Link Love: Beauty Products

During the holiday season we come across articles with make-up tips for parties or gift suggestions for beauty products almost daily. The ones below caught my attention because their angle is a little different.

Fab Links from Our Members

Carole came across these tips for solving common shoe fit problems.

SarahTheWhite cannot get enough of Gwen Stefani’s style on “The Voice”. Sarah explains: “While so many of her looks are not ones I could (or would want to) pull off, the range of looks that she experiments with — clothing, makeup, shoes, accessories, hair — is broad and intense. The inspiration is limitless! In motion, on the show, her look ‘When Mod Meets Bardot’ was incredible. She looked soft and gorgeous.”

Alexandra enjoyed Janice’s musings about the “number” wardrobes and how they might work in real life.

We know that Marsala is the Pantone colour for 2015, but Joy wondered what the rest of the colours were. So she found this video with a fun description of each.

Dimity recommends this article about clothing during wartime, including comments on how to make a small wardrobe versatile.

Sally has super helpful space saving wardrobe storage tricks. Angie agrees that storing shoes “heel-out, heel-in” works especially well.

Laurinda reports that for-profit Savers thrift stores has been accused of misrepresenting what happens to donated items.

In fashion the idea of minimalism often gets tied to the idea of paring down the wardrobe to the “perfect” items. One is supposed to “curate” the wardrobe. This post describes the phenomenon and shows how tricky the search for perfection is and how little it really has to do with minimalism in its truest sense. Astrid loves Kali’s suggestion of replacing perfection with adequacy

Astrid also recommends this second post about the importance of objects in a simple life, and started a forum discussion about this topic with lots of food for thought.

Tops with Slogans: Yay or Nay

You may have noticed that T-shirts and knitwear with words both on the front and back are gaining popularity. I don’t mean clothing that advertises the name of the label of the item, but rather other words that convey a mood, feeling, opinion, or action or just something funny. 

If you’d asked me ten years ago, I probably would have said that it was a look reserved for kids and teens. But over the years I’ve changed my mind. I have come to appreciate there may be emotion behind the slogan for the wearer. And I can see how the look itself can be incorporated into fashionable outfits. After all, our style is a form of self expression, and if the words on a top express how you feel, why not wear it? The effect looks modern and reflects our ever more casual lifestyles.  

Check out these street style shots of slogan tops in stylish action: 

Tops with slogans do make a statement and attract attention. They invite people to look at your outfit and read the words on your top, so you have to decide whether you are okay with that. The look is more subtle with a topper layered over to make the slogan less obvious.

I have clients of all ages who wear these tops, although most of them prefer to layer them under toppers. Some will wear them unlayered in extra casual environments. I don’t have any myself, probably because I haven’t yet found a slogan that appeals to me. If I found one that pulled at my heartstrings, I would definitely try it on. 

Over to you. What’s your take on tops with slogans? Are they fun and expressive, or are they are cheesy, juvenile and overly eye-catching.

A La Mode PulloverThe Little Black Sweatshirt Pullover

AQUA Cashmere Sweater

EACH x OTHER Robert Montgomery Watercolors x Wilder ThanJoie Eloisa Intarsia SweaterMadewell Je t'Aime Short Sleeve TopMoschino Cheap and Chic Sweater

MARC BY MARC JACOBS Intarsia Merino Wool SweaterMOSCHINO CHEAP AND CHIC Intarsia Cashmere Sweater

Weekly Roundup: Puffer Coats

Puffer coats aren’t as chic, dressy and beautiful as wool coats, but there is no doubt about it: they are MUCH warmer and a lot more weatherproof. And when it gets that cold, keeping adequately warm is most important. 

Puffer coat styles look more fashionable and less like “gear” every season. There are more silhouettes, fabrications and colours to choose from than ever. Think Sporty Luxe all the way. Black is not your only choice of puffer coat, so click through all the colour options of the styles below (some of which are on sale).

Note that puffer coats from L.L. Bean and Lands’ End run pretty large and that an XS will probably be too big if you wear a size 0 or 2. 

My descriptions are below, but click here if you would prefer a layout that combines my descriptions with item pictures.

The fit of a puffer coat is all important because some silhouettes are definitely more flattering than others. See my tips on fit in Puffer Coat 101. Please share further puffer coat recommendations in the comments section.

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Outstanding Outfit Bloggers

Polished Neutrals and Skinny Jeans

Toronto-based Medge Beauvoir (26) is a petite 5 foot blogger who shares her outfits over at My Voguish Diaries. She is a neutrals and solids loving gal who likes to add a splash of colour with bright footwear. Her style is feminine, polished, and casual. She is a big fan of skinny jeans, and sports jewellery daily. Medge is also into leather accents, immaculate make-up, and likes to wear mixed media pieces and heels to give herself a boost in height. 

“My style has evolved quite a bit over the last few years. I used to be much more focused on being current and trendy. I think my style used to be loud — loud in a sense that there were a lot of things going on. Like a lot of colour, a lot of layered accessories. Now I find my style to be much more refined, much more minimalist. I’m very picky when shopping now because 1) I don’t want to just splurge on trends that won’t look good on me and 2) It’s easier to get dressed when your closet is stacked with flattering things. What’s better than being trendy is wearing things that flatter my body. That’s why I like simple, classic pieces.”

