Changes

Last set of photos with some gorgeous fall colours! These were originally meant to be posted a week ago... when I could still get away going out like this. I'm missing these warm beautiful days so much - you can't leave the house without an ultra-thick sweater at the very least, or a full on parka. Dressing for the weather here sucks.

I've been pairing Sam Edelman boots with everything - skirts, jeans, tights, you name it (seen here and here). I love the details on the straps - snake print and calf hair, two textures I've been loving this fall. I can't seem to get enough considering I'm currently looking for a leopard print calf hair clutch, and some snake pumps....

 Every few years or so I change my style, and since summer, I'm trying to find something more well rounded. Normally I'm a pretty girly girl - skirts, heels, etc., but lately I've been finding more and more bottom coordinates I like. Like boyfriend jeans (if only I could find that perfect pair), or my much wanted jacquard trousers (I'm determined to find a pair for Christmas).

 You might end up seeing me in jeans more often this year (if you know me, you know I don't wear them). However, since discovering this uber soft pair by Joe's Jeans, I've been finding myself experimenting more often. This is what jeans are supposed to feel and look like. 

Top: Bluenotes (Similar here)

Bag: Botkier

Bottom: Joe's Jeans

Shoes: Sam Edelman

Accessories: H&M rings, ASOS necklace (Similar here), Michael Kors watch (Old) (Similar here)

Linked up with - The Mrs & the Momma - Style Elixir - Simply Lulu Style - Penniless Socialite -  - The Life of the Party - Perfectly Coutured

Missing Fall

 Hi everyone! It snowed here over the weekend, but I still have a few snowless pictures to post.

I miss being able to wear lighter clothes.... Also, I think my friends are sick of me complaining about how I don't have enough pairs of closed toe shoes to get me through winter...

 I miss you warm, autumn days. You and your brightly coloured foliage. And the ability to wear this Guess trench more often. I might need to buy a wool trench coat. Or pray to the weather gods.

Loving midi rings this fall.

Outtake by Krystal Northey when we were playing around at Nose Hill.

Top: Guess jacket (Old) (Similar here), American Apparel cardigan (Old) (Similar here)

Dress: Korea

Shoes: Aldo (Old) (Similar here)
Accessories: H&M

Linked with - Perfectly Coutured - The Life of the Party - Style Elixir - Hunters of Happiness - Fleurani -

Halloween in Your Closet: Katniss Everdeen

Hi everyone! Halloween is in less than a week, and I have another inspired costume for you - Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games!

During the first movie, I was in love with all of Cinna's costume designs for Katniss. Everything was super sleek and wearable for everyday. Okay, maybe not the costume itself (leather jumpsuit with super structured sleeves isn't really me), but they definitely offered a lot of inspiration.

 I was inspired by all the different looks in the above photos, and combined them all for a simple Halloween costume any girl could pull out of her closet. My main inspiration was her outfit entering into the opening ceremonies. I chose a leather jacket and black Rag & Bone coated skinny jeans (the sheen sort of mimics leather) to mimic the jumpsuit. To add a pop of colour, I chose a light circle scarf from American Apparel ala the promotional picture for Catching Fire (bottom left).

 I think Katniss' trademark is her braid. I wasn't able to get a good photo of mine, but you can see that I braided to one side of my head here. A super easy way to get Katniss' braid is to do a dutch braid and working it diagonally so that it starts on one side and wraps around to the other. Pick out a few strands to loosen it and make it a bit messy and lived in (as Hunger Games participant) and viola!

Again, going for that sleek leather look from the opening ceremony, I chose a pair of black-over-the-knee boots. They'd be perfect for traversing the Hunger Games in style as well.

Top: Danier jacket, American Apparel scarf

Bottom: Rag & Bone jeans

Shoes: Spring (Old) (Similar here)

Linked up with - Simply Lulu Style - Penniless Socialite - Style Elixir - The Mrs. and the Momma - The Life of the Party - 

Halloween in Your Closet: Amy Pond

Happy Friday everyone! There's less than a week before Halloween and I haven't bothered to buy a costume. So.... what's a girl to do? Better yet, what's a girl who blogs about the clothes in her closet to do? 

Raid her closet for a suitable costume of course! I chose Amy Pond, probably my all time favourite companion to the Doctor! (If you can't tell, I'm a big Doctor Who fan.)

 The easiest Halloween costumes are those of pop culture characters I think. A lot of them require minimal effort on makeup, sewing, etc. nor do they require any money to be spent! A quick look at my closet revealed a ton of different outfits for different characters - Amy Pond, Clara Oswin Oswald, River Song, Katniss Everdeen, Carrie Bradshaw, or Uhura. While your closet may not yield an exact copy of a character's outfit, you'll definitely be able to find an inspired outfit. Be creative!

 Amy Pond has a pretty standard uniform in my opinion. It's often an over-sized sweater, mini skirt and either converse or boots - perfect for running around the with the Doctor. Other times, she wears a sweater dress and a cool jacket.

