Quote Of The Week

Denim Daze

Denim never goes out of style, but it definitely has its hot and cold periods. Like right now, it is definitely very, very hot, and it is my most recent obsession. Lately, denim has been my go-to for an outfit (and not just when I can't figure out what else to wear; I generally start out with jeans and build the outfit from there), because it is so classic and so versatile. And I'm not just talking pants. I'm talking literally any kind of garment and accessory can be made out of denim. And the beauty is, it can be worn for any occasion (though you may want to double check with the bride before wearing it to a wedding; nevertheless it is possible).

It comes in tons of silhouettes. The colour possibilities are endless: classic blue (then there's light blue, dark blue, medium blue), white, off-white, black, grey, and every colour of the rainbow and then some. There are different washes, and denim with a pattern, embellishment and appliqué on it.

One day you can be wearing a denim jacket with sweats, converse, and a tuque, and the next you can be wearing dark skinny jeans with stilettos, a tailored blazer, and red lipstick. I am also grateful that it can be worn for pretty much any season, as I'm nowhere near ready to give it up for fall. And there are also tons of different types of denim pieces: jackets, shirts, shoes, bags, the list goes on and on. Though I have put some of my favourite denim pieces into a collage below. Enjoy.

1. Bralette: Moto

2. Dress: H&M

3. Backpack: New Look

4. Skirt: Michael Kors

5. Overalls: Blackfive

6. Watch: American Apparel

7. Jacket: Forever New

8. Tie Top: Nic + Zoe

9. Bow: Etsy

10. D'Orsay Flats: Jenni Kayne

My City Gossip: Summer To September

Even though the weather has been getting cooler lately, I'm still not quite ready to make the closet switch over to my fall clothes just yet. If you're not either, read my latest article for My City Gossip to find out how to keep your summer stuff in your wardrobe for just a while longer, and how to mix it with fall items for the perfect transition looks!

TOM Review

As promised, here is my review of the two shows I saw at Toronto Men's Fashion Week last week, via My City Gossip. You can read the article by clicking here. Here are just some pics I took while there. Enjoy!

(The first show, HD Homme)

(The second show, the EMDA Award)

(Joao Paulo Guedes, winner of the EMDA)

TOM

Last Thursday I was so lucky to be able to attend a few shows at TOM (Toronto Men's Fashion Week). I was sent by My City Gossip, and I will share my review of the shows with you later this week, via their website. I had an amazing time and am so thankful for all the opportunities that have come up for me since beginning as a fashion contributor for their site in May.

For my outfit for the night, I decided to stick with a menswear inspired look (very appropriate), with distressed boyfriend jeans, a collared shirt, and a blazer. Though I did put a feminine twist on the look by using sleek pieces on top, and on my feet. I also loved the contrast of the sleek blazer with the slouchy denim. I then layered some colourful necklaces, and matched my lipstick to the purple one (it's new and I just can't get enough of the colour!) The weather really wasn't that great that night (one of the many cooler, rainy days we've been having that tells us Autumn is not too far away), so it was a good thing I had planned an outfit including long pants and a jacket.

Photographer: Elana Emer

Blouse: Zara

Blazer: H&M

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Necklaces, Bracelets: Aldo

Rings: H&M

Clutch: Zara

Sunglasses: Aldo

Shoes: Call It Spring

Lipstick: Mac Violetta

Nail Polish: Essie Find Me An Oasis

Say Something

In this era of texting, blogging, tweeting, and every other form of social media and communication, getting your thoughts out into the world and "saying something" has never been easier, or really more common. And lately this trend of captioning has found its way into the fashion industry and onto our clothing. 

I for one love this trend. These graphic garments mostly come in black and white and grey, and so they match with pretty much anything in your closet. Pair a printed T with skinny ripped jeans and a sleek blazer (like Sheryl Luke of Walk In Wonderland above), and not only do you look ultra chic, but you've just elevated a basic shirt to a whole new fashion level. They really make a statement, and give the people reading your shirt a small glimpse of who you are. And at the end of the day, isn't that what fashion is all about?

From left to right:

(Top row)

Etsy; Etsy; Batoko; H&M

(Bottom row)

Daytrip; DKNY; Delia's; H&M

There is just one more that I wanted to add to this post, but didn't want to include in the collage since it wasn't black and white (it would just throw the whole flow off). But this is probably one of my favourites!

What are your favourite pieces that "say something"?

My City Gossip: End Of Summer Parties

This week for My City Gossip I wrote an article about what to plan and wear for an end-of-summer party. No matter who you're celebrating with, do it up right, and have fun! You can read the article here, or click on the photo above.

Bathing Suit Coverups

Summer's (still) here, which means there's still lots of days spent by the water, be it pool or beach. With so many options, it's hard to find a coverup to wear waterside. Purchasing one or two cover-ups a year should leave you with enough options (it depends how often you wear them, and how often you like to rewear the same one), since they generally last at least a few years; depending what climate you live in, you're probably only wearing your coverup 2-3 months of the year. A lot of swimwear goes on sale this time of year, because fall items are already coming into stores, so if you like to save, and stock up for let's say your winter vacay, now is the perfect time to invest in some great cover ups.

Also, you can wear day-to-day items as cover-ups, such as shorts and a tank or a sundress that you aren't worried about getting wet with chlorine or salt water. You probably want to stick to basic, solid colour coverups that will match with most of your bathing suits, so you can get the most wear out of them. But with all the beautiful summer colours and patterns available, it can be hard to resist! I know when I go to the water, I tend not to accessorize a lot, but I end up feeling so plain and unexciting. The bold coloured and printed pieces can also help spiff up your pool or beach look, because it makes you feel like you're missing less in your outfit.