Medge Beauvoir - 1

As a lover of neutrals, Medge likes to spice up her outfits consisting of mostly solids with bright-coloured footwear. Eye-catching and fun. Here she is sporting a white formfitting just-below-the-knee pencil skirt with a light grey fluid fit sweater. The skirt tapers in at the knee, which streamlines the look and emphasizes our blogger’s curves. Semi-tucking an oversized sweater creates a current effect, de-bombshells the pencil skirt, and lengthens the leg line. This, together with the pointy-toe footwear, helps to diminish the horizontally cutting line of the red ankle strap pumps. A cream, rigid-shaped satchel and chunky silver and rhinestone necklace finish off the look. I particularly love how the white, light grey and cream don’t match but go together to create soft outfit depth.

Medge Beauvoir - 2

Building an outfit around a mixed-media piece is one way Medge creates a visually interesting look with neutral colours. The leather inset sleeves and self-coloured swirl pattern of the pullover create instant textural interest. Our blogger has paired the pullover with black leggings tucked into taupe booties. The side panel on the leggings and suede footwear add further textural accents, as does Medge’s two-toned hair peeking out from under the black knit hat. A gold, oversized chain necklace and big watch add a little bling. The dressy structured handbag is a nice juxtaposition with the casual vibe of the look. A bright pink lip is the cheerful finishing touch.

Here are Medge’s top two tips for putting together visually interesting outfits with mainly neutrals and no patterns

“When sticking to neutrals, I think dressing for your body type is the most important thing. Know your body, know your assets and be honest with yourself. No matter how simple an outfit, if it looks good on the body it’s on, it’s a win. This kind of leads into my next tip, fit and proportion. There needs to be a balance between the two. If I’m going to stick to neutrals, these tips are what I do to make it its best.”

Medge Beauvoir - 3

This sleeveless midi dress is a great length on our blogger, proving once again that petites — Medge is 5 feet — can wear longer length skirts and frocks. The combination of the black and white zigzag pattern with the neon yellow accessories makes me smile. Such a fun and spunky graphic bombshell look. Plus, it’s a great colour palette with Medge’s black hair. The formfitting dress showcases our blogger’s curves. The low-vamped, pointy-toe heels extend the leg line, and bookend the big necklace. It has a cartoon-esque keychain design that fits in well with the colours and pattern of the rest of the outfit, because those remind me of pop art paintings. Two thin cuff bracelets and a black clutch with a bit of sparkle that picks up the colours in the frock, are the other accessories of choice. 

Medge Beauvoir - 4

How could a bright yellow pullover in Winter not make you happy. Its floral cable knit design is unusual, and adds girly charm. I like how our blogger has layered the roomy pullover over an untucked shirt for an on trend and comfortable look. The longer length shirt also creates flattering proportions with the skinny jeans. Plus, the light blue and white checks work beautifully with the mid-blue jeans and booties. Because the skinnies and booties are similar in colour, tucking the jeans creates a long, lean line. Very clever. The suede footwear and knit sweater add textural interest. The hardware on the crossbody bag, Medge’s arm candy, large earrings and pendant necklace provide girly fun.

Medge Beauvoir - 5

A fab ladylike look with soft edge. Our blogger has created a column of colour by semi-tucking a simple white tee into a a cream midi pencil skirt. But the real star of the show here is the long mixed media jacket that adds modern edge. The jacket has a fluid fit with a structured shoulder line, so the longer length does not overwhelm our petite blogger. It hits Medge mid-thigh, and because the light stone colour is low-contrast against the skirt underneath, it creates a visually calming effect and flattering proportions. The tan heels add height, while the embossed patent leather clutch gives the whole an understated luxe feeling. As a jewellery gal, Medge also threw in a pair of statement earrings and a link bracelet.

Medge Beauvoir - 6

Medge Beauvoir - 6

You may have noticed that Medge’s favourite denim silhouette is the skinny jean. I’m particularly taken with this pale blue pair, because the vibe is feminine and playful. A fun change to white denim, but as crisp-looking when paired with other white items. For an easy, polished look, Medge is wearing her jeans with an untucked, rounded hem tee. The low, open neckline works well with the collarless, mixed-media style jacket. It’s a great length on our petite blogger when worn with high heels. The black tipped edges and marled grey sleeves add outfit depth, while allowing the neutral colours to shine. A rose gold watch and the caramel accents in Medge’s hair complement the soft colour palette. The dressy, light blue bag creates visual coherence. Finally, also note how the larger size plays well with our blogger’s petite frame.
 
Browse the rest of Medge’s outfits on her blog, or check out her pinboards for more visual inspiration, but first let us know in the comments what you think of our blogger’s polished petite style.

Fab Find: Wool City Jogger Pant

Athleta’s Wool City Jogger Pant has been a hit with some of my clients, especially those who work from home or lead a very casual lifestyle. The pants are made of a non-scratchy wool blend, and have a little structure to them because they aren’t excessively gathered at the waist. The back pockets are a nice detail and make your lovely bottom look just fine. The more tapered fit on the bottom leg goes a long way to creating a less sloppy sweatpants look. The pant is also available in a stripe, although the fabric is different. 

Sporty Luxe upscale trackpants make a super change from jeans, and can be worn in multiple ways. Check out these outfits on Pinterest for inspiration: 

If you’re after an even more comfortable pair, try Athleta’s Lined City Jogger. They’re not made of the same wool blend but they’re lined with knitted jersey, which makes them extremely cozy and warm. All styles are available in petite and tall lengths too.