FASHION Magazine

Four brains (and closets) are better than one. Or at least, that’s what the new site, The Style Common, shows us. Started by four Vancouver-based fashion bloggers (three from our very own Style Panel, no less), The Style Common is a collective that pairs online skills with companies looking to partner with bloggers.

Started by Alicia Quan of Alicia Fashionista, Alexandra Grant, Jen Tam of Her Waise Choice and Jennifer Pistor, The Style Common is tapping into a market that has been steadily building. Bloggers have started to work closely alongside companies with events like Tavi Gevinson touring with Urban Outfitters all summer or Leandra Medine of Man Repeller collaborating with lines like Dannijo. Bloggers have the ability to get the word out about brands, products or whatever through their personal voices and knowledge of what works for their readers.

The idea of any type of clothing that is prefixed with the word “sweat” may make most stylish ladies shudder, but the fact of the matter is sweatpants and sweatshirts are pretty darn comfy. This week, our Style Panel was challenged to dress up their go-to cozy sweatshirts, sweatpants, tights and thick socks and did it so well that no lady ended up looking slobby, but rather perfectly on trend (and warm).

Thanks to the recent street style overload of Balenciaga’s sci-fi sweater this past season, and also to Holt Renfrew’s artistic sweaters that were sold to celebrate it’s anniversary a few months ago, comfortable clothing is clearly right on trend this fall. And our two newest Style Panel members, Krystin Lee of Suburban Faux-Pas and KD Faustino of The Girl with the Messy Hair both worked it well this week. They each spruced up their sweatshirt and thick sock adorned outfits with a skirt and tights, making what could have been a potentially drab outfit really stand out.

Question 29: How do you wear comfy winterwear without looking like a slob? Read the answers now! »

Or jump to: ALEXANDRA GRANT, VANCOUVER | BARBARA ANN SOLOMON, TORONTO | CARA MCLEAY, VANCOUVER | CHRISTINA CRAVERO, TORONTO | KAYLA SHORT, HALIFAX | KD FAUSTINO, CALGARY | KRYSTIN LEE, TORONTO | MELISSA KNIGHT, VANCOUVER

The ladies of our Style Panel have started to help you ease into your winter wardrobe by showing you how to layer for the season, and ease into more weather-friendly boots. This week, they have taken on the daunting challenge how to pair a winter jacket with the rest of your outfit, while still maintaining some style.

Whatever your personal taste or style, the coat options this season are truly endless. Labels including Acne and Haider Ackermann took some cues from menswear and sent oversized coats down respective Fall 2012 runways. If bigger is not better for you, there are many more choices including coats that incorporate trends such as quilted leather and leopard print, as seen on Alexandra Nikolajev.
And what would a post about coats be without mentioning the cape, which Gucci did a stylish version of for its Fall 2012 collection. The cape keeps you warm and doesn’t constrict your arms, but if you’re wary about trying one for yourself, take a cue from Style Panel member Christina Cravero, who wears an Adrienne Vittidani cape in this week’s post. She ensures that a cape is not bulky and can be layered over top of other items, ensuring maximum warmness on a chilly day. So if you’re daring, maybe try a cape this season. If not, you can still take advice from our Style Panel members and see how they plan on styling their coats this winter.

Question 27: How do you wear you winter coat while still maintaining a stylish look? Read the answers now! »

Or jump to: ALEX GRANT, VANCOUVER ALEXANDRA NIKOLAJEV, TORONTO |BARBARA ANN SOLOMON, TORONTO | CHRISTINA CRAVERO, TORONTO | ELODIE PARTHENAY, MONTREAL | KAYLA SHORT, HALIFAX | KAYLA SHORT, HALIFAX | KRISTIN MACDONALD, FREDRICTON | MELISSA KNIGHT, VANCOUVER | WHITNEY COSGRAVE, LOS ANGELES

See the Topshop Vancouver opening photos »

Vancouver’s media and fashion folk clamoured into Topshop’s glossy new Granville Street location in the basement of the Bay yesterday, taking tours through the almost maze-like black mirrored space as they absorbed the many and varied sections the British export had on offer. From mod silhouettes to a Scandinavian-meets-military line to the fast fashion retailer’s exclusive collaboration with J.W. Anderson, the sheer number of covetable pieces was almost overwhelming. And then, there was the shoe wall—any red-blooded woman alive would experience a flutter of heart palpitations upon walking into the sleek space, where studded fall-apropos suede booties took up residence alongside futuristic powder pink and gold heels.

