Penny for Fashion: November 2012

Friday 30 November 2012

Stay stylishly warm this winter!

It is cold in Montreal this morning, When I checked the temperature before I left for the school run, it was -20°C (that is -4°F for those who don't run on the metric system). And when your winter is that cold, you have to dress warmly, no matter how much you love fashion. This is what I hate the most about living here. I think winter is beautiful and nothing beats a white christmas, but I always feel unstylish at this time of year. I will accept being stylishly cold for a dressy night out, but when dropping off the kids at school or doing my daily activities, it is simply not an option. So I shrug it off and try and be as stylishly toasty and warm as I can.

Below are my three daily winter looks:

Here are more looks to inspire you...

www.gorsuch.com

www.gorsuch.com

www.montclerdowncoats.com

And for the inner diva in you...

www.gorsuch.com

Have a great day!

Thursday 29 November 2012

A Nude Love Affair!

As much as I love bright and dramatic colors (see yesterday's post), I have a very important love affair with every shade of nude. I am always attracted to them and if you were to look in my closet, you would see that half of it is filled with these muted beauties. To say it is versatile is an understatement : it can be worn with every color in the rainbow and in every season and it will never go out of style. And what I love most about it is that it is subtly sexy. It is always my go to non-color...It is MY black.

All images courtesy of Pinterest

Have a great day!

A Nude Love Affair

A Nude Love Affair par aavoine utilisant robes à manches longues

Paul Joe antique dress
$575 - net-a-porter.com

Sticky Fingers v neck dress
$145 - josephm.com

Oasis robes à manches longue
$40 - oasis-stores.com

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Color makes everything look better!

Colored denim seems to be here to stay at least for a little while longer, and I could not be happier. I cannot get enough of it. It makes regular outfits pop out in a way that blue jeans just can't. It took me a while to jump on board, but I have been absolutetly sold on it since last spring. While it may not be for everyone, I think that everyone should at least give it a try.

I also love dramatic looks. Dressing up for a special occasion is an opportunity to escape the daily grind and reinvent yourself. Clothes should be seen as an extension of your personnality and making a statement with them let's everybody know who you are. They can also be a great outlet for your creative side.

If you are afraid of color, start with a small pop in your jewelry or shoes. You'll see how great it makes you feel. Then, try graduating to a top and before you know it, you will be addicted!

Are you in on the colored denim trend ? Do you like dramatic looks? Are you afraid of color? What outfit makes you feel pretty? Please share your thoughts!

Have a great day!

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Sometimes, a girl just like to feel pretty!

My daughter and I had a great time last night. I don't think I ever heard such shrieking in my life! There was also a great surprise as The Wanted came on before Carly Rae Jepsen and Justin Bieber.

So winter is slowly creeping in. And with early morning frost creating a thin white layer on the roofs and grasses, srping seems so far away. But that doesn't mean we can't still channel it. I have always loved nautical inspired outfits and I have been craving this Kate Spade skirt for quite a while now. So styling an outfit around it was easy. This look can take you from the office to drinks out. It is very classic, but mixing the pattern on the skirt and the polka dots on the sweater keeps it mordern and fresh! So here's to spring...hey, it's only 112 days away, it's not that long!

Have a nice day!

Monday 26 November 2012

Channeling your inner rocker!

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a good week-end.

Today is a very special day in my daughter's life, she is going to her first pop concert. Yes, my 7 1/2 year-old is going to see...you guessed it, Justin Bieber. I remember when I went to see New Kids on the Block back when I was 12. I was so excited. I screamed for 2 hours and I was sure that I was going to marry Joe McIntyre. Well , I didn't marry him, but I still love going to concerts, although I am much less of a groupie now. Music is a big part of my life. I don't sing very well and don't play an instrument either, but I can't function without it. When I am feeling down, nothing makes me feel better than blasting my favorite tunes and singing along. So even if I don't really know all the lyrics to Justin Bieber's songs, you can be sure that I will be up dancing with my daughter. What else can you do when you are at a concert. It's part of the experience.

Another thing that seems to be inherently linked to concert going is fashion. For some reason, we seem to dress for the type of concert we are going to. Just look at pictures from Coachella every year...everybody seems to be channelling Woodstock. For tonight's show, my daughter opted for electric blue skinny jeans, her Justin Bieber t-shirt and her hot pink studded high top sneakers. I will be going for a more rock inspired outfit. I have been obsessed with edgier looks recently and think this occasion is fitting. It will either be and oversized tee with my leather skinny jeans or a print tank top and skinny jeans. What do you wear to go to concerts?

Have a great day!

Friday 23 November 2012

Football fever

One of my favorite things about fall is watching football while cozying up by the fire. And with the Grey Cup held this week-end, many of us are planning viewing parties with friends (for all of you americans, the Grey Cup is the canadian Super Bowl). Sadly, my team was eliminated last week, but that doesn't mean I won't be watching on Sunday. Here is one of my favorite casual outfits for laid back get-togethers:

Have a great week-end everyone!

