Spend vs Save: Fit and Flare

Right now fit and flare dresses and skirts seem to be everywhere I look! I really like them and think they are one of those pieces that do look good on and flatter most body types. They're also just so fun and cute! I recently got a navy skirt that I'm definitely looking forward to getting a lot of wear out of. If looking for your own I found a couple of beautiful options - both classic black - at two different price points. Would you splurge or save?

Club Monaco $149.50 | Gap $54.95

I'm going on save with this one. Although the Club Monaco one is gorgeous, I think the Gap one is equally as nice and for $100 less? Not to mention Gap is always having promos - it just seems like the obvious choice.

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.

The Best Things in Life...

Well, isn't this the truth! :)

Spend vs Save: Neon Satchel

Out shopping at Aldo recently I came across a fabulous Spend vs. Save case! In their sale bin they had these beautiful neon satchels. They reminded me a lot of the neon Cambridge Satchel's I'd previously seen in stores, but at a (really small) fraction of the price. Where the Cambridge Satchel will run you about $155 (USD), the Aldo Noronen will only set you back $29.95 (CAD)!

Having seen them both in person I think the Aldo one is the winner. The colours of each were very comparable. If anything I'd say the Cambridge pink is softer/lighter and the Aldo one is hotter/darker - but not by much! Also, I think I liked the fabric of the Aldo one a bit better as it was softer and Cambridge Satchel's feel a bit stiff. For me, it is because they are so comparable that I would pass up the name for the deal. 

What would you do with this one? Spend or Save?

*Note: if you are buying the Aldo one online the colours are listed as "Green" and "Orange" instead of "Yellow" and "Pink" - again, having seen them in person I can reassure you that they are indeed very yellow and very pink.

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?

My Next Gigi

I got a pair, my first and only pair, of Sam Edelman Gigi sandals about a year ago. Prior to that I had never really liked the whole T-strap sandal on myself. I'm not sure what it was then that made me get this pair (it may have been that I was in love with one strap of snake skin, one strap of leopard and the pink details - basically neutral with a bit of colour) but I am sure glad I did! Not only do I love this particular T-strap on me, I can't get enough of it. It doesn't hurt that they are also the most comfortable sandal I own. My only dilemma now, is with summer (almost) upon us, which one to get next... because there WILL be a next!

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?

Splurge vs Save: the Skeleton Watch

I previously mentioned that I have my eye on the Marc by Marc Jacobs Henry Skeleton leather watches, but while I pine away over those (and they are actually sold out most places anyway), I've found a comparable watch that is not nearly so pricey! Yes it's not as incredibly cool as the Skeleton watches, BUT considering they are about $170 less, I think that is just fine. The price of the Skeleton watches vary but no matter what you are looking to drop about 200 bucks, whereas this American Eagle find will only set you back $25.

I will also admit, these pictures are quite deceiving - the American Eagle watch does not look nearly as bright or neon as the Marc Jacobs one, but I promise you, I've seen it in real life and it is VERY neon!

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!

Irrational Fear

I saw this humorous little picture on Pinterest the other day and it totally rang true to me! Anyone else? Anyone? I hope so! I’ve already shared that I am a serious outfit planner, but this adds another element to it all...

You know when you've just bought a new outfit or a new piece of clothing and you're so excited to wear it! But you don't wear it just yet, because the right opportunity hasn't presented itself: the opportunity where you will be with a few of your peers, or in a public place, or a special occasion of sorts? Well this happens to me more often then I'd like to admit. In addition to this picture someone on a TV show recently mentioned this fear, and I laughed at how silly the fear is BUT also how I definitely experience it. Does anyone else "save" their outfits so that they can be premiered appropriately? I can't imagine I'm alone on this one! I think part of the fear comes from how excellent it actually feels when you DO wear a fabulous outfit to the perfect occasion!

I've noticed a lot of people are making it a resolution to shop at stores less and shop their own closet more - I'm hoping to do this as well - I happen to think that will help the issue some by getting those great outfits into circulation more. Hopefully... :)

Christmas Shopping Progress

In addition to all the wonderful things I've said about Christmas (music, decorations, food, family, friends, VS Fashion Show), Christmas time also means Christmas shopping! I really love shopping but I rarely go into malls anymore. I know my brands, I know my style, and I know my sizes - I am a PRO at online shopping. I can do it in seconds and never have to leave the comfort of home! Christmas shopping of course is a whole other story. I have to go into malls and stores that have never been busier and fight my way through to see if what I'm looking for is even there. Luckily I don't have too many people to buy for and also, I've gotten my most difficult presents out of the way already. One present was hard to find, and the other had some lead time on it. Both got checked off the list this week! I'm thinking what's left should be easy-peasy and my feet will be kicked up as I listen to Christmas music by the tree eating some delicious food with family in no time!

