Change Of Address

Thank you all for being so patient while I redesigned Robyn Styles. The day is finally here that my new blog is all ready to go! I have moved over to Weebly, and my first post back is on the blog now. Click the photo below to be redirected to my new site, or my new domain is robynstyles.weebly.com. All of my social media will redirect you to the new blog as well!

holiday highlights

(At the Unionville Millennium Bandstand)

I know it's the first couple weeks of 2016, and I should be looking forward to the year ahead, but I feel like the Holidays went by so quickly this year, that I barely had a chance to take it all in. I did so much, but I was also working a lot (kind of missing that now though that retail has slowed way down and I'm barely working anymore), which never really allowed me to slow down and enjoy the moment. I was so busy planning fun festive things to do on my days off, that I never had time to relax and reflect on how fun the last two months of the year were and how lucky I was to be able to do so much with so many people I love. So here are some of my Holiday highlights that I wanted to share with all of you, and hopefully this will also get me out of my January funk (I go through this every year; when everything slows right down and I have too much time on my hands), and remind me that more fun is just around the corner. For more highlights visit my Instagram.

2016

I am rarely this lucky, but New Year's Eve 2016, I was very fortunate to have a much needed day off. I worked everyday straight from Boxing Day until December 30th, and that was probably the busiest week at my store this whole year (including back to school). So when the 31st finally came, I was so happy to just relax and spend some time with the fam.

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!

anniversary in niagara

(Some beautiful Christmas decorations along the Falls at night)

All summer I kept saying how I wanted to take Phil to Niagara Falls. He hasn't been since he was very little, and after I went with my sister at the end of June, I remembered how much fun it was and couldn't wait to go with him. We never got a chance to go in the summer, and I was thinking of what would be a great first anniversary present for him, and a friend of mine gave me a great idea when she told me that Groupon was having some amazing deals on hotels in Niagara Falls, and that there's a bunch of stuff you get with the booking of the hotel. So I looked up some different options and finally decided this would be a fantastic anniversary present, and to be able to get away from work for a little bit as it's getting crazy for the holidays.

holiday sweater

Last holiday season I made a post about the "ugly holiday sweater", and it seems the style has only gotten more traction since then. Not only do more stores and companies carry the sweaters, but I also see people wearing them in their everyday life, unironically, and not only for "ugly holiday sweater parties". This year I really wanted a holiday sweater, of the so-called ugly variety, but I wanted it to be something that was actually very cute and that I could wear throughout the month of December.

statement coats

Layering up and staying warm in the winter is very tricky. You don't want to look too puffy (like Joey in that episode of Friends), but especially in Canadian winters, you need definitely need to keep warm. The struggle really sets in when you want to find a functional coat in a nice, statement hue, but the puffy parkas are only available in greys and blacks. (You can never go wrong with a grey or black coat, but let's face it, those colours don't exactly make a statement now do they?) We also spend most of our winter time in our coats, so why not stand out, even in your million layers?

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.

kate spade

(Cedar Street Harmony Crossbody bags in the most gorgeous colours)

It's very rare that I get invited to or hear about an event (no matter how big or small) and I'm actually not working or already have plans, and I am able to attend. However, I'm so happy this was not the case last Thursday evening, when I heard about the Kate Spade and Elle Canada event at their Cumberland location in Yorkville in Toronto. It was a chance to see their November collection, which had their first batch of Holiday looks, as well as shop the line with 25% off! My friend from work who I knew would also be super excited about this event had the day off as well, so it ended up being the perfect evening.

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.

print mixing

Two of my favourite prints, plaid and leopard, are two very classic prints, and they also two very standard prints for Fall. One of my favourite styling tricks, and something that will up your style game so easily, is mixing prints. Especially when one is a neutral print like leopard, and the other is in such a soft, muted hue, like this olive green, mixing prints is so fun and easy.

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!

summer highlights

(A view of the city on the ferry ride to Toronto Island)

I have to say, this summer was wholly and completely the most amazing summer I've had in a really long time. I did so many things, some planned and some not planned (I told you about my list), but I never felt pressured for time or to get stuff done. And of course I had such amazing people to share the summer with. Yes, I complained about the cold weather, and I complained about the really hot weather, but I think that as long as you're with people you love and have fun with, it doesn't really matter what you do or how you spend your time. I'm fortunate enough to have all of those things, and I want to share with you all about my summer!

outfit of the day

Since summer is nearly done (can you believe it's September already?!) I thought I would share my outfit of the days from the last few months to end off the season.