a year in outfits

Fashion is such a big part of my life, and living in Canada where you really feel four different seasons, allows me to express myself through fashion in all different kinds of weather. I love being a blogger; being able to find inspiration in fellow bloggers and throughout all facets of my life and the fashion industry, and being able to share my own personal style and thoughts through this platform. This year has been so different from past ones for me. I went through some changes and discoveries of myself and what I want to do in life and for a career; I started dating the most amazing boy; I really got a sense of who I was as a person, and my personal style definitely changed over these last 12 months. That's not to say that I have everything figured out 100% yet, but I am definitely many steps closer and I can't wait to keep discovering new things along the way. I thought since we are entering a new year, it would be fun to go back through some of my favourite outfits and shoots of 2015 and share them with you. Enjoy!

red lips, red doors

The end of October until right into November this year had pretty great weather in Toronto. Except for a few really cold days, there wasn't much wind and I was usually good with a chunky sweater and light coat. The longer I can wear layering pieces and light fall jackets (before bundling like crazy and having to throw on my parka before I leave the house), the happier I am, and the more ready I am to welcome the Holidays when the time finally does arrive.

outfit of the day

Since the weather is changing again, I thought it would be a perfect time for another Outfit Of The Day post, where I go through some of my Instagram ootd's from the past season. It isn't as cold as I would've thought it would be by November this year, which I'm glad for because it's allowing me to get more use out of my autumn wardrobe. Those few days the first week of November here in Toronto were amazing with that 20 degree weather, but it did give me that feeling of Spring time and I'm not quite ready for that, as I do want to enjoy the holiday season; the coziness, the snow, and hot chocolate in front of the fireplace.

halloween fashion

(Skeleton bracelet I got last Halloween, from Aldo Accessories)

[I usually post later in the week, but I wanted to post this Halloween fashion post earlier to help with ideas for last minute Halloween outfits or costumes.] Last year was probably the last year I dressed up for Halloween. Let's face it, when you're in your 20's, if you don't go to a club, bar, or party there isn't really a reason to. It makes me sad because not only do I love dressing up, but I also love getting into the Halloween spirit. It might be because October is my favourite month and Fall is my favourite season, but I just love the feel of Halloween. That's why I love the semi-new trend of Halloween-inspired clothing, and accessories, that have appeared on the fashion scene over the last little while.

fall denim

Yup, you guessed it, another denim post. I just can't help myself. Denim is my obsession and my uniform. It is so versatile, and there are basically infinite possibilities because there are basically infinite styles of denim. I never used to be an everyday denim person (I usually saved it for days when I actually wanted to put some effort into my outfit, as I used to find jeans uncomfortable and dressy), but now I pretty much wear a different style of denim every day and they are definitely my go-to look when I don't want to or can't put a lot of effort into my outfit. Although I definitely don't follow the rule of "no white after labour day", I've decided to stick to blue and black denim for this post, because I love the way they look with fall colours (burgundy, orange, etc.).

apple picking

When I say that October is a busy month for me, that's a huge understatement. It's my sister's and my birthdays, my boyfriend's birthday, and my Grandparents' anniversary (this year they're celebrating 55 years, so we're doing a big celebration). There's a convention for one of my favourite shows that I go to every Thanksgiving weekend, going out to celebrate birthdays with work people (which I spoke about last week here), and inventory at work. And of course, Halloween and Thanksgiving, the latter of which I celebrated for the first time this year with Phil. Add to all of that the fact that October is my favourite month and that I always want to do a million fall activities, but I always feel like the month goes by too fast and I never have time to do them.

early birthday outfit

Last year we realized there are 4 people at work that all have birthdays in October (including myself), and thought it would make a fun tradition to go out for dinner with everyone sometime during the month (I talked about last year's dinner here). So this year we decided to have our dinner last weekend, even though all our birthdays aren't until later in the month (mine is on the 22nd).

dress/pants

(Banana Republic, Fall 2015)

One of the trends that are carrying over to fall that I wasn't too sure about at first was wearing a dress over pants. I know I disregard a lot of styles because I just know I won't be able to pull it off because of my body shape, but for this one I thought even for tall, modelesque people, surely this can't look cool, or even good? But seeing street style photos just showed me how wrong I was.

