We love when off-duty models and celebs ditch their heels and slip into something a little flatter, like a pair of loafers! Since we spend most of our time in flats, it’s refreshing to see the style set embrace flat footwear other than ballet flats (sure, they’re still cute but we need to take a break from them).   For Summer 2011, we’ll be slipping our feet into a pair of menswear-inspired loafers as seen on Kate Bosworth (her tasseled pair have a definite vintage feel), models Natalia Vodianova (in a pair of python TOD’s loafers) and Caroline Brasch Nielson (in a pair of patent leather Miu Miu penny loafers).    We already scooped up a pair of classic TOD’s driving loafers this spring in Italy (at the TOD’s outlet of course!) so we’re looking for loafers with a bit more of an edge, whether it be patent leather, python prints, woven texture or tassel details. 

Click through to shop our favorite loafers for $100 or less!

If you had $500 to spend at Dixie Outlet Mall, what would you buy?  That’s what all the Facebook fashionistas were thinking to themselves this past week after they entered to win 1 of 3 $500 Dixie Outlet Mall gift cards! And that’s what we asked ourself as we were getting ready for Round 2 of our summer fashion series with Dixie Outlet Mall.  This week we headed to Mississauga for a segment on Rogers Daytime in which we highlighted even more insanely affordable (yet insanely chic) finds like a citrus orange strapless number for only $25 from Jacob Outlet or the Mad Men-esque polka dot dress from Laura Outlet for only $59.99!  In addition to adding these items to our bucket list of must-haves to buy with a $500 gift card to Dixie Outlet Mall, we’ll also be adding some killer raffia wedges from Nine West Shoe Studio and a red hot leather structured DKNY handbag (above right).  And even after all that, we’d still have a couple hundred dollars left over for more shoes from Aldo Outlet and more summer dresses from Melanie Lynn Outlet!  Perhaps our 3 lucky winners have already drafted their own shopping list for the season.  We wonder what hot buys they’ll be treasure hunting for!

Click here to find out WHO WON our gift card contest AND how YOU CAN WIN the red leather DKNY bag featured today on Rogers Daytime…

Proenza Schouler Shows Canada Some Love: Last night, we headed to The Room at The Bay with the rest of Canada’s fashion glitterati to toast the fashionable boys behind Proenza Schouler.  The handsome design duo, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, made nice with Toronto for about an hour before dashing off to dinner with the top brass at The Bay.  The two were dressed casually in a striped polo and a cotton button down while the rest of the city played up spring’s colour trend big time! It was nice to see so many vibrant hues against The Room’s white walls. On a side note, have you checked out the Bay’s new style site, B Insider?  We like!

Stereos Launch The New Stylexchange:  Last Friday, the Eaton Centre was filled with the sounds of The Stereos as the band helped to launch Stylexchange’s new location inside the mall with a live acoustic performance.  Have you visited their new store yet?  It’s looking really good!  We’ve got our eye on a neon old-school K-Way windbreaker.  The brighter the better!

Style.com Interviews The Olsen Twins: Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen sat down with Style.com’s Dirk Standen last week to talk style, design techniques, their roles as fashion icons and more.  The most surprising (and refreshing) thing we learned: the girls aren’t on Twitter and it doesn’t sound like they ever plan to be.  Read the intervew here.

DVF To Make Clothes for Gap Kids; Fashionistas Everywhere Wish They Could Fit a Size 6x: The rumour mill thinks the collection will hit stores for Spring/Summer 2012, which means we have one year to slim down to a kid’s size 14. (WWD)

Alexander Wang to Launch Swimwear: Even though we’ve already found the perfect bathing suit for Summer 2011, next year we know what we’ll be wearing poolside – a piece of Alexander Wang’s swimwear collection, set to launch in time for resort.  In typical Wang fashion, expect sexy cutouts and athletic references. (WWD)

Even though our body may not be bikini ready (will it ever be?), today’s heat wave means the beach is beckoning!  And since we honestly haven’t bought a new bathing suit in over 2 years, we figured the time was right to try something new and give our tired black one-piece a break.  Our budget: under $125.  We searched high and low to find six pool-worthy suits that would leave us excited to hit the sand in style.  And excited we are! From Michael Kors python print maillot to our favorite, Old Navy’s black and white ikat print bikini (each piece is only $15), we can’t wait to choose a suit to sit poolside in, bikini body be damned!

Click here to shop our 6 favorite swimsuits for under $125…