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.

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.

summer nights

Although it's very close, summer is not quite over, and there's still plenty of time to take advantage of the weather and fun activities. I find people (including myself) sometimes find it stressful to dress up for nights out in the hotter months, as you want to dress light and fun, but not look too day-timey. Usually accessories and especially shoes and bags, can help you dress up an outfit, but also don't be afraid to wear something a bit darker and heavier, if it is for a more formal occasion.

Towards the end of the summer I tend to wear lots of light colours, since I know I won't be able to in about a month's time, but I also don't wear a lot of bright colours because I usually reserve those for the high summer. I love this outfit for a semi-dressy evening out for dinner, perhaps for a celebration. The dress itself could go either way (casual or dressy) depending how you accessorize, so for this particular look I opted for fancy accessories in a gold tone.

Dress: Chicwish

Necklace: Jane Norman

Bag: Saint Laurent

Pumps: Jimmy Choo

This summer I tried very hard to not wear as much black, and while I definitely didn't cut the colour out completely, I was pretty successful. For an outfit like this, I would've typically worn the romper with black shoes and a purse, but I love the look without black as well, especially for a night out in the summer. If you're worried about it being too much pink, the shoes are more of a beige and so they act as a neutral, which just makes the romper pop even more. But you could always do a light grey or white shoe and accessories if you prefer. You could wear this type of outfit with a white blazer for a dressier night as well, but throw on a denim jacket and you could also wear it for a more casual dinner or movie. (As you can probably tell, denim jackets are my go-to cover up in summer!)

Romper: Nelly

Earrings: Colette Hayman

Rings: Accessorize

Bag: Kate Spade

Sandals: H&M

As much as I love dresses and rompers and all things flowy in the summer, there are nights when I want to dress up and stick with pants. I tend to go for white jeans this time of year because they are lighter and give out a more summery vibe. I find white jeans are the black jeans of summer; they still go with everything, and you can dress them up or down. If you want to really dress up your white denim, go for an all-white look, with black and silver accessories. The colour palette is so classic and chic. I just added pink pumps and lipstick for that extra bit of summer colour, but neutral would also work.

Top: Coast Stores

Jeans: Tory Burch

Necklace: Style Moi

Bracelets: Guess

Clutch: Whistles

Pumps: Christian Louboutin

Lipstick: Clinique Chubby Stick

As much as I talk about not wearing black in the summer, black is classic, and you shouldn't be afraid to rock it in the warmer weather. A black jumpsuit is perfect for a summer night; go for a style like this for an event, or a just a jersey one with thin straps and a denim jacket for something a bit more laid back.

Jumpsuit: Stella McCartney

Necklace: Robert Rose

Ring: Effy Jewelry

Bag: Saint Laurent

Shoes: New Look

simple fringe

As I've said before I'm not the biggest fan of the 70's look that has been quite literally everywhere this spring and summer (mostly because I can't pull off most of those looks). But, as I've also said before, this summer I really started getting into some simple boho looks that aren't too over the top, and really loving it. I've now gotten used to the flowy dresses, long bohemian necklaces, and sandals, but still the fringe trend is something I'm having a little trouble getting on board with. I'm a simple girl with simple style, and therefore I'm always looking at how to make the crazy trends more my speed and wearable for me.

spring 2015 wish list

I've said multiple times how it's hard for me to choose between Spring and Autumn for which is my favourite season. In September, when I'm ready for the coats and scarves to be worn again, my favourite season is Fall. And in February/March when I just can't wait any longer to stop wearing my big, puffy winter coat, I insist that Spring is my favourite.

early spring

You have no idea how happy I am that this week has been not only above 0 degrees, but mostly above 5 as well. Most of the snow has melted, I was able to go for a run outside, and I've just been in a better mood overall this week. I am hoping, hoping, hoping that it stays like this for the next couple weeks at least, especially for World MasterCard Fashion Week, which is coming up so soon!

winter to spring: sweaters

A staple in everyone's closet for colder months is by far sweaters. Whether you're a turtleneck, cable knit, or cardigan kind of girl, you can't deny you have enough to get you through the November to March (ish) months. And one of my favourite ways to style sweaters is with more delicate pieces that you would wear in Spring and Fall, like flowy skirts and thinner pants. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I love contrasting masculine and feminine pieces, and sleek and chunky pieces.

