The best way to make any outfit pop? A fab pair of shoes, of course! The second best way? Consider an eye-opening scarf! The best news is it’s not an either/or choice—in fact, we highly recommend both/and, i.e. great shoes, boots, or sandals AND a sensational scarf!

With the mercury on the rise, we’ve stocked up on lightweight cotton and linen scarves for the summer season. They’re airy enough for daytime wear but also ward off the chill after the sun sets. Let’s take a look!

The sunniest of our many sunny scarves is Epice’s Girasole Scarf:

It’s as if Epice took the spirit of a bright June morning and wove it into soft cotton to yield this featherweight confection!

If you lean away from florals and more toward bold geometrics, Epice’s super-chic Moderno Scarf may have your name on it:

Perfect for you Ped fans who love all things black, this scarf, which is wide enough to wear as a shawl, is a luxe blend of cotton and linen! (But if you want a juicy dose of color, we also offer the Moderno in a vivid green, which I love!)

Another wrap that dazzles with geometric abstraction is Sophie Digard’s Dream Scarf:

Truly a work of art, this 100% linen scarf is absolutely mesmerizing with its spirals within squares and tiny flower-like suns, all laid out in successive horizontal bands of color along the length of the scarf! Fantastic!

One of the many reasons we love Sophie Digard is her sense of whimsy, which is on beautiful display in the Puzzle Scarf:

We particularly like the unusual edge created by the interlocking puzzle pieces’ shapes, as well as the little open windows scattered across this linen masterpiece! Get ready for a lot of scarf envy!

On days when even a light scarf might seem like too much to wear, you cans still put on the charms of Sophie Digard, by slipping her Petal Necklace around your neck:

A garland of fun! Each linen and velvet crocheted flower on the necklace has a split personality (in the best kind of way) since the back and front offer two different color schemes.

Of course, this is just a taste of our textile delights. There’s more lightweight loveliness to feast your eyes on over at Ped’s main site! Entwine your neck with an airy scarf or necklace, and wrap up your summer style!

(Any one of the beauties above would look fantastic with this week’s Sweet Treat, the Cliff Dweller Emma sandal! Just click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages to land at the Emma with the “Sweet Treat” designation. Then pop the sandal in your bag to get 20% off at checkout!)

Ped fans, we are loving the current emphasis on COLOR—all the new shoe hues have the Ped warehouse looking bright and lively! It’s amazing how an infusion of color makes the daily grind less grind-like and more like a party.

Quite a few of you, though, are mystified by how to work the new shades into your wardrobe. It’s easier than you think! You simply need  to realize things don’t have to match as long as they “go.” In fact, matching too precisely can make an outfit look “twee,” as the British say. (Laura says a friend of hers calls it the “flight attendant look.”)

You’ve also told us you worry that you’ll only wear colorful shoes once in a while, with one specific thing. To demonstrate the versatility of some of our more show-stopping shoes, we’ve incorporated them into not one but two outfits, often quite different in tone and purpose, to help spark your imagination. Let’s take a tour, and along the way, we’ll offer a few colorful tips.

First up, the Trippen Calexico:

This fun boot offers a lot more options than simply wearing it with jeans! We love the Calexico with the easy day look on the left, but it can even go after-five when paired with the dress on the right. We’ve also included Jamie Joseph’s Round Rock Crystal Ring since it looks stellar with the white in both the top and the dress.

Another shoe that’s more than simply casual is the Cydwoq Lodge:

Sure, it’s great for weekend apple-picking in the outfit on the left, but look at the chic edge the Lodge gives the argyle sheath dress on the right! The Cydwoq Bright Bag also easily transitions from brunch casual to workweek sleek. OD-ing on all that red? Simply add the Epice Plaza Scarf to change the flavor!

Perhaps your personal style trends toward conservative, and although you like to browse at Ped, you can’t imagine how you’d incorporate a colorful style into your wardrobe. The answer is to let a shoe, like the Cydwoq Larkspur, punctuate your outfit, like a great piece of jewelry.

What a way to jazz up a suit!

Chie Mihara’s Tunisia is a shoe that immediately produces oohs and aahs, but the unusual color and patterned heel mistakenly lead people to think it might be hard to pair.

The key is not to worry about matching the color and instead simply let it “go.” The Tunisia‘s checkerboard heel echoes the black and white photo on the dress on the left and complements the variety of patterns in the skirt on the right. Since the shoe and clothes are doing the heavy lifting style-wise, it’s nice to go with a simple bag, like the Cydwoq Bright.

Sometimes it’s not just the color but also the cut that gives Ped fans pause when they think about how to wear a design. Case in point, the Trippen Drama boot:

A couple options: 1) contrast the Drama‘s fabulous flared top with simple straight lines up top, such as wearing it with a pencil skirt and streamlined top; or 2) let its shape play up the lines and movement of a flirty A-line dress. We tossed in Jamie Joseph’s round carnelian ring for a little extra red zing!

