Toms Shoes

If you live in Toms's canvas kicks all Summer long, there might be hope for you in the Winter. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen just debuted their collection for Toms shoes made out of cashmere and Italian wool — come on, you knew they were going to add a cool twist somewhere in the design process. "The giving is so immediate and transparent," said Mary-Kate Olsen. "Having the opportunity to be a part of something so meaningful has made the collaboration with Toms so special to everyone at The Row."

The Row for Toms shoes collection features three styles in heather gray, a dark-plaid print, and black. Prices are steeper than the usual pair of Toms, ranging from $140 to $150, because of the fancier fabrics, but you can feel good knowing every shoe purchased will be matched with a pair donated to a child in need.

If you're going to splurge on shopping, why not opt for a purchase that will not only make you look good, but will also help the underprivileged. Choose to spend your cash on retailers that are doing social good! I did a little bit of research online to see what kind of social enterprises are out there. Here is a list of some to consider:

• BetterWorldBooks: According to its website, the company has provided over $9.4 million in funding for literacy and education programs around the world and has donated 4.5 million books to Books for Africa. Basically, it sells a wide variety of books (both used and new) that it gets for free from individuals and institutions. It's pretty much like Amazon.com, but doing some social good at the same time. Did I mention shipping is free?
• Feelgoodz: Flip-flops that make you feel good inside and out? Count me in! Feelgoodz is a company that sells sustainably made flip-flops, which are manufactured in Thailand, then donates three percent of their yearly revenue to Ashoka.org to create microfinance, environmental, and fair trade programs in Thailand.
• TOMS Shoes: For every extremely cute pair of TOMS shoes that's purchased, the company will give a pair to a child in a developing country who can't afford it.
• Warby Parker: Looking for a stylish pair of glasses? Buy a pair of Warby Parker glasses, and the firm will give a pair to someone in need.
• FIGS: Buy a tie as a gift for someone or for yourself from FIGS, and your purchase will ensure that an underprivileged child will receive a uniform that will enable them to attend school.

For more stores, read after the jump.

For people living in developing countries who are often unable to afford shoes, going barefoot can lead to afflictions ranging from soil-transmitted diseases to cuts that can lead to infections. One Day Without Shoes, started by Toms Shoes, is a global movement in which people pledge not to wear shoes for a day to raise awareness on the issue.


And in honor of the event, Toms has paired up with Essie, giving away a limited-edition polish dubbed One Day Without Blues. While the pale blue shade, which mirrors the Toms Shoes flag, has already been snatched up, it's great to see two companies working together to bring the topic to light. Will you go shoe-free on April 5, aka One Day Without Shoes?

Vanity Fair pulled off another star-studded Oscars party last night. Some stars, like Jon Hamm, Jennifer Westfeldt, Emma Stone, Anna Paquin, and Stephen Moyer, arrived earlier to eat dinner and watch the show on TV, while others turned up after attending the big event hosted by Anne Hathaway and James Franco in person. Reese Witherspoon, who wowed in a Giorgi Armani gown, was solo on the red carpet before the show, but once at the bash she met up with her fiancé, Jim Toth. Cameron Diaz and one of the evening's performers, Gwyneth Paltrow, made it a ladies night as they caught up in a corner, but young lovers Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez hardly left each other's sides. Natalie Portman and Colin Firth, the best actor and actress winners, walked inside with the best accessory possible, their Academy Award. She stuck close by her fiancé, Benjamin Millepied, following her stint in the press room talking about their baby, while Colin was finally able to get in some dancing with his wife.

Plenty of other Hollywood couples were able to sneak in PDA, as Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel cuddled up on a couch. Madonna chose to make things a family affair, showing skin in a lacy black dress alongside her daughter Lourdes. For others, it was about catching up with old friends. Jake Gyllenhaal had a nice chat with 50 Cent, and newly single stars Jude Law and Scarlett Johansson shared a moment documented in pictures. Michelle Williams, who was nominated for the best actress honor that ultimately went to Natalie, spent the whole evening with her friend and date Busy Philipps. Selena momentarily left Justin Bieber to catch up with her friend Taylor Swift, who managed to not be photographed anywhere near her ex Jake. He also had another former love, Reese, to avoid as well. There are plenty of other big bashes from last night, so stay tuned to see lots more photos and make sure to check out all of our fashion and beauty coverage!

