FASHION Magazine

The most romantic day of the year is fast approaching and we can’t resist dressing up for the occasion, date or no date. The wardrobe options are endless with so much inspo out there on the interwebs. And it being Valentine’s Day and all, working the holiday colours into our look is a no-brainer. To […]

The post How to Wear Red and Pink this Valentine’s Day Without Looking Cheesy appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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! »

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.

Can you believe it!? The 100th challenge. For nearly two years, our trusty Style Panel has been conquering style challenges from coast to coast.

In honour of the 100^th challenge we wanted to look back at the best-of by asking the Style Panel bloggers to chose a favouriite-ever look. This turned out to be the hardest challenge of all, since narrowing it down to a single look is no easy task. (Asking a fashion blogger to choose a favourite piece of clothing is like giving someone a litter of puppies and then telling them they can only choose one—nearly impossible, and sort of mean.)

The Panel, a handpicked group of Canada’s best-dressed fashion bloggers, has been answering your fashion queries using their unique fashion know-how. They’ve helped figure out Canadian tuxedos, taught us how to conquer normcore and fearlessly navigated through pastels. The Panel has been there like fashion seraphs leading through the sometimes-confusing trend terrain.

Question 100: If you had to choose, what would your favourite look be from recent years? Read the answers now! »

Soft shades of pink and blue are often associated with spring, so we’ll forgive you for thinking this trend is one you’ve seen before. For Spring 2014 it’s all about making a statement with pastels, from head-to-toe looks that stand out to unexpected mixes of feminine shades with masculine tailoring details. But when you’ve had a closet full of baby blue and baby pink items for a few seasons now, how do you make it look new again?

We asked the Style Panel this very question and, as always, they provided many helpful tips and tricks for refreshing your take on pastels the season. For Northern Style ’s Kira Paran, a pastel leather jacket serves as an edgy way to wear the shade—and, as an added bonus, is an item that doesn’t require above-average spring temps to wear. The blogger behind Barbara Ann’s Style Blog , showed us her take on wearing monochromatic pastels, with a few easy tips on how to make the look less head-to-toe and more grounded. And should you still not be brave enough to wear all-over pastels, Coco and Vera’s Cee Fardoe shows us how this trend works just as well with pastel-hued accessories. So, how do you wear pastel shades? Flip through for inspiration on how to change it up this season.

Challenge 97: How do you refresh the pastel trend so that it looks new? Read the answers now! »

New Year’s Eve is the perfect time for statement making. Sartorially speaking, piling on the glitz and glam is never more warranted. While big time resolutions for 2014 percolate, it’s one last chance to go all out for the year. To help us raise a stylish glass to the New Year, 13 of our Style Panel members are sharing their outfit picks for tonight.

Question 84: What to wear for New Year’s Eve? Read the answers now! »

As closet staples go, the sweater is one of the hardest working items in our wardrobe. From form-fitting statement sweaters to light cardigans and chunky cable knits, we’ve all relied on this piece of wooly goodness to warm up our looks come the cooler months.

Given its cool factor of late, the sweater’s versatility has grown leaps and bounds. This season, we’ve seen a revival of quirky vintage prints, quirky embellishments and intricate texture mixes. Case and point: Kenzo’s bejeweled treatment and Saint Laurent’s highly-coveted star prints.

And since there’s still a risk of looking a little too cottage apropos in your cozy knit, we reached out to our Style Panel to share their favourite sweaters and styling tips. New to the gang is The Little Dandy’s Joanne Kim who is dripping with natural cool in a gray oversized cardigan. Branding her slouchy shawl cardigan as a socially acceptable blanket to wear in public is Born Lippy blogger Melanie Morais. Going for the dazzle treatment is Over My Styled Body’s Lyndsey Forest who shows off her favourite fall trend: embellishment.

Question 79: Sweaters are so essential this time of year. What is your go-to type and styling tips? Read the answers now! »

It’s impossible to deny our dependence on statement accessories when faced with the challenge of upping our outfits. We lay gem packed baubles on our necks, slip into OTT heels and carry the new It bag whenever possible. Say “aye!” if you agree that the bolder, the more vibrant and the more elaborate the accessory, the better.

With this season’s riot girl trend requiring metallic hits and the power skirt suit relying on femme’s demand of opulence, it’s no surprise that the Fall 2013 runways featured many statement accessories. From decadent gold crosses at Dolce & Gabbana, to fur-covered heels at Fendi and a globe shaped purse at Chanel, we love that accessories have morphed into nouveau shapes and textures this season.

And here to help us navigate these new statement accessories is the Style Panel. Barbara Ann Solomon of Barbara Ann’s Style Blog upped the ante on her composed look by slipping into her on-trend plaid Erdem for Nicholas Kirkwood heels. Proving that it’s possible to pair neon and animal print, Becky Kung of Velvet & Vino shared one of her street style looks from New York Fashion Week, and we have to say brava on the lacey neon skirt and studded animal print clutch combo. And a Rebecca Minkoff bag makes a double appearance in this week’s challenge: Anum Khan of SummerXSkin wears the mini Morning After Clutch (M.A.C) in “Bittersweet” while Nicole Wilson of Dainty Girl rocks it in “Port.”

It’s safe to say that our girls are all for accessories that add a little va va to their voom. Keep reading to see all the statement accessories that our Style Panelists are wearing this season.

Question 69: Which statement accessory are you rocking this season? Read the answers now! »

Much like the classic LBD and the plain white T, denim shorts rank high on the list of timeless trends. Feared by some, loved by many, the versatility of this wardrobe staple makes this classic style a must-have for summer. On the streets, we’ve seen trendsetters brace the warmer temperatures in denim shorts of all […]

The post How to wear denim shorts: 15 Style Panel tips for braving this often-feared basic appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

With three days to go until the film hits theatres, it seems like The Great Gatsby fever might finally be reaching its pitch. With the film’s embedded glamour, its costume designer’s collaborations with Prada and Tiffany & Co