Holy Holograms!

Last winter during NYFW, the Milly show (watching the show via online stream and through pictures) really took my breath away. There were some sweet fabrics. By sweet fabrics I'm talking about hologram leather. What??? Yup. Check it out:

How cool is holographic leather, REALLY. Of course the time has come where all the pieces are now available to consumers... but as I had dreaded, at a hefty, hefty price. Check out below - that sweater $851; that clutch $482. I don't know about you but if I'm spending that much coin, it's on a trip not a sweater! For now, I will admire all these Milly pieces from afar. And I'm actually okay with that.

Dear mainstream brands, companies, and department stores, 

Please work on creating some affordable fashionable pieces with a similar looking fabric ASAP. I will buy. Promise.

Sincerely,
Sam

The Perfect Pant

Everybody and every body is different. So what works for one person, may not necessarily work for someone else but you know when something REALLY works for you? Like really really works? They say when you find the perfect white T-shirt for example, that you should buy more than one because finding a staple like that can be hard and is worth stocking up on!

Well, I seem to have found the perfect pant. Work pant to be specific. I don't shop at Gap a whole lot but last year I really tuned in to my work wardrobe and decided I was not as in love with my pants as I should be. The fit wasn't the best and I they weren't super comfortable to wear, and with work being such a big part of our day/lives, that didn't seem right. So I went on a hunt. After getting an email with a Gap discount (which if you don't know, come out ALL the time), I decided to take a look at their selection. I ordered a pair that looked good and they came and they were PERFECT! Wearing them is a pleasure! They look professional and they feel oh so incredibly comfortable. Big win. The pants in question: Gap's Modern Boot Pants.

The colour I got to start was navy because I didn't have a navy pant so while experimenting I was also looking to be practical by giving myself variety. I've since disposed of my black pants and replaced them with a black pair of these Gap ones! And any day now a camel pair should be arriving. I was hoping that the colours would make them different enough - not that people at work notice things like that - and I think they really do.

So now that I have found my trio of perfect pants, I had to share this wealth of information in case anyone is in need themselves! :)

Bonus: The Perfect Skirt

Last year I had to retire 2 black pencil skirts. One from Jacob and one from J.Crew. The Jacob one was super old and with age came problems with it's zipper. The J.Crew one had a problem with the vent area where it kept becoming unsewn and I wasn't super crazy about the material. A black pencil skirt is not only a CRUCIAL staple for work but I think in life! Every woman should have one. Enter Gap's Ponte Pencil Skirt. It is fitted and stretchy and comfortable. Another win.

Remember when...

Remember when you were a kid and you were all excited because you were wearing the cutest little skirt but you also had the secret that the skirt was actually shorts? Well my friends, the skort is back. I don't know if it ever went away but I can personally say I have not thought twice about them until Zara came out with a super cute and stylish Mini Skort of their own! I first spotted the skort on model Karolina Kurkova and definitely though it was a skirt. A beautiful skirt with such a unique and interesting cut. When I later found out that it was A) a skort and B) from Zara (aka affordable) I had to investigate!

No longer carried in that vibrant blue, you can still find the skort in Black, Geranium (which I can only assume is an orange-y red), and White. From the front I would definitely wear this in a second! It's beautiful. But knowing my secret of wearing shorts is exposed from the back? That might take some getting used to. Have you ever worn a skort? Would you? I think if I would, this would be the one.

Hunting for Summer Dresses

With summer just around the corner (officially starting at the end of this week to be exact!), I find myself obsessing over summer dresses! I have a few, but mostly maxi dresses which I tend to use as cover-ups. I feel like I don't really have anything I'd really call "short and fun and flirty" - which is every girls' summer dress dream! While in my hunt for the perfect summer dresses, I have found myself frequenting the various online pages of the brand Splendid. I find their clothes in general to be basic, but must-have basics. Comfortable, easy design, in beautiful and fashionable cuts. Here are some of the dresses I've recently been ogling:

What do you think? I'm kind of crazy about that yellow one... don't be surprised if it makes it's way into my closet! Here's a few other non-Splendid dresses that have also caught my eye:

As you can probably tell, the thing all these dresses have is that they are simple - very throw on and go - and that they are all fun! One of the best parts of summer can be sporting colour, and one of the key essentials of summer clothing is that it is light and comfortable. I think it's safe to say all of these hit the mark.

