(From left) Alexa Chung, Kate Bosworth, and Kristen Stewart; Found, INF Daily, and Getty Images

When it comes to summer footwear, most people don’t think twice before running to their closet to dig up their favorite flip-flops, but this season, why not substitute your go-to sandals for a just as comfortable—and infinitely more practical—shoe? Yes, we’re talking about a good ol’ pair of sneakers, but these aren’t your average lace-ups. The once casual shoe has become somewhat of a high fashion commodity this year, appearing in the collections of luxe labels like Isabel Marant, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Comme des Garçons. We’ve zeroed in on the three most dominating styles: wedges, canvas, and high-tops—all in a new batch of summer-ready colors and prints. Click below to see our favorites! Wedges Wedge sneakers have taken over this summer, thanks primarily to Isabel Marant’s famed (and sold-out) “Willow” sneaker wedge, a favorite of Kate Bosworth, The Man Repeller, and pretty much every Victoria’s Secret model. Now, brands like Ash and Nike x Liberty have followed suit with their own pumped up kicks—literally: These sneakers can give up to three and a half inches of heel height. You can dressed them up with a maxi skirt or down with skinny jeans and a tee, and the cleverly disguised built-in heel will give you that much-needed extra lift without the pain of a pair of stilettos. These guys have been around for a while, but ELLE thinks they’re still cool, and we do too.

Photo: Courtesy of Shopbop Ash cool wedge sneakers, $250.

Photo: Courtesy of Madison Schutz Hannah sneaker, $208.

Photo: Courtesy of Nordstrom Nike ‘Dunk Sky Hi Liberty’ hidden wedge sneaker, $130.

Photo: Courtesy of Nordstrom Jeffrey Campbell ‘Venice-Hi’ wedge sneaker, $165. Canvas These cool classics are the epitome of old school style. Bensimon unleashed their canvas tennis shoes in the ‘80s, when they were worn by iconic style mavens like Princess Diana and Jane Birkin, and Superga’s rubber-soled sneaks date back to 1925. Now, these practical and preppy lace-ups come in a vast selection of colors—and since they’ve been around forever and are still in style, you may want to invest in a pair (or two).




Photo: Courtesy of La Garçonne Comme des Garçons Play canvas sneaker, $100.

Photo: Courtesy of Bensimon Bensimon tennis lacet, $55.

Photo: Courtesy of Bloomingdale's Superga Cotu classic, $65.

Photo: Courtesy of Keds Keds Champion Brights, $40. High-Tops Few sneakers are more iconic than Chuck Taylor All Star’s, and now, other sporty brands have built on Marquis M. Converse’s legendary shoe, introducing high top silhouettes of all different heights and designs. There may be some fresh new competitors in the category, but Chucks still remain as cool as they were back in the early 1900s, and now they have that special vintage feel too. Check out our classic and contemporary picks!

Photo: Courtesy of Zappos Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers, $55.

Photo: Courtesy of ASOS ASOS Destiny high top sneakers, $58.

Photo: Courtesy of Urban Outfitters Urban Outfitters crocheted high-top sneaker, $39.

Photo: Courtesy of YOOX ADIDAS high-top sneaker, $55.

Let’s face it: Twitter can be overwhelming sometimes. It’s nearly impossible for us to digest all of the breaking news on our Twitter feed, and if we think it’s tough, just imagine how hard it is for celebrities and their thousands—sometimes millions—of followers who tweet at them constantly throughout the day. It’s not surprising that some big name tweeters have to take a break from the social networking service once and a while—or just delete their accounts altogether. Alec Baldwin is the most recent celeb to quit Twitter (again) just after his recent nuptials, and other stars have kissed the blue birdie goodbye for other reasons: Some tweeted inappropriate remarks, some took a break to deal with personal issues, and some simply stopped giving updates to keep their public lives more private. We rounded up 10 celebrities who claimed to be done with Twitter for good. (Some have already returned, and we expect more will come crawling back!).


Alec Baldwin



Photo: Getty Images

Alec Baldwin announced his departure from Twitter on Monday morning, when he tweeted, “It’s been fun” shortly before deleting his account. But this isn’t the first time the tweet-happy actor has taken a break: In December, he temporarily quit after he was thrown off an American Airlines flight…for playing Words With Friends.

John Mayer

 

Photo: Getty Images

Many remember when John Mayer left his three million or so followers behind two years ago after making several inappropriate remarks about several of his exes (Jessica Simpson, for one).


