March 04, 2019 at 08:34AM by CWC Whether you live a cruelty-free lifestyle or want to make a few small changes with the planet in mind, vegan shoe brands are a great place to start in the wardrobe department. Going beyond cool sneakers and slip-on sandals (brands like Birkenstock and Vans have been making vegan styles for years), myriad labels are popping up and delivering on non-granola styles. “It’s so wonderful that consumers are demanding stylish, ethical, and sustainable shoe options because there are so many great choices now,” says Rachael Wang, a stylist and brand consultant who recently transitioned to a cruelty-free wardrobe. “The vegan Birkenstock Arizona is one of the first shoes I leaned heavily on when I first transitioned to a cruelty-free wardrobe,” she shares. Over a year later, the fashion insider has discovered a few new favorites: “I love Rafa for their sassy-heeled sandals in fun colors, which are equally great with worn out Levi’s or a sweet sundress. Sydney Brown makes great ‘work’ shoes [that are] stylish but polished and comfortable—I especially love their mules. Matt & Nat makes my favorite vegan boots.” A life-long fan of Dr. Martens (the brand has a super solid vegan selection), Wang forecasts the label as an ethical front-runner for 2019. “I rotate between the six-eyelet matte black low top, the 16-eyelet combat boot and the pull tab Chelsea boot (which will be big for fall if Celine-alum Daniel Lee’s first runway collection at Bottega Veneta is any indication).”
Category: City
We got Google to share its most-searched spring fashion trends—here are the ones you can start wearing now
March 01, 2019 at 04:28AM by CWC Before you @ me for talking about spring fashion trends, March 20, also known as the first day of spring, is less than three weeks away. It’s still definitely wintering outside, but the days are getting longer and with that additional sunlight comes the promise of warmer weather and transitional dressing. When it comes to the latter, there’s good news: Some of the top searched spring fashion trends, according to Google, are ones that you can start mixing into your wardrobe now. I reached out to the ultimate search-engine and asked it to pull data on its most-searched trends for spring. While I could have predicted that retro sneakers (hi, Gigi Hadid x Reebok!), headbands (via every single street style star on Instagram), and tones of pink, would have piqued interest of shoppers all over the country, there were others that surprised and intrigued me enough to re-evaluate my own wardrobe for the season to come. Check out all the top spring fashion trends below in order of search volume. 1. Fringe Photo: Stocksy/GIC The fringe trend has expanded for spring, surpassing its Americana roots and settling comfortably in sportswear and after-hours staples alike. Our picks H&M Sweatshirt with Fringe, $28 Zara Fringed Pareo Skirt, $40 Jacquemus Capri Fringed Bouclé Midi Skirt, $635 2. Tie-dye Photo: Stocksy/Leandro Crespi From Proenza Schouler, R13, and more, tie-dye hit the spring runways in full-force, infiltrating everything from tailored suiting looks to oversized athleisure hoodies. Add a bit
What’s the deal with people who don’t get jet lag—and how can I be more like them?
February 27, 2019 at 01:53PM by CWC Traveling is the best. New places! New foods! New Instagram-worthy photos to send everyone back home! But jet lag? Not so much. There’s nothing that will harsh your vacation high faster than stepping off a nine-hour flight, checking into your hotel, accidentally closing your eyes…and immediately falling asleep for the next 13 hours. It’s even more inconvenient if you’re traveling with someone who doesn’t get jet lag. What are you supposed to do when you’re fighting to keep your eyes open while your traveling companion is ready for a wine-and-cheese fueled tour of Paris? Jet lag, per the National Sleep Foundation, is an “imbalance in your body’s ‘biological clock’ caused by traveling to different time zones.” Basically, your sleep patterns are dictated by your body’s circadian rhythms (the mechanism in your body that responds to light and dark, which is what tells your body to start producing melatonin). Everyone’s circadian rhythms are different, which is why you might be a morning person while your boyfriend loves burning the midnight oil. And messing with those natural rhythms (like traveling on a 23-hour flight to Tokyo), can cause exhaustion, brain fog, trouble sleeping, and all the other fun symptoms of jet lag. Rebecca Robbins, M.S., Ph.D., of the Center for Healthful Behavior Change at NYU School of Medicine and co-author of Sleep for Success! recommends thinking of it this way: Have you ever stayed out really late on a Friday night and then slept in on Saturday morning?
