Standing on the frigid coast of Lake Superior, thawing ice glistening in the northern Minnesota sun, Christina Welch recalls what made her trade the temperate vineyards of northern California for...

Thanks to brands like Miaou and Miu Miu, the micro mini skirt took over fashion trends. Ever since the Y2K trend appeared on the s/s 2022 and 2023 runways and has continuously been on It girls’ wardrobes, one question keeps popping up: “How do you wear a skirt so short off the runway?” As a conservative dresser who has asked this herself on several occasions, I set out to find out.

Whether you’re jetting off on holiday or simply promenading at your local park, sandals are the perfect solution to warm-weather dressing. That being said, finding city-appropriate footwear that doesn’t make you a target for mockery can be a tricky business. While getting some fresh air to your feet is essential during summer, sandals as a sartorial choice for men can be frowned upon so it’s important to carefully consider the dos and don’ts of baring those toes. So, is it really possible to wear sandals without having to sacrifice fashion over function? As expected, sandals were in abundance at the spring/summer 2018 menswear collections from outdoorsy Velcro types at Louis Vuitton and Paul Smith, to classic leather at Guiseppe Zanotti and even dual-strapped versions worn with chunky socks at Bottega Veneta. While the latter is a hit on the runway and beloved by geography teachers everywhere, for real-life wear a new focus on more contemporary and slick iterations means you can finally rock an open-toe without shame. Designer options are of course favourable but considering us Brits rarely, if ever, get a decent summer, it seems wiser to pinch your pennies at least a little. In this instance, high street brands like Cos, Arket and Russell & Bromley all offer sophisticated footwear options. However, if you’re looking for something more sporty, OG sandal brand Teva should be your go-to. Historically shunned by the fashion crowd, these simple sporty sandals are now considered cool. Even more so since their recent collaboration with high-end Japanese brand Porter. Whatever your choice, the even trickier dilemma comes with how to style them. The easiest way is to pair yours with shorts and a simple T-shirt, perhaps layered under a sleek Cuban shirt. However, for smarter occasions wearing sandals with trousers can be conflict-ridden. If you do want an alternative to the shorts and sandals combination, we suggest investing in a smart leather pair and to always team with a slim leg pair of trousers with turned-up hems, so as to avoid looking like you’ve taken a trip back to the Seventies. Read More London Fashion Week Men’s: Five key trends for SS19 5 French skincare secrets you need to know Carrie Bradshaw changes ‘painful’ narrative of wedding dress in And Just Like That Glastonbury 2023: All the best fashion at the biggest UK festival of the year

There's still plenty of time left to enjoy spring and spruce up your home. Not

The cost of ingredients to make a traditional French coq au vin rose again in June, defying a

Florence Pugh stepped in to save Emily Blunt from a possible wardrobe malfunction at the Oppenheimer photocall in London. The Oppenheimer cast was posing for photos in Trafalgar Square on Wednesday 12 July when Pugh came to Blunt’s rescue after her jacket appeared to come loose. The Devil Wears Prada star attended the photocall while sporting a gold, metallic suit with black buttons. As for the Don’t Worry Darling actor, Pugh arrived at the Oppenheimer photocall in a blue Moschino shirt dress with a deep, plunging neckline. According to the DailyMail, the Mary Poppins star’s gold jacket popped open in front of cameras, prompting Pugh to rush over and cover her pal’s suit. In photos from the red carpet, the pair could be seen giggling about the near-wardrobe malfunction as Pugh helped hold Blunt’s jacket closed. Meanwhile, fans praised Pugh for lending Blunt a helping hand and gushed over the pair’s friendship. “Florence Pugh is a real one for protecting Emily Blunt from a wardrobe malfunction,” one person tweeted. “They’re sooo cute together,” another said, while someone else wrote: “Literally my worlds colliding” In Oppenheimer, which hits theatres on 21 July, Emily Blunt stars as Kitty Oppenheimer, the wife of physicist J Robert Oppenheimer – played by Cillian Murphy in the Christopher Nolan film. The Irish actor, 47, leads the highly-anticipated biographical drama as “the father of the atomic bomb,” whose World War II invention changed the nature of war forever. Florence Pugh, 27, portrays physician Jean Tatlock, who was known for her romantic relationship with Oppenheimer. However, fans recently came to Murphy and Pugh’s defense when people began “griping about the age gap” between the co-stars. As critics condemned the 20-year age gap between the two actors, many people pointed out that “Tatlock was 22 years old when she started dating Oppenheimer and 29 when she died”. “The on-screen age gap discourse is very valid but this isn’t the film for it because Oppenheimer & Tatlock had a 10-year age gap,” another agreed. “So Cillian & Florence Pugh are perfect casting.” As for Blunt, the 40-year-old actor recently revealed that she will be taking a break from acting to spend more time with her two daughters, who she shares with husband John Krasinski. Blunt opened up about her decision to take a brief hiatus on a recent episode of iHeart’s Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi podcast. “This year, I’m not working. I worked quite a bit last year and my oldest baby is nine, so we’re in the last year of single digits,” the British actor explained. “And I just feel [like] there are cornerstones to their day that are so important when they’re little.” “It’s: ‘Will you wake me up? Will you take me to school? Will you pick me up? Will you put me to bed?’” she continued. “And I just need to be there for all of them for a good stretch. And I just felt that in my bones.” In addition to Murphy, Blunt, and Pugh, Oppenheimer also features a star-studded cast of Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Rami Malek, Gary Oldman, Kenneth Branagh, Matthew Modine, and Casey Affleck. Read More Emily Blunt opens up about decision to take year-long acting hiatus: ‘I just felt that in my bones’ ‘No need to infantalise her’: Fans defend Florence Pugh and Cillian Murphy’s age gap in Oppenheimer Oppenheimer hailed as ‘spectacular’ in rapturous first reviews following Paris premiere Florence Pugh makes return to Paris Fashion Week in sheer dress following uproar Fans can’t get enough of Barbie’s already sold-out collaboration with Crocs Fan breaks down the outfits worn by Jeremy Allen White in The Bear

For many of us, the only way we can justify buying luxury fashion pieces is if it’s on major sale. The main issue is that those sales events don’t come around as frequently as we’d like. But what if we told you there’s a shopping destination hiding in plain sight where the deals are not only abundant, but most of what you can buy is up to 70% off? For fashion insiders, Gilt is the wink-wink, IYKYK retailer that has been secretly doling out the trendiest style pieces at generous discounts. Ever since its launch in 2007, the site’s mission has been (and continues) to be “the most engaging, off-price style destination, connecting world-class brands to the next-generation shopper.”

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Volunteers in camouflage aprons packed the ingredients for Ukraine's UNESCO-recognised borshch soup into ready-to-make kits, preparing food with a symbolic weight for...

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for