You’re gearing up for the holiday party season and you are so not looking forward to pulling that old black dress out of the back of your closet. You know and I know that you’ll do your best to make it work. “New accessories (a great attempt) and polished shoes (yawn… a bit boring) will make do,” you think to yourself. While I am all for re-loving your tried, tested and true pieces, sometimes a girl wants to mix it up a bit and try something different for yet another festive season. Here are some fun, stylish pieces that work together for the true party-goer. There’s a bit of everything here- different /contrasting colour palettes, mixed textures, bold makeup and soft, iconic hair! Urban Party Crasher #1- Kyla If you really breakdown this outfit, you’ll notice that each piece, including accessories and shoes, can stand front and centre on its own. The vest brings a bit of warm and coziness to this outfit (it IS cold outside). It’s also a great piece to wear on its own with a pair of dark jeans and a striped t-shirt. How versatile is that? The sleeveness blouse with the black lace detailing is very dramatic, especially with Kyla’s bold red lip and Marilyn Monroe-esque hair. It would also look great with a pair of tapered cigarette pants (maybe deep cranberry) and a statement heel. This pale pink skirt is perfect with this outfit in that it keeps the outfit in a lighter colour scheme- not at all a basic black holiday dress. What I love about this skirt, is that I can wear it over thick/sweater tights, with an oversized sweater and knee-high boots and I’ve transformed it into a casual weekend outfit. I love the accessories in that they are neutral enough to be worn with anything while still adding a bit of bling. These shoes are a masterpiece. Feel free to add to them to almost any outfit! Get ready for outfit #2… next time. Photo credits: Hair: House of Tin Salon Makeup: Makeup by Bean Photography: Kelly Rosborough, The Bokehccino Project Model: Kyla Jackson Styling: Me of course! Clothing provided by: Who Cares Wear … ok, one more amazing photo from this shoot.
Looking for a winter coat?
Recently, I was asked – by the lovely Janis Galloway of Dress Me Dearly – to provide a style perspective for Shaw TV’s new Press to Play. The segment focused on finding winter coats that are fabulous not frumpy! This all happened during the opening of the new Simons in West Edmonton Mall. Here are some additional tips: Make sure the shoulders of the jacket fit where your shoulder ends. Too often, I see people wearing over-sized wintercoats with baggy, drooping shoulders. Dont’ be one of them! When trying on a new winter coat, wear what you’d normally have on during cold winter months. It would be a shame to get a new coat home only to have it fit too snug because you didn’t have the right layers on at the store. Opt for something with a colour or pattern that complements your skin tone, eyes, and hair. Winter is dreary and grey enough. Change it up to stand out among the sea of black and grey coats walking down the street! Keep warm and stylish!
Reader Question: What to wear during retirement
Hi Lazina, I’ve been in banking for the past 30 years and will soon be transitioning out of the workforce and into retirement. I’m at a loss for how to transition my wardrobe towards a more casual style. I have worn suits for years and I’m fairly certain I’ll have little use for these types of pieces once I leave my job. Any suggestions on what I should do? ~Kathy Kathy, First of all, let me just say congratulations! Also, I completely understand your concerns. I’ve worked with many women going through similar life/work situations so just know that you’re not alone- and there IS a solution. My first recommendation would be to start thinking about what you’d like to do with your time as you enter retirement. Now, I realize that may seem very broad and may seem overwhelming, but since you won’t need to wear suits on a daily basis, it’s a good idea to think about what you may want to keep and get rid of. Do you want to spend more time volunteering somewhere that’s important to you? Will you be more active/involved with your favourite sport? Will you be traveling more frequently? Your answer to this may be, “yes, I’ll be doing all those things are more.” That’s great! By spending a small amount of time thinking about these and other similar questions, you’ll have a much clearer idea of what garments you should keep in rotation. The next step is to go through the items in your wardrobe- with purpose. Really evaluate each piece to see what you want to keep and what you feel needs to go. As a soon-to-be retired banker, you likely won’t need to wear suits on a daily basis, however, it would be a good idea to keep 2-3 suits for various activities or events in the future. You’ll be able to wear the suits you keep as separates so definitely take this versatility into consideration when selecting which items to keep. For example, a suit jacket could double as a blazer and could be worn with jeans for a lunch out with friends. Or, maybe you want to wear your suit pants to a board meeting you’re part of. For those professional pieces that you decide to get rid of, look for places to donate them to. In Edmonton, a great place to consider donating to is Suit Yourself – a charitable organization that collects and distributes quality professional clothing to low-income women. Once you’ve done this, you’ll notice that there are some gaps in your wardrobe. I’d guess that your casual wardrobe is going to need some “beefing” up. While there are many different categories of casual-wear, start by adding the following 3 pieces into your casual rotation: A great pair of jeans: I’d recommend a medium to dark wash jean that doesn’t hug you too closely at the waist. If you`re self-conscious about your tummy, look for a pair of