These giant Japanese oranges are the seedless citrus treat you and your immune system need right now
February 27, 2019 at 07:59AM by CWC Punxsutawney Phil is a liar: This is the winter that never ends. One week, it’s Polar Vortexing. Then the next, a beautiful sunny day turns into a straight-up ice storm. Since cozy coats can only do so much good in protecting you from the ridiculously cold weather, there’s another way you can ensure you and your immune system stay strong the rest of the season: eating giant, vitamin C-packed Sumo oranges. If you haven’t heard of Sumo oranges, Eva Chen has kind of become an unofficial spokesperson. The fashion editor and influencer recently shared her obsession of the fruit on her Instagram Stories, calling them her “new favorite.” People also started messaging her about the oranges (which she also documented on her Stories), sharing how much they loved them, too. Which gave me a major feeling of FOMOOC (Fear Of Missing Out On Citrus). According to Sumo Citrus—the prime grower of the oranges—Sumo oranges are a cross between mandarin oranges and California oranges (specially, the navel orange, per the New York Times), making them juicy, sweet, easy to peel, and seedless. They’re also a bit more expansive than your typical orange…like, $2.49 a pound at Trader Joe’s expensive…but most people seem to agree it’s totally worth it. (For comparison, the average cost of a navel orange in 2019 was $1.39 per pound.) The other thing about Sumo oranges: They’ve def got their own look. Per the New York Times, the Japanese-developed orange gets its name
A guide to every sporty ’90s style trend you’ll see this spring
February 26, 2019 at 10:42AM by CWC Today’s retro athleisure style has me wishing I had kept all those long-lost favorites from the actual ’90s. (R.I.P. hot pink hoodie and matching bike shorts. Sigh) The silver lining to not having my old mainstays, however, is that it gives me a chance to scope out this season’s takes on ’90s style trends. To chat about the sporty styles that truly seem as though they’re here to stay—at least for a long time to come—I turned to stylist and street style pro Rachael Wang. Of the ‘90s style trends, she says, “I’m not a historian or an economist, but I do know that fashion trends reflect what’s happening in the world culturally, morally, technologically, and economically. Right now, fans of fashion are craving the rebellious authenticity of the ‘90s—a time when people really leaned into their interests and made it their lifestyle; whether that was hip hop, sports, grunge, or minimalism.” And, what’s more, these head-turning athleisure pieces and oversized silhouettes are effortlessly being woven into the wardrobes of all types of fashion-lovers once again. Wang shares that her favorite ways to mix the ‘90s into her own wardrobe is by “pairing a sporty item, like bike shorts, with something unexpected and of a different era, like a low kitten heel strappy sandal and a checked menswear blazer. It keeps the trend from being too literal.” For a full run-down on the ‘90s style trends expected to everywhere this spring, below are
6 derm-approved wrinkle remedies that don’t require a trip to the beauty aisle
February 25, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC The fact that the global anti-aging industry is on track to be worth $216.52 billion by 2021 tells us one very important thing: People really, really want to preserve the youth of skin. As someone who has tried everything from $200 creams to injectable wrinkle reducers, I can confirm that I, personally, am one of said “people.” But one thing I have yet to try? Home remedies for wrinkles, which a decent amount of the Internet seems to swear by. Before we get into how to iron out wrinkles, it’s first important to understand what causes them in the first place. New York City dermatologist Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD points to three major causes: the sun; movement of the facial muscles in the forehead, mouth, and around the eyes; and environmental toxins like cigarette smoke and urban pollution. Wrinkles don’t form overnight, but rather come about slowly over time, thanks to repeated exposure to one or all of these elements. If you’re looking to prevent your skin from wrinkling, he suggests sunscreen (ideally one that contains titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, with a protection factor of SPF 30), a retinoid cream (which, yes, you can even use on sensitive skin, thanks to groundbreaking new formulations), and preventive Botox (…take that one as you will). While the idea of being able to get rid of your wrinkles with stuff you have lying around in your kitchen sounds fairly amazing, Dr. Mudgil wants you to take
Oversized blazers are spring’s easiest fashion trend—here are 5 ways to wear one
