FASHION Magazine

Black. In fashion, the colour is both a classic and a classic fall back. Black looks good on anyone and will always go with any outfit, so no wonder most of us choose it as a safe and comfortable look on those days when we can’t find anything to wear. However, as is the case, black on black can sometimes look stale and even overwhelming, even if you’re wearing just one black piece. However, leave it to our Style Panel this week to tear down that notion and show us how to wear black clothing in the most interesting ways.

For Fall 2012, many designers showed us how to wear black in a multitude of ways. From the ‘90s-inspired studs at Versace to the more elegant black lace at Salvatore Ferragamo, the darkest shade was used to make outfits stand out with edge and decadence.

The ladies of our Style Panel took cue from the runways, but have done so in such unique ways that no two girls have even slightly similar looks. New Style Panel members Jacquelyn Son of Style Worthwhile, Deanne McRae of Threadbare and Stephanie Sterjovski of stephaniesterjovski.com all took risks by going for (almost) all-black outfits, but in the end they each looked completely modern and on trend. Black is boring? Not this time.

Question 30: Show us how to wear black in unique and different ways. Read the answers now! »

Or jump to: ALYSSA LAU, EDMONTON | AMY NELSON, CALGARY | BARBARA ANN SOLOMON, TORONTO | CARA MCLEAY, VANCOUVER | DEANNE MCRAE, MISSISSAUGA | JACQUELYN SON, VANCOUVER | KAYLA SHORT, HALIFAX | KD FAUSTINO, CALGARY | KRISTIN MACDONALD, FREDRICTON | KRYSTIN LEE, TORONTO | STEPHANIE STERJOVSKI, TORONTO

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

See the Man Repeller party photos »

She may be The Man Repeller, but Leandra Medine draws a crowd of both ladies and gents. This time, it was a legion of Vancouver admirers that lined up for her Wednesday night appearance at Gastown boutique Secret Location.

A bounty of her kin, and by that we mean well-turned-out fashion bloggers, turned out including Little Fashionisto’s M’c kenneth Licon, A Fashion Love Affair’s (and Style Panel’s!) Cara McLeay, Bullet With Butterfly Wings’ Katharine Horsman, Alicia Fashionista’s Alicia Quan and Partly Sunny’s Sunny Shum.

As snarky as What Not to Wear may be, hosts Stacy and Clinton seem to always get one thing right: many women have no idea how to dress for differing body types. Since we all know that no two bodies are exactly the same, 9 of our unique and uniquely beautiful Style Panelists took on the challenge and styled themselves in what shape suits them best. Whether it be with tight fitting clothing, loose pieces or even balancing out both, our stylish go-to girls were able to manage the trick of dressing for their bodies

Determining what shape of body you have is the most crucial step before you start playing around with looks. Although many ladies this week, including new member Melissa Knight, agree that they prefer wearing loose-fitting over tight clothing due to comfort, most say that confidence is the real key to pulling off a look that flatters anybody’s curves (take a cue from our next new member, Barbara Solomon, if you don’t believe us!)

So no matter what your shape or size, hopefully our Style Panel will inspire you to dress for your body, and just werk it.

Question 25: What’s your foolproof way to dress for your body type, no matter the trend Read the answers now! »

Or jump to: BARBARA ANN SOLOMON, TORONTO | CARA MCLEAY, VANCOUVER | DANIELLE ROCHE, TORONTO | GRACIE CARROLL, TORONTO | KAYLA SHORT, HALIFAX | MARTA TRYSHAK, TORONTO | MO HANDAHU, HALIFAX | MELISSA KNIGHT, VANCOUVER | VICKIE LALIOTIS, EDMONTON

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

We’ve all heard of the Canadian tuxedo: the denim-on-denim blazer/vest/button-down/pants combo that is apparently so intrinsic to our homeland’s stylistic DNA that it bears its name in title. It’s a ludicrous look, but it speaks to the fact that denim, at least in part, is indeed hard to live without. To play homage to our national adoration, we asked our Style Panelists how to amp up the typically casual fabric. As usual, we got several unique and equally awesome answers: from Amy Flying a Kite’s Amy Nelson in a pretty pink vintage sweater worn overtop loose jeans to A Fashion Love Affair’s Cara McLeay’s full on gown treatment; you’ll discover, if you haven’t already, that the denim possibilities are endless.

Question 19: Some still think of denim as a casual-only fabric. What’s your way to dress it up? Read the answers now! »

Or jump to: AMY NELSON, CALGARY | CARA MCLEAY, VANCOUVER | KRISTIN MACDONALD, FREDRICTON | MARTA TRYSHAK, TORONTO

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