If you approach dressing with a sense of adventure, it won’t matter an iota if you don’t own anything blue to wear with the Trippen Tender:

When you want to reference the color of your shoe, accessories can work that magic. We like the contrast of the floral of the skirt on the left with Epice’s Baya Scarf, which includes a periwinkle color that calls out to, but doesn’t match the blue of the Tender. On the right, it’s fun to mix the squares of the dress with the circles on the Epice Los Lunares Scarf.

Finally, let’s consider  Chie Mihara’s Kalendu, which is simply too juicy to miss!

You don’t have to go be a girly girl to take advantage of its delicious greenness! The Kalendu adds such fun to the workweek look on the left (again without actually matching any of the colors in the sweater) and is utterly chic with the casual jeans and top on the right. We also like Cydwoq’s Bright Bag and Jamie Joseph’s Organic Circle Earrings with both outfits.

As you’ve probably noticed, many of the shoes above work equally well with outfits paired with other shoes. We hope these ideas bolster your confidence that colorful shoes truly can be your constant companions and not just once-in-a-blue-moon friends! Life is so much more fun in color!

(Psst, you only have a few more days to snap up this week’s Sweet Treat, the Trippen Yard. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages to reach the Yard with the code that will bring 20% off at checkout.)

Did you see this New York Times article about the versatility of scarves? Apparently, stylists and trendsetters have suddenly discovered the myriad ways a beautiful scarf can rework a wardrobe—something Ped fans have known for years! The NYT may have declared the scarf the “IT” item of the season, but an exquisite scarf is timeless and will never go out of style. Many families pass them down from grandmother to mother to daughter.

Whether you’re new to scarves or a connoisseur, you’ll recognize Ped’s are delightfully different and true works of art. We’ve recently added a few new designs to let you wrap up summer in style!

Printed scarves my be pretty, but they can’t compare to the luxury and beauty of a loomed textile, where the pattern is actually woven into the fabric! Epice excels in just this area, hiring the most highly skilled and respected weavers in India to produce their designs. One of our summer favorites at Ped HQ is Epice’s Toulouse Scarf:

A tad smaller than Epice’s Rose Garden scarf, the Toulouse is still wide enough to wear as a shawl when you need just a little something on your shoulders. We love the “latte” color palette shown here, but this beauty also blooms in terracotta and marigold yellow.

Another pretty floral that will complement so many things in your closet is Epice’s Monte Carlo Scarf:

So light and soft, this all-cotton lovely is a luxury you’ll find yourself wearing every day. (Think beach pareo, think sarong, think sash…) Aqua not your favorite? We also have it in juicy lime green and dreamy lilac!

If you’re a Ped regular, you know how much we love stripes! So, Epice’s Avignon Scarf is right up our alley:

The combination of linen and cotton make this striped treat the perfect weight for warm-weather wear. We think the aqua / mocha combo pictured looks so fresh, but the Avignon in rose /mustard/ mocha is equally beautiful!

Another stripe-tastic creation from Epice is the gorgeous Chamonix Scarf:

Whereas the Avignon’s understated stripes run vertically, the Chamonix’s bolder stripes are arranged horizontally. Also available in a black / brown / blue palette, this sweetheart just happens to be the “Sweet Treat” through tomorrow, Tuesday, July 11. Just click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page to reach the Chamonix with the discount code that will bring 20% off at checkout!

Speaking of deals, we recently added Sophie Digard’s wonderful Love & Chance Scarf to the Ped Summer Sale:

Sophie has scattered a beautifully loomed linen background with 85 hand-sewn velvet flowers—so pretty on a hot summer day! This Sophie Digard treasure also comes in fresh grass green. A labor of love well worth the original price of $398, it’s as refreshing as a glass of lemonade at $299.

Perfect for wearing to a garden party or wrapping around your shoulders during an al fresco dinner, Epice and Sophie Digard scarves are the summer romance your wardrobe has wished for!

As much as we enjoy our winter woolens, we also enjoy putting them away when spring sails in with warmer weather! Nevertheless, we still need a little coziness in the early morning and after the sun goes down. Plus, it’s nice to to spice up a summer outfit with an extra dash of color and pattern. Just in time to fulfill both needs are the latest scarves from Epice and Sophie Digard!

Designed in Denmark and handcrafted by master weavers in India, Epice‘s gorgeous scarves are meticulously loomed from fine cotton and linen. Each is also wide enough to wear as a shawl when your shoulders get chilly. Meanwhile, Sophie Digard, the inimitable Parisian queen of crochet, always wows us with her linen creations that are light and soft wearable works of art!

Below is a sampling of our warm-weather favorites from Epice and Sophie!

Epice is famous for their imaginative use of color, exemplified by the bold, tropical palette of this new Casablanca Scarf:

Carmine, turquoise, yellow and khaki look so lively—it’s impossible to be in a bad mood when you have this fun linen and cotton scarf wound around your neck!

But if you prefer to make a quieter style statement, see what you think of Epice’s 100% linen Parisian Spring Scarf:

Graceful arabesques in cream dance across a warm gray background, perfectly accented with a patterned aqua border. So pretty!

