FASHION Magazine

The nineties may have made a comeback on the runways of late, but designers seemed to have an even bigger throwback for the upcoming Fall 2014 season. From ladylike dresses in sixties-inspired optical prints to the bright neon pops of the ’80s, it looks like it’s time to hit the thrift shops. There’s no doubt […]

The post Fashion by the decade: 8 Style Panel members share their favourite retro-dressing tips appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

We’re all experts at working a standout piece into our everyday look by now. From statement jewellery to show-stopping outfits during fashion week, we made sure you were covered when it came to standing out in a well-dressed crowd. But have the thought of wearing more than one statement piece in one look ever crossed your mind? Is it really a faux paux to wear a bejewelled necklace with a floral circle skirt and a pair of multi-coloured platform heels all in one outfit? Our Style Panel doesn’t seem to think so (when done correctly, of course). It’s no easy feat to wear more than one standout piece, so this week, we asked our Style Panel members for help. Without looking too over-the-top, our panelists show us exactly how to style two (or more!) statement pieces in one look, skillfully.

Print-happy Barbara Ann Solomon of Barbara Ann’s Style Blog is a natural when it comes to working more than one statement piece into her look, thanks to dyeing her hair a fire truck red. Since then, this blogger has mastered the art of teaming floral maxi dresses and pastel pumps, effortlessly juxtaposing her fiery red hair. Velvet and Vino’s Becky Kung and With A City Dream’s Emma Walker seemed to be on the same wardrobe wavelength when it came to figuring out what piece of clothing would balance out their eye-catching accessories. And if you ever need a brush up on how to wear statement jewellery, Kayla Short of Short Presents is your go-to girl.

Question 114: ) How do you wear more than one statement piece? Read the answers now! »

Thanks to its light, airy and breathable nature, silk is one of summer’s definitive go-tos. Especially with this season’s array of crop tops, off-the-shoulder ruffles and flowing midi skirts, the fabric is more popular than ever. And when hot summer days call for stylish wear while keeping us cool, incorporating silk into your outfit is a no brainer. However, while it may be the ideal fabric to wear during the warm season, it’s no easy feat to master the skill in silk dressing without a) looking like you’re ready to hit the sack, b) avoid its static-cling properties and c) leave traces of sweat in unflattering places. But before you swear it off completely, this week Style Panel is helping us take the guesswork out of styling this summer favourite. You know, just in case you can’t figure out how to wear silk without showing your pit stains to the world.

Whether they are dressing it up with heels or dressing it down with Birks, the ladies of Style Panel agree that silk makes for an ideal addition to any summer look. Our newest member Eleni McMullin of Convey The Moment sees the true versatility of the fabric, noting how she loves to dress her floral faux silk pants up for the night and down for the day. Loving silk for its easy-breezy ways, With A City Dream‘s Emma Walker and Velvet & Vino‘s Becky Kung both show how a silk jumpsuit can easily up the glam factor for a night out. And if you think teaming a jacket in the summer raises eyebrows, think again. Melanie Morais of Born Lippy proves that wearing a jacket in the summer (especially for those cool nights) is totally doable when its silk and breathe-easy.

Question 106: How do you wear silk? Read the answers now!»

Heading up to the cottage on weekends is one of our favourite summer activities, but with weekends being so short and many of us having a serious case of over-packing syndrome, it can quickly become a love-hate relationship. It seems as though we need so much—an outfit for the morning, something chic to wear by the water, an après-beach ensemble — and with all this hovering over our heads, deciding what to wear to the cottage is suddenly overwhelming. Since we feel like every part of your weekend getaway should be enjoyable (right down to the packing) we’ve asked our Style Panel for tips on what to pack and wear to the cottage this summer.

Nautical style is a given for most of this week’s Style Panel. Jill Lansky of The August Diaries, Kira Paran of Northern Style Exposure and Barbara Ann Solomon of Barbara Ann’s Style Blog all agree that stripes are the way to go when dressing for the cottage. Whether you’re pairing them with denim like Lansky or bold graphics like Solomon, nautical wardrobe pieces are definite cottage staples. Coco and Vera‘s Cee Fardoe and To Vogue or Bust‘s Alexandra Grant both emphasize a simple packing list made up of denim shorts and a layering piece for those cool nights by the campfire is the way to go, because you can never go wrong with laid-back cottage style. If there is one thing Style Panel can agree on this week, when it comes to what to wear to the cottage this summer, less is always more.

