Outfit Post: City Slickin'

I've been hearing from many readers that they would like to see better quality pictures to see the outfit details better and I agree. Most of my outfit pics are quick Iphone snaps taken as I leave for work in an absolute rush (I could wake up a bit earlier to make sure its all done in good time, but sleeping for another 20 minutes in the morning seems SO important at that time!). The subsequent "editing" takes place on a streetcar and the writing sometimes happens while standing on a crammed subway car - hehe the joys of multi-tasking...

Now I'm not saying that won't happen again, but for now I have MUCH better photos thanks to my lovely photographer friend Priya Crasto who came to my rescue (as friends do!). She generously offered to get my lazy butt in gear by taking REAL outfit pictures of me, which I'm super happy with :). Most fashion bloggers seem to have a knack for being in front of the camera, but I don't feel quite comfortable yet, so having Priya taking the pictures really helped to put me at ease. I think the editor/stylist in me is used to always being behind the scenes, but its fun to experiment and force myself out of my comfort zone.

The inspiration for this outfit began with my discovery of these flared camel coloured jeans (Citizens of Humanity), also the whole Wild West trend has been catching my eye lately (cowboy type boots, hats, bolos, leather fringes, etc) I have a feeling it'll be around for next summer. So lets enjoy the little bit of summer we're having in October!

Outfit Breakdown:

Denim Vest: Thrifted for $25 (to which I added embellishment in a fun DIY project, you can check it out here)

Black blousey thing: Chinatown for $20(I never notice the name of these stores, probably called "Lovely Clothes" or something)

Jeans: Citizens of Humanity (from Aritzia, for $29!! yes, lets take a minute to let that sink in)

Ooooooh!

Big Brother's watching

I hope you liked these higher quality pictures! You will definitely be seeing more of this and less of the shady self-shots (circa 2005 Myspace).

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!

Emmy's 2012 - Best and Worst Dressed

This year the Emmy red carpet didn't lend itself quite easily to a strict best and worst dressed dichotomy. Normally, when I do my red carpet breakdowns its usually quite clear who qualifies for which list but not this time and I'll tell you why.  This year, as I was watching the "LIVE From the Red Carpet on EEE!" I found myself gravitating to some looks and then some looks clearly garnered a "NOT so much"....BUT then this strange thing happened when I started looking at the pictures of the outfits and literally each look had the opposite effect of what it looked like on TV....GAH! Really all this did was confuse me terribly....so amidst this confusion I have compiled multiple lists...lists that consists of some commentary on dresses from an awards show.... Maybe writing this out will help alleviate some of this confusion, here goes nothing:

 The "Looks Better in Pictures then on TV" List:

This sari-inspired Marchesa gown on Hayden Panettiere looks far too subdued for a 23 yr old - but when I saw this pic, I couldn't deny how good she looks, the girl knows her angles!

My first thought when I watched her on the red carpet - SEAFOAM OVERLOAD; with the shoes AND jewelry matching her dress, it was too much! But then she sprinkled her Victoria Secrety Angel-dust on the cameras and...ya she made it here - although I do NOT condone all this matching

The "Looked Better on TV Then Pictures" List:

This Giambattista Valli gown on Julianna Margulies looked amazing on TV! It was stunning: the print, the colours and the pockets really made her stand out in a good way - but then the pictures were so dull and grandma's curtains- looking - if you PVR'd the red carpet coverage like I did, I suggest you go check this one out.

Ginnifer (with a G) Goodwin WOWED in this Monique Lhuillier dress - probably one of my favs of the night! I love her chic hair juxtaposed with the glamourous over-the-top gown, really creates a striking look: this picture although gorgeous, does not do it justice!

Oh Elizabeth Moss, you normally end up on my worst-dressed or most awkward list, but lately you have been improving and this Dolce and Gabanna number really helps! The print is bold and feminine, the fit is sexy and the short blonde hair creates a wonderful contrast - I just wished it photographed better!