transitions

I bought these pants back at the beginning of the summer, as I was craving a pair of floral, flowy pants I could easily just throw on with a t-shirt and head out the door (which these pants allowed me to do perfectly). But I also loved that even though there are vibrant flowers on the pants, the background is navy, and therefore I would be able to wear them in the Spring as well as the Fall, with something a little cozier than a t-shirt.

autumn wish list

It's that time of year again, my favourite season and favourite season of fashion. And let's face it, while Autumn doesn't officially start until next week, we've all been expanding our fall wardrobes and even taking some items out for a spin already. So I can't help but get super excited for fall and all the fashion that it has to offer. That's why I've compiled a list of what I believe every woman should have in her fall wardrobe; some items I already own while some I'm still on the hunt for!

pre fall palette

Working in a fashion retail setting has its ups and downs. Around March/April we start to receive Spring items, which get me so excited for the warmer weather to arrive and really inspire me. But in July/August we start to receive Fall items (sweaters, scarves, boots), and while Fall is one of my favourite seasons, it does get a little depressing since we're still in the midst of Summer. But of course there are always those transition items that you just can't resist, like this romper.

Grey Coats

Now that I've heard it's supposed to be a mild winter, I have no problem making this post. I love fall coats so much. There are so many options and so many different styles and materials. They are so much nicer than puffy parkas and so much more flattering. So when I heard the good news about the weather this winter, I was overjoyed. Hopefully my lighter jackets will be enough to get me through till summer!

Blue Coat

If you've been perusing my Instagram over the past couple weeks, or have seen me out and about, you'll know I've recently become obsessed with this electric blue coat. I bought it about a month or so ago from Old Navy, when the weather was just starting to get really cool. I knew I wouldn't be able to wear it much longer, but I was too in love with the colour (super on trend, if you remember this post), and style. It turns out I have been able to wear it into the late fall (and early winter) by just severely layering under it. I'm not saying it's actually been keeping me all that warm, I'm just not ready to give it up just yet.

WMCFW: Day 3 Outfit

Day 3 of fashion week was actually my birthday, and so I wanted to wear something a bit more fun. I ended up opting for a printed skirt and added a statement necklace and ring (go big or go home) in the same colour family (purple, of course). And I finished the look with my favourite purple lipstick! 

Top: H&M

Skirt: Target

Jacket: Dynamite

Necklace: H&M

Ring: Michael's

Bag: Topshop

Sunglasses: Joe Fresh

Shoes: Call It Spring

Photographer: Elana Emer

WMCFW: Day 1 Outfit

Obviously like any fashion-obsessed person, I had my outfits for fashion week picked out about a week before (well, a week before is when I finalized them; I'd been working on what I was going to wear probably since the beginning of the month), but if I learned one thing on the first day of fashion week it was that you can plan all you want but Mother Nature ultimately makes the choice of what you will wear. 

The plan was to wear a sheer white cross-over blouse with a heavy fur vest (I loved the contrast between the two, especially with the boyfriend jeans), but because it was so cold and rainy I had to add a little leather jacket under the vest and change from my open-toe black booties to these tan ones. But, as you can see, the outfit still turned out pretty cute and I was definitely warm enough in all my layers. The only complaint I have is that I had to lug around my big umbrella, and that we had to move this little photoshoot inside the house, where the lighting was definitely not as good as outside.

If you remember my Instagram of when my sister's friend did my hair with the wrap around braids, that day I knew I wanted her to do my hair like that again one day for fashion week. We figured we'd start the week off right and do it on the first day of shows. It also ended up working out that my hair as up since the rain and humidity would've made it frizzy. Anyways, here is my outfit from day 1 of Spring/Summer 2015 fashion week!

Blouse: H&M

Fur Vest: Zara

Jeans: Bluenotes

Bag: Old Navy

Boots: Old Navy

Ring: Topshop

Lipstick: Mac Cyber

My City Gossip: White Coat

My latest for My City Gossip, talking about some fabulous white coats and where to get them at two very different price points!

