Pinch of Chic
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Camel Suiting

OUTFIT DETAILS:

Wilfred Cocoon Wool Coat
Goorin Brothers Heritage County Line Hat 
Black Market Thrifted Tweed and Suede Blazer
J. Crew Silk- Front Tank in Stripe
J. Crew Trousers in Desert (See Similar here)
Thrifted Brown Leather Gloves
J. Crew Arrow Drop Earrings
Zara Black Pointed Toe Heels

If someone were to ask me what’s one of my favourite places to shop around Toronto. I would honestly say the Black Market down on Queen St. Simply because everything in the store is $10 or less. This store is also one of the bigger reasons why I’m able to shop frequently without breaking the bank and where I find cool stuff to rework or wear. See? You don’t have to spend a lot to run a blog or to pull luxurious looks! It’s a lot like going on a treasure hunt, looking for the hidden gems. For me— I feel less pressure while shopping here because you actually have no idea what you’ll end up with. Whereas if you were to walk into a retail store like Ann Taylor and don’t end up finding that specific item you found online or piece you know they usually would carry because they cater to that kind of thing, then I would be a little disappointed. Different bars of standards, you could say. If you’re in need of a denim jacket, oversized suited blazer with thin pinstripes, cat eye shades, lace slips, duster robe coats they have it all… for literally only $10. They even have Christmas sweaters. I happen to land myself this awesome camel-coloured herringbone/tweed blazer with suede on the collar as for detail.     

This outfit was inspired by International Fashion Editor and voice of The Rake, Sarah Ann Murray. A talented individual who is constantly testing the waters and pushing the envelope with menswear. With that, I wanted to go for a chic, suited ensemble. What better way to start a sophisticated outfit with the colour Camel and turn it into a feminine suit? There’s this deep and crazy love I have for women in suits, flared trousers, silky button-downs, 6″ wide brim hats who also exude a knack for matching and pulling the most subtle yet stunning details. Are these the women who frolic around Paris? Garance Dore does a good job making it seem so. I paired my thrifted blazer with my Aritzia Wilfred Cocoon Coat. In my opinion, a camel coat is such a timeless piece, which can elevate and go with anything. It’s also a nice change from the black coat. Camel coats also remind me of the 1930-40s fashion in America— A golden era I tried illustrating through these images by photographing them on a historical site dated back in exactly 1937. For bottoms, I wore my J. Crew trousers in ‘desert’, which are actually 5-6x bigger than what I normally wear because I was for for a loose and straight fit, paired with a light striped tank and dainty black heels from Zara. I’ve always wondered…
 

When it comes to your style, which time period are you most inspired by?
Share your comments below and let me know. xo

 

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Stella

ASOS Long Line Coloured Check Coat
Zara Angora Turtleneck (See similar here)
Zara Aztec Skirt (See similar here)
Ann Taylor Skinny Belt (See similar here)
Zara Aztec Ankle Strap Wide Heels
Fossil Rose Gold Medium Boyfriend Watch (See similar here)

Happy Monday! Can we all stop for a moment and see how amazing this coat is because it looks like the Stella McCartney one that’s right off the runway? (Photo reference below) Hehe.. I love it! Another item to add to my plaid collection for winter! I’m only really wearing 3 pieces– a turtleneck, a skirt and a coat (duh, because we’re Canada and it’s winter). Two pieces that have two very distinct prints and one, being the turtleneck to create some balance and contrast with the outfit. If you’re looking for nice turtlenecks and printed pencil skirts, do check  out Topshop and ASOS for those. The thing that ties it all together is the neutral shades they come in. Here’s the other thing… Use a skinny belt to create a waistline and perhaps some nude shoes to go with. Conveniently, I was in sheer luck to own a pair of heels that matched the skirt, so why not add an even more playful element to it?

In my last post, I made a point with winter being boring in terms of frequently seeing black coats, big boots, etc. Not that it’s a problem or a bad thing..Don’t get me wrong, you can rock it like how a lot of Garance Dore’s captured models has on her blog does. But winter should not limit someone’s creativity in their style. But as long as you own a couple turtlenecks, layer some long sleeves underneath, wear one to two wooly camp socks with your trousers or skinny wants to weigh out the top heavy layer you’ll be doing.. then I believe it’s okay to put down the parka.