Battle of the Yellows: 

 Yellow seemed to be a big trend on the red carpet - I bet this is a sign for Spring 2013, you have been warned ;)

Julie Bowen (who won for her role in Modern Family! yayy!) would have been my favourite yellow if it weren't for her frazzled, half up, moussed-from-the-90's hair! I love the punch of neon, it really is a fun way to wear colour but the bad hair really hurt the whole look

The colour on this Dior couture gown is absolutely stunning on Julianne Moore but I am not a big fan of the fit, it cuts her right under her chest which creates a really strange line - not the most flattering!

Alright so that leaves us with a very pregnant Claire Danes in Lanvin (who won for Homeland, need to watch that show) - I loved how effortlessly she dressed for her changing body, this bold colour was a great way to create drama especially if you're not comfortable wearing bold cuts or fitted dresses when preggers.

And even more yellow!

Canada's very own Hannah Simone from The New Girl- also rocked a canary yellow, not a huge fan of the strap but she is gorgeous regardless!

Kaley Cuoco from Big Bang Theory

My Favourite Looks (other then some of the above):

One of my FAVs of the night: January Jones in Zac Posen, so elegant yet playful and the cut really created some interest!

Kat Dennings is absolutely gorgeous in this ruby J Mendel gown. Add the hair and makeup and of course her natural beauty and you've got a winner!

I love Tina Fey. She wore a fitted Vivienne Westwood and looked amazing it in, the colour, the cut and the fit all worked

Here is a perfect example of what a young person should wear. This Katherine Kidd gown is fun, floral, playful and Ariel Winter from Modern Family looks so pretty in it!

The "NOT So Much" list:

Alright so Zooey Deshcanel has hair issues. She always picks nice dresses and then proceeds to ruin the look with hideous bouffant hair! Enough already Zooey.

Many will like this, because its blingy, bright and fitted. But this Zuhair Murad dress on Sofia Vergara looks like her pageant dress for Mrs. Latin America 2012. No me gusta!

Oh Kristen I love you so but why must you insist on wearing boring neutrals that wash you out to EVERY award show. She even admitted on the red carpet that she told her stylist she wanted to look like a ghost....I think she got what she wanted.

Christina Hendricks in this Cristian Siriano gown is another example of wrong colouring. Its the wrong shade completely for her VERY fair skin.

AND thats a wrap folks! Did I miss anyone you think?

Super-sized Outfit Post: Striped Cardy

So the super sweet fashion blogger and social media extraordinaire Anum from http://www.summerxskin.com and myself decided to offer you a bonanza of an outfit post today! What we've done is pick one item from H&M and styled it 6 different ways for ya! She wore it 3 different ways and I wore it 3 different ways. We hope to show you looks with one item for multiple occasions from day to work to night! 

The item we chose is a classic striped cardy from H&M for $20 bucks and here are my looks;

Look #1: Workin 9-5
-Striped Cardy tucked in
- Black cropped trousers (Dynamite $34)
-Studded belt (Zara $15)
- Nude purse (Mango $50)
-Red shoes  (Zara, on sale for $10!!)
 

Looking for cat hair on my black pants

 

Look #2: Prepster Hippy

- Striped Cardy

- Mint denim (Urban Outfitters $78)

- Aldo Loafers ($30ish)

- White collared shirt (Tommy, probably around $50)

Vat a poser

Look #3: Dinner dating
- Striped cardy, yadayadayada
- Camel pencil skirt (H&M)
-Thin brown belt
-  Black pumps

WARNING: Do NOT eat a big meal when wearing any pencil skirt

Now to see Anum's 3 looks click HERE

 

Outfit Post: Retro Vibing

Lately, I have been in a 70's kind of mood, hence me wearing this dress I bought from F21 months ago. I love the whole 70's vibe; big pants, the big sunglasses, billowy big hair and full on silk blouses, printed dresses, bell bottoms- the whole nine yards. You'll be seeing more of these trends to in future blog posts!