Another Epice style that makes us sigh with delight is the Indian Summer Scarf:

A stylized floral pattern is interpreted in three different color combinations: cream and blue, grey and citron, and brown and turquoise. The ultralight fabric is 70% linen and 30% cotton, yielding a drop-dead gorgeous scarf that’s an ideal summer weight!

Of course, Sophie Digard knows to how thrill with flowers, too! Check out the sweetness of her new Love & Chance Scarf:

Handmade velvet posies scatter across this grass green linen scarf—the very essence of summer!!! As you know, I have a weakness for anything green, but Ped also offers the Love & Chance scarf in ecru for those of you who love all things cream.

Needless to say, Sophie  has created a slue of new crocheted designs in lovely linen. One of the loveliest is the Confetti Scarf!

We keep picking up this scarf because its pattern of small diamonds interspersed among larger concentric circles—each with a tufted velvet center—is so mesmerizing. The variation in colors is delicious against a background of pale blue. (Use the “zoom” tool to fully appreciate this beauty!)

But perhaps our favorite of all the wonderful scarves this season is Sophie Digard’s super-super-super-cool Ecouter Summer Scarf:

The design of this scarf is so innovative!!! Sophie crochets an open honeycomb in a juicy summer palette of pink, turquoise, red, mustard, blue, and more on one half of the Ecouter’s length; on the other half, she uses the same palette to create tiny parallel stripes that separate and twist into fantastic fringe at the end! Did I mention the Ecouter is super cool? It’s SUPER COOL! (We also have the Ecouter Scarf in a springy pastel palette.)

And there are more designs from both Epice and Sophie Digard to dazzle you at Ped’s main site. Whether you’re looking for a light wrap or a beautiful and unique accessory to enliven your wardrobe, Epice and Sophie Digard have you covered!

(Psst, you have just one more day to enjoy a 20% discount on Chie Mihara’s Lorensa as this week’s sweet treat. Click “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page to reach the Lorensa with the discount code that makes the price extra nice at checkout.)

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With all the spring items arriving at the Ped warehouse, it’s easy to get lost in daydreams about green grass and fresh flowers. But in reality, we know it’s still frosty where many Ped fans live. And when we get chilly, there’s only one thing to do: go woolly!

Wool is truly a wonder fiber—not only does it “breathe” and resist odor, but it also stays warm even when wet. Let’s see a hi-tech synthetic manage all that! Plus, fine wool just feels so good!

Here are a few of Ped’s favorite ways to cozy up against the cold and still stay stylish!

When we think of woolen beauty, we instantly think of the creations of Parisian textile artist Sophie Digard!

Words simply cannot express how gorgeous this Diamond Scarf is! Be sure to use Ped’s “zoom” tool to check out the dazzling chevron pattern framing each of this scarf’s colorful crocheted diamonds.

We especially love it when Sophie gets playful with mixing textiles and adding dimensional elements! How fantastic is this Biscuit Pop Scarf?

Sophie calls the velvet and crocheted baubles at the center of each woolly square “biscuits”—all we know is they are deliciously fun! And like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike!

(Psst, even better, Sophie Digard’s Biscuit Pop Scarf just happens to be this week’s “sweet treat”! Simply click “be sweet to your feet” at the top of any Ped page—including this one—to be transported to the Biscuit Pop Scarf with the magic code that will garner a delightful 20% off when entered at checkout.)

Another of our favorite woolen wonders this season is Epice’s luxurious Chevron Scarf:

Exquisitely loomed from wool and cashmere, this scarf is wide enough to wear as a shawl if your shoulders need a little extra warmth. The colors are luscious, and the hand of this beauty is so, so, so soft!

Another cashmere delight is Mia Zia’s Barcelona Cashmere Scarf:

You won’t want to stop touching this scarf! And because it’s monochromatic, each color option will go with almost any outfit. Plus, Mia Zia’s signature tassels at the corner add spice and whimsy!

Maybe it’s your hands you want to keep toasty! In that case, why not slip them into Antipast’s Waterdrop Gloves?

You better keep these cuties on, though, because they’re so fun sticky fingers just might try to snag them! (Incidentally, they also come in khaki.)

Speaking of fingers, it’s always nice to have the option of keeping them free. Check out these Antipast wool and alpaca mittens that offer the best of both worlds:

Keep your digits nice and cozy until you need them to dial or deal with keys—at which point, simply undo the etched button on the back of each mitten and let your fingers out to play!

Here at Ped HQ, we’re skirt-loving gals, so when the temperature dips, we get out the tights!

Aren’t these Antipast Quilted Stripe Tights FUN? They make staying warm in winter less of a chore and more of a treat! (And, needless to say, there are also Antipast wool socks to rock!)

Because we’re making space for all the warm-weather goods that are arriving daily, many of the above wool lovelies and lots of others over at the main Ped site are currently on sale! So, cozying up to wool at Ped won’t ice your bank account!