Giorgio Armani | Derek Lam | Philosophy | Araks | Lyn Devon | Marni

Do you remember gaucho pants? They were these horrid loose knit pants with wide legs that ended mid-calf and were all the rage in the mid-2000s. I remember them vividly because I was in middle school—a time when it is so easy to succumb to peer pressure—and gaucho pants were the trend of the pre-teen. Even back then I hated them, and it was then that I learned that just because something is trendy it doesn't mean it's a good look.

Anyways, I bring up gaucho pants because lately the culotte has made a serious comeback. Upon first glance the culotte and the gaucho pant are virtually the same: wide leg pants/shorts that end anywhere from the knee to the ankle. But the culotte is the chic older cousin of the gaucho pant, and somehow I love it while still despising the gaucho pant.

It's all in the material, and, as always, what the culotte is styled with. I'm sure Leandra Medine could have made gaucho pants look stylish with her amazing talent to create unique looks, just as a pair of culottes could go horribly awry with the wrong pairings.

In my humble opinion culottes work best with structured box tops and heels. If you want to be daring you can play up the oversized proportions by adding an oversized sweater, but for a polished, work-appropriate look I would stick with some structure and balance. Heels add sophistication to the outfit, but a smart pair of loafers or oxfords could work nicely.

Leandra Medine | Street Style | Street Style | Eleanora Carisi | Christine Reehorst

There is certainly potential for cool looks with a pair of culottes. And with winter approaching they're a nice alternative to boring structured pants if you are yearning for a break from them. 

The arrival of cooler weather often leads people to find out how to best stay comfy and cozy with their clothing choices. The lazy individual will reach for a sweatshirt and some boots and call it a day, but we fashionistas know better. There is, after all, a way to stay comfy and cute.

And so the fashion gods decided shearling would be the trendy texture of the season. Thank goodness! Ugg boots are almost acceptable again (keyword: almost) and there are plenty of options if you are looking to add some shearling to your look.

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Are you ready to give shearling a try, or is this a trend that you'll watch from afar?

Lacoste | Christian Dior | Lisa Perry | Louise Goldin | Marni | Rag & Bone

Top | Cap | Tote | Sneakers | Skirt | Bracelet

Robert Clergerie Caliba Leather Sandals | Givenchy Floral-Print Double-Buckle Sandals

Marni Spring 2014

Source

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Givenchy Spring 2014

The Man Repeller

Preen Resort 2014

Band of Outsiders; Tommy Hilfiger; Tory Burch; Marni; Opening Ceremony

When you grow up in a vacation town, you learn to loathe any temporary visitors above all other things. They infiltrate our beaches and most-beloved hangout spots, they seem to have trouble grasping the driving laws, and they ask you embarrassingly-ridiculous questions like "Where is the beach?" (Seriously, guys. It's a mile-wide island, it is not that hard to find the ocean.)

There are a lot of things about tourists that drive us locals absolutely insane, but the worst thing in the world has got to be their god-awful fashion sense. Fanny packs, socks with sandals, unironic Hawaiian shirts - the whole thing is an interesting sight (but not in a good way).

Marc Jacobs; Marni; J. Crew

And then comes Spring 2014. I had already seen the beginnings of the troubling trend on street style stars and I hoped it would quietly come and go, but Marc Jacobs and Miuccia Prada, to name a few perpetrators, took many aspects of tourist wear and turned them into sartorial stars. People can't stop gawking over the bedazzled Teva sandals at Prada and the socks-with-sandals combo at shows like Band of Outsiders.

For so long I've been sure that these were the clothes of the outsider, the stranger, the person who comes and actually stays at the fancy hotel that my friends and I occasionally sneak into. And now the tables have turned, and these tacky tourist staples are actually cool? No freakin' way.

Of course, where the tourist wears these garments out of comfort, utility, and mistaken stylishness, the fashion-savvy artfully arrange their fanny packs and visors with sleek, minimalist jumpsuits and dresses to achieve the ultimate fashion equilibrium between utterly cool and hopelessly dorky. Not an easy accomplishment, I must say, but even I'll admit they look pretty awesome.

Three years after foot surgery and I still can't force my feet into the beautiful Prada 5" heels that patiently wait in their shoebox. High heels were my nemesis pre-surgery, but now they are even more disastrous. And to be honest, at 5'8" I don't really need the extra height.

Still, I do feel somewhat left out when shoe designers everywhere are obsessing over fun stilettos and heels that I cannot possibly wear.

So imagine my delight when discovering that fashion designers were taking a new-found interest in flats and smaller heels- shoes that may be, dare I say, both practical AND stylish.

Everyone from Marc Jacobs to Miuccia Prada was dishing up high-impact shoes without the teetering high heels of seasons past. And lucky for you and me, designers of all price points are offering up low heels for spring. Take your pick!