1. Beach Pants: Vitamin A

2. Tunic: Melissa Odabash

3. Sarong: 1 World Sarongs

4. Kimono: Monki

5. Collared Dress: Equipment

6. Lace Coverup: 6 Shore Road

Summer Must-Do's

As September draws closer and closer, I keep thinking about how my summer has been so far and if I've been enjoying it. Sometimes it's hard to tell when you're so busy and constantly doing things, and you just need to take a minute, step back, and reflect. And even though I have been working non-stop (not that I'm complaining), I am doing other things that make me happy, and I have come to the conclusion that yes, I am having an amazing summer. Even if you live and breathe work and barely get a day to yourself, be sure and take a day off once in a while and do at least a few of the things on my summer must-do list.

1. Go to a concert

I generally go see live music all-year round, but there's just something about an outdoor concert in the summer. What's better than listening to your favourite band live outside when the weather is beautiful?

2. Sit by the water

For me it doesn't get any better than lying in my backyard with a good book and getting some colour (I am extremely pale and so any chance I get I am putting on the tanning oil and sitting outside). But there is no better feeling than taking a break from the sun rays and going for a quick dip in the pool, lake, or ocean.

3. Stay in

Some weeks I work almost every day, and since I'm on my feet the whole time, when I do get a day off I love just being off my feet, staying in bed or on the couch and just reading or watching movies. It really gives my feet a well-deserved break! Especially if you've been spending your summer going crazy with partying and going out, it's good to give yourself (and your body) a break once in a while.

4. Go out

Once you've had that day to relax, it's time to go out! Whether for a friend's birthday, to celebrate a special event, or just because, take advantage of what I call no-coat-check season, and dance the night away.

5. Create your own summer cocktail

Something about the summer always makes me want to sip cold, fruity, alcohol-infused drinks out of a cute cocktail glass. I'm not one to stick with conventional cocktails (and I never have the right ingredients in my house), so I usually just end up mixing a bunch of random things together and it always ends up tasting good.

6. Spend time outdoors

Even if you're working a lot, even if you hate being outside, even if you'd rather be doing something else, take some time and spend it outside in this gorgeous summer weather (it won't last for much longer). There are tons of shops and patios down on Queen and King West; there are various parks and conservation areas in the city if you want to take a picnic or a book to read; and there are free movies being shown in various parks around Toronto all summer.

7. Be a tourist

Do something different that this beautiful city has to offer. In Toronto you can go to the Distillery District, Ripley's Aquarium, Centre Island, the zoo, and many other things. And other cities have similar, awesome things to try!

8. Do something that makes you happy

That something may have been listed above, but if not (or even if it is), just do whatever comes to mind when you think about being happy. Being the geek that I am, for me this is going to Fan Expo, a Toronto convention (think Comic Con) at the end of the summer. Going with my best friend (my sister), it's always the perfect way to end my summer.

What's on your summer to-do list?

Long Weekend Highlights

In Canada, Monday was a Civic Holiday and so it was a long weekend. Well, it wasn't much of a long weekend for me, because I worked all day Saturday and Sunday, although I didn't end up minding since it ended up raining pretty hard those days. Monday I finally got a day off, and thankfully the weather was finally cooperating!

Our backyard is a pretty good size, and we have a little patio going on, but it's so empty and lame and not great for entertaining guests, or even just having a few people over (seriously we didn't even have a table or chairs). So this weekend my parents went out and ordered a small tables with chairs, and just for fun, a fire pit! So Sunday night we went for dinner with some family friends, and then invited them back to our place to roast marshmallows over our brand new fire pit.

I love being outside, especially on summer mornings when it feels like you don't need to have a care in the world because the moment can last forever (that is one of my happy places, just so you know), and I have been nagging my mom about getting even the smallest table and even just one chair, so that I can sit and eat breakfast or read a book outside this summer. So when they ordered the table set with not one, but four chairs, it's safe to say I did a little happy dance and was extremely pleased. Monday morning I was able to sit outside and do some work while having my morning coffee and some breakfast. It wasn't too sunny, which was fine because it allowed me to actually see my computer screen, but it was nice and warm which is just how i like it.

All summer I've been dying to go to the pool at the Richmond Hill Country Club, where my parents are members, but because I work a lot we haven't gotten a chance. So yesterday my mom and I finally went, and we were even able to get in some pool time before it clouded over and we just made it back to the car before getting rained on. Oh well! 

Hope you all a great (long) weekend!

Oh So Nautical

This was one of the outfit shoots I did at the cottage a few weeks ago. I knew we had a beautiful dock to work with and that I would be able to take pictures right by the lake, and so I wanted to do something that fit in really well with water. And what better for that than a blue and white striped dress with splashed of red (and the life ring!)?

A few years ago when the nautical trend was really starting to make its way into fashion, I learned that a very effective way to pull off the trend was to pair blue and white striped pieces with hints of red or yellow. Those colours really do seem to look the best with stripes, and I have continued to keep that trick in mind even until now. I also heard that adding a brown braided belt with a nautical outfit is reminiscent of ropes on a sail boat, and so that is always a really good thing to add to an outfit like this as well. So for this nautical look I added splashes of red in my clutch and lipstick, and a brown belt and chunky heels. Enjoy! P.S. Can you tell this is one of my favourite purses? (I've now featured it in 3 outfits posts!)

Dress: H&M

Hat: Urban Heritage

Clutch: JNB via Marshall Rousso

Shoes: target

Lipstick: MAC Cockney

Photographer: Elana Emer