Question 112: What are your cottage wardrobe essentials? Read the answers now! »

Hot days call for tank tops and destroyed denim, but what happens when your summertime destination is more deskside than beachside? The perfect weekend outfit may be fun to style, but deciding what to wear to work this summer takes a little more thought. And although it may be humid outside, our workplaces often come with air conditioning on full blast! What’s a temperature-confused girl to do? Figuring out what balances staying cool in the heat yet warm in the office, is no easy feat. And because crop tops and short shorts will probably get you sent home, we asked our Style Panel to give us the scoop on solving all your officewear dilemmas.

Swimwear has made its way from the beach to the runway, and has now become full-on inspiration for everyday dressing. Thanks to the likes of Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger and DKNY (to name a few), swimwear hit the Spring 2014 catwalks hard, taking beachwear to a whole new level of street chic. No longer is swimwear only paired with towels and beach bags; it can add subtle–or not-so-subtle–sexy detailing to your getup, whether you’re heading to the beach or not. However, we know the thought of wearing a bathing suit anywhere other than the beach may be a bit daunting, so we got our Style Panel to weigh in on how to style swimwear for everyday.

All of our Style Panel gals agree that layers and staying casual are key to styling swimwear for everyday. Kayla Short of Short Presents and Emma Walker of With A City Dream both focus on the bikini top as an accent piece. Wearing one under a tank or a sheer top makes styling swimwear for everyday totally practical. Sandy Joe Karpetz of The Pretty Secrets keeps her swimwear look casual by pairing a bikini top with loose, high-waisted denim, while Becky Kung of Velvet & Vino brings sexy back in her monokini layered underneath an open chambray shit and denim cut-offs.

Question 110: How do you style swimwear for everyday? Read the answers now! »

While black is as synonymous to winter as white with summer, that doesn’t mean the dark shade should be taboo for the warmer season. Summer naturally calls for brighter hues and season-appropriate prints, but thanks to this season’s A-list designers (i.e. Gucci, Giambattista Valli, Altuzarra) and celebrity style (we’re looking at you, Lorde!), the universal shade is definitely open to being worn all year long. However, it is inevitable to feel the need to stay away from the shade during the warm months of summer due to its heat-absorbing characteristics. So how do you stay cool without feeling like you’re drenched in sweat going from point A to B? Fear not, because this week, we challenged our Style Panel to share with us their tips on how to wear black this summer.

When it comes to wearing black in the heat, Style Panel members can agree that it’s all about choosing the right fabric and pieces. Jill Lansky of The August Diaries and Leonie Markhorst of The Signature Bow took on the challenge head-on wearing black head-to-toe in two different crop top ensembles. While Lansky played with a more structured, lady-like look, Markhorst kept things cool and chic pairing her outfit with an asymmetrical midi skirt. If you’re hoping to tackle this trend for the office environment, BornLippy’s Melanie Morais has the solution for you: silk pants. The breathable material will allow you to stay cool, while maintaining a professional look. And if you’re looking to be more stand-out, Barbara Ann Solomon of Barbara Ann’s Style Blog’s monochromatic floral jumpsuit is the perfect statement piece to feeling cool and stylish this summer.

Question 108: How do you wear black in the summer? Read the answers now! »

Toronto’s super hip Field Trip Festival is taking place this coming weekend, which means music festival season is soon upon us (hello festival fashion!). There’s no question we’re hard core fans when it comes to summer’s popular trend (here’s proof), but with festival style outfits making a coming back every year, you have to admit that the look is getting a little played out. So how do you stand out from the festival crowd amidst the crop tops, flower crowns and fringe-clad outfits? In addition to the street style edition of how-to do festival fashion, this week we challenged our Style Panel to share how they plan to get heads turning with new festival outfit ideas.

Though some versions of festival outfits may not be for everyone, Northern Style Exposure’s Kira Paran proves that there’s a festive outfit for everyone. Mixing a sequined dress with a cool denim shirt, Paran maintains the festival look while feeling comfortable in her own skin. While Sasha Xiao of Sasha’s Satisfashion and Christopher Wolf of Wolf Musings stayed away from the festival fashion dress code adding their own unique personality to their outfits with tips on how to transition from day to night, our newest Style Panel member Emma Walker of With A City Dream, showed us how to work an effortless-meets-practical festival look with this season’s must-have: the backpack.