With this dress, I saw it, loved it, bought it and then it sat in my closet, tags and all for about 3 months. I have a bad habit of buying "statement" items or items that are "different" or items I have an emotional reaction to (yes, i get emotional- you know you do it too!) then these "statement" pieces sit in my closet and rarely ever see the light of day. I really need to learn how to buy more practical basics to go along with all the crazy colourful, printed stuff I have in my wardrobe. And you know whats even funnier? Despite having all these printed/colourful items, I will always resort to my trusted black cardigan, blue jeans and white t-shirts...go figure. So this outfit took a bit of self-persuasion but I'm glad I took this dress out for a spin, finally....

Also I think I was waiting to get shoes, accessories that would go with this dress. Enter wooden anything - the shoes and the purse both are wooden which gives it a retro vibe. Also any gold accents also add a 70's flare to any outfit:

Outfit Breakdown:
Dress - F21 $30ish
Shoes - Costa Blanca X ($15 on sale!)
Purse - FCUK ($30 on sale)
Bangles - Le Chateau ($40 for 3) 

Are you retro vibing? Whats your fav retro era?

Ps: I sometimes do outfit posts on Instagram (saimastyle) or Twitter (@saimastyle) that I don't blog about - follow me on either so you don't miss a thing!

Thirfty to Trendy: On the GO!

From now on I will be regularly doing posts titled "Thrifty to Trendy" which basically means I'm wearing an outift where I've taken a thrifted item and rendered it "trendy" by mixing it with newer items. When I thrift, my goal is not to make it obvious that I'm wearing a thrifted piece (unlike some hipsters who basically will pick the most ragged looking piece of clothing and try to make it "homeless chic") Not my thing. So I hope to show you how you can take a piece of clothing from Value Village or Goodwill and make it look new and expensive! Doesn't mean you have to hide the fact that you thrift, (God knows I shout it from the roof tops) but you don't really want it to be an immediately discernible aspect of your outfit. Now, if it looks vintage, that's another story, whats the difference you ask? We'll save that for another blog post....

Here is my first outfit that I took from "Thrifty to Trendy"! Classic, simple and easy - some of my favourite style values :)

Me on the go! Just before leaving for work

Outfit breakdown;
Tuxedo Blazer - Value Village $12.99
Shirt - from my DIY project 
Jeans - Gap Skinnies ($80ish0
Shoes - Aldo loafers ($29 on sale)
Bag, pleather tote -  FCUK (I believe I got this for $30 on sale)

And there you go! Stay tuned for many more....and please tell me if I start regressing into "homeless chic" - these hipsters start rubbing off on you without you even realising..its quite cultish.

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?

Lady Gaga on VOGUE

To this day, I don't think any other magazine does a better job of styling and creating epic editorials then American VOGUE. Absolutely my number one favourite. The styling done by the likes of Grace Coddington (I would stalk her if I lived in NY) is always so sophisticated, artistic and fashion forward without being gimmicky (meat dress anyone?). Coddington is definitely my styling role model, I would love to live in her editorials as a despondent housewife, sitting by the window on a rainy day waiting for her true love to return from war.....(ok, not really but the clothes would be FAB!).

Dreamy tangent aside, today via twitter Lady Gaga released the American VOGUE cover for September 2012. The September issue is THE most important issue where all the big guns come out, not only is it the largest in page number (and advertising dollars) but also in quality of content. SO who better then Gaga to grace the cover and styled by none other then Grace Coddington (the bigger celebrity in my world).

Lady Gaga on the cover of American VOGUE's September '12 issue

Lets talk about this cover for a sec, VOGUE once again proves their brilliance by completely transforming Lady Gaga but not losing her artistic/brand essence. She still looks "edgy" and editorial, but oh so naturally beautiful. By using silhouette and shape alone, Coddington manages to create a fashion forward and artistic image without resorting to the usual Gaga gimmicks. Is it just me or does the silhouette remind you of an Oscar award? Foreshadowing maybe? In any case, the reinvention is exhilirating and builds such anticipation for Gaga's next career move. Bravo Coddington and VOGUE.

Here is Gaga's first American VOGUE cover back in March of 2011 - I like the new one better.

 What did you think of Gaga on Vogue's September issue?