Also, today is the first day of World MasterCard Fashion Week for Spring 2015 collections. I was able to obtain a media pass for the week, and it will be my first full fashion week (I attended one show last year for the Spring 2014 collections, and one menswear show in the summer) and I couldn't be more excited. Check my instagram to keep up with my week, and though I'm not sure when I'll be able to get them to you since the week will definitely be crazy busy, I will definitely be sharing outfits and show reviews with you right here on my blog!

Red Hot

Since I posted about electric blue being big this fall, it has gotten a lot cooler out, and now I think its time to talk about a trend that will actually warm you up. This beautiful poppy red is almost always seen for the end of the year; starting in September when the leaves start changing into a similar colour, and straight through to December when it becomes celebratory for Christmas.

Whatever the month, though, be sure to make this statement colour part of your wardrobe! Because of the very wet weather we've been having, I've decided to include super cute rainy pieces, like the umbrella and rain boots (which never go out of style). Wear this colour with a classic black and white ensemble, or go monochromatic. Whatever piece you choose to be your pop of bright red, pair it with something burgundy or try a lighter pink (also very trendy, and you can bet there'll be a post about it soon). Or, bursts of red in your accessories (like a bag, hat, or gloves) will give your look that extra boost of chicness!

1. Coat: Zara

2. Rain Boots: Hunter

3. Blouse: H&M

4. Dress: Zara

5. Gloves: Lord & Taylor

6. Umbrella: Fulton

7. Jeans: Alice + Olivia

8. Cross Body Bag: Nine West

My City Gossip: Cape

If you've been as obsessed as I have with the Burberry cape, but it's a little out of your price range, you'll definitely want to read my latest for My City Gossip; Lust-Must!

Outerwear Vests

Ok, so I'm a little obsessed with vests. I did a post in the summer including ones made of leather, cargo, and denim, saying that they're perfect to throw on last minute to top off an outfit. (Although it's  a lot colder out now, the rules still apply, so you can read that post here). And I definitely still feel the same way, about sleeveless pieces being able to add that little something to a look and make it completely different, only now that the weather's cooled off, there are tons of outerwear vests that I really wanted to talk about. Now, instead of the lighter materials, we're seeing vests made of wool and fur. Think of these vests as a great transitional piece inter your thicker coats.

When it's still early fall and the weather is just starting to get cool, wear one of these with even just a T-shirt or long sleeve. Then, as winter approaches, try it with a knit sweater or even over another jacket, just to get that layering effect. Choose an outerwear vest in a neutral colour like the ones below, so that you don't have to limit your outfit underneath.

1. Classiques Entier

2. Michael Kors

3. Slater Zorn

4. Topshop Unique

5. Isabel Marant

6. H&M

7. Club Monaco

8. Noriko

Wild Western

Whether you've been shopping on the streets downtown, perusing blogs, or flipping through magazines, you've probably noticed that a major trend for Fall 2014 is South Western. Maybe it's the colours used in this trend (fall colours and earth tones) or maybe it's the fact that it looks amazing when layered (for cool weather). Either way I would have to say this is one of my favourite trends right now. Think boho, but with more layers and ikat prints.

The key with any trend, especially one this intense, is to pick one or two pieces to build an outfit around, so you don't look like you're coming straight off the runway or dressed up for a costume party. To build the perfect, not over-the-top Western look, start with a solid coloured pant or long skirt, like brown or green. Then, add a long-sleeved T or sweater in a neutral colour, such as off-white or grey. Then, to top if off (literally) throw on a poncho or oversized scarf in a fun, Western print. Accessory-wise, anything with fringe or feathers is what you want, and no Western look is complete without a wide-brim, felt hat. And don't worry about not creating enough shape in the outfit; this style is all about heavy layering!

1. Poncho Coat: Zara

2. Earrings: Maria Francesca Pepe

3. Sweater: Topshop

4. Crossbody Bag: Lucky Brand

5. Hat: Vince Camuto

6. Boots: Forever 21

7. Pants: John Lewis

8. Scarf: H&M

9. Skirt: Valentino