As casual, everyday, “be-seen-in-public” mens and womens footwear, Crocs have to be the ugliest and least stylish shoes I’ve ever seen. Wearing them to the beach, in the garden, during torrential downpours of rain, at home, or as your only option after bunion surgery, is a dash more acceptable. But only in the ultimate practical sense. I’m all for comfortable shoes, but Crocs look really unflattering (and I personally don’t even find them comfortable).

However, shrink them down to toddler- or pre-school size and they’re perfectly adorable. Everything looks cute when it’s child-size. Alas, Crocs for grown-ups are still being offered by the shelf load at department stores, which leads me to believe that there’s a market for them. I just can’t see these garish rubber shoes working in any adult’s stylish wardrobe.

Am I the odd one out?

Crocs are cute when they are little, but then again… what isn’t? 

Oversized bags and totes are all the rage, but your body shouldn’t ache as a result. Fashion is for fun, not for pain. If you remember two simple things, you’ll sport a statement bag with style and comfort:

• Consider the weight of the bag itself. Large leather bags with loads of pocket and hardware detail can weigh a ton before you’ve even packed your essentials. Faux leather/patent, plastic, PVC, nylon, and canvas fabrications make for lighter and cheaper options. If you are going to go leather, keep design features simple as this tends to shed excess weight off any bulky bag. 
• Don’t pack the kitchen sink. Be ruthless with what you need daily and try and find ways to downsize everything. If the interior of your handbag is a mess, empty its contents and re-pack.

Don’t damage your posture and wreck your outfit by lugging around a heavy handbag. A roomy, light and uncluttered version is a more practical and healthy solution.

A large PVC tote and simple leather bags with no hardware or outside pocket detail.

As an update to last season’s gladiator footwear look, the opulent thong sandal continues to trend for Summer. This year they’re less warrior-like, a little more lady-like and perfect with just about any summer ensemble. Wear these shiny strappy flats with dresses, skirts, jeans, cotton-rich pants, leggings, shorts and swimwear. From bejeweled beauties to patent, colourful or metallic options, there’s something for all thong sandal wearers. While they don’t make my essential “must have” list, they’re certainly a nice to have. Versatile, timeless and ageless, a lavish thong sandal is the ultimate answer to casual chic.

A selection of smart flat thong sandals from Zappos.com. I bought the “Me Too” (middle row on the right) metallic pair last Summer and they’re still going strong. They’re comfortable and make my “4-hour” mark.

If you’ve been here before, you probably know how I feel about perfect pant lengths. In most cases you’ll be buying pants that are longer than you need and having them shortened, but it is also possible to go the other way: taking down the hems of pants is a solution that we often forget.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to do with jeans, where there is no real hem. But it does work well with other types of pants if you alter them correctly:

• You’ll need enough of a hem before you start: an inch or more will do the trick. A good tailor can utilize an entire hem if they use bias binding. Bias binding is sewn onto the edge of the hem and acts as an additional piece of fabric. This allows the tailor to take down the hem without having to borrow from the fabric to sew another hem back in. You’ll be surprised how effective this method can be, and an inch can make all the difference.
• Have pant hems altered before wearing them because hem creases can be steamed out successfully before the dry-cleaning or washing process. Crease lines tend to become permanent after laundering.

I’ve lengthened quite a few pairs of slacks this way and it really works. You can also apply the same lengthening method to unlined jacket sleeves and skirts. So the next time an item falls a wee bit short in the length, remember to check whether you can take down the hem.

An example of bias binding.