Ashton Kutcher

 

Photo: Getty Images

The resident King of Twitter let his management team take the reins of his account after he spoke out against the firing of Penn State coach Joe Paterno before knowing exactly why he was dismissed.


 Demi Moore



Photo: Getty Images Demi Moore took a break from the Internet while getting treatment at a rehab center after her split from Ashton Kutcher. The former @mrskutcher is now back on her social media game with a brand spanking new Twitter handle: @justdemi.

Amanda Bynes




Photo: Getty Images

Amanda Bynes gave us a Twitter scare when she announced she was stopping tweeting and acting all at once. Thankfully, the actress changed her mind.

James Franco
 

Photo: Getty Images

James Franco’s time in the Twitterverse was short and sweet: After only a few weeks of posting pictures and videos, he deleted his account. But fear not, ladies: The actor is back (and posting more videos!) as @JamesFrancoTV.


Miley Cyrus



Photo: Getty Images

Miley Cyrus went on a Twitter hiatus in 2009 because she wanted more privacy. The behind the scenes life didn’t seem to last for the singer though, as she’s now back to her old tweeting ways.

Demi Lovato


 

Photo: Getty Images

Demi Lovato took a break from Twitter and decided to keep a low profile around the same time rumors were circulating of her breaking up with her boyfriend and entering rehab.


Nicki Minaj



Photo: Getty Images Nicki Minaj went silent on Twitter after a conflict with a fansite that had started leaking her songs online. After nine days of absence, the rapper returned with heartfelt messages to her millions (yes, millions) of followers.


Kanye West



Photo: Getty Images

After several (now infamous) Twitter rants, Kanye West put a hold on his tweeting, but the rapper came back with a vengeance this January with tons more tirades.

Celebrities are no strangers to endorsing beauty products, and now, they’re jumping on the nail art bandwagon too with a whole slew of shades that you can mix and match however your heart desires. Selena Gomez is the most recent celeb to announce a nail polish collection for Nicole By OPI, following in the footsteps of her beau, Justin Bieber, and other stars like Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, and even the entire cast of Glee. And Essie better watch out, because these celeb-approved polishes are becoming a huge success, and as we continue to decorate our nails in new and different ways, more and more stars are coming out with lacquers of their own. We rounded up our favorites below, check them out!


Selena Gomez for Nicole By OPI

Photo: Getty Images, Courtesy of Facebook

Selena Gomez may have recently launched a fragrance, but the 19-year-old still has beauty on the brain. The singer announced via Twitter that she’ll be coming out with her own nail polish collection when she tweeted a photo of the nail lacquer logo and wrote “Coming soon!!!”.

One Less Lonely Girl Collection for Nicole By OPI



Photo: Getty Images, Courtesy of OPI

Justin Bieber mini hit makers set of 4, $20. Selena’s following in her hubby’s footsteps with her nail collection, because Biebs already has a line of polishes for Nicole By OPI (and it completely sold out across the country upon release!). Each nail color in the collection is inspired by the singer, with names like “OMB!”, “I’m A Belieber”, and “Step 2 the Beat of My Heart”.


OPI Katy Perry Collection




Photo: Getty Images, Courtesy of OPI

OPI Katy Perry mini nail lacquers polish set, $18. Katy Perry’s nail collection for OPI features some of the pop star’s favorite sparkly shades, and with names based on her hit singles: “The One That Got Away”, “Last Friday Night”, and “Teenage Dream”.


Nicki Minaj OPI Nail Lacquer Collection


Photo: Getty Images, Courtesy of OPI

OPI Nicki Minaj mini nail lacquers, $10. Nicki Minaj’s set of lacquers is composed of the same light and bright colors that the singer wears herself—and, just like Katy Perry, each hue is named after one of her ditties: “Metallic 4 Life”, “Pink Friday”, and “Super Bass Shatter”.

Kardashian Kolor




Photo: Courtesy of OPI Nicole By OPI Kardashian Kolor nail lacquer, $7 each. These powerhouse sisters already have a reality TV show and a clothing line, so the beauty biz was a logical next step. Kardashian Kolor began with a 14-color holiday collection, and now the line of lacquers has transitioned to spring too. The colors are creatively named after the sisters: “All Kendall-ed Up”, “Sealed with a Kris”, “Kim-pletely In Love”…you get the picture.


Glee Nail Polish Collection for SEPHORA by OPI

Photo: Getty Images, Courtesy of OPI

SEPHORA by OPI Glee Collection nail color, $10 each. Fans can totally Gleek out with this nail polish set—each color is inspired by the hit TV show, with names like “Diva-in-Training”, “Miss Bossy Pants” (a.k.a. Rachel), and of course, “Slushied”.

