6.30.2012

Fashion in unexpected places....

Canada has yet to hop on the online shopping bandwagon. I mean, yes, most stores have a website and it looks pretty good, but it is nothing compare to American online shopping. I find that disappointing. Especially when some of the cute and lesser known stores don't have robust websites or offer online shopping.

With this in mind, I was surprised when I came across the Jacob website (www.jacob.ca). Though the site does not operate as smoothly as it could, I really like it. In particular, I like how the clothing is displayed on the mannequins rather than on people. It's something different. Now, some of you will say, "But I can't see what it looks like on real people". Let's be honest, the models on fashion websites do not have a realistic body and the clothes are pinned, tucked and altered until they look fabulous in the photo. It's not a true representation of the clothing anyway.

So. Without further ado.. what do I think about the clothing? I have a few pieces from Jacob. In the past few seasons I have found the quality and style of the clothing collections has improved. I really like the dress collection that Jacob has. In fact, it has an "Atelier" collection of fancier dresses that you could wear to weddings or prom. I like this, it tends to class the store up a bit.

Back to the dresses...

I adore this red lace dress! Lace is really trendy right now and well, red is always in. The black band around the waist helps to give some definition, and an hour glass look. I find dresses like this to be really slimming in the waist and the neckline is just at the borderline of sexy and trashy. I had the opportunity to see this dress in the store and it seemed to be of good quality. I often find that lace can look cheap when it's coloured, or it can look cheap because it's made in a factory in China. In person, this dress was neither! I would give it a 7/10 in the summer dress department. It would get a higher score, but it is a tad short for wearing to work. However, if it was any longer it might be a tad matronly. Oh well!




Now this is a dress I tried on! I was looking for a classic black sheath dress and this dress caught my eye. I tried it on but found I was in between sizes. My personal rule is that if it doesn't fit properly at the store then don't buy it! As Sandra Bullock said in the Blind Side.. "The store is where you like it the most!". Best words to live by. Although I did not end up purchasing this dress, I would rate it an 8.5/10. It was a heavy cotton fabric so it didn't cling to my body and I liked the length and sleeveless shoulders. This is a classic, conservative, dress for work. If I had bought it I would have worn it with a sweater or a shrug to cover my shoulders at work. At night, I would have worn it as is with some jewelry. That is one thing I love about the classic black sheath... you can wear it for almost any occasion  with the right accessories.

That is all for today folks! Both of these dresses are quite charming and I would recommend giving Jacob a try. Take a look at the website if you have time!

6.29.2012

Stuart Weitzman!!!

One of my favourite designer brands is Stuart Weitzman.


As far as I know, Stuart Weitzman sells only shoes and handbags. In the US, I have seen a nice selection of SW at Nordstrom, but few other places. In Canada, Holt Renfrew sells them! However, last year when I was in the Holt Renfrew in Yorkville the selection was limited and the sales people were kind of rude. 

I have a pair of over the knee black leather boots from SW. These boots have served me well and I have received many compliments on them. I have had them over a year and exercise proper and diligent care. For example, I avoid wearing them in harsh weather (basically anything other then sunny/cloudy), use leather condition and polish them as necessary. My experience with my SW boots has been wonderful and I would highly recommend picking yourself up a pair!

  
These adorable flats are also Stuart Weitzman. The blue and yellow pair are great for summer. The vibrant colours are eye popping and would look great with a while pant or dress. The flats on the right are absolutely gorgeous. These are some of the nicest flats that I have seen in a while. The colour scheme and style make these the perfect flat to go with almost anything. I also think they look really classic-- I was immediately reminded of Chanel flats. These flats retail for over $200 but the blue and yellow pair are currently sale for $128. Check them out on the website!

Stuart Weitzman also sells the flat in a pump version. Again, I really like the black detailing and this shoe has just enough height to comfortably wear to the office. Wearing this pump for a sexy night out is a bit of a stretch, but it will work for the office!

Just remember, be stylish folks!!

Independence Day!!

A couple of weeks ago I was killing time by shopping for shoes and saw these babies....


I know what you're thinking.. super stylish. Best shoes of the summer! Hah! In all seriousness, I really wanted these shoes. Look at that pattern... not being American myself I figured I could pull them off. They are slip-on so you can wear them with pretty much anything. I also liked them because they were accommodating for my 7.5W feet. I love when shoes aren't overly narrow and have some give so that I don't have to go up a size. In the end I decided against buying them because, well, I am not THAT cool.

Now let's talk about these "Bob" shoes. As we all know, Bob shoes are a knockoff of the ever so popular Tom's shoes. They look alike, fit a like, and even have a similar pro-social message/donation scheme. All things I can get behind. I was hesitant to purchase knock-offs but I realized these are sketchers brand so they should be quality. I mean, it is obvious Sketchers is hopping on the Tom's bandwagon but they are more affordable (I believe these retail at $38 compared to the avg Tom's that cost upward of $45).

