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.

We Heart The Holidays

Happy holidays everyone!!! I hope you all are having an amazing holiday season, spending time with family and friends, partying, and drinking lots of peppermint flavoured everything!

Here are some things to keep you inspired over the holidays! All pictures are from We Heart It.

         

 

 

 

 

 

  

Surprise, Surprise

I'm usually pretty on the ball with fall fashion- fur, boots, dark tones (just look at my fall fashion post)- it generally stays consistent from year to year. But this fall/winter I've seen some trends that have really surprised me, but after much consideration and a lot of exposure to them, I decided I really love.

Bright Blue

This never struck me as a fall colour. I mean, fall is all about the warm tones, wouldn't you feel cold in a bright blue in November? But after seeing it styled in store window after store window and street style after street style, I just couldn't resist.

I like to warm up the blue by adding some earth tones to the look, like this look from the Paul Smith F/W 2013 runway. Another way to make the blue look more for fall, pair it with something that couldn't be more autumn; a fur or shearling vest (this one's from Michael Kors). Also, an accessory, purse, or shoe (like these Nine West ones) in the colour is also great.

 

Floral

As much as I love spring and summer, when October and November roll around, I'm really looking forward to the hot chocolate, sitting around the fire, watching Christmas movies season. That's why when I first saw floral showing up in stores after labour day I had mixed feelings. But it's just so hard to not love this trend; if you love it in April, why not love it in October too?

Style it for fall by adding a knit cardigan, fur, or velvet pant with it (velvet is soo in this fall too).

I like this H&M dress with this heavy knit cardigan with fur trim, from Topshop. The contrasting materials lend the outfit an extra something. I also loved this floral Zara blouse with these J. Crew velvet green trousers.

Props to the visual merchandiser at Club Monaco and blogger A Keene Sense of Style for incorporating both of these trends!

Fall Must-Haves

Fall is one of my favourite seasons, and not just because my birthday is in the fall. I absolutely love fall fashion, and even though I’m still in summer mode when it starts arriving in stores (I’ll admit it is a little depressing), I can’t resist starting to buy some autumn pieces already.

I’ve compiled a list of what I believe are 5 must-haves for autumn. Some of the photos are recent and intended for fall 2013 trends, but these trends can be applied to any given year, as they tend to stay mostly consistent. Some years the trends do change though, or designers will put a new spin on an old style.

1. Cords

You can find corduroys in almost any colour, and I absolutely love them for the cooler months. I bought a pair of mint-coloured cords in the fall of 2012 and they were the perfect summer/fall transition piece because of the light shade mixed with the cozier fabric. They were also great for the following spring because it was still pretty cool out, and the colour was perfect for the spring/Easter pallet.

I personally love these printed ones from H&M. The base colour is black and the pattern is neutral so you could pair these with pretty much anything. Alternatively, you could choose a very simple or black top without the outfit being too plain, since the trousers are patterned.

2. Fur vest

Currently I’m favouring the mid-length darker fur vests for this fall. By darker I’m talking brown or black; off white is best for spring, when you want to lighten up your wardrobe.

This picture from We Heart It styles the vest beautifully. I love the gold accessories; I think it’s the perfect tone for fall. Don’t get me wrong, I still wear silver jewelry most of the time (even in fall), but with this black vest and beige sweater, gold is definitely the way to go.

3. Ankle boots- with or without a heel

I absolutely love a bootie with a heel, but I do understand that some people are unable to walk around all day in heels, myself included. Luckily you can find a boot with almost any size heel, and if you choose the right one, they can double as a day shoe and a night shoe.

Take these Giuseppe Zanotti black leather ankle booties. These will go perfect with any skinny trouser or dress pant for the office, as well as a mini skirt or leather pant for a night out. Also check out the purple suede ones for a more adventurous look.

4. Leather pants

Pairing these with a light-feeling blouse, fur vest, and ankle boots is the perfect go-to outfit. You don’t need to accessorize too much since the pants and vest already lend the outfit their contrasting textures. But if you do decide to add a necklace or bracelet, I’d tone it down with ones that match the blouse or shirt you’re wearing, so the accessories don’t take away too much from the outfit itself. I also love pairing these pants with a knit sweater. With this outfit, alternatively, feel free to accessorize since it’s not as layered as the vest option. I would do a shorter, chunky necklace and chunky bracelets.

Another way to wear this trend is to do to shorts in a leather/pleather and wear thick or knit stockings. I love this sort of look for cooler weather (it also looks nice with tweed or wool shorts). Pair shorts like these high-waisted shorts from Topshop with a sweater like this one from H&M. The fabrics provide the perfect contrast and the colours look great together!

5. Wide brim hat

And when I say wide brim, I mean very wide brim. I don’t know why but I just love these. When you think of a wide brim hat, your mind probably automatically goes to a straw or other beach appropriate hat. But in the right colour and material, it’s the perfect accessory for autumn. I would invest in a wool hat in a maroon, beige, or brown (like this one from Levi's), and these colours can be added to any look to top it off (pun intended).

I just want to add one more must-have that I think deserves honourable mention, since it's timeless and seasonless. Denim. Light or dark. It can be paired with absolutely anything, even more denim (although this look must be executed with extreme caution and precision). So I will end this post with a few photos of beautifully-styled denim for fall. Let me know in the comments what your fall must-haves are!

 Stockholm Streetstyle

 TheBlackCatGirl

 We Heart It

 We Heart It

 H&M