Photo: courtesy of Fashion & Style

Chloe Sevigny has recently been named as the new face of Miu Miu.  The actress appeared in the brand’s campaigns in 1996 and is now reprising her roll for their autumn/winter 2012 campaign.  Fashion & Style. Matthew McConaughey and his new wife Camila Alves are expecting baby number three!  The Magic Mike star announced the good news yesterday via twitter.  US Weekly. Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform, is the latest and greatest when it comes to social media in China.  Fashion designers like DVF and Alexander Wang have created a presence on the Chinese site and it seems like lots of brands will soon be following in their footsteps.  Fashionista. In the wake of Katie Holmes’ divorce announcement, the star (and August ELLE cover girl) has something positive to look forward to.  Katie will be showing her line Holmes & Yang at fashion week for the first time in September!  WWD. Karl Lagerfeld spilled about a coat from Chanel’s collection at Paris Haute Couture week that took 3,000 hours to make!  Telegraph.

Photo: Getty Images

Keegan Allen is best known for his role on the ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars where he plays Toby Cavanaugh. The 25-year-old, who impressively landed the role on the show right after transitioning from theater to TV, took the creepy character and ran with it. In the Pretty Little Liars book series, which the show was based on, Toby is supposed to be a bit of a weirdo but somehow Keegan managed to take the peculiar character and add a really irresistible element in! We don’t know how he perfected the mysterious persona of Toby so flawlessly, but we love it. Today Keegan is a household heartthrob, but before PLL he was just an average kid with big dreams.  He dedicated himself to the business at a young age but managed to keep his happy-go-lucky persona throughout the whole process, even showing up to casting calls on his skateboard!  Keegan grew up in L.A. and in an interview with I Am Entertainment Magazine, he gives a lot of credit to his Mom and Pop saying he was lucky enough to end up where he is today thanks to their support. The young actor seems to have a really good relationship with his family along with his PLL cast mates. If you check out Keegan’s Twitter, he’s always in some kind of conversation with one of the other Pretty Little Liars actors, trading inside jokes with Lucy Hale or helping to promote Shay Mitchell’s latest cover—now that’s a good friend! Not only does Keegan sound like a total sweetheart, he’s unbearably cute too! That’s why we are officially naming Keegan Allen EG’s crush of the week! Watch Keegan on Pretty Little Liars, Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC Family. (And keep an eye out for his killer abs, which have been known to make cameos on the show!)

Photo: Courtesy of lazygirls.info

On Pretty Little Liars, Ashley Benson always looks dressed to kill as Hanna Marin, the resident It girl of Rosewood High. Offset, sans professional styling, her getups are just as cute and put-together—but with a bit of rocker-chick edge. Check out Ashley, left, outside the famed Chateau Marmont Hotel in West Hollywood on Saturday. The 22-year-old model/actress proved that leather booties can in fact be worn in the summertime with a made-to-be-seen pair of Ash “Titan” studded mini-moto boots—complete with spike detailing that dresses them up for a night out. The rest of Ashley’s outfit consists of several key staple items (and a really awesome handbag): a black dress, a black leather motorcycle jacket (with studs!), a thick pair of specs, a gold oversized Michael Kors watch, some fun bangles, and a flirty pink iPhone case. Her basket weave shoulder bag, by Chanel, brings a softer hue to her all-black ensemble. Replicate Ashley’s effortless style with these pieces:

Photo: Courtesy of Ash Ash Titan boot, $360.

Photo: Courtesy of Topshop ADIOS2 studded western boots, $140.

Photo: Courtesy of Endless Vince Camuto Donato bootie, $136.

Photo: Courtesy of Footnotesonline Steve Madden Frankiee black leather studded motorcycle boot, $149.




Photo: Courtesy of Zara Zara underwear dress, $20.

Photo: Courtesy of Topshop Topshop strappy jersey mini dress, $45.

Photo: Courtesy of Forever 21 Forever 21 trapeze swing dress, $20.

Photo: Courtesy of Topshop Topshop studded biker jacket, $130.

Photo: Courtesy of Free People Free People embellished vegan leather motorcycle jacket, $248.



Photo: Courtesy of Neiman Marcus Oryany Tikva wicker crossbody mini, $224.




Photo: Courtesy of Endless Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac straw clutch, $195.

Photo: Courtesy of Warby Parker Warby Parker Beckett in black matte, $95.

Photo: Courtesy of Michael Kors Michael Kors golden oversized runway watch, $250.

