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.

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

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

Welcome To The Jungle

This fall the two predominant jungle animal prints we have and will continue to see are snakeskin and leopard, and I really think it's safe to say that these are my two favourite prints. They continue to come back season after season (even for spring and summer), and because we find them in nature, they truly are timeless. If you wanted to invest in some serious leopard and snakeskin pieces that will last you through the seasons, go for some like the items below, in neutral palettes. From time to time, we will see these prints in crazy colours like bright pink, but their natural colours keep continuing to show up.

If you want to go all out, mix these two prints together in one outfit, but remember to break it up with blocks of colour. For instance, wear the snakeskin bralette with the leopard pencil skirt, but add a brown leather jacket and chunky brown booties. Or opt for the prints in your accessories, like the sunglasses and clutch, while wearing a monochromatic outfit. As well, if you are going to mix the prints, keep them in the same colour family (like both prints in grey or both in brown), and wear one print bigger than the other so they contrast each other (like the big snakeskin print on the blouse and the smaller leopard print on the sunnies).

1. Coat: H&M

2. Clutch: Anya Hindmarch

3. Sunglasses: Freyrs

4. Blouse: Topshop

5. Bralette: Nelly

6. Sandals: Joie

7. Trousers: Lanvin

8. Skirt: Balmain

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!

Weekend Highlights

Friday evening I had the amazing opportunity to go to a pre pop up shop for Elan + Castor to view their FW 2014 collection. It was 60s inspired and included some of the most amazing dresses, sweaters, and scarves I've ever seen.

I kept my outfit simple with a black skort and t-shirt but added some colour and pattern with a floral bomber jacket. Later that night, a friend of mine was DJing at a casual bar uptown, so to transition my outfit I swapped my skort for white ripped jeans and flats instead of wedges. I also attached the strap onto my clutch for a more casual bag. This sort of day-to-night transition look was fun because usually you like to be more casual during the day and dressier at night. But mine was a sort of reverse-transition, as my night was a lot more casual. Plus it was nice to put on flat shoes and comfy boyfriend jeans after walking around in wedges and a short skirt.

Left:

Jacket & Skort: Smart Set

T-shirt & Clutch: H&M

Wedges: Target

Necklace: Forever 21

Right:

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Flats & Belt: H&M

Saturday I helped on set for a student photoshoot at school. It was a lot of fun to work with a model, makeup artist, and photographers again. Here are some behind-the-scenes shots!

Model: Dora Kosenaov

Happy June everyone!