February 23, 2019 at 12:32PM by CWC What I’m about to say might sound incendiary, but what if you left your leather jacket hanging in your closet this spring and swapped it for another reliable throw-on-and-go: the oversized blazer? With a little more tailored flare, it’s a worthy alternative, especially considering some of the chic styles being released right now. Its relaxed fit will make you feel like Jane Birkin with high-waisted denim, the epitome of Parisian chic when thrown over a little white lace dress, and have you channeling your inner ‘80s working girl when styled with matching trousers or shorts for a full-blown suit. Shopbop Fashion Director Caroline Maguire sums it up best: “There’s something really classic and timeless about a blazer,” she says. “A strong statement blazer in a bold color or print screams power.” When it comes to shape, Maguire is all about those on the larger end of the spectrum. She observes, “We’re seeing a huge ‘80s movement as of late, especially with oversized plaid blazers. Shoulder pads are making a return, and I love to add them in to give tops some extra structure.” And as for styling, there’s a lot of room to play with personal style. Wear a tuxedo blazer by day with denim and by night with a satin mini skirt, use the new topper to add some unexpected color into your look, or streamline the already-bold with a more classic menswear style. Maguire suggests her own twist on tailoring: “If
8 breathable bras that won’t make your boobs feel suffocated
February 23, 2019 at 06:16AM by CWC Things that are smothering: a Pisces with a Sagittarius rising sign on a third date (yes, I am describing myself here), the patriarchy, and bras that are not breathable. While there isn’t a quick fix for the first two (therapy? friendtopia?), the third one has a simple solution, and that’s buying breathable bras. There’s arguably nothing worse than strapping your breasts into a bra (already an annoying task) that then proceeds to smother them and turn them into a sweaty, uncomfortable mess. I mean, aside from giving yourself a wedgie to avoid bodysuit-related VPL, which is an actual thing that I have done. Now, when I first thought about finding a breathable bra, that seemed like code for “not cute but comfortable.” And while I’m all about comfort, I also want to feel attractive. Praise be the lingerie goddesses because there is now no shortage of pretty undergarments that also don’t feel like they’re stifling your breasts like an infrared sauna session. The following breathable bras are made from lighter-than-air fabrics: Think cotton, bamboo, and soft lace. They range from sexy to sporty to minimalist but, most importantly, none of them will cause little pools of sweat to gather underneath your boobs. And isn’t that the dream, really? Everlane Women’s Tank Bra, $22 If you’re of the bra comes off right when you get home camp like I am, this bra from Everlane may change your ways. It’s super comfortable, breathable, and totally
Ella Mills of “Deliciously Ella” is shifting all her wellness habits during pregnancy—here’s how
February 23, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC “We are loving watching my belly start to grow, I am totally fascinated and in awe of my body right now and talk about it 24/7,” wrote Ella Mills, founder of plant-based food company Deliciously Ella, in an Instagram post from earlier this month. In January, Mills—whose impressive résumé includes cookbooks, the Mae Deli in her home base of London, a brand-new podcast, and more—made her pregnancy Instagram official with a picture of herself and husband (and business partner) Matthew Mills holding an ultrasound of their unborn child. The post could literally split your heart in two, and it made all of us here at Well+Good wonder: How has the healthy-living maven—who’s carved out so much of the animal-byproduct-free wellness space—changed up her wellness routines since finding out she was expecting? To get the details, I chatted with the foodie, who told me she’s committed living a holistically nourishing life through food and beyond during pregnancy. That commitment manifests in many ways—one being savoring every moment when she has a chance to unroll her mat to practice yoga. “It’s been such a positive tool during a period of such change,” Mills tells me. “I’ve slowed down [my practice] and definitely spend more time in child’s pose than ever before. I’m gentler on my body in general and try to really listen to what it needs each day.” And given that yoga and meditation are a couple that have been together a long time (like, thousands of years),
Derms say sweating is wildly beneficial to the appearance of your skin—here’s why
February 22, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC We all know that breaking a sweat is beneficial: It means we’re exerting ourselves, our blood is pumping, oxygen is flowing into our lungs and energizing our cells. But there’s an added bonus—it’s also a major beauty boost. “We tend to think about the benefits of exercise in terms of fitness, and we even recognize its ability to lift our mood and help with sleep, but we don’t usually think of its profound role in keeping skin looking young and firm,” says Manhattan dermatologist Whitney Bowe, MD. This isn’t just because physical activity boosts the metabolism of cellular mitochondria and prevents the thinning of skin that occurs with age, it’s also because the schvitz itself acts to purify, protect, and rejuvenate the complexion. Perspiration, that salty brew of H2O and minerals many consider to be one of the body’s less savory secretions, is essentially the body’s air-conditioning system. Its evaporation on the surface of the skin keeps us from over-heating, and regulates our core temperature when things get toasty—either internally or externally. “It helps with water balance for your entire body,” says dermatologist Doris Day, MD. “It also contains natural moisturizing factor, which helps keep the skin hydrated and healthy.” Even though most of us rush to wash it off post workout (and rightly so, since its urea content can irritate the epidermis if left long un-rinsed), it’s actually bolstering the microbiome while it sits on skin. Sweat is the source of an