Culottes

Here's a curveball for you: it's all about the culottes. They're all over the spring runways and they're the freshest shape i've seen in a while. Talk about an unexpected resurgence. Thoughts?


From left to right:
Rag & Bone
Tibi
Rachel Zoe

Tweet

Proportion Play

Here's a revelation: fashion is fun. No, really! When you take things too seriously it's just such a drag... and frankly, no one wants to be that asshole. So in that spirit, i occasionally partake in an amusing game of proportion play. Exhibit A: bermuda length cutoffs, an extra long long suede tank and a short jacket with sharp shoulders. See? Fun, fun, fun!



Details:
Suede tank - Bally men's
Cutoffs - J Brand diy
Jacket - Helmut Lang (similar)
Shoes - Whistles
Necklace - Vintage from my mom
Ring - Saint Laurent

Tweet

M0851 Autumn Extravaganza

If you're not already familiar with the label, allow me to introduce you to the pretty rad M0851 leather goods brand. I've personally known about them for quite a long time, as they hail from my hometown of Montreal. Naturally, I am always on board with supporting a name from my motherland, especially when what they do is entirely within my wheelhouse. Their aesthetic is refined, the quality stupendous and their pieces classic, timeless, versatile, superluxe without being precious. Lucky for us on this side of the border, they have a store in NYC's SoHo neighborhood (a stunning one at that) and i was there last week with my pal Lisa to celebrate the launch of their fall collection.


I fell hard for these sleek leather envelope clutches, and it took me everything I had not to leave the store with one.

They have the most stunning collection of softer-than-soft scarves. Again, they were hard to resist.


Outfit details:
Plaid top - H&M (similar)
Leather shorts - Vintage (similar)
Shoes - Nina Ricci
Sunnies - Ray-Ban
Jacket - Gap men's (similar)

Truth be told, i wasn't going to do a blog post about it but i was re-smitten and felt like it was parallel to my point of view. And in the spirit of full disclosure, this is not a promoted or sponsored post, i am simply genuinely enthusiastic about the brand. If you're ever in SoHo, check out their store - 415 West Broadway.

Emulate this way:

Tweet

A Touch of Neon

Don't get me wrong, I've got fall on the brain, but when the sun is shining like it is today, it makes me feel like summer is still lurking. A few weeks ago it was still warm enough to wear this barely-there crochet top and shorts. And who doesn't love to make their bra their pop of color?


Details:
Top - H&M (similar)
Bra - Gap
Shorts - DIY Urban Outfitters (similar)
Sandals - Nine West (similar)
Sunnies - Ray-Ban
Beaded bracelet - Chan Luu
Gold cuff - Chic Peek (similar)
Emulate this way:

Tweet

The Ankle Boot

There are a number of reasons for why fall inevitably rises as my favorite season year after year. To name a few: cozy sweaters, layering, luxe and plush materials, big bowls of pasta paired with red wine, apple picking, halloween, stunning changing foliage, hot whiskeys, that crisp smell in the air, burning fireplaces, thanksgiving, the list goes on... It kind of has this magical quality that makes me extra giddy. I'm sure a lot of you also share this sentiment -- perhaps it can be attributed to that exciting back to school renewal feeling we all experienced growing up. The change in temperature is always accompanied by an inexplicable burning desire for sometimes irrational, sometimes completely warranted needs. Case in point: my recent change in lifestyle has meant a significant increase in my use of flat shoes, and therefore decided that this was the year i would invest in an amazing pair of flat-to-mid-sized heeled black boots. I've rallied up some contenders -- thoughts?


Clockwise from top left (click to buy):
Tabitha Simmons
Stuart Weitzman
Chloé
Belle by Sigerson Morrison
A.P.C.
Tibi
Diane Von Furstenberg
LD Tuttle
Anine Bing
Alexander Wang
Alexander Wang
Acne
Toga Pulla
Chloé

Tweet

Equinox

Happy fall equinox you guys, here's to the arrival of the best season everrrrr xx.


Details:
Knit - Zara
Jeans - J Brand
Sneakers - Sandro
Scarf - Yoanna Baraschi
Sunnies- Ray-Ban

Tweet

Rich & Skinny & Other Things

There are a lot of types of garments i deem worthy of being life essentials -- classics, if you will. For example, black and white tees, a black blazer, simple pumps, blue jeans, a good pair of utility pants, the list goes on. These are the kinds of items that will carry over through time, that you'll never tire of, that are seasonless, that can be both dress up or down, and that will never leave you hanging style-wise. So I teamed up with the amazing denim gurus over at Rich & Skinny to offer you guys a chance to win their super chic version of the cargo pants: the Dillon Utility Jeans in burnt olive. They're pretty perfect, not gonna lie: i wear mine with heels, sneakers, flats - their versatility is endless and you can have them too! See how to enter the give away at the bottom of this post, and while you scroll down you'll be able to see how i styled them, which hopefully can inspire your own look when you win!