What's your go-to summer brand/brands when it comes to dresses? Is there a summer staple you feel like you need to add to your closet line-up?

Not your average outfit post

This outfit post is not going to tell you how to look long and lean, or how to flatter your silhouette, nor will it tell you how to wear the latest trends. What it WILL tell you is how to be cozy and a little bit majestic at the same time!

Let me introduce you to my unicorn onesie. Like most girls, as a child I found myself rather infactuated (obsessed???) with rainbows, pink, and unicorns. Yes, I was the epitome of a girly girl, and still am. Fast forward to my adult life: I still do everything possible to embrace those things I onced loved so very much, but perhaps in a more mature and subtle way. This is of course until I stumbled across these beauties online. And by stumbled, I mean I typed something the likes of "unicorn adult onesie" into Google. There she was. A beautiful pink unicorn one-piece just waiting to be worn by me. It was meant to be. Of course when I saw a blue one and showed my roommate, she was all to willing to become the blue unicorn to my pink unicorn. 

The day they came in the mail and I pulled them out of the box, I just remember hunching over and laughing so hard. They were exactly what I envisioned, if not better! The heads too - they were a bit more sturdy and stuffed than I thought and that is what was killing me. I have nothing bad to say about them - they're awesome. Wearing it just makes me feel so happy and like a kid again! I definitely don't feel like a professional career woman, but who wouldn't like a little vacation from that by simply putting on a unicorn onesie?

P.S. These are just as comfortable as they look, if not more. 

P.P.S. The above pictures were taken by a friend of mine who JUST SO HAPPENED to come over unexpectedly the first night we wore them. And she never does that! It was one of those right-place-right-time moments for her. Imagine a unicorn answering the door? Haha! :)

An Ode to What Not to Wear

It's (kind of) the end of an era. After 10 seasons of lost (fashion) souls, of the worst clothes we've seen, of the best clothes we've seen, of laughs, of tears, of transformations - TLC's What Not to Wear has announced the show is coming to an end. This summer the final episodes of the series will be aired. I absolutely love watching this show and am definitely sad to see it come to an end. 

I have loved watching the people get transformed and gain confidence with their new styles. Some of the stories on this show are super heart warming and actually bring tears to my eyes - when people are super kind, really deserve it, and give so much, it's nice to see this show give them something back. Aside from that there is also the overall entertainment - some of these people are hilarious (in good but sometimes bad ways) and seem to be able to justify all their fashion crimes! It's ridiculous what some people try to pull off. Also hilarious: Stacy and Clinton. THESE TWO CRACK ME UP. I'm not sure if it's just me but in the past few years they have gotten funnies and funnier! They play off each other SO well and just lighten every situation. And if a situation arises that they can't lighten up - like a difficult participant - then they go have a drink! It's the best. 

We can't forget Ted Gibson and Carmindy! I love Ted Gibson. He is so sweet to these women and is truly an artist when it comes to his work on them. I am always amazed at the final result he produces. Sometimes I think HE is the one that gives them this new lease on their lives. He is also incredibly respectful of any reservations they might have and really walks them through the process. There is a reason he's a renowned stylist! And Carmindy - I do like Carmindy and think she's definitely great at what she does, but I've never felt she's tried to bond with the participants as much as everyone else. I do also enjoy seeing what she's wearing every episode! I like her bohemian style.

When watching the show I of course love watching the fashion. Not just the participants' transforming fashion, but also Stacy's fashion. She (of course) has great style! My favourite style moments though? Her outfits during the "rules"/360 room segements and at the end of the show during the big reveal. It's at these parts that she always tends to wear really great dresses, and I love dresses! They always inspire me for work-wear fashion (the ones that aren't on the shorter side anyway). They also always make me think that I should get some more dresses for how effortlessly chic they are! New fashion resolution perhaps? 

To conclude my ode to What Not To Wear, I've compiled a few of my favourite Stacy looks:

P.S. Has anyone been watching as long as me and not only remember Nick Arrojo (the hair stylist they had for several years) and Wayne Lukas (the first male stylist they had that Clinton replaced)? I did NOT like either of them but felt the need to bring them up as there were a part of it all! :)

Where do you like your money?

