I remember in the 1990s when being environmentally friendly was just beginning to pick up steam. For the first time it meant that you had to wear Birkenstocks and carry around a netted tote as your handbag/grocery bag/carry-all. In my opinion, it was all too “vanilla,” or should I say “granola.” But now the environmental movement has really garnered steam and being eco-friendly is, well, chic. Not only is it no longer socially acceptable to use plastic bags but if you do, they’re fi...

What is my mother like? Think Joanne McLeod, but with style. Growing up, I would stumble into the kitchen for a snack, and there she would be, standing beside her Hal Johnson (my stepfather), giving me the eerie impression they had just wrapped filming an episode for a knock-off of Body Break, those 90-second television spots featuring Johnson and McLeod telling viewers to “keep fit and have fun.” A health fanatic, my mother has ...

Days ago, eager to go for a stroll with my baby but not brave enough for the cold, I headed to the mall for a low-key adventure. Happily hidden in the crowds, I was outed by a man who called to me from a vending kiosk in the centre aisle. "Miss, do you wear makeup?" he cried out, desperate for a sale, any sale. "No," I replied, wanting to run now that eyes were on me. "You look beautiful," he said to my back as I walked away. It’s silly, but today I’m still wondering if he was ly...

I was barely into my fall wardrobe expansion when the cacophony of economic experts spouting warnings — Total collapse! Recession imminent! — dampened my enthusiasm for new boots. There's nothing like talk of a struggling economy to take the wind out of a shopping spree. Put simply: I don't want to jeopardize the ongoing evolution of my closet. So with a little creativity and planning I plan to embrace frugality through a more creative approach to shopping. I hit the fashi...

Modelling is one of those careers that chooses you. At least that’s how it was for Kristen Vander Hoeven — that is, until a bright idea put her choice of career in her own hands. In 2007, 22-year-old Kristen — still working as a model — established Tootsie Shoppe, an online store showcasing her new fashion creation: lingerie for the feet. Kristen was born in London, On. in 1986. Her mom started the Fashion Design program at Fanshawe College. “At home, she was always in the sewing...