She Was Dressed in Black with a Pair of Riding Boots

image via Polyvore

Notice anything different about the blog? With a new semester looming and my birthday less than two weeks away, I thought it was the appropriate time to give the site a fresh start, like the one I plan on giving my own life. Fall has been my favourite season since I was a little girl and as Candy Pratts Price once said “September is the January of fashion.” Even though we are a few days away from my birthday month, when I woke up this morning I felt motivated to get started today. Now, back to boots.

With the impending doom coming our way (AKA winter in Ottawa) and the arrival of fall, a durable pair of boots is absolutely necessary. Today the focus is on riding boots. Riding boots were invented to be used for horseback riding. The classic style was created so they come up high enough to keep the rider from getting pinched by the leather of a saddle, with a relatively low heel, to keep the foot from slipping out of the stirrup. These days, riding boots are increasingly popular. I bought a pair for myself last year and I couldn’t get enough of them. Tory Burch stole my heart with her takes on riding boots (1,3). I love the matte look of the first pair. They remind me of Catwoman or a female spy and there’s nothing better than a badass woman. Cole Haan‘s riding boots attracted my eye when I saw the brown colorblock paneling on them. Last, but certainly not least (and with the highest price tag) are these Gucci black leather riding boots. Need I say more?

Free People x For Love & Lemons

images via Because I’m Addicted

There are few things I love more than beautiful lingerie. Wearing a great set instantly makes me feel more confident and there is nothing more fabulous than knowing that underneath the remarkable outfit you’re wearing, is an even more jaw dropping set of underwear. When I heard about the collaboration between Free People and Los Angeles-based brand For Love & Lemons, I was ecstatic. I have been following the brand on Instagram for ages and their posts always tempt me to pull out my credit card and succumb to my shopping addiction. Luckily, I have been able to gain some self-control when it comes to my spending habits, and will have to wait to add these pieces to my wardrobe.

If you’re in need of some new ornate pieces, look no further than this exclusive collaboration. Shop the collection here.

Emmys 2014: Best and Worst Dressed

Ahh, award season. As Wall Street Journal reporter Elizabeth Holmes noted in the video of her picks for Best and Worst Dressed, it has been an awfully long time since we’ve had a red carpet like this to watch. Last night was the 66th annual Emmy’s and there was a lot of fashion to look at. I was fond of the majority of the attendees outfits, yet a couple made me scratch my head, but one person blew me away completely. Laverne Cox is easily my number one best dressed of the evening. Who did you think met the occasion? And who let you down? Let me know in the comments below.

BEST

Taylor Schilling in Zuhair Murad

 Laverne Cox in Marc Bouwer

 Sarah Hyland in Christian Siriano

Gwen Stefani in Atelier Versace

Amy Poehler in Theia

 Sofia Vergara in Roberto Cavalli

 Julie Bowen in Peter Som

Kiernan Shipka in Antonio Berardi

WORST

 Allison Williams in Giambattista Valli

 Christina Hendricks in Marchesa

 Debra Messing in custom Angel Sanchez

 Laura Prepon

 Kerry Washington in custom Prada

Lena Dunham in Giambattista Valli

HONORARY MENTION

Kit Harrington sporting a man bun 

Ed note: images via Elle and Vogue

Emerson Fry Fall 2014

images via Because I’m Addicted

Emerson Fry Fall 2014 is what my autumn wardrobe dreams are made of. The pieces come together perfectly but can be worn separate as well, which means you can mix and match a multitude of looks for the season. With a bevy of knits sweaters, cozy outerwear, the perfect crocodile sliders, and a great neutral palette; Emerson Fry is a brand you must have in your closet this fall.

El Nuevo Boss

Vogue Spain September 2014

ph. by Mark Seliger

images via Visual Optimism

Hailey Clauson shows how minimalism can be the most seductive look of all.

Anya Hindmarch Gets Me

Confession time: I’m obsessed with cheeky, outrageous, accessories that make people do a double take. I’m not talking about adorning one of my handbags with a Fendi monster keychain, or copying Kanye and wearing shutter shades, but more along the lines of turning every day objects and things into pieces of art. This is where Anya Hindmarch steps in. With designs that Charlotte Olympia and Kate Spade would die for, she is the queen of quirky. Whether you want the perfect wallet to store your touch up essentials; a pouch that does all the talking for you; or a cartoon character clutch to add that special something to your look, Anya Hindmarch has you covered.

(photo via Anya Hindmarch shopping site)

I’m currently coveting the clutch shown above, which comes with a detachable cross-body chain so you can take it from day to night in a flash. This way, any hour can be happy hour. (Sorry mom, sorry God). 

You can shop Anya’s designs at her website.

Seeing Double

Seeing Double

Since I was in the sixth grade, I’ve been wearing prescription glasses. When I had my first optometrist appointment and found out I would have to wear them, I was less than happy, to say the least. In my mind, cool girls didn’t need glasses. Thinking back to my first pair (boxy and red) and the new pair of Ray-Bans sitting comfortably on my nose now, I can say that my view of optical frames has changed completely. Who knew glasses would become the permanent staple of my uniform? Besides obvious reasons (aka being able to see), glasses have given me the opportunity to share even more of my unique identity. When I went to my new optometrist and picked out my Ray-Ban wayfarers, I knew that it was the first step in my own personal re-invention project. Just like clothes and other accessories, glasses have their own it factor that makes them special.