Photo: Courtesy of Shopbop Adia Kibur mixed bangle set, $30.

Photo: Courtesy of Marc Jacobs Marc by Marc Jacobs stardust iPhone case, $38.

Photo: Courtesy of fablane.com

We already compiled an Independence Day outfit guide, but what about dressing up your nails for the occasion? Festive holidays call for multicolored mani’s, and we’ve got a perfectly patriotic nail art design for the 4th that’s fun and relatively easy to do (no special tools required!). All you need is a toothpick, the three colors of the flag, and a base and top coat to make sure your nails stay fresh and glossy throughout the weekend (because really, who wants to reapply?). Get your stars and stripes on with the steps below! You’ll need: a base coat, red nail polish, white nail polish, blue nail polish, a toothpick, and a top coat.


1. Apply a base coat to protect and strengthen your nails.

Photo: Courtesy of Nails Inc. Nails Inc. A & E base coat, $19. 2. Apply red nail polish to the entire nail. Let it dry for approximately 20 minutes.

Photo: Courtesy of Essie Essie “really red” nail polish, $8.


3. Next, apply a single strip of white nail polish vertically down the center of the nail. Let it dry for 20 minutes.




Photo: Courtesy of Essie Essie “blanc” nail polish, $8.


4. Take the blue nail polish and apply a single strip of nail polish horizontally along the tip of the nail, perpendicular to the white stripe, and covering it a little bit, like in the picture above. Let it dry for 20 minutes.




Photo: Courtesy of Essie Essie “mesmerised” nail polish, $8.


5. Dip the tip of the toothpick into the white nail polish and create your stars by making a dot on the blue strip where you want the star to be. Carefully drag the dot in five directions into a star-like shape. Repeat the process 3-4 times for additional stars, spacing the dots out appropriately. Let the stars dry for 20 minutes. 6. Finish off with a layer of top coat to protect the nail art and make the nails super glossy.

Photo: Courtesy of Sephora Sephora by OPI gelshine top coat, $18.

Photo: Getty Images Hosting a 4th of July BBQ and have no idea what music to play? Fear not: Thanks to our friends over at Facebook and Spotify, we’ve come up with the ultimate patriotic playlist. The social networking giant recently released data revealing the five most-shared songs about the U.S.A. from its Spotify users, and they range from old classics to recent hits. So whatever music you’re into, we can all probably agree that there’s no better time than the 4th to blast some statesmanlike songs. Click below for the playlist! 1. ‘American Pie’ by Don McLean 2. ‘American Soldier’ by Toby Keith 3. ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ by Whitney Houston; The Florida Orchestra 4. ‘Letters from Home’ by John Michael Montgomery 5. ‘Born in the U.S.A’ by Bruce Springsteen To find Spotify and other apps, visit the Facebook App Center.

Save the T-storms in New York yesterday, it’s been a total scorcher this past week, and we’re assuming the heat wave hit quite a few of you out there too.  When it gets that hot there’s only one solution, and it might involve heading to the nearest body of water. Relaxing by the pool with friends or splashing around in the ocean is always a guaranteed good time, but one thing that can make a swim day even better is showing up in an awesome suit. Whether you’re a bikini kind of girl or a one-piece-wearing fashionista, we have the look for you!  We’ve rounded up some of summer’s hottest swimsuits, so take a peek.

Photo: courtesy of Free People LSpace fringe halter top, $73, and Monique bottoms, $68.




Photo: courtesy of ASOS Wildfox one piece swimsuit with heart, $112.

Photo: courtesy of Victoria's Secret Victoria’s Secret floral ruffle bandeau top, $15, and floral ruffle bikini bottom, $10.

Photo: courtesy of Arden B. Arden B. snake puckered triangle top, $31, and snake print tie side bikini bottom, $23.


 

Photo: courtesy of Shopbop Thayer halter one piece, $209.

Photo: courtesy of Planet Blue Beauty & The Beach Penny Lane crochet bikini top, $65, and crochet bottom, $75.

 

Photo: courtesy of Shopbop Marysia Swim Antibes scallop bikini, $255.

Photo: courtesy of Victoria's Secret Victoria’s Secret Abbie pom-pom triangle top, $24, and pom-pom string bottom, $20.

Photo: courtesy of Shopbop Mara Hoffman ladder high waisted bikini, $220.

Photo: courtesy of Shopbop Marc by Marc Jacobs Mona paisley reversible cutout maillot, $142.




Photo: courtesy of Allsaints AllSaints Pipali bikini top, $53, and Pipali bikini bottom, $53.