Shopping Advice via Lauren Conrad

I've already featured Lauren Conrad as one of my style icons, and with her own fashion line and style book, I think we can say the girl does know her stuff. I came across a snippet of an interview she recently did with Redbook magazine and she had what I thought was really great advice when it comes to shopping! It's advice that I think could help with the whole "shopping your own closet" idea, but if shopping in a store/online, it will help ensure you make wise decisions when it comes to your purchases. 

When it comes to shopping her advice is to pull out your 10 favourite pieces or most worn pieces and lay them out. This will help you "figure out what you gravitate toward, what makes you feel good". Two perks of this: that you have a clear view of what you actually wear, and what you WILL actually wear; also that with these pieces in mind, you can build a wardrobe around them which will keep them in rotation! She also mentions the usefulness of this practice when thinking about accessories - you won't be as likely to buy things on a whim and realize that it doesn't go with anything you wear!

To try out this advice I decided to scour my closet for my favourite/most-worn pieces. In order to get a well rounded and most accurate view, I made sure to include work attire as well. These are the pieces I came up with: 

Will it help? Time will tell. What do you think of this advice? Do you have any tricks or tips yourself to make sure you get the most bang for your buck?

Zara Online Eh?

I cannot believe it. Well, it's 2013 so actually I can. Zara is FINALLY (and that is a BIG finally) bringing online shopping to Canada. If I am correct the US has been able to shop Zara online for awhile... well, better late then never, tomorrow we will have that ability as well! *HOORAY* 

You can bet that I will promtly test out their site and make a purchase, only for research and review purposes of course! :) I'm very excited about this, not because I'm a huge Zara fan (which, more often than not, I am) but mostly because I am not a mall person anymore so the easier my go-to stores make it for me to shop without driving around town, the better!

Neons and Mint

I don't know about you but when I'm browsing fashion or making up my wishlists, I've noticed that at any given time I'm drawn to a certain theme of things, mostly relating to a certain colour scheme. For example: just last month, everything I was looking at and coveting was white, black or blue. I have no idea why, but one day I started to notice this trend in all the pages I was bookmarking or all the wishlists I was creating! Right now I'm onto a new trend that appears to be made up of neons and mint. Those don't necessarily make as much sense as the former colour scheme but it is what it is! With spring collections rolling out I suppose there is some rationale to where the inspiration came from. From looking at all the spring fashion previews months ago, and with the spring collections that are coming out right now, I'm pleased to report that it looks like neons and mints are here to stay for at least another year!

Simply out of curiosity, I decided to pull together a sample outfit to see if this colour scheme even works! Well, this is the outfit I put together - three items I own and one is on my wishlist. What do we think? I think it looks mighty fine and like a perfect outfit to rock the second spring reveals itself! :)
  
 

Winter Whites

The old fashion rule of "no white after Labour Day" needs a little reworking I think! 

I will agree with no white jeans. I will in most circumstance also agree with no white footwear. Nothing that screams SUMMER which both tend to do for me. I think you need to use your judgement and go with your gut. But what about a cocktail dress? or a white suit? Are they not classics? Why yes, I believe they are! Take a look at these lovely celebrities rocking some winter whites on the red carpet recently (yes, a couple are more cream, but the others are WHITE) . I think they look gorgeous. White doesn't seem inappropriate here, it's almost unexpected and that to me is what makes it so stunning! I am just loving this look right now.

What do you think? Is it pushing the limits or breaking boundaries?

Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Sienna Miller, Diane Kruger, Ashley Greene, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Hough

Style Icon: Lauren Conrad

Lauren is another starlet who came into fame from Laguna Beach and The Hills. Like Kristin Cavallari, I think that Lauren looks like the epitome of a California Girl. Her blonde waves are envied far and wide. She has a laid back style, but she is also the queen of party dresses!

Although she started with reality TV, Lauren has tried to separate herself from that piece of her past, and make a name for herself. She is an author; her books are for a young-ish audience and are super fluffy, but fun. They are based on a California girl who is asked to be in a reality show... I guess write about what you know! She also has a beauty book coming out and she is the subject of many beauty vlogs. I gotta say, she does know what works in that department! She is also heads up the fashion line Paper Crown. It's a fairly simple line, but it's quality and pricey! I think she did a great job with it. It's very her. 