It’s the middle of October and although the sun may still be shining in some parts of Canada, that doesn’t necessarily mean that temperatures are staying warm. With cooler temperatures upon us, it is time for us to start easing in to our fall wardrobes.

We already covered the options for fall boots a few weeks ago, and this week our Style Panel takes on one of the most desirable, but tricky ways to dress for fall; layering. Layering, as warm and cozy as the end result is, can be difficult for many of us because it can sometimes leave us feeling a little messy or bulky. But leave it to stores like J.Crew to show us how to work this trend properly. It’s Fall 2012 collection was an array of long sleeved shirts under thin sweaters which were then layered with blazers and coats, all the while staying tailored and not looking a touch bulky. There were many mixed prints in the collection as well, but our Style Panel already knows a thing or two about those.

Although the members of our Style Panel may experience completely different climates in the fall, they all understand the importance of layering for this season. And this couldn’t be more apparent with our two newest members. Los Angeles-based See Shop Eat Do blogger Whitney Cosgrave may not have to deal with freezing temperatures and snow, but she still layers with a trench coat for those chilly nights. Kayla Short on the other hand is prepared to take on the below zero weather in Halifax but she notes that the feared bulkiness can be avoided by balance. So have no fear and get layering!

Question 23: What’s the smartest and most stylish way to layer for ever-changing fall weather? Read the answers now! »

Or jump to: ALEX GRANT, VANCOUVER | ALEXANDRA NIKOLAJEV, TORONTO | ALYSSA LAU, EDMONTON | CARA MCLEAY, VANCOUVER | CHRISTINA CRAVERO, TORONTO | JEN TAM, VANCOUVER | KASSANDRA CAMPONI, EDMONTON | KAYLA SHORT, HALIFAX | KRISTIN MACDONALD, FREDRICTON | MARTA TRYSHAK, TORONTO | MO HANDAHU, HALIFAX | VICKIE LALIOTIS, EDMONTON | WHITNEY COSGRAVE, LOS ANGELES

Let’s be honest, mixing prints can be a scary and daunting concept for most girls out there. Sticking to a norm of block colours or one simple print in our sartorial choices is a safety net for many of us because we fear that mixing prints will result in a messy eyesore.

Many designers jumped on the bold print bandwagon for Fall 2012, from the delicate floral seen at Dolce & Gabbana to the fun geometric prints at Prada, but it’s a matter of mixing the two together that leaves most of us in a fashion pickle.

This week’s Style Panel has risen to the mixed-print challenge, and our members have come up with many new and comfortable interpretations to try out. An easy go-to print for some of the girls was stripes, as seen on The Style Mogul’s Christina Cravero’s floral and stripe combo and A Fashion Love Affair’s Cara McLeay who accented hers with gingham of the same colour. Also, please give a warm welcome to our newest Style Panel member, I’m a Little’s Alex Nikolajev, who kept her mixed prints classy and subdued by using colourful accessories from the same colour palette on her printed skirt. Leave it the Style Panel to take care of all of our fashion fears.

Question 22: How do you combine two or more prints in one outfit without looking like a mess? Read the answers now! »

Or jump to: ALEX GRANT, VANCOUVER | ALEXANDRA NIKOLAJEV, TORONTO | ALICIA QUAN, VANCOUVER | CARA MCLEAY, VANCOUVER | CHRISTINA CRAVERO, TORONTO | DANIELLE ROCHE, TORONTO | JEN TAM, VANCOUVER | KRISTIN MACDONALD, FREDRICTON | MARTA TRYSHAK, TORONTO

From strong shoulders to wider than wide pant legs, the big and boxy look has been revamped to epic proportions for Fall 2012. A far cry from its 1980s shoulder-pad incarnation (hello bargain basement bin!), the look suddenly feels modern again with runway takes by Haider Ackermann, Alexander McQueen, Viktor & Rolf and the like. Modern, yes. But easy to pull off? Maybe not. As big as the big trend may be, it still ranks high on the hard-to-do scale.

