Tired of the same old coat and hats from countless winter seasons ago? It may be time to update your winter wardrobe with a few new signature items. While a full closet revamp may not be in the cards (or budget), anyone can give their style a facelift by incorporating some of the season’s hottest trends and women’s accessories. We’ve put together a list of some of our favorites this season, guaranteed to bring new life to your classic winter fashion.

Statement Coat

Chances are, you have a go-to winter coat that’s warm, reliable, and likely a shade of black or grey. While a basic winter jacket is something everyone should own, why not add in a little something different in the mix with a statement coat. Outerwear is one of the easiest ways to express personal style and incorporate different colors and designs, and there’s no shortage of brands and designers to choose from. What makes it a statement is up to you. You could choose a bright, eye-catching color like yellow or pattern like plaid. Or choose a different fabric like faux fur or velvet. Feeling a little old school? Go with a vintage-inspired style.

Colored Leggings

Another easy way to step up your winter wardrobe is to step into some unexpected leggings. If you don’t already own a pair, leggings are a great addition to your closet and are versatile enough that you’re sure to wear them often. They can be worn with oversized sweaters and sweater dressers, and fit perfectly under boots (another winter staple). But don’t just stick to basic black — the beauty with leggings is they come in so many colors and can add a lot of personality to an outfit with very little effort. Even if you’re not into the leggings look, a pair of non-blue jeans will have the same effect. Try a dark red or even green velvet to stay current (and festive) for the season.

Oversized Sweater

These have been winter must for years, so chances are you have one or two hanging in your closet. And while on their own they may not seem too exciting, paired with right accessories an oversized sweater can really make an outfit pop. Practically speaking, these sweaters are perfect for the cooler weather. Warm and comfortable? A total winter win. Pair it with some tight leggings, booties and a chunky necklace, and you’ll be inspiring some serious style envy. Top it off with that statement jacket, and you’ll be ready for even the fiercest winter (and runways).

Ankle Booties

While boots have long been the winter shoe of choice, try diversifying your collection with some booties. These hit just at the ankle and go great with leggings and dresses. But if you love the idea of your tall boots and you’re feeling especially adventurous, you could even go the other direction and invest in some thigh-high boots. These have been making more and more appearances over the years, and have become a popular variation on the classic boot. And don’t forgot that perfect pair of cozy socks to go with whichever boot you choose. Check out a great site like MuckBootCompany.com to find a variety of quality boots in numerous styles.

These don’t have to be boring anymore; go for a nice pair of thick, wool socks or choose a boutique brand like Stance. This awesome company lets you make custom socks, so you can stay truly stylish from head to toe. Find styles perfect for any preference—get silly with pineapple designs, throw on a pair of Rihanna-designed footwear, or even check out some sporty and hilarious Allen Iverson socks for your favorite guy. Who knew socks could be so exciting?

Chunky Scarf

One of winter’s finest accessories has to be the scarf. Another staple that’s flown high on the fashion radar over the years, scarves have become part of the essential winter wardrobe, and lightweight, colorful scarves have been adorning outfits for the past few seasons. This year, mix it up with chunky scarf (or try the newer, cozier blanket scarf) to keep it warm while making a statement.

Add a few of these items this fashion repertoire, and you’ll be ready to brave the season in style.

The post Giving Your Winter Wardrobe a Facelift appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona

Ever bought a new pair of shoe that are tight or half a size smaller?

Recently I bought *counting* five pairs of shoes from the recent FJ Benjamin warehouse sales and two out of the five pairs are pumps. I’ve always adore GUESS shoes although their shoes could be quite high and slim for my fatty feet :D. All along I assume imported brands is larger in size but I couldn’t even fit into my usual Size 7! Warehouse sales could be a bit troublesome to ask for shoe to try so I ended up with Size 7.5 after I fail to fit in Size 7.

Fortunately for me I accidentally came across a tutorial from Michelle Phan on how to expand or stretch new shoe so I tried it on my “zebra” pumps and it works! I thought you might want to know this trick too so here’s my version on How To Stretch Your Shoe

According to Michelle Phan, this method will be able to stretch leather shoe permanently from half a size to a full size larger. Synthetic material shoe will work just fine but you might need to repeat the process as and when needed. I’m not sure what is my shoe’s material made from. I believe I saw a label stated cow leather or something. Anyway I’m just going to assume mine is made from synthetic material lol

First, you will need two zip lock sandwich bag. I bought a box from Ikea previously. There’s two different sizes of sandwich bag in a box and I’m using the small bags. Even that also it’s too huge for my shoe.

Next, fill in with some water. Not too much. Pour away or add in to get the right amount later if needed.

Grab the corner and try gathering all the water on the other corner and stuff the edge into your new pumps. The type of pumps could be a fully covered like mine or a peep toe. It doesn’t matter. You will know which part of the shoe is tight on your feet so make sure that area is nicely covered with the bag of water.

Then, put the whole shoe in the freezer until the water in the bag is fully frozen and turned to ice :D. For this step, make sure you clean the base of the shoe before putting into the freezer for hygiene purposes. My shoe is brand new and mum is okay with it ;). What I do is I’ll put the shoe in the freezer at night. By the time I went to bed, the water has turned into ice.

Once the water has frozen into ice, take the shoe out from the freezer and let the ice thaw (unfreeze) at room temperature. As for me, I will take the shoe out right before I go to sleep. There will be some water sweat from the thawing process but don’t worry, a little water is fine.

By the time the whole bag of ice finished it’s thawing process, take the bag out and wipe the shoe down with a cloth or tissue. Then try the shoe on! You will notice that the shoe is somehow looser. I don’t agree with Michelle Phan that the shoe will expand to one size larger. It is definitely looser, maybe half a size but not as loose as one full size.

The reason why I do the freezing at night before bed and thawing in the middle of the night is because I can wear the shoe the next morning :).

There are concerns on whether the shoe will be too large or loose after using this method. Look…you only do this little trick when your shoe is too tight or too small on you. You just don’t do this when the shoe fits perfectly on you. That’s the whole purpose of this tips – to make your new shoe more comfortable. It’s not going to give you a major size change so don’t sweat about it

As for me, I like to finish it off with Scholl Leather Heel Liners. This makes the walking more comfortable without the friction at the back that is possible in causing skin peeling

Hope you enjoyed and learnt a trick or two with this simple fashion tips. It certainly works for me and I do hope it does to you too!

The post Fashion Tips: How To Stretch Your Shoe appeared first on Street Love. by Fiona