Holiday 1

Holiday 1 by saimastyle featuring Topshop

Zara black dress / Aldo shoes / Topshop clutch / ALDO necklace / MAC Cosmetics red lipstick

Holiday 1

Holiday 1 by saimastyle featuring Topshop

Zara black dress / Aldo shoes / Topshop clutch / ALDO necklace / MAC Cosmetics red lipstick

Holiday 5

Holiday 5 by saimastyle featuring a jump suit

Wal G jump suit, $65 / Zara leather shoes / GUESS by Marciano gold tone bracelet / Warehouse chain tassel earrings, $13

Outfit Post: White Blouse & Black Blazer (and Happy Halloween!)

Happy Halloween everyone!

What an interesting week its been. For the last couple of days Toronto had been on storm watch due to Sandy and we got some pretty strong winds, some trees down and thousands of people without power. But in comparison to the destruction caused in New York and New Jersey, we got off very easily.  With the amount of destruction that Sandy caused there I imagine it will take some time before NJ and NY can get back to normal. Its times like these when you truly realize the fragility of our world in the face of natural forces, but also I realized just how resilient we all can be. I am sending all kinds of positive energy to NY and NJ as they are still in the recovery mode.

Since its been raining cats and dogs all week, thought it would be nice to post some sunny Fall pictures to brighten up the day a bit! I also feel bad for the kids who might miss out on trick or treating due to the weather. When I first came to Canada at 11 yrs old, I thought trick or treating was a genius tradition you Western people celebrated lol. What is better then free candy? You just need a good plan of action, whether-appropriate costume (so you don't get too cold and have to head home early) map out some routes and get an equally committed trick or treating buddy and you can really maximize your candy acquisition. That was my goal each year. Fill up my frigging garbage bag as much as possible. So, happy trick or treating to all and may you stay committed despite the weather! 

Anyways, this is definitely one of those work-appropriate-but-I'd-still-wear-it-to-a-dinner-date outfits. Two things must be noted, this blazer is new from Zara. I spent about $120 on it and i LOVE it. I realized I had a blazer in every colour under the sun, but not a classic black one, not sure how that happened, so this is what I decided to buy as a result. Also the shoes, I LOVE my new smoking slippers from ASOS (a UK based online shop with an amazing selection of affordable and trendy items). It was my first purchase ever from ASOS because I generally don't shop online, I like to try things on, but these shoes were a perfect fit and the online shopping experience was painless. I am definitely hooked, which does not bode well for my credit card...

Outfit Breakdown:
Blazer: Zara ($120ish with tax)
Blouse: F21 ($25ish)
Pants: Dynamite
Shoes: ASOS ($30ish with tax and free shipping!)

Check these beauties out!

Photography: Priya Crasto (crasto.priya@gmail.com)

Thrifty to Trendy: Black Blouse & Turquoise Pants

As promised, I will regularly be doing posts called Thrifty to Trendy to show you how I used a thrifted item in an outfit (check out my first T to T post here). One of the perks of using vintage or thrifted pieces is definitely the unique characteristics you are sure to get in your item. No one else will be wearing anything like it, and I think that's a coveted quality (at least for me ) in fashion. There is nothing worse then wearing something on trend, only to find every other person wearing the same exact piece. Part of me doesn't like the idea of being uber trendy, the best way to do it is to mix popular trends with unique pieces that really reflect who you are. It also shows you're not a slave to trends.

Here is my "Thrifty to Trendy" outfit, shot by by friend Priya Crasto (you can see her other work here) - now which item is thrifted? I'll let you be the judge!  Is it the black blouse? The turquoise pants? The necklace?  Ooooh the plot thickens...or it might be super easy to guess!

Is anyone else TGIFing today? Have a great Thanksgiving weekend - I know I will :) Having my friends over tonight and then making a big family dinner on Sunday at my Mama's (it's her first Thanksgiving even though we've been in Canada for almost 20 yrs). We did manage to get a halal turkey (Muslim version of kosher) so she could eat it. I shall let you know how our halal Thanksgiving goes next week - I'm sure I'll have some great Mama Hasan quotes to share!

I HIGHLY recommend Priya for your photography needs, she was awesome! If you're in the Greater Toronto Area, you can reach out to her at crasto.priya@gmail.com for photoshoots of your own, (engagement shoots, outfit shoots, headshots etc) and don't forget to mention that I referred you!

