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!

outfit of the day

A while ago I started a new segment called "Outfit Of The Day", where I share some old Instagram outfits with you. I just wanted to share some of my Spring 2015 outfits with you, now that it's almost summer. I'm also super excited that the weather is finally starting to feel like it too, after all the grey skies and chilly days the past few weeks. I'm so ready for sun and hot days, and I would even take a little humidity if it meant finally feeling like it's summer. Are you excited to break out your summer outfits?

currently coveting

From left:

H&M; Darling; New Look; Maurices; Chloe

Maybe it's because of my height (5 feet on the dot), or because I know they're not very practical for work (they're not very easy to move around in, especially in a very fast paced, physically demanding environment) but I never really pay much attention to maxi dresses. That is, with the intent of buying them. I always admire them, and even put outfits together in my mind for them, but I know I'll never really bring myself to buy one because it's just not very practical for me right now.

off the shoulder

One of the simplest, sexiest trends to pull off (pun intended) this summer is the off the shoulder look.  Simple because not only can you find off the shoulder pieces in almost any store you go into, but off the shoulder tops and dresses are also super easy to wear and create an outfit around. And sexy because you get to show off that little bit of skin, leaving the rest to the imagination (and in my opinion, the shoulder is one of the sexiest parts of the body to show off, second only to the upper back).

cool spring day

Amongst all the hot and humid days we've had over the last week or so, the day I went to the Mamma Mia X Inglot launch it really cooled down. The sky was grey, it was a tad windy, and let's just say I had to make some tweaks to the outfit I had planned. In the end, I'm happy it was a little cooler, and that it's been cooling off this week as well. I feel like we skipped right over spring this year and headed into summer weather, and as I've said many times before, spring is one of my favourite seasons for fashion. Not quite shorts and tank season yet, spring weather lets you wear jean jackets and flowy pants without getting overheated. But I did want to share with you the outfit I wore to the Inglot event.

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.

spring colours: pastels and army green

Well, it's that time of year again. The time of year when Spring emerges, and pastels along with it. Pastels are always, always trendy for Spring, and no matter which hue of pastels are being shown, you can never go wrong with classic colours, like pink, blue, yellow, and purple. Another colour that is also always, always trendy for Spring is army green. Think earth tones, fresh grass growing, and of course, the army green cargo jacket that is literally always on the spring fashion scene.

stylicious

I'm constantly on the lookout for apps and organizational tricks that will make looking at my clothes and putting outfits together a lot easier, and also fun. So when a friend told me about the app Stylicious I instantly downloaded it and got started. In short, the app lets you create outfits using your own clothes. And the reason I'm telling you about this app when I am, is that it's been so convenient lately to help me plan my outfits for World MasterCard Fashion Week!

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.

TOM outfit day 1

Last week (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) was Toronto Men's Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2015. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend most of the Wednesday and Thursday shows, and I just wanted to quickly share the outfits I wore to the shows. This was Wednesday's outfit, and Thursday's will be posted on Thursday of this week.

statement booties

As with any statement piece, statement boots elevate any outfit, no matter the occasion. And the best part about statement boots is that there are so many different styles; printed, metallic (which you know I love), or even just a bold colour.

tea time

One of my favourite new obsessions is tea length skirts. It's probably a combination of the fact that maxi skirts are way too long on me (because of my height) and the fullness of the skirt, but I think this style skirt is just beautiful. I am not afraid to admit that I have picked up 3 tea length skirts over the past month or so, and can't wait to photograph them and share them with you, once the weather warms up (even a bit).

pretty in (soft) pink

It might be a bit too predictable, but yes, I just love the colour pink. Especially the softer shade that was super on trend back in the Fall. I wanted so badly to make a post about it around October, but I just had so many other ideas for content that that one got pushed near the bottom of my list. But thankfully, soft pink is back for Spring, and it's in full swing.