Although this outfit may seem impractical on some days, make your picks with the weather! Because when I was out with this outfit, I was doing good. The only thing I would have probably switched out would be to some ankle booties with socks instead to complete the winter look and add some extra warmth to my feet. To add to this.. I was out for quite a while since I was using a tripod to take photos. Don’t let not having blogger boyfriend or photographer friends around stop you from shooting amazing photographs! But I’ll go into detail about this next time.

And there you have it! My not so typical winter ensemble. One that’s also chic and wearable for any date or dinner with your girlfriends. Since we’re also on the plaid trending topic, 
I’d love to know what’s your favourite plaid item in your winter wardrobe?

Have a good start to your week!

PS. Just two more days until my GIVEAWAY on Instagram
for the Urban Decay SMOKED Palette ends! Click here! And good luck! xx

 

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Almost There

OUTFIT DETAILS:

Thakoon Addition Pink Floral Printed Shawl Collar Dress
Ann Taylor Crepe Colourblock Topper Coat
Thrifted Faux Snake Printed Vest
JustFab Sanna Heels
Topshop Gold Fringe Necklace
Danier White Leather Passport Holder (Used as a clutch)

HAPPY SUNDAY! Hope you all are having a beautiful weekend! I’ve spent the weekend going to the Lawrence Farmer’s Market, attending family and friend’s dinner, ice skating and editing photos from the Wedluxe show! *Hint hint.. future post coming soon* On another note, I don’t think I’ve ever cried while taking out the garbage… until I was surprised with a bouquet of these stunning peonies during the process. Tears of joy I say… also the best kind of tears too. In addition to happiness, I’m extremely ecstatic that it’s been pretty warm this weekend to do all your favourite winter outdoor activities.

One of the few things that I love incorporating into my fall/winter wardrobe other than big cable knits is COLOUR! I’m a true believer in the psychology behind colour selection, what one chooses to wear is a pretty accurate reflection of their emotions and persona, whether you consciously or subconsciously pick out. 

Every winter in Toronto, the sea of black parkas roll out. For me, I try to layer to stay warm. Owning a coat that is a couple sizes bigger than what you normally wear allows you to wear all of your favourite sweaters– one on top of the other. At the same time, I like to wear my favourite vivid colours, hence my bright blue J. Crew cacoon jacket. It’s actually a size 4 regular, while I usually wear a 00 petite. For this look, I wore my floral printed Thakoon Addition dress for a splash of colour… as well as to showcase my excitement and eagerness for Spring! If you’re looking to rock florals in the winter, I highly recommend poking around in Topshop.

Make sure to follow me on instagram for my weekend adventures and see my first GIVEAWAY!

Hope you all have relaxing, fun & rejuvenating weekend!

xxxx

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Shimmer Chic

Alice + Olivia Sequin Dress (Found at Value Village!!)
Forever 21 Collarless Faux Fur Jacket (See similar here.)
J Crew Collection Etta Plaid Studded Pumps
J Crew Gold Drop Earrings
Banana Republic Gold Link Chain Necklace (See similar here.)
Danier White Leather Passport Holder (Used as a clutch)

So you guys have a few hours before you start celebrating the start of 2015. Here’s my last minute scramble of a NYE outfit. Many thanks goes out to Anna for finding this stunning sequin dress by Alice + Olivia from Value Village. (Similar to Salvation Army.) Woo!