Photos by Ian Rusiana

Details:
Linen t-shirt - H&M (similar)
Pants - Rich & Skinny Dillon Utility Jeans in burnt olive (similar)
Shoes - Jason Wu
Chain Link bracelet - Hysteric Co. (similar)
Gold arrow cuff - Chic Peek (similar)
Heart necklace - In God We Trust (similar)
Cage ring - Hysteric Co. (similar)
Earrings - Catbird (similar)
Bag - Zara (similar)
Sunnies - Ray-Ban

**NOW HERE'S HOW TO ENTER THE GIVE AWAY**

This give away is open internationally!

Step 1: Leave a comment with your email address
Step 2: Like the Rich & Skinny Facebook page (you can go ahead and like mine too, but it isn't required xx)

We'll pick a winner at random in 7 days -- good luck!

Tweet

Walk the (High)Line

I've always been kind of partial to the color black, even before i lived in nyc -- ha. In fact, one of my personal style mottos is When In Doubt, Wear Black. So we once again headed over to the beautiful Highline to make it our set for an all-black look demo. There's no arguing that the non-color swings all kinds of ways in very contradictory and versatile manners: dressy, fancy, punk, chic, safe, edgy, avant-garde, conservative, daytime, nighttime, a blank canvas, a great statement, i could go on, but surely you get the point. Depending on the material of your garment or accessory, it takes on a different character, a different vibe. It also provides the ideal partner to any other color because it lets it shine all while complimenting it. Confused? Here's an example: in the all-black look below, i chose a cobalt bag with this incredible textured leather by Helianthus because the black and blue combo is super chic and the color popped without being abrasive. And that embossed leather is the epitome of interesting, which made the pairing with wide satin pj pants the ideal partnership. They're by Julia Jentzsch from her fall 2013 collection, and are just so, so, so comfortable, not to mention the perfect piece to go from day to night (simply swap out your footwear!).


Photos by Ian Rusiana

Details:
Top (slip worn as tank) - Tree (similar)
Pants - Julia Jentzsch (similar)
Bag - Helianthus (similar)
Pumps - Guess (similar)
Bracelet - Hysteric Co.
Sunnies- Ray-Ban

Tweet

Crisp White Shirt

If you've been a reader of this blog for some time now, you obviously know that my style is pretty casual. Even on nights out i am not one to go the traditional dress-up route. Take this look below, for example, which i wore on a beautiful August summer night. It's kind of refreshing to wear something unexpected like a traditional crisp white button down for gallivanting about town at sundown, wouldn't you say?


Details:
Button down - Joe Fresh (similar)
Cutoffs - Urban Outfitters (similar)
Shoes - Zara (similar)
Leopard pouch - Vintage (similar)
Bracelet - Hysteric Co. (similar)
Sunnies - Ray-Ban
Chains - Vintage
Emulate this way:

Tweet

Wedding Wear

Ok so please accept my apologies for this minor lull in posting, i was traveling for about a week back to Canada for a wedding and a birthday. Double whammy. Yes, while people were flocking to NYC for fashion week, i was running away to the Great North to avoid the chaos, and frankly, when your best friends are living milestones, you kind of want to be there without a question. While i'm working on some fun stuff for you in the coming weeks, for now i'll focus on one particular thing that brings a lot of grief/confusion/frustration to a lot of women: what to wear to a wedding? Now this particular wedding was an early fall city wedding, which can be tricky due to the unpredictable nature of the weather forecast. So unless you're living through a heat wave, you should plan for either extra layers or a long something, whether it's sleeves or a maxi length. This isn't the time for your flounciest garment. Since this was a city setting, I went for the chicest color combo in my books: black and navy. The touch of metallic silver on the shoes made this look more fun than office, as did the deep aubergine pout. Finished off with a leather bomber for a dash of edge and i was good to go! Fall is such a popular wedding season so let this inspire your next matrimonial guest appearance xx.


Details:
Blouse - Yves Saint Laurent (similar)
Skirt - H&M
Shoes - Jimmy Choo
Jacket - ASOS
Clutch - Forever 21
Lip - YSL in Forbidden Burgundy
Emulate this way:

Tweet

Wind In My Hair Don't Care

On a particularly beautiful windy day, Ian and I headed to an NYC icon, the Highline, and seized the moment. I've mentioned before that i love the color green and that i don't think i wear it often enough, so i decided to pair my glorious emerald Chloé silk blouse with these easy breezy patterned shorts for nice curveball. While the pattern is kind of tribal, this felt purely city to me thanks to the mix of textures: embroidered silk and leather python will do it, i suppose. Or perhaps it was the towering heels? That usually does the trick... and while i'm not big on accessories (you guys know!), i am dying over this set of Iosseliani stacked rings, along with the gold tooth Michael Spirito earrings. I'm all about studs and these are so versatile, perfect for every day wear, yet completely appropriate for a more elevated look too.


Photographed by Ian Rusiana

Details:
Blouse - Chloé
Shorts - Vintage
Shoes - Alexander Wang
Bag - Emm Kuo
Sunnies - Ray-Ban
Earrings - Michael Spirito
Rings - Iosseliani
Emulate this way:

Tweet