OUTFIT POST: Oh Rainy Day

So it's been raining here in Toronto consecutively for about 3 days - and this is after a mostly bright, sunny, and HOT summer we've had so far (like record-breaking heat). Personally, I love rainy days (especially if I'm cuddled up inside, watching it come down through my window). But as a city girl, who does a lot of walking during her commute- rain totally presents some challenges to my outfit choices, (as does the heat), its hard to dress weather-appropriately and be stylish at the same time.

And that's why its important to have stylish pieces which are ALSO functional in this hectic daily life of ours. A piece like that for me is this light grey trench/raincoat I got from Club Monaco last summer, I love absolutely everything in that store (but honestly I don't always want to spend $80 on a tank top) but its great for those one time purchases that you will use regularly. And of course I refuse to pay full price on anything, so I like to buy jackets near the end of the season so I can get good discounts. You do risk a lack of choice and sizes, but once you find THE piece for half the price - it's worth the initial frustration.  And to add a pop of colour, I added red shoes (got on sale from Zara for $10!!)

An unedited pic of the jacket to give you a better look

Outfit Breakdown:
Trench: Club Monaco (Wait for it.......$120!!!)
Jeans: Trusted GAP 1969 Skinnies
Shoes: Zara $10

Whats your rainy day go-to piece?

Outfit Post: Yellow Blazin Goodness

Generally speaking, I don't normally spend more then $49.95 on one item at H&M- it's a matter of principle really. But when I saw this cropped bright yellow blazer, all my principles went out the window so quickly that I almost was embarrassed for myself! But no regrets, I am in love! And note the top underneath the blazer is my DIY top :)
Here is the outfit breakdown:
Blazer - H&M $60
Pants - Zara $50
Clutch - French Connection $30 (on sale)

Summer 2012 Must Haves!

SUMMER 2012 MUST HAVES!

Striped dress / French Connection military tank top / Low top / Topshop / Zara zip pants / Warehouse cropped capri pants, $39 / Fringe shoes / ALDO high heel sandals / Rebecca Minkoff studded clutch, $220 / Oasis stretch jewelry, $19 / ALDO jewelry / American Apparel see through shades / Elizabeth and James tortoise sunglasses / summer decor honeysuckle pink mustard yellow pastel flower photography...

         As summer is in full swing, and a HOT one at that (here in Toronto at least) I've been compiling a mental list of summer staples for 2012 - don't fret, you don't need to buy all of these but in the event you're in the mood to shop, keep an eye out for some of the items pictured above to update your summer wardrobe instantly! And because I follow my own advice (always and without fail, I swear) - I'll be showcasing some of these trends in future outfit posts, can't wait!
       I've created 3 outfits using all the "must-haves", but really you can mix and match and easily create many more outfits. Now keep in mind that the clothes above are definitely more casual day-time wear, but some of the combinations can transfer easily into evening fun (ie: floral pants with wedges).
Here is a breakdown of each outfit:
1.) Floral pants, Aldo Brown Wedges, Sleeveless collared top
2.) White flowy tank, Zara loose pants in pink, lots of arm candy, long chain necklace, and tribal flats (please throw out your gladiators)
3.) Striped Maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff neon cross body bag, Denim Vest (best to thrift this), 
And the sunglasses are the fun cat-eye glasses which I absolutely love (left is American Apparel $ and right is Elizabeth and James $$$).


Which of these are your fav? And do you already have some of these? Hope this helps you shop this summer!

Outfit Post: Resort-Minus the Resort-Wear

Got these new pants from Zara over the weekend, (retail $49) and I couldn't wait to wear them! They are lineny, front-pleated white pants with gold zippers and a whole lot of amazingness. I am in love with this style of pant(s?), and Zara seems to have a large selection in all different colours - however they do sell out fast which I found out the hard way, because I initially went to get the hot pink, more silky ones with gold zippers and they were sold out everywhere. SO get them when you see them! These pants are so versatile, you will definitely be seeing them in future posts
And the top is a STEAL from H&M for $10!The bangles are from Le Chateau from 2 years ago, cost about $40 together.
All in all this outfit makes me feel very resort chic, the weather here in Toronto is SO HOT that it could pass for a resorty city :)
This season's resort wear is quite loose fitting and flowy as it tends to be usually. I absolutely LOVE that about resort collections, the casual chicness of it all. As you can see my other outfits here and here, I love it when comfort and style meet. You could say thats a major fashion goal for me ;)


Anyone else into resort-minus the resort-wear?