Thinking about New Years events always rings in old hollywood looks, glitzy pieces, and glamorous vibes for me. Just google ‘Great Gasby Daisy’ and you’ll get an idea of what I’m talking about. Unfortunately… not all of us are as lucky as Daisy Buchanan to own a blinding $200,000 headpiece from Tiffany’s. Celebrating new years eve can already be expensive enough, so why not take the cost-effective route for your outfit? I’ve brought in some big, fancy fur from Forever21, sizzling red lips, and lots of silver and gold. The lovely thing about new years is that you can step outside your comfort zone, throw on the most extravagant ensemble with as much bling as possible and get away with it completely. A great way to display all that sparkly bling you want to show off is to layer; for example your necklaces. Same goes with rings and bracelets. (You can give yourself an #armparty!) If you’re not into wearing so much jewelry because you don’t want to feel all that weight of the hardware, I strongly suggest finding a top or dress with a very ornate neckline, like the one in this post and putting on one statement necklace on top!

And that’s pretty much it! So take it easy, have some champagne but drink responsibly! Most importantly don’t forget your sparklers and to smile for all those lovely flash photos!

One more thing— darlings, this will be your bestest friend for any late evenings. I swear!

Every now and then I get asked by my parents– ‘What exactly is it that you do now?.’ And I struggle to figure out the right words to describe everything I currently do… a designer? A photographer who shoots here and there? A home-based blogger? I’m still in the midst of exploring my interest in UI/UX design, advertising and art direction…or editorial design. Which could potentially lead me to a fantastic ‘Lauren Conrad’ lifestyle and maybe my own reality tv series (just kidding). But no really, editorial design is still an option that could open me up to styling and fashion creative projects. But all in all, I only wish that there wasn’t so much pressure, especially on the kids that attend school to find exactly what your big time career should be. Being practical is a must, but getting hate for not having a ‘practical’ job is not good encouragement. My parents…sad but true, probably still don’t know what I’ve studied for four years in university, as I’ve heard them tell their friends, ‘Oh, she does fashion and arts’… when in reality, I’ve been a slave to the design– studying interactive, graphics, etc. and theory of design. PS. I have aggressively reminded them on an infinite number of times about what I do!

My new year’s resolution: I would like to try and pursue the things I like to do in my areas of interest, despite the judgment from my family and outsiders. I think one should be able to hold the freedom in their hands and begin to make decisions on their own to do what they love. Things will change over time– that’s exactly how I think people are able to grow, through their experience. And what kind of experience would it be without variety, as well as ups and downs?

I believe that the best of things will come to you when you work really hard– no matter the task. Here’s to the new year– bringing in love for you, your love ones, and love for yourself. Success will eventually come, but happiness for yourself should be your priority whatever is it that you’re doing. In this age, will are fortunate enough to create jobs for ourselves. That leaves plenty of room for the opportunities to do what you love and to further expand on that. As long as you can feel joy within all the hours of your day, including sleep, I believe that is where every human should be. xx

What are you doing/did to celebrate the last day of 2014?
Feel free to share your thoughts with me. I’d love to know!
Until next time! And happy new years to you and yours! xx

For more updates: follow this journey.

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Cobalt Craze

J Crew Stadium Cloth Cocoon Coat in Regal Blue (See similar style here)
Club Monaco Leala Cropped Sweater in Moonstone
ASOS Flippy Skirt in Black Crepe
JustFab Aimee Black OTK Boots
Banana Republic Mini Gold Stud Earrings
Danier White Leather Passport Holder (Used as a clutch)

I was super tempted to call this post “CoAl2O4,” but before you guys ask me what postal code that belongs to, I will digressed from creating unnecessary confusion… The funky code you see is the chemical compound name for the cobalt blue pigment. Nerdiness aside, here is my #OOTD from this week.

Miss wearing skirts in the summer but can’t commit to wearing them in the winter?… Especially the kind of winters you get from living in Canada. My kind-of-obvious solution is to own a pair of OTK (over the knee) boots! They’re honestly the next best thing to thigh high boots… but better.. warmer…and I say hotter. They go with pretty much everything! You can dress them down with black leggings or black jeans to accentuate the legs. As for those fancy evenings, a nice long-sleeve dress, paired with the OTK boots… then toss in a cute clutch. BOOOOOM!!! There you have it!– a stunning ensemble for the festive holiday. 

To end off this post….my little surprise for my readers will be unveiled on Sunday!
Along with my awesome go-to-gift list for those generous procrastinators.

xxx

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