To see more photos from the bash, just read more

The struggles of American Apparel's woes have been splashed across the press, and we've all heard about CEO Dov Charney's sexual harassment suits and bad money practices. The firm's appeal used to be that it was different from the other retail giants because of its strong ethical values. Charney's image is fraying away lawsuit after lawsuit, and I'm wondering if this will make you think twice about making a purchase at American Apparel.

I must admit, I admire companies that embrace a strong moral core and are doing social good. I bought my first pair of Toms shoes two weeks ago, and I felt good about my purchase. The company was founded on a premise that for every pair of shoes you buy, another pair will be donated towards a less fortunate child.

Founder Blake Mycoskie started Toms because he was inspired by his trip to Argentina, where he saw children without shoes to protect their feet. It seems that the public is supportive of the message he's sending — Toms will be fitting its millionth pair of donated shoes on a child this September.

Source

• Victoria Beckham to design suit collection — InStyle
• Lacoste denies rumors of Catherine Malandrino joining brand — Fashionologie
• Cover girl Milla Jovovich spills style secrets — Lucky
• Toms wedges take comfort and style to new heights — Stylelist
• Taylor Momsen's red carpet transformation — Red Carpet Fashion Awards
• Wear it now: Wool and the Gang Etenia bag — Vogue Daily
• Joss Stone trades flip-flops for Nine West heels — People
• Who made May's best dressed? — Teen Vogue
• The Valentino sequin satchel — Purse Blog
• New resort collections: Elie Tahari and Alexander Wang — The Cut
• A crazy cute Summer shoe — W Editor's Blog

Over 70,000 people worldwide have pledged to participate in Toms One Day Without Shoes event this Thursday, April 8. Asking people to go barefoot for the day (or just for one minute of the day), is Blake Mycoskie, founder and mastermind of Toms one-for-one shoe campaign.

Mycoskie says of his goal in creating One Day Without Shoes, "It's important to experience the impact a simple pair of shoes can make in a child's life. I think sometimes we forget all that we have, and occasionally we should remind ourselves."

People around the globe — from the US to Australia — will unite together on April 8 to bring awareness to the need for shoes in many parts of the world. Those who can't (or won't) go shoe-less for the cause yet want to participate can do so virtually by changing their Facebook profile photo, status, or Twitter avatar on the One Day Without Shoes website. As for Blake, he'll be with friends, family, and the team from Toms leading a barefoot walk in Venice, CA, and welcomes you to join him.

Combining fashion and philanthropy is a popular practice in the adult clothing world, so it is no wonder that the idea has worked its way down to the mini set. When we first introduced you to TOMS Shoes, the small company was just starting its mission of donating one pair of shoes to a child in need whenever a pair is purchased.

Four hundred thousand donated pairs of shoes later, the company has teamed up with luxury retailer Neiman Marcus to debut an exclusive new collection of rubber soled, slip-on canvas shoes. The fashionable and fun new styles include camouflage, madras and glitter for lil twinkle toes and range from $44 - $60. Being philanthropic has never been so fashionable.

Blake Mycoskie, founder of feel-good accessory label Toms shoes, has co-designed a limited edition men's and women's collection with Charlize Theron. The two styles were created to celebrate Mycoskie's donation of over 10,000 pairs of Toms shoes to children in Theron's native South Africa.

Inspired by the South African baobab tree, the shoes, which have been made from vegan materials, feature the tree pattern embroidered over dyed canvas in blue and orange and are lined with Theron's own charity logo—that of the Charlize Theron African Outreach Project.

A portion of all proceeds will go directly to the African Outreach Project. If you need help remembering why (or how) to give Toms this holiday season, watch this video.

Happy socially-concious shopping!