This past Tuesday, I participated in a style segment on Breakfast Television. The segment was on when to skimp vs. when to splurge on items in your closet. Here’s a few shots of the first look: What I love about this look: Splurge Items The blazer/sports coat has an interesting yet subtle pattern to it. It’s a deep indigo (which can look like deep blue or purple) with a rich orange undertone in the plaid print. I like the classic cut because this means that you’ll have this rotation for at least 10 years, if not longer. ~ The Helm Clothing ($975) These cords are a slim cut- they aren’t for everybody. I get that. If these don’t suit your bod type, feel free to swap it out for a more forgiving cut (you certainly don’t want to feel ‘restricted’ when wearing these pants). I like the shade of brown in these pants; they can be worn throughout the fall and well into the winter. ~ The Helm Clothing ($360) I’d call this a refined desert boot – in chocolate brown. With the right care, this suede boot will last you a long time. Feel free to pair these boots with jeans or a casual pant. Also, if you feel up to it, go for a totally different look – maybe a layered look on top with slim fitting jeans, a bright coloured sock and this boot. That would be a great weekend casual outfit. ~ The Helm Clothing (on sale for $249) Skimp Items This dress shirt can create many different looks – whether we’re talking dressy casual (as shown here) or weekend/everyday casual. While it is a reasonable price point, the material is a bit thicker and is slightly better quality than you’d expect. This is great because the shirt won’t lose its shape after a couple of washes- BONUS. How you wear this shirt is all in the styling. Our model has it buttoned up all the way- that’s just a style preference. Do what appeals to you. ~ Express Men ($69.90) A fun, and cheap, way to show your eye for fashion is to add a handkerchief. Find one that is trendy and speaks to your personality. The one I’m showing on our model is really casual (and dresses down the blazer) and has a few different patterns and colours in it. By folding it differently (so as to show a different colour and pattern), I’d be able to create a slightly different feel to this look. Double duty on a less expensive item- yes! ~ Express Men ($14.99) Now, I’d normally say invest in a great quality belt but I found this one – in a neutral colour – at a reasonable price. It’s genuine leather. Make sure you look for quality of the stitching before spending money on a less expensive belt though. ~ Express Men ($39.90) Within the next week or so, I’ll be doing a breakdown of each of the looks from the style segment. Stay tuned. Credits: Hair: House of Tin Salon Makeup: Makeup by Bean Model: Diljot Styling: Moi! Clothing:
Friday Find: A silk blouse… that doesn’t cost a fortune
I have a fab Friday Find for you ladies…. a silk blouse that won’t cost as much as a car payment. Nice right? You’ve heard me talk about not spending too much on overly-trending items since they usually aren’t around for very long (what a waste of your hard earned $$). Well, here’s a silk blouse at a great price point so I say “Go ahead! Buy that trendy print!” It’s from Joe Fresh and is $49! Yes, you read that right. It comes in other prints as well (I love the last one). You may have seen this print over the last year or so (shoes, belts, clutches, etc) but so what? If you like it and it works for you… and it’s the right price point, why not add it to your wardrobe? If you prefer any of the other prints, opt for that instead. I have two style tips for you: Make sure this blouse (whatever print you’re interested in) can be incorporated into your wardrobe in 3 different outfits. I totally understand that prints may seem overwhelming. My suggestion is to keep the rest of your outfit fairly simple so that the print can stand out (unless you’re awesome at mixing prints or taking style risks… then go for it). Make sure you play up your style though. Here are some ideas for a casual weekend outfit: Happy Friday!
Are your buttons holding on for dear life?
Ladies, I’ve seen you do this. Often. That’s right, I’ve seen you go out and about in the world wearing a button down dress shirt that is too tight for you. It’s so tight that it looks like the buttons are holding on for dear life. I have to be honest with you. This doesn’t look good. Not one little bit. It’s doing nothing to highlight your style. More importantly, this look actually takes away from your credibility! Why would you want to do this to yourself? Regardless of how you’re wearing a classic button down shirt (to work, out for dinner, on the weekend, to a show or anything else), here are some tips to make sure the shirt fits your shape. If your dress shirt is too tight, get rid of it (donate it please) and start from scratch. First, wiht the buttons fully done up, make sure the dress shirt fits you at the widest part of your body. You want it to comfortable across your widest part without any pulling. Ladies, this will likely be across your chest or your hips. See if the shirt’s shoulder seem is aligned to your shoulder. If the shirt is too big, the shoulder will hang down. If the shirt is too small, it will be tight across your shoulders. At this point, you should be able to see where the shirt is too big and where it is too small. Now, it’s time to tailor that shirt! Men do this right? When they buy a new dress shirt, they often have it tailored. I have to say, I rarely see women do this. An experienced tailor will be able to see what needs to be taken in. For example, if you are your widest across the chest (make sure those button do up without any pulling!!!), it’s likely that you’ll need some darting in the body/torso of the shirt so that the shirt skims your frame – without being too fitted. You may also need to take in the shoulders so that the seem fits at your actual shoulder. These alterations will avoid the “I’m wearing a tent” look. Once all alterations are done, try it on. You’ll want to make sure that it’s fitted to your frame and that you can move pretty easily. If additional alterations are needed, go back to your tailor and have the shirt fixed! Lastly, make sure you iron that dress shirt before wearing it. ;) If you have any questions about fit or need some tailoring suggestions, drop me a line.