The holidays are over and we’re all in that dead of winter/post-festive funk! It’s dark and cold. Most of us (myself included) are carrying around a few extra pounds from all those cookies, chocolates, drinks, dinners and more. As you stick to your New Year’s resolutions of a better diet and more exercise (we all make some type of renewed health plan, don’t we?), I’ve put together a few garments to help get you through the “my pants are tight” phase of the new year. Why now you ask? I was getting back into the swing of things late last week and put on a suit only to notice that the dress pants were a bit snug! I’m sure I’ve have (ok, I know I’ve had) too many of Mom’s cookies, too much red wine, and WAY too many lunches/dinners out! This type of colour-blocking is a great way to create the perfect hourglass shape… even if you don’t have this shape. This effect directs the eye to the places you WANT people to look and creates the illusion of being narrower than you actually are (after holiday gorging). The thick black waistband will draw the eye to the smallest part of your waist which will take attention away from that “cookie band” around your midsection (we all have it right now). I might even add a skinny belt on top of the black band (I’m thinking emerald green). I’d suggest keeping accessories to a minimum since the pattern of this dress is busy and bold (a simple earring and chunky arm-cuff will do). This thick band across the waist is a great way to keep you and your “cookie waist” all in (additional coverage in the midsection). I really like this fuller skirt. Because of the A-line shape, it draws the eye upwards and creates a small waistline. If you’re a bit shorter, make sure you hem this skirt so that it finishes just above the knee. This skirt can be worn on a less-formal work day or casually on the weekends (both daytime and nighttime). I’d wear this skirt out on the weekend and would pair it with little booties (for a slightly edgier look), a patterned silk blouse, layers of necklaces and a bold ring. What would you do? A blazer will be your best friend while you still have those extra holiday pounds. To a pretty basic outfit, add this fun, chic blazer and watch that holiday fludge disappear. It’s magic (trust me, I did this yesterday). This blazer has very structured shoulders and nips in at the waist. This blazer will do all the work in creating a flattering silhouette. If you’re not sure about the pattern, stick to a solid coloured blouse underneath. If you’re past style basics 101, go forth and layer pattern over pattern. I love the dynamics of a couple different patterns. If you’re like me and indulged just a wee bit much this year, take note of these
New Year’s Eve is coming… what to wear, what to wear?!?!
I was recently featured on Breakfast Television (City TV) and talked about different holiday styles. I thought I’d spend some time going into detail on the different options and talk about why I chose eahc of them. As always, I base most style decisions on an individual’s style preference, body type and budget. This segment was certainly no different. Model #1: Ashley Where the outfit is from: As you know, you don’t have to spend a fortune to look amazing. This dress, accessories and shoes are from The Bay. If you are looking for fabulous holiday style ideas at amazing price points, go check out The Bay! Why it was chosen for Ashley: This is an outfit that could be worn to a cocktail party on New Year’s Eve. It’s very elegant and her hair and makeup really add to the sophistication of the outfit. Since Ashley has a taller frame, we were able to give her a dress with strong embellishment along the collar and bold (yet simple) accessories. Model #2: Tania Where the outfit is from: If you have a bit more time to look for that special outfit for New Year’s Eve, check out a consignment store. You’re sure to find unique pieces at much more reasonable price points. For Tania’s outfit, we went to Vespucci Ladies Consignment. They have designer pieces without the designer prices. Why it was chosen for Tania: Tania has beautiful curves, so we wanted to highlight her body shape with a funky yet festive look. This outfit is the perfect party look for a night out on the town! Since the skirt Tania is wearing is quite short, we decided to balance the look by providing more coverage on her top half. We’ve done this by adding an edgy jacket with an asymmetrical zip and heavily structured shoulders. Model #3: Michelle Where the outfit is from: If you want to invest in great quality, contemporary pieces that will last you for years, I suggest you head to Coup Garment Boutique– which is where our third outfit is from. Why it was chosen for Michelle: Michelle has a very long, lean frame and is able to wear a long gown with ease. Since this dress is a fairly simple silhouette, we added some drama by layering several rose gold and silver necklaces (from So Pretty by Cara Cotter). We kept the rest of Michelle’s accessories simple so that the focus remains on the necklaces. All in all, these three New Year’s Eve looks are glamorous without being overdone…. and, at the end of the day, I always want to show you that you don’t have to spend a fortune to look amazing. I hope these options work for you! Thanks again to Colleen and Katie from Fuss Hair Salon for the lovely hair and makeup for the Breakfast Television segment.
A deal too good to pass up!
As you know, I’m a huge believer in tailoring clothes so that they flatter and highlight my shape; often times, clothes off the rack don’t quite fit people properly, and a little tailoring can do wonders. I wanted to share this amazing dress that I bought a while back. I found it at a consignment store and immediately saw its potential. Here are some deets about the dress: It’s a designer dress… a MaxMara piece (scoresies!!) It’s a simple black dress with corrugated detailing down the front It’s a size 14! I almost put this dress back on the rack because it was just not my size, but there were one thing that made me hold onto it. It was on sale at 80% off (crazy, I know) and ended up being only $30 (I’m so proud of this find)!!! I, of course, had faith in that my very talented tailor could alter this dress and make it my size – without losing its shape or delicate finishing. Though I loved the dress, I went back to my simple rules to see if it made sense to buy this piece: How much is the garment? With the crazy sale, this garment was just under $30. For a designer dress of this quality and versatility, I felt that this one was a no-brainer. How much will tailoring cost? Based on all the work I’ve done with my tailor, I ballparked that alternations would cost about $60. I could live with that to have a beautiful designer piece in my closet. Do I REALLY love it? Yes! There are many business and social situations to which I could wear this magnificent piece. Also, because it’s so versatile and well-constructed, my small investment would surely pay off. This is what the dress looked like originally (my tailor took these pics!): When I went for an initial consultation with my tailor, this are the alterations that needed to me made: It took my tailor about 3 weeks and 2 fittings with me to make sure that this dress was PERFECT! I am happy to report that the dress is exactly what I envisioned it to be on me. Here’s the final product: This is what was done to the dress: The back and sides of the dress were taken in because the circumference of the dress was too wide for my frame. A zipper was put in on the back of the dress and taken out from the side panel. This alternation was done to allow me to slip into the dress with greater ease. The shoulders were raised because the torso of the dress was too large for me (clearly the dress was cut for someone with a longer and larger torso). My tailor had to pay special attention to the arm hole to ensure her alteration didn’t cut too high into my armpit… that would just be uncomfortable. The waistline was raised to align with my torso (again, the torso of the dress was