In attempts to figure out this boxy challenge, we asked our Style Panelists how they work the style. Check out the four awesome answers, including one for our latest Style Panel member, Toronto-based blogger Christina Cravero of The Style Mogul.

Challenge 20: The boxy look is a big trend for fall but it’s often hard to do for fear of not flattering your body. How do you wear it? Read the answers now! »

Or jump to: ALEX GRANT, VANCOUVER | ALICIA QUAN, VANCOUVER | CHRISTINA CRAVERO, TORONTO | KRISTIN MACDONALD, FREDRICTON

More than any other season, fall seems to be the time for choices. For both the budget-tight and the style-conscious, it all boils down to a few key pieces will get you through the mild-to-frigid temperature transition while mining through the season’s biggest events. As or New York Fashion Week street style shots have already begun to illustrate, the fashion elite has already spoken up for Balenciaga’s sci-fi prints and Shourouk’s see-through purses. As for the Style Panel? Our fashionable group of bloggers seems to be favouring its own group. From Kassandra Camponi’s (Kastles) boyish baseball T to Alyssa Lau’s (The Ordinary Peoples) on-trend faux-leather accents: the fall essential choice certainly seems to be a democratic one.

Question 18: How are you wearing your fall essential this season? Read the answers now! »

Or jump to: ALEX GRANT, VANCOUVER | ALYSSA LAU, EDMONTON | CARA MCLEAY, VANCOUVER | KASSANDRA CAMPONI, EDMONTON | KRISTIN MACDONALD, FREDRICTON

As documented in our latest trends guide, Fall 2012 is all about pants, and many kinds of pants at that. From the head-to-toe pantsuits at Miu Miu and Prada to the Hammer-style wideleg pants at Viktor & Rolf, there’s more than enough extreme variety to share. We turned to four of our Style Panelists to […]

The post Style Panel: 4 ways to wear 4 of fall’s best pant trends appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

As we’ve already attested to (twice!), one of fall’s most dominant trends is undoubtedly the black-on-black leather look made staple by fictitious mastermind Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Since such a tough as nails getup isn’t, well, everyone’s cup of tea, we challenged our Style Panelists to appropriate some portion of the look into their every day wardrobes. From Adventures in Fashion’s Vickie Laliotis’s girlie peek-a-boo sweater and faux leather skirt to Hello Elo’s Élodie Parthenay’s sleeve tattoos, this look varies in degrees of perfect execution.

Question 15: How do you transition your summer wardrobe into fall while it’s still warm outside? How can I incorporate fall’s leather look into my fall wardrobe »

Or jump to: ALEX GRANT, TORONTO | CARA MCLEAY, VANCOUVER | ELODIE PARTHENAY, MONTREAL | LOLITTA DANDOY, MONTREAL | MO HANDAHU, HALIFAX | VICKIE LALIOTIS, EDMONTON

Love it or hate it, fall is quickly approaching and it will soon be time, once again, to break out the sweaters, jackets and closed-toe shoes. So, what’s a summer-dress loving girl to do? We turned to the ladies of Style Panel, which now includes Cara McLeay of A Fashion Love Affair, for their unique approaches to wardrobe transitioning.

Question 14: How do you transition your summer wardrobe into fall while it’s still warm outside? Read the answers now! »

Or jump to: ALEX GRANT, TORONTO | CARA MCLEAY, VANCOUVER | ELODIE PARTHENAY, MONTREAL | GABRIELLE LACASSE, MONTREAL | JEN TAM, VANCOUVER | KASSANDRA CAMPONI, EDMONTON | KRISTIN MACDONALD, FREDRICTON | ISABEL SLONE, TORONTO | MO HANDAHU, HALIFAX | VICKIE LALIOTIS, EDMONTON

Today’s Style Panel goes out to all those cyclists, walkers, hikers and joggers who prefer taking to the streets as a form of commute during summer’s glory days. Love the fresh air but hate showing up to work a sweaty mess? We’re here to help with 6 stylish outfits that are sweat/desk approved including submissions from the panel’s latest members, Danielle Roche and Isabel Slone!

Question 13: What’s the best way to dress for a sweaty summer commute? Read the answers now! »

Or jump to: ALEX GRANT, TORONTO | DANIELLE ROCHE, TORONTO | ISABEL SLONE, TORONTO | JEN TAM, VANCOUVER | LOLITTA DANDOY, MONTREAL