 For me, the most memorable outfit Amy wore was a giant dolman sweater in bright red. Perhaps it was the bright colour, or maybe just the scary episode it appeared in (God, I hate the Weeping Angels). The original was actually from American Apparel (or looked exactly like one they sold), but they don't sell it anymore. 

In lieu of the American Apparel version, I found this one from Zara last summer and when I saw it... I knew I needed it. It would be perfect for a bit of Doctor Who inspiration, and the light fabric meant I could dress as Amy in the summer as well!

Top: Zara (Old) (Similar here)

Bottom: H&M skirt, H&M tights

Shoes: Roberto Vianni (similar here)

Linked Up With - Life of the Party - Hunters of Happiness -Perfectly Coutured -

Ranger Hat and Thigh Highs

Hi everyone, happy Wednesday!

Thigh high socks are a great autumn staple, as I previously mentioned. Pairing them with a pair of black boots or pumps are my makeshift thigh high boots, as I haven't found the perfect pair. I have this internal fight between quality over quantity or price, and  I'm torn between shelling out the big bucks for a nice leather pair, or grabbing something more affordable. I know that if I'm going to wear them often, a quality pair is definitely my go-to despite the price, but how often would I really wear thigh high boots? What do you guys think - do you prefer to buy quality or would you rather go for the cheaper price tag in hope of buying other items?

 I'm in love with everything about this smock dress from ASOS - the open back, the corset closure, the print, how it swings while walking....

Hello new ranger hat! I've been looking for you for forever (well, since the beginning of summer), and mostly just to pair with this dress. When I saw this at Anthropology over the weekend, I knew it was the one. 

Dress: ASOS (old) (Similar here and here)

Shoes: Sam Edelman

Accessories: Necklace from Versaille, Anthropologie hat (Similar here and here)

Linked up with Life of the Party, Style Elixer

Five Ways to Transition to Fall

Hey everyone!

 As someone who tends to wear only skirts and dresses, it can be a bit difficult to make the transition from summer to fall, let alone winter. However, over the years, I've gotten it down to an art (for me at least), and without totally overhauling my wardrobe. That, and I've probably just grown immune to the Calgary cold - I''m crazy enough to be in bare legs until the end of October at least. When there is snow on the ground and it doesn't melt by afternoon, I'll officially relent to the gods of cold weather.

Tights

I have been wearing tights more often, despite the warm afternoons, for two reasons - one, one of my classes is freezing (as in it's warmer outside), and two, my work requires me to wear tights, and it's just easier to wear them to school rather than try and change in a bathroom stall. Tights will keep your legs protected from the cold while allowing you to wear skirts, or even shorts if you want!

Seen here and here.

Thigh High Socks and Boots

A great alternative to tights is thigh high socks and a pair of boots or pumps. They'll keep you warm and that strip of pasty skin is like a giant screw you winter.

Seen here

Add Some Layers
Adding a cardigan or a blazer is a simple way to keep you warmer as the chill begins to set in. I love a knit cardigan, they're a surefire way to keep you toasty, but on warmer days, a light blazer does the trick without overheating you. As you can see, it even kept me warm despite bare legs and a stomach here. Even a simple scarf can keep you warm, whether you wrap it around your neck or use it like a shawl.

Seen here and here and here

A Jacket

My favourite fall jacket is my trench coat from Guess. I love the fact that it's not a traditional trench - it's double-breasted while the bottom is pleated in the back so as to flair out a bit. Basically, it's just the girly version. Trench coats are also great for any random weather changes. A coated one will protect you from any rain or snow. You can see that I wore it in the rain during the summer, and paired it with a cardigan in the last photo.

Seen here and here and here

Boots

Lastly, switching from sandals to boots is a must, or at least some sort of closed-toe shoe. I feel the cold mostly in my feet and my upper body so sandals are a no-no as the snow begins to fall. As you can see from my photos, I am still wearing sandals, but it's been pretty warm lately. Once there's snow on the ground, I'm out. Besides, sandals and peep-toes  mean your feet get wet from the frost in the morning, as well as any light dusting of snow that may be there.

Seen here

How do you guys make the switch while keeping your summer wardrobe in place?

Boyfriend Jeans for Fall

Okay, pseudo boyfriend jeans. I have this issue, where I can't find the perfect pair, as none of them seem to fit right! I always end up with something that is far too large, or too tight. And by too large, I don't mean the whole boyfriend wears these too large, I mean one size will fit like regular jeans, and the next size up will be falling off me. I can't seem to win, so compromise it is!

 As you can see, this pair from the Gap are too tight in the hip, but they are looser in the thighs and legs (and super loose in the waist). Gap jeans do stretch as you wear them, so after about three hours of wearing these they were starting to look more boyfriend jean like.