Feeling inspired by my new purchase, I thought I would share some of my favourite optical frames. Featuring three popular styles: wayfarer; cat eye; and tortoiseshell; these frames all have the ability to give your look that extra pop, and let you see the beautiful world around you.

Wayfarer (Ray-Ban, Prada, Stella McCartney)

I’ll admit, I’m a bit biased seeing as my first choice for my new glasses were the new Ray-Bans collection that came into Laurier Optical. I’ve always loved wayfarers and even have a pair of wayfarer sunnies but I worried that I didn’t have the right face for them. As I constantly tell my friends (who repeat it back to me at times like this): no matter what you wear, you will look amazing as long as you’re confident. I kept that mantra in mind when picking out frames and I couldn’t be happier. I love the light blush pink of the Stella frames but black is a classic and looks great on everyone.

Cat Eye (Miu Miu, Miu Miu, Prada)

Miuccia Prada and her team at Miu Miu and Prada are the creme du la creme of cat eye frames. While perusing pages of the style, I found so many I liked and the majority came from the two sister brands. Cat eye frames are more feminine and I love the embellishments on the top and bottom pairs because they give them that extra bit of pizazz. 

Tortoiseshell (Dior, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen)

Last but certainly not least, tortoiseshell glasses. I personally can’t see myself wearing this trend but it is a classic and is not going anywhere. When I see tortoiseshell frames, I immediately think of that “Hey Girl” Ryan Gosling meme where he’s wearing a pair. Celebrities love them and I see why. Stella McCartney’s interpretation (middle) are very in your face, but if you’re looking for something more minimal, the McQueen frames would work nicely on anyone.

I hope I’ve been able to inspire you for your next eye glasses shopping trip! Comment below what your favourite style of optical frames are, xo

Ballet Beautiful

When I was a little girl, I would constantly run around the house wearing my bubblegum pink Barbie ballet slippers. I would tell my parents every day that when I grew up, I would be a ballerina. After coming to terms with the fact that ballet lessons were out of my parents price range, I moved on to a different hobby, as most young children do. I can’t say exactly what got me through the loss of being a potential ballerina, but it a thought that’s always been on my mind.

While perusing Racked today, I came across this video for AG Adriano Goldschmied’s new Contour 360 denim. Wanting to show the versatility of denim, AG released a video featuring real ballerinas wearing their latest jeans. The caption of their Youtube video states:

“Designed with powerful performance stretch, Contour360 denim lifts and sculpts the figure while delivering uncompromising comfort and an uninhibited range of motion.”

Watching these beautiful ballerinas twist and turn in their AG best really inspires me to go shopping and look into some ballet classes. Who knows, maybe after a few lessons, I could treat myself to some Contour 360s? 😉

Rompers: It’s like Wearing a Cloud

collage via Polyvore

Today, I found myself distraught while shopping. I had been eyeing the same rompers for the last few visits at this particular store, but had never succumbed to shopper’s weakness and gave in to buying one. After seeing them in practically every store; all over the blogosphere; and on plenty of my friends; I decided to take the plunge. Buying this turquoise onesie had me anxious to get home and give it a spin. Friends, believe me when I say this – rompers are the definition of true love. Once you get past the fact that it does involve taking the entire suit of to use the restroom, I hope you come back to falling in love with your romper. I am not exaggerating when I say wearing a romper feels like you are wearing a cloud. The particular one that stole my heart is so soft and lightweight. I can already imagine how I will style it for days at the beach, or going out with friends for some drinks. Feeling inspired and like I just won the lottery of cute and comfort, I decided to create this collage of rompers I believe we all need in our repertoire:

1 Zimmermann Sundance embroidered silk-chiffon playsuit, $275

I love everything about Zimmermann. I think the design duo create the most ethereal, feminine pieces from their clothing to their swimwear. This 100% silk playsuit which has 100% embroidered cotton will easily go from day to night and is perfect for when the weather heats up.

2 Wilfred Calmette romper

First and foremost, I am over the moon about the colour of this romper. It’s the perfect shade of pinky-red and with it being made of satin, it seals the deal. Thank you Aritzia, for carrying such a magical piece.

3 Zimmermann Hydra floral stripe playsuit, $510

Another Zimmermann playsuit because like I said above, I love everything these Aussies create. Unlike most florals, these ones are more subtle, which gives the perfect mix of minimal chic. 

4 Valentino split-back silk playsuit, $1490 (on sale!)

This Valentino playsuit is the most expensive of the bunch, but once I saw the baby pink colour and long-sleeves, I knew this had to have a spot in this set. I think that the sleeves make it more dressy but the fact that it’s 100% silk means it will be perfect for summer.

5 Joie Isidora romper, $340

The number one reason why I chose this romper? It has pockets. I am a girl who’s crazy about pockets. After downsizing from my painful shoulder bag from H&M to a much smaller crossbody, I’m trying to downsize even further to only bringing my essentials in my pockets. Finding uber feminine pieces that cater to that are hard and this Joie romper does the trick brilliantly.

Mirte at the Beach

images via FashionGoneRogue

…because it’s Friday and I would rather be on a beach in Turks and Caicos than in my house looking up last minute deals on Expedia.