Mauve Over

One of spring's most popular colour trends for this year is shades of purple, specifically lavender. When I first heard this I was ecstatic, because purple is my favourite colour (as I'm sure you could tell from my blog). I don't necessarily wear a lot of purple (it's not one of the colours that looks the best on me), but it being a colour trend means that I will be able to see it pretty much everywhere and gaze upon its magnificence, which is something I enjoy.

The amazing thing about purple is that is looks good with literally almost any other colour. So you can add accessories or jewelry in another colour if you want to keep your outfit simple (like the pink bag above), or you can colour block and pair your purple piece with another colour (my favourites are yellow, pink, and pastel blue). Here are some of my favourite purple pieces right now!

1. Skirt: Zara

2.  Shorts: Ragged Priest via Topshop

3. Watch: Timex Originals via Hudson's Bay

4. Swimsuit: Target

5. Necklace: Etsy

6. Heels: J. Crew 

7. Romper: Rare via Topshop

8. Bag: River Island via ASOS

Also, it seems the purple trend is making it's way into more than just clothing and accessories...

Nicole Richie

Demi Lovato

Kelly Osbourne

Black And White And Red All Over

This season, black and white is literally everywhere. I love the idea of mixing prints, though I rarely have the pieces (or guts) to actually do it in my own outfits. So when I bought these pants and top, I knew I had to give it a go. And how better to top off a black and white outfit than to add splashes of red?

I found the trick to mixing prints is to keep them the same colour (black and white) or at least in the same colour family, and to mix smaller prints with larger prints (I did big stripes on top and a smaller circular print on the bottom).

Top: Zara

Pants: Old Navy

Clutch: JNB via Marshall Rousso

Necklace: Vintage

Sunglasses: Old Navy (old)

Shoes: Call It Spring

Lipstick: MAC Cockney

Pack It Up

I never would have thought that something so associated with school and academics could become such a fashion trend. It just goes to show that you may never understand fashion or be able to predict it. And even when I first saw this trend I also never thought I would be one to give into it; I just really couldn't wrap my head around it. But there is definitely a new spin on these bags that the ones we used to use in high school didn't have: chicness and sophistication.

You could find a backpack for pretty much any occasion, because of the different materials, styles, and colours they come in. I especially love the leather or faux leather ones, as I feel that they just complete the bag and the look. Here are some of my faves!

Embellishment

If you remember around the holiday season, I wrote a post about embellished sweaters and how they were taking the fashion scene by storm (read the post Sweater Weather 2.0). Well, it's well into spring now and guess what? The embellishment trend is still with us, transforming typical, every season pieces into dazzling looks you should have in your closet this year!

Embellished pieces allow you to add a bit of glamour and chicness to any outfit. Even if all you want to do is throw on a jumper and pair of jeans, if you trade in a plain cotton sweater for an embellished one, it will transform your outfit. Everyone wants to have that effect where you look fabulous and everyone thinks you spent hours getting ready in the morning, but really you just threw on the first thing you saw in your closet. Embellishment is just another secret in that art.

One, Tulle, Three, Four

I am absolutely obsessed with tulle. I guess it makes me feel like a princess or something, I don't know. I just love the way it looks when you put an outfit together, and bring it out of the ballet and fairy tale contexts and into the real world.

Tulle skirts are generally worn during the Christmas or New Years time of year, but with the beautiful pale and pastel colours they come in what could be more perfect for spring? Especially with the warmer weather, you wouldn't need to wear stockings with it, like you would in December.

A tulle skirt can be dressed up for a party or event, or put with a more casual top for a day look or a night out with friends. I love when the skirt is paired with a basic jersey top, because it makes it look so versatile.

Keep it casual by also pairing it with a moto or bomber jacket.

I also love when it's paired with a denim or plaid top, because the structure of the shirt contrasts with the tulle in such an awesome way (you wouldn't normally think to pair the two together).

Monochromatic tulle skirts

Dressed up...

...Or down...

(AKA pairing it with a jumper)

And how could I forget...