentuating a part of your body that you love.

2. Do not show your belly button. Where possible, pair your crop top with a high-waisted skirt or trousers. By doing so, you’re not only drawing attention to the tiniest part of your waist, but you are keeping the look classy.

3. If you MUST show your belly button, cover everything else up. The belly button is the “nipple” of the stomach, so if you find that you absolutely have to show it, cover your arms and legs. Otherwise, you might find yourself looking like a back up dancer for Rihanna (read: sexy but tacky).

Loving these. Fresh, funky, fresh….fresh..dope…fly. Not to lose my train of thought, just distracted at this wonderfully colour blocked boat shoe and moccasin hybrid. Aldo Korda Shoes. Not a bad piece for my wardrobe to acquire. While the insole has me irked (they keep coming up, gah), the exterior is nothing short of perfection. These will carry me right into summer, and for a leather upper and chockful of style, I’m impressed that they rang in at $45. Brilliant.

By now, you must have seen the Tory Burch +FEED bags that are all over Toronto thanks to the collaboration with the designer, Lauren Bush of Feed, and Holt Renfrew.

The concept is quite simple: purchase a bag made from the same burlap material used in previous FEED designs peppered with the Tory Burch iconic logo and a boho-esque strap (for only $50 I may add), and help to raise $100,000 for the FEED and Tory Burch Foundations. This equates to 500,000 meals and $50,000 in microfinance and mentoring which will empower children and women by investing in their futures.

It’s the least that can be done to help those in need, and for the extremely fashion conscious, this bag is a limited edition so you just may be the most stylish do-gooder on your block (I’ve been told more than once that I’ve been the first one seen with the bag – ‘sclusie!).

The bags are available in pink, yellow, and red & blue at Holt Renfrew stores Canada wide and as mentioned, once they’re gone, they’re gone (they were in stores as of May 10^th, so hurry!).

Here’s a video to tell you a bit more about the collabo:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Holt’s is always collaborating with designers and different organizations to partner with for their philanthropic efforts. Keep checking back to see what’s next.

Love these. My brand new go to shades that I’ve been wearing day and…okay not night. But daily. These Ray Ban Wayfarers are a classic but with a little bit of a twist (gradient gray). Pretty brilliantly casual and easy to love in the sun – simple, reflective, and I’m sure will carry from season to season. ShadesDaddy.com has been my go-to source for shades, my last one being from Carrera Aviators (that I’ve obsessively worn for two years) – adore wearing ‘em while away too. Err. PS. Don’t mind the multiple watches – for an article coming up for MTV.ca/FORA.

Pick ‘em good at ShadesDaddy.com! xo

For the longest time, hot pink was written off in my books as being too “Barbie”, too juvenile, and generally too impractical for a neutral-colour-loving girl like myself. “I’ll stick to peaches, blushes, and baby pinks,” I would convince myself every time I got a sudden urge to lunge towards a brighter hue on the pink spectrum – “I could never pull off hot pink without looking like a pre-pubescent eighth grader”.

Well, with ever-prominent bright colours hitting high-street stores and runways, I came to the realization that penning Crayola colours as a no-no may have been a little too closed-minded of me. After waking up one morning feeling particularly ambitious, I decided to ease myself into the trend with this blouse from H&M’s Exclusive Conscious collection. After overcoming my preconceived connotations of the colour, I have been unable to turn a blind-eye to the brights and have subsequently been inching my favourite neutral garments to the back of my closet to make room for the plethora of crazy-coloured stuff I’ve been acquiring at alarmingly rapid paces. Although I’m becoming acutely aware that I’m on my way to ending up looking like a bad rendition of Rainbow Brite, I’m kind of okay with that because at least people will know that I’m having fun!

Denim jacket, blouse and shorts from H&M, Marni at H&M shoes, Lanvin loves H&M necklace, Club Monaco socks.