How's your holiday shopping progress?

November loves of my life...

As this month comes to an end, in reflecting on it, I realized that I fell in love this month - twice. With inanimate objects, but let me tell you about them...

First, while in New Orleans I passed a store window and spotted a pair of leopard booties. I was looking at them, they were looking at me, and that was it. Love. I have loved the look of leopard booties for a while, but as with most animal print, I find it very hard to find the right look. You don't want a discoloured, or inexpensive looking print/fabric (which is why I barely buy animal prints - I'm VERY picky). Then comes the shoe itself. Must be comfortable, versatile and beautiful! These booties fit all the criteria for me. They also looked looked an awful lot like a pair of House of Harlow boots I had been admiring from a distance for months, but with out the super extravagant price tag. Since bringing them home, I've worn them and handful of times and am also going to put them up in the ranks of one of the most comfortable pair of shoes I own. What a bonus!

My second love was more of a splurge. It's a Rebecca Minkoff purse. Enough said? Probably, but I will go on. These bags are one of my favourite lines of high-end designer bags. I fell in love with the Mac line and finally got one to call my very own! They're all great but I got drawn to this particular one because it was the most beautiful colour of vibrant purple, and is patent leather, which is not for her designs. When I got it I was more in love with it than I thought. It's just got the nicest detailing and it the perfect colour. Just love. Totally worth it!


Have a great weekend and enjoy this last day of November! Can you believe tomorrow is December already?!?!

SNOW & Cyber Monday

Winter Wonderland in Tremblant, Quebec last year

Every morning when I wake up for work I have my shower, do my hair and make-up, get dressed, then as the final step, I walk towards my (black) curtains and throw them open as if to say "HELLO WORLD!". Well this morning I did exactly that, but what caught my by surprise was that old man winter had come by in the wee hours of the night. Everything is covered in snow! Although very unexpected, I'm okay with it. Its been fairly cold lately and this blanket of snow helps ease that pain by visually telling me winter is quickly approaching. It also helps the abundance of Christmas decorations I've been seeing, feel a bit more appropriate. But only a bit - we're still in November after all! 

But enough about the weather, today is another special day - Cyber Monday! Always the Monday following American Thanksgiving and Black Friday, Cyber Monday is the number one online shopping day of the year. The last 3 years Cyber Monday has been breaking it's own record of online spending on this day, and this year is expected to be no different. Apparently Americans will likely spend about $1.5 billion dollars online today. WOWZA, right?! Just like Black Friday, Cyber Monday has made its way to Canada as well! Cyber Monday also tends to have bigger sales too. Will you participating in today's online shopping spree event?

To Shop or Not To Shop...?

That is the question of the week. There's nothing I need per-say, but I can always find SOMETHING. But this week is a special week, being the week that ends with Black Friday. Normally an American tradition, I am pleased that over the last couple of years the super sales and super savings that come along with Black Friday have made their way to Canada! Some retailers have already started with the savings by having "Black Friday Week" sales, but overall, the big deals will happen at the end of the week. So if ever you were to restrain yourself from going to the mall or browsing online, now is the time. Unless of course you're scoping out the scene of what you want to buy in the hopes it will be heavily discounted. I've already started taking note of which retailers on this side of the border are participating...

Will you be partaking in Black Friday sales? I will certainly be popping online! Can't hurt, right?!

Shopping Bag Art

I'm not sure about you, but when I go to an upscale store, or a unique store, I love saving the shopping bags. I don't know exactly why, but I think it's just another keepsake of a brand I like. These bags however, usually sit in a closet with other bags I reuse, but these ones never get reused themselves. I like to keep them in mint condition!

Apparently I am not the only one who does this. I recently saw a picture of someone who used these bags as art by framing them! What a great idea!

I think it's a very creative way to make use of these bags so that they don't collect dust, and a cool way to show your style/taste but in a simple way. My normal taste in artwork is fairly simple, so this would stay true to that since most bags are fairly simple in design. Gonna have to try it!