Question 106: How do you dress for a music festival? Read the answers now! »

Knowing what to wear on your first date is no easy feat, especially with butterflies in your stomach. We all want to put our best foot forward (in a pair of sky-high heels!) when making that first impression, but let’s face it. The last thing you want is to sit in an uncomfortable dress at the movies or hobble around in new (painful) heels when your date decides to take a romantic walk at the end of the night. So how do you dress to impress and feel confident all at the same time? This week our Style Panel shares some of their best tips to score that perfect outfit for that perfect first date or 100th date.

If there is one thing the members of Style Panel can agree on, it’s to dress according to your date location and wear something you would feel confident and comfortable in. Both Kassandra Camponi of Kastles and Kira Paran of Northern Style Exposure are big believers in wearing your favourite pieces is the key to bringing confidence to the date. While Camponi loves to team her favourite dress with a pop of colour in the accessories department, Paran was all about dressing comfortably in her favourite pair of jeans. The Pretty Secrets’ Sandy Joe Karpetz shows us how to prep us if the date takes you from a warm afternoon to a cool evening in the seamless transitional outfit. Still can’t decide on what to wear on a date? Jill Lansky of The August Diaries shares what not to wear just in case if you were thinking of taking out those harem pants out for the first time.

Question 105: What to wear on a date? Read the answers now! »

Whether it is for financial or creative reasons, looking for new ways to wear old clothes is something that always comes to mind. As much as we all wish we could wear new outfits for the rest of our lives like the fashionable characters of our fave films and TV shows (Cher Horowitz, Andy Sachs, Carrie Bradshaw, Serena van der Woodsen just to name a few), we don’t live in a fashion fairytale. Well, at least the majority of us don’t. Being the responsible shoppers that we are (or at least strive to be one), this week we’ve challenged our Style Panel members to share their tips and tricks on how to wear their old clothes in new ways.

Little did we know, some of the Style Panelists have already re-worked their favourite items under our noses. Case in point: Barbara Ann Solomon of Barbara Ann’s Style Blog shows us how to take a silk robe from winter to summer effortlessly. Inspiring those who have events to rush off to after a long day at the office, Christopher Wolf of Wolf Musings shares how one pair of faux leather pants can work for both day and night. And if you plan to look for new ways to wear a statement piece, take Sasha’s Satisfashion’s Sasha Xiao’s advice: Break away from your sartorial comfort zone and experiment with something on trend to spice up your look.

Challenge 104: How to re-work your favourite piece?
Read the answers now! »

We’re in the midst of May, which means wedding season is once again upon us. While we may not be able to help you out on the gift-giving front, we’re your go-to when it comes to getting inspired on what to wear, especially when it’s no easy feat to stand out from the wedding crowd without upstaging the bride. But before you brush us off and reach for the closest little black dress, we’ve asked our Style Panel members to share their fashion expertise on new and unique ways to dress for a wedding this upcoming season.

When it comes to making a statement, prints are definitely the fave trend. While Sandy Joe Karpetz of The Pretty Secrets continued last week’s all things stripes, Lion Hunter’s Mo Handahu and Velvet and Vino’s Becky Kung worked show-stopping prints that will definitely get heads turning at wedding receptions. Barbara Ann Solomon of Barbara Ann’s Style Blog proves that a crop top is definitely appropriate for weddings (done tastefully, of course). Teaming it with a full-length ball skirt, this look has chic and elegance mixed into one. And if straying from the LBD makes you feel a tad queasy, To Vogue or Bust’s Alex Grant shows us how to wear the timeless shade with a colour-blocking twist to keep things interesting.

Question 103: What to wear to a summer wedding? Read the answers now! »

See what our Style Panel has for sale »

Hosting its first ever (and super successful) Blogger Fashion Week only a few months ago, Trend Trunk is back again for its second time around curating the ever-stylish closets of one hundred top Canadian bloggers, including our very own Style Panel members.

Co-sponsored by yours truly, the multifaceted shopping platform will unveil limited number of closets each day (until Sunday May 11!) for us to freely browse bloggers’ covetable clothes and accessories in the comfort of our home. Shop the closets of Style Panel bloggers Lyndsey Forest, Cee Fardoe, Barbara Ann Solomon, Kira Paran, Becky Kung and Jillian Lansky for their latest stylish donations (like a Isabel Marant for H&M print dress or a J.Crew statement clutch) throughout the week.