I recently bought Munro’s Kimi loafers in white because they’re a hit with several of my clients. Their verdict was unanimous: it’s a brilliant walking shoe. Well made, cushioning, buttery soft, supportive, and all-round fabulously comfortable. Plus, I love their sleek, sporty and masculine vibe. 

I ordered my usual size in a medium width. I fitted them on, loved the look, and my feet were instantly happy. Great. That meant I could move onto the next phase of road testing their comfort, which means wearing them at home for a while to get an even better measure of their comfort. Unfortunately, things began to go downhill because the vamps — right around the hardware detailing — were slightly too snug and rubbed the tops of my feet. Blast. 

I didn’t want to do my wet feet trick because that would stretch the entire shoe. And since the rest of the shoe fit really well, I wasn’t going to risk the result. Then I remembered that our forum member Shannon stretches her shoes with potatoes. It’s as simple as placing a large potato in the opening of the shoe for a day or two, or even longer, to stretch the leather. Make sure they are pushed in hard and tight. And it worked. I debuted the shoes over the weekend and the roomier opening has stopped the rubbing. And the more I wear the shoes, the more comfortable they’ll become. 

The potato stretching method probably works best with soft leather. I don’t see it working all that well with patent leather or pleather, but it might be worth a try anyway. Just another reason to love potatoes.

Olivier Theyskens parting ways with Theory, an exhibition exploring the history of Rudeboy culture, a manga-inspired astrology website and other fashion news that caught our attention this week.

• On June 12, H&M launched its first Canadian Home Collection in-store boutique at the West Edmonton Mall. 
• Olivier Theyskens is parting ways with Theory to “pursue other design projects”.
• If you’re interested in the history of Rudeboy culture, then the “Return of the Rudeboy” exhibition at Somerset House in London may be just the thing for you. You can check out more pics of the beautifully curated collection and fab sartorial swagger over at That’s Not My Age.
• Kate Spade has launched “on purpose”, a for-profit initiative that benefits local artisans in Rwanda.
• For the astrology and manga fans: Kenzo just launched Kenzodiac, a standalone website that will deliver horoscopes all Summer long.
• This Autumn, H&M will launch “an extended and improved shoe range for women, men, teenagers and children”.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that the false sleeves worn with women’s clothing in the 18th and 19th century are called engageantes? These were usually ruffles or flounces that were tacked to the then fashionable elbow-length sleeves so they could be removed for cleaning.

Brown is often overlooked, but shoes, bags and belts in the earthy colour can be a great way to finish off an outfit. As a nod to Summer, stick to browns that are a little lighter, like tan, taupe, chestnut and cognac. 

This particular smart casual ensemble matches a pair of Summer jeans — rolled at the cuff or cropped — with a dressier top and brown accents. Choose any colour palette and feel free to throw in some pattern. The example on the left is light, soft and pretty, while the example on the right is moodier with a harder edge. 

Here are the components: 

Jeans: Choose white, black, blue or grey skinnies, or straight leg jeans. Roll them at the ankle so that they look Summery. Or wear boyfriend jeans, or cropped jeans. If you want to look especially vibrant for Summer, jeans in a colour are another way to go.

Top: Choose a top that is dressier than a tee or slubby piece of knitwear. Think silk blouses, boxy shirts and draped styles in fluid fits. Any style at all really. I’ve chosen a few silk blouses, a tuxedo shirt, and a draped style. Partially or fully tuck the top to showcase the brown belt. 

Footwear: Choose brown sandals or pumps with ankle straps. That way you’ll give cropped or rolled jeans some structure. A brown peep-toe bootie is another way to go. 

Accessories: Add a belt in a shade of brown. Your outfit will probably feel more pulled together if you keep the browns of your belt and footwear a similar shade, but it’s not essential to do so. Skinny and broad belts are both fab. Studded belts work well too. Throw in a bag of your choice in any shade of brown. Alternatively, a cheetah shoe, bag or belt which incorporates the same shades of browns works well. Add jewellery, eyewear and watch as desired. 

This is the type of outfit that will take you just about anywhere these days. I bet you’ll be able to shop your closet for most of these items already. 

White denim makes a bigger mark every season, and we’re loving it. Here are some extra tips for those who are still hesitant to give this warm weather staple a try.

• First check out Angie’s 12 Tips for Feeling Fab in White Bottoms — They have been extremely helpful for me.
• Fabsugar brings us five ways to work this Summer staple. Plus they also share a video with 10 more ideas on how to wear white denim.
• Already Pretty’s Sally has great tips on how to style white jeans.
• StyleCaster tells us What to Wear With White Jeans This Summer (And Where to Buy Them).
• Harper’s Bazaar shows us nine fresh ways on how to style your white jeans.
• If you’re in a skirt mood, then check out these suggestions on how to wear a white denim skirt instead.

Fab Links from Our Members

Makeup artist Lisa Eldridge recently did a video on how to recreate Alexa Chung’s makeup look on Alexa herself. The look is inspired by Jane Birkin and Françoise Hardy, and could be fun for YLFers whose style inspiration is the ’60s, says T.

Vildy is very taken with the S/S 2014 DENT de MAN collection, and would gladly wear these clothes herself.

If anyone’s planning on doing some travelling this Summer, lyn* found this blog post about how to not look like a tourist quite useful. She also liked some of the stories that were in the comments.

Angie found this article about the 11 Most Iconic Movie Sunglasses of All Time. She is going with Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Top Gun as her favourites.

Angie would also like to share this article about celebs flying in style. Great candid shots with kids and spouses in tow.

Laurinda informs us that there’s a good chance that bankrupt Coldwater Creek will be resurrected as it has been purchased by private equity firm Sycamore Partners. The same firm that also has Aeropostale, Stuart Weitzman and Talbot in its portfolio.