All things considered, Bob's are a fine shoe style. Obviously a knock off of Tom's but isn't everything a knock off these days?

6.28.2012

Dooney & Burke


I have been browsing through Dooney and Burke's latest handbag styles and I must say I am impressed. Although I usually go for the more traditional leather colours, I like that DB has produced their trademark leather bags in fun colours. I'd say my favourite is the blue and the pink!


For this classic blue satchel I have read mixed reviews. Personally, I think the blue is striking and the shape and tassels are very sassy. When I saw this bag  in Nordstrom it was maintaining its shape and not leaning over on its "feet". However, I have read some reviews of this purse online that have mentioned it starts to loose its shape and the bag may droop over the feet. I think it would take some wear to see that result but if its true that's disappointing. The DB satchel purse that I currently have had an issue with loosing its shape but I have found packing it with tissue when it is not in use helps to maintain the shape. If you're going to shell out the cash for these darling bags you've got to conduct your due diligence!






This lovely little bag is a DB Dillen II Crossbody Satchel in strawberry. Honestly, this picture does not due the purse justice. The colour is much deeper and richer in person. As well, this is a tiny bag. It is about the size of, if not smaller than, the "New Ipad". It retails online for $178. Although it's small, it is DB which means it is going to be excellent quality. With a little care it will last you a lifetime.




http://www.dooney.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=59061

Style Watch: Natalie Portman

It's no surprise that I am huge fan of Natalie Portman. Not only is she a great actress but she is pretty stylish too! Check out these pictures of her in a navy blue Christian Dior couture gown that she wore to the 2012 New York City Ballet Spring Gala.



Blouses


I have been looking for stylish blouses that you can wear to the office. Finding the right blouse can be tricky. You don't want to look bland, but being too flashy in a conservative office isn't a good thing either. It's about finding the right look. To that end, today I am sharing blouses I've come across that are both classic and trendy.


This white tie-neck blouse by Chloe is a classic.  This blouse is silk and made in France. The blouse will fit loosely and sits below the hip. This classic piece can be found at Neiman Marcus for a grand total of $995. This is definitely an expensive blouse but it is classic so it will last for years.

 A little more trendy is this Anthropologie halter blouse with a swallow print. Bird prints are all the rage right now... I really like this black and white swallow print. The halter cut shows a bit of skin, making it a less conservative choice. The tie at the waist will give some definition and the tiered layering at the bottom will hide any imperfections. Since this blouse has some volume around the waist, I'd recommend wearing the blouse with tighter pants than shown in the picture below. You want to balance your outfits! This blouse retails for 78 pounds!







Dresses! Dresses! Dresses!


One of my favourite things about summer is that it's dress season! A hot trend right now is maxi dresses. Lately, every shop that I go in has a section devoted to maxi dresses. Two of my favourite stores have a great selection of these dresses: the Gap and Banana Republic.


  
I have long been a fan of Banana Republic dresses. Every dress I have bought has been high quality and I get lots of compliments. This printed "patio" dress is one of my favourites right now. One of the best things about this dress is that it has an elasticized waist so you get some shape. Maxi dresses can be pretty boxy, so I like that this dress gives the option of have a sexy silhouette. Finally, it's currently on sale so you can get it for $120 online!


http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=42231&vid=1&pid=905410&scid=905410002




Sister company... the Gap also has a nice selection of Maxi Dresses. Although cheaper than Banana Republic, I find that the Gap still offers quality products. I had the opportunity to try on a few of the Gap's maxi dresses about a month ago and they fit well. Sadly, I did not purchase one of them because they were sold out of the black dress in my size. Just goes to show you how popular these dresses are right now!! Though I didn't see this maxi dress when I was in the store, but it looks pretty nice online.

This print really pops! The pinkish-purple on blue is a great contrast. Again, the waist offers some shape and the lower-ish halter top gives it some sex appeal. On the whole, I'd give this dress an 8/10. I'd recommend you pick it up this weekend, the Gap always has great sales around holidays (Canada Day and the 4th of July).

Best Dressed in Anthropologie


I have been looking for cute summer dresses and finally found some!!


European style right now is shorter in the front and long in the back. This dress is perfect! The blue fish pattern is bright and just different enough from traditional flowers to be eye catching.

 
You can buy it online from Anthropologie for 228 pounds. Not the best deal, but keep your eye out for it on sale later this year.

http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/printed/indigo-shoal-asymmetric-dress/invt/7130438090038/&colour=Multi%20Motif