Thursday 22 November 2012

Blue Stars

Blue Stars par aavoine utilisant jeans clouté

Wildfox Couture tricot à rayure
$295 - seasonsclothing.co.uk

Veste en cuir noir
chicnova.com

VILA jeans clouté
$65 - vila.com

Jimmy Choo chaussures à talon haut
shopsavannahs.com

Pastry shine shoes
$100 - welikefashion.com

GAT RIMON sacs à main grand format
$110 - farfetch.com

Kenneth Jay Lane stretch bracelet
my-wardrobe.com

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is here! This is a great period to enjoy time with your family and to appreciate all your blessings. It is also a period where we eat incredible amounts of food and don't move around that much. So avoiding tight fitting clothes is a must in my book.

Here is a Thanksgiving proof outfit:

Hope all of you american readers are having a wonderful Thanksgiving!

What to wear when travelling!

With american Thanksgiving a few days away, US travelling season is at its peak and that can mean long lines and flight delays. The last thing you need is to be uncomfortable in your clothes and to be stuck taking off tons of jewelry and struggling with your shoes when going through security. I have a few rules of thumb when flying. First, I want clothes that can accomodate different climates: cold when leaving, hot in the airport, freezing on the plane, hot when landing! That is why I usually wear a tank top with a long cardigan that can double as a blanket should I get cold during the flight. Second, I avoid wearing a lot of jewelry and wear ballet flats to make going through customs quicker and simpler. Third, I carry a handbag big enough to accomodate my boarding pass and passport, a magazine, a healthy snack and other stuff that I need with me during the flight. Finally, I wear little to no make-up, since flying dehydrates your skin. This prevents caking...I instead opt for nude lip gloss and mascara and bring a pair of oversized sunglasses for post flight commuting.

Happy and safe travels this Thanksgiving period!

Amelie

Classic does not have to mean boring!

Women working in offices usually have to dress more classically or conservatively, but that shouldn't mean that they can only wear navy or black. Taking classic style and revamping it with color and pattern is one of the great things I like about fashion. Below are some examples of what I call "classic revisited". Just remember not to go overboard. To help you with that, you can pull from the colors in your pattern, as I did below with the outfits styled around the purple skirt.

The outfits below, were actually inspired by my favorite pair of fall flats. They are red, with a teal/slightly evergreenish and yellow plaid pattern adorned with a black velvet flower. I have always liked the subtle mix of these colors and it is not the first time that I have looked to them for ideas.

Just remember to have fun and that when you get tired of always wearing you favorite skirt with the same shirt, you can always create a completely different look by adding different colored pumps or accessories!

Monday 19 November 2012

Live for yourself, not for others!

I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything else seems to be going wrong. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe tomorrow is another day. I believe in miracles.

I saw this Audrey Hepburn quote recently and it got me thinking. I am a stay-at-home mom and I like to dress up. I usually overdress for my day's activities, but dressing up makes me feel good. I believe that I should dress for myself and wear clothes that make me feel good, even if that means I am wearing a dress and heels and am doing nothing else but groceries and the school run that day. I do believe in manicures because everytime I see my nails, I feel put together. I do think primping at leisure and putting on my lipstick should be as high on my daily list of things to do, as washing the dishes and picking up after my kids...I do these things because they make me feel great. They help me feel confident and strong and good about myself. And that's how life should be lived!

Thanks Audrey!

Friday 16 November 2012

Pictures

I have been told that some pictures did not upload, so here is take two...

Currently Craving

I have to say that I am obsessed with fashion. And by obsessed, I mean I think about fashion all the time. If I see two colors or patterns mixed together somewhere, that I had not thought of mixing, I will surely try to replicate it in my wardrobe. I look at fashion magazines, I read blogs, I spend countless hours on pinterest and polyvore for inspiration. This obsession means that I am always craving that new item that I saw. Whether it be leather skinny pants (a craving in which I recently indulged) or the latest style pumps. And since, like 99% of the population, I cannot afford every single item I crave, it means that I have to be resourceful. I will search high and low in stores or on the internet for very similar items at more affordable prices.

I was recently craving pointy toe heels (similar to the Manolo Blahnik ones that I had seen someone wearing) and a minaudiere for the holiday season. For those of you unfamiliar with a minaudiere, here is the wikipedia link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minaudi%C3%A8re. So I started out at the mall where a store is closing and was able to find very similar pumps on sale for 20$. Below is a picture of the Manolo Blahnik pumps and the ones I found at the mall...

Manolo Blahnik

Jules + James

As some of you already know, I always take a few trips to my local goodwill store every week to see if I can score something off of my cravings' list. And sure enough, I was able to find a very similar minaudiere to the one that I had been wanting...and for only 1.50$!

Minaudiere image courtesy of google

Goodwill find for 1,50$

Style is important to me, but breaking the bank is not. There are some items you should allow yourself to splurge on, like good quality outerwear and wardrobe staples that will survive every season's trend...everything else will not last long enough, in my opinion, to justify a high price tag. That does not mean that I will never buy designer handbags or pumps (they can easily be auctionned off on ebay when they become last seasons' trend), but they would not be regular occurences.

Here are some other items that I have been craving recently...