TOM outfit day 2

This is the other outfit I wore to TOM last week. It was pretty cold, so this day I created an outfit mostly around a coat, because I knew I'd want to keep it on. I'm loving the oversized coat look, so I wore one of my mom's coats.

oscars: best looks

Well, one of the most anticipated nights in Hollywood (in terms of awards and fashion) has come and gone. I was really excited for the Oscars this year, because unlike other years, I actually saw a lot of the movies that were nominated. I also fell in love with a lot of new faces (Felicity Jones, I'm looking at you) so it was also really exciting to see them off-screen! And I especially love me some Neil Patrick Harris.

Sequin Minis

Though I'd obviously seen them around before, as it is a popular trend, when I was on my cruise a few weeks back, I really started noticing a lot of people wearing sequin mini skirts at night (for dinners and shows and such), particularly in an aztec patterns. It's such a simple concept (a skirt), but when you add a little more aesthetic (sequins and pattern), you can take your look that much further.

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TiZKKA

I am so excited to be writing to you today about an app that is launching today and that I have been asked to be apart of. TiZKKA (the Icelandic word for fashion) is a fashion app that allows you to share your own looks as well as view others and to give and get advice on looks and outfits! Think Instagram, but the pictures are strictly fashion related. As a user, you can get advice from other followers, as well as fashion bloggers (like me), personal stylists, fashion designers, image consultants, make-up artists, and hairstylists, so you can get their opinion on your whole look!

Some really great features that this app has is the ability to tag the brands that you're wearing so others know where to find them, as well as linking to the page where the item can be purchased. This is great for your followers, as well as for yourself to find other users' products. It's also a great way to become interactive with your favourite influential people in the fashion world (in my case, your favourite fashion blogger!), to get their advice on a look, and also to comment on theirs.

The app is free, so download it and try it out now! Follow me: Robyn Emer

My City Gossip: Halloween Part 1

I will be doing a three part series for My City Gossip on how to make your own Halloween costumes just from regular clothes, and from things you probably already have in your closet. As we get closer to the 31st, the costumes will get simpler, as you have less time to prep and work on them. Here is this week's first instalment!

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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

Grunge Girl

For me, the perfect time to go for a grunge look is fall. The fabrics, patterns, pieces and colours of the grunge style are just so perfect for autumn. I'm talking plaid, chunky sweaters, beanies, and burgundy, amongst other things. It's just a time to wind down from the cute sundresses And that is what this outfit is all about.

It's also about some very hot trends right now. Graphic T's, for one, are showing up pretty much everywhere. And especially white ones with basic, black writing on it, like I talked about in my post, Say Something. The black and red flannel plaid is also having a huge moment, whether in button ups, like I'm wearing, dresses, skirts, or scarves. Be sure to tie your flannel plaid (whatever colour scheme) around your waist for that extra cool, grunge look. And lastly, ripped jeans. I know I've talked about how hot they are on previous posts and my Instagram, but that is only because it cannot be said enough. If you're going to invest in one single piece this fall, let it be distressed denim because they aren't going anywhere soon.

Beanie: Forever 21

T-Shirt: Zara

Plaid Shirt: H&M (boys section)

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Shoes: Wild Diva

Purse: H&M

Sunglasses: Boathouse

Ring: Suzy Shier; Bracelet: Aldo

Fashion Photography

Last summer when I graduated university I made a little sappy post about how it was an amazing four years and how I recommend doing a post-secondary degree (read here: Graduation). So I will definitely not bore you with details about me finishing up my post-graduate certificate in Fashion Styling and Coordination, but I will say this. 

Those may have been an amazing four years at Business school, but these past ten months at the Chang School at Ryerson were also quite spectacular. I met an amazing group of girls, had some incredible professors, and was able to meet, network with, and make connections with industry people I probably would not have been able to otherwise. I have grown and learned so much since last summer, and it was a completely different feeling back then, knowing that I still had another year of schooling to go. Now I am completely done (yes, I am a little relieved; five years of university is a very long time), but it is a little scary to think that the real world is waiting and that I am only just beginning to discover who I am and what I want to do. 

That being said, I am stoked to just take the rest of the summer to relax, spend time with friends and family, while still working at H&M, blogging and writing for Toronto City Gossip! The last credit I took for the Fashion Certificate was an intro to fashion photography, so I would just like to share some of the (better) photographs I had the pleasure of taking during the course. Thanks for continuing my journey with me, and as always, thanks for reading!

Model: Natalie Burt

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