Inspiring celeb glam

[attach]801[/attach]It’s mid-September, and inspired by TIFF I’m wondering how I can look and act like a star.

Two new boutiques on Yonge St. south of Eglinton Ave. gave me some pretty good ideas about how to adopt a celeb attitude.

First: get in the mind frame that you rock. At One Hot Tamale, how could you think of yourself as anything but fabulous?

The boutique, just over a year old, carries the funkiest most fashion-forward active wear I’ve ever seen — so if you’ve got it, flaunt it, and if not better get in gear to do a celeb style workout in these fab fitness pieces.

Owner Isabella Gorochowski carries fitnesswear like you’ve never seen all from Brazil, Argentina or Israel, and all fair trade. Most items are made from Supplex, which wears so well you can wash it and wash it and it won’t fade or pull.

Isabella — sometimes called Bella — tells me you can run your truck over an item made with Supplex and pull it 600 times before it starts to stretch.

Her Margarita line from Israel is made by artisans and no wonder: I don’t think a machine could manage the complicated neon green criss-cross detail of the black flare capris, $85.

The ribbon pants, in either capris or flare pant for about $95 and $120 respectively, are black and feature various hued ribbons running down the leg — I don’t try them but I imagine they accentuate curves.

The triangle pants by the same make are a regular feature at the boutique they’re so popular — these ones have a panel of multi-coloured triangles running down the side of an all black workout pant.

The day I visit in September an associate tells me the fatigue look is big with trainers. No wonder: they’re busy working the bleepers outta their clients who must achieve celeb bods by the end of their turmoils. An army tank by Bia Brazil is $50.

Speaking of Bia Brazil, you can strut your inner Charlie’s Angel with the one piece halter style unitard with sash across belly, $145 — good for hiding any pookiness in tummy, I’m guessing.

For those of you getting ready for your beach Paraparazzi shot, check out the bathing suits here, mostly bikinis. A Rosset brand green leopard print, $150, would bring out the animal in any one.

There’s also lingerie by Darling Lingerie. You can get one bra for $22 or three for $60 while panties are $6 each or three for $15.

The thong, with pearls where the thong part is, $20, could make for a bumpy ride so I opt for the mint green thong by the same make, $5.

I wear them under a dress to a TIFF party and they make the inner star in me strut.

Styles of what’s available in store can be viewed online, where prices are in US dollars. The only exception is the swimsuits, which Isabella says have to be tried on.

20951/2 Yonge St., 416-322-3400 [url=http://www.torontoactivewear.com]www.torontoactivewear.com[/url]

If you want to work your star mojo and be a pampered starlet at the same time, check out Poor Little Rich Girl, which was only two weeks old when I visit in September.

Presided over by stylistas and pals Sara Puppi and Lynn Conway, both of whom have worked the dress shop scene in midtown for several years, the shop isn’t necessarily for the spoiled star but for any trendy chick who wants to look like a million bucks whether quaffing a Starbucks or doing the red carpet glam.

The boutique is suitably girlie, what with its purple wallpaper, big zebra print lounge, and pic of Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s in the change room.

Don’t mistake girlie for ditzy. These gals know the dress circuit. They can tell you which label is cut larger in the bust, and which fits a size smaller.

They carry a fun mix of mostly cocktail dresses — though their stock may flex out to longer styles around prom season — with various price points.

I love the Nicole Miller frocks. A 1960s patterned shift dress, $320, is gorgeous and Pucci-esque.

For the younger set or budget conscious, the Daisy line out of LA ranges from about $120–150. One such dress, with a sweetheart neckline and an exposed zipper down the front, is playing on the rocker-fem look that’s so hot this season.

New arrivals include a grey strapless Betsey Johnson lace dress covered in sequins for $465 that sounds darling. I have a wedding coming up soon and wonder if I should convince my date he can’t afford to not see me looking so wonderful?

Now I’m thinking like a star.

There are also dresses by Sue Wong, ZOOM, and more.

Stars still do regular, real-life things, according to the tabloids, so why not hang out in some of the shop’s more casual togs? They’re cheap and cheerful pieces, the girls tell me, that won’t have you spending like a starlet.

I’m totally crushing on a Dex tuxedo vest, $79, that’s so been so popular they’ve reordered it.

For the cooler weather you’ll want to swathe yourself in warm knits, so the cardigan grey ribbed slouchy wrap cardi by S-Twelve, $79, would do nicely, or if you want to rev it up a bit the cashmere and cashmere blend cardigans and wraps made in Canada by Line, around $150–225, will keep you toasty and chic.

Also just arrived in store: the uber lovely handmade cowhide bags and clutch purses by Sarah Shell of the label 442 McAdam, ranging from about $260 for the clutch to around $400 for the skirt bag. The designer has just relocated to Toronto so be on the lookout for her in the fashion pages.

A star can’t forget her nails and red is back this season — don’t forget. The girls searched and searched and actually found a red nail polish called Poor Little Rich Girl that they’ll be selling in store.

Now get going and shine like the star you are.

2094 Yonge St., 416-322-7574