I'm not much of a jeans person so I bought these and then pondered for half-an-hour on how to wear them. Heels were a must to dress them up, that much I knew, but I was at a lost on what to wear on top. I ended up choosing a super loose tank top and tucked it in on one side. An old knit kimono cardigan topped it off, so that I wouldn't feel so bare, as well as keeping me warm in the chillier mornings. I actually ended up liking the really relaxed fit of the tank tucked into the jeans, and it might be a new go-to for me.

Top: H&M tank, Sweater from Montreal (Similar here and here)

Bottom: Gap

Shoes: Zara (Old) (Similar here)

Accessories: Asos bracelets (similar here)

Linked up with - The Mrs and the Momma - The Life of the Party - 

Links I Love

This Double Chocolate Banana Bread is absolutely delicious, and very, very, moist. (dishesfrommykitchen.com)

Downton Abbey. What's better than an amazingly well done show with gorgeous clothes? (neverunderdressed.com)

Can't get enough of the Hunger Games? Check out Capitol Couture to see Cinna's designs, Effie's outfits, and inspiration from the runways. (capitolcouture.pn)

I love fur snoods for fall and winter. (asos.com)

Google Streetview placed an easter egg along Earl's Court Road. Go ahead and click the double white arrows in front of the little blue box. It might just whisk you to another time.

Idle Days in Lace and Leather

As the weather gets cooler, I've begun to transition from my summer wardrobe to my fall version. There's frost on the ground in the morning, but by noon, it's still warm enough to get away with skirts and bare legs. What's a girl to do?  Layer up of course.

 To be perfectly honest, I make very few changes as the chill rolls in - I just add a few different staple items to my summer wardrobe. Read on for a few of my tips (I'll have a whole post with my favourite transitional items next week).

Leather jackets are perfect for fall. Not only do they provide a bit of edge, but they somehow manage to keep you warm without ever overheating, despite the weather changes throughout the day. I can't say that for my anoraks or trench coats.

 Taking a cue from many previous fashion weeks, I slung my jacket over my shoulders as the weather got warmer. The only problem with this is that one false move and your jacket will be on the ground. Not only that, but without a mirror, I can never seem to get the shoulders and collar to lay right!

 

 I wore this exact outfit back in the summer. Besides my skill in taking self portraits, you can see the differences between how I accessorized for the different seasons. I transition my wardrobe very easily with the use of tights. I'm not much of a jeans person and own far more skirts and dresses, so a good pair is essential. Add a pair of cool boots like these Steve Madden wedges and I'm good to go until spring again.

 When I saw this skirt at Forever21 a few years ago I snatched it up. Legit - no one was going to take my size from me (CrossIron Mills had just opened so you had to shove your way around the store. Talk about a mess!). I love the detail, the colour, the fit. It's one of the few pieces I take especially good care of. I don't know what I'll do when it finally falls apart.

 Adding a belt hides the elastic waistband of the skirt. Wide belts that sit higher up help to make my waist look tinier, and my legs a lot longer (okay the wedges help).

 The darker accessories match my jacket a bit more than my lighter coloured bracelets. Fall is great for darker colours and jewel tones. I prefer to keep all the black minimal though, I feel it's a bit overpowering on me.

I was originally going to buy the TOMS version of these boots, but stumbled across the Steve Maddens on sale at the Bay. Needless to say I was super excited (the TOMS were slightly cheaper version than the original price of the Steven Maddens), especially when the Bay told me they had my size! Turns out the size on the box was wrong, and these are a solid size too big. Nothing socks don't fix though.

Top: Korean T-shirt, Danier jacket

Bottom: Forever21 Skirt (similar here)

 Shoes: Steve Madden Mature Booties (similar here and here)

Linked with  The Mrs & The Momma - The Life of the Party - Style Elixir

Cropped in Autumn

Pictures taken by Krystal Northey

Who's crazy enough to wear a crop top in the crisp fall weather? Me. I definitely got a few weird looks wearing this to the park today. With the leaves changing . colour, crop tops aren't the most practical thing to be wearing, and needless to say, I got a few stares and cheers.

I bought this top about a week ago on sale at Urban Outfitters. I couldn't resist the snake print (I'm obsessed) on it, and immediately thought of how well it would pair with this bright blue skirt. I think the key to wearing crop tops is to pair it with something high-waisted. 

To make this outfit a bit more modest, I added a navy blazer. It looks surprisingly professional, and if I ever work in a creative (rather than corporate) industry, this would definitely be a go-to outfit for me.

Sorry for the not so great quality of the photos. Krystal and I were playing around with a telephoto lens in semi-low light and screwed up the ISO.

Top: Urban Outfitters top (Similar here), Dynamite blazer (Old) (Similar here)
Bottom: ASOS skirt
Bag: Korea
Shoes: Zara (Old)

Linked up with Simply Lulu Style - Penniless Socialite - All Things Glitz and Gold - Simply Just Lovely