If I have one suggestion for her, it would only be to lose the teapot arm!

What Not To Wear

In honour of it being Canadian Thanksgiving today, this post is  "What Not to Wear" when you put on a few pounds. Featuring: Lady Gaga. 

I'm not sure if you've heard, but there's been a lot of talk the past few weeks about Lady Gaga's figure not being quite as fit as it once was. She has come out and admitted that she has put on about 25 pounds. In response to all this negative attention, she posted a photo of herself in her bra and underwear to promote body acceptance - part of her whole "Born This Way" mantra. There have been so many fans replying with pictures of their own and thanking her for owning the way she is, added pounds and all. I actually think this is a wonderful thing, and it's situations like this that make me wish she wasn't so darn weird! Weird in the sense that I find some of her antics distracting from her message. Theses antics are where the "What Not to Wear" comes into play. 

I understand that you gained weight Lady Gaga, but maybe you want to just buy bigger clothes that compliment your body? As opposed to this:

Style Icon: Kristin Cavallari

Back in the day, Laguna Beach and The Hills were my absolute reality TV guilty pleasures of choice. If I'm honest I still miss them sometimes! It's on these shows that a reality star was born - Kristin Cavallari. 

Since then she's made other reality appearances, contributed to fashion lines, gotten engaged to NFL quarterback Jay Cutler, and just recently she became a mother. Just like Blake Lively, I always look forward to seeing pictures of her and what she's wearing. Unlike Blake Lively, I feel like she wears stuff that is not necessarily unrealistic for real life, or a non-Hollywood life. Fun dresses that show some leg for occasions, then very comfortable and practical wear for the everyday. No matter the outfit, they are so simple, fun and oh so stylish.

One last thing, let me tell you about that last picture in my selections... the one of her in that black dress. That is from earlier this week, just 2 months after having her baby. TWO months!!! Way to go Kristin.

Kristin's Event Style

Kristin's Everyday Style

Cozy Sweaters

One of my favourite parts of fall is how cozy it is - out of necessity! With the chilly air brings tall boots and over-sized cozy sweaters. While browsing on Pinterest (surprise surprise), I came across these two pins that made me feel the joy of fall... and love maybe.

The first pin is a quote from a Lana Del Rey song and the second is, to me, the epitome of a cozy looking sweater. The part that makes me think of love is that if you find someone, who makes you feel like that sweater makes you feel (or better), he's a keeper because that sweater looks awesome! :)

Style Icon: Mila Kunis

From the 15 year old Mila Kunis we started watching on That 70's Show, to the movie star of today, we have pretty much seen Mila grow up before our eyes.

On the silver screen she has proven she can do it all, from funny roles like "Friends With Benefits" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", to the more serious and dramatic role she played in "Black Swan" (she blew me away with that one).  I think her style works in the same way. She can wear something chic and classic, but it still has an element of fun!

Mila Kunis Style

tiff. 2012

This week TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) is happening in, where else, Toronto. Like any other film festival, TIFF brings celebrities galore to Canada to premiere and promote their movies. With all those premieres and all those parties, you can imagine that there is a whole lot of fashion too!

Although it's ongoing until Sunday, I've already spotted a couple outstanding looks that are so good, I couldn't help but share. 

Some favourite looks from TIFF.

Outfit Planning

Do you plan your outfits in advance? If so, how far in advance?

I am an EXTREME outfit planner. That being said, it's not random outfits, but rather I plan for specific occasions. You might think that sounds reasonable; here's the extreme part: those occasions can be months away. It's August and I'm already thinking about New Years Eve! No idea what I'm doing for NYE, but I am brainstorming what to wear. 

I think what happens I see a photo of an outfit, or am shopping online, and suddenly I'm trying to figure out where I can wear that! This sounds like a chicken and egg riddle: which comes first, the outfit or the occassion? This is one outfit that got me thinking about New Years:

Pretty cute and festive, right?! Maybe it would be a good outfit for my birthday? (Also, in January)

I'm sure you can see how this is a slippery slope. I should just take a deep breath and focus on what to wear next week... because let's be honest, I've got this week figured out :)