Shop Talk is written by OM senior editor Dayanti Karunaratne and Sarah Fischer, OM account executive and fashion maven.

I think it is safe to say that the nice weather has finally arrived. Cue the applause! Bring on the bare legs!

Dayanti and I have been (patiently) waiting to share our thoughts on our favourite spring/ summer trends — and, perhaps more importantly, how to integrate them into your wardrobe. (It’s easy to say neon is in; wearing it without looking like a 90s raver takes skill.)

One trend that all the shoe retailers are jumping on is the espadrille.

While Many retailers are carrying their own version of this very versatile wedge but our fave is the Michael Kors version. This is the MICHAEL Michael Kors Juniper Espadrille. The use of natural materials allow the wedge to be paired with a casual outfit, like jeans and a tank, or to dress up a printed dress. And great news: the MICHAEL Michael Kors store at the Rideau Centre carries even more colours than the MK website! The shoe is available in white gold, black, vanilla, peanut (tan), and luggage (brown).

Another look-of-the-moment is the maxi dress — though recently this has extended to include the maxi skirt. The maxi skirt is a bit more doable for those of us who are on the short side, but then again, with platform espadrilles on, perhaps the trick is holding your head high and pretending you’re always 5’9″!

Design-wise, there are styles that work better for smaller frames. There’s plenty of help online — like this post on StyleHog.com. Among their tips: an empire waist avoids the muu-muu risk; a solid coloured top half and patterned bottom half help to elongate the body; and, of course, a platform wedge does wonders!

Still, don’t be afraid to wear a floor-grazing dress with flat sandals — or no shoes at all — like this gal, sporting the elegant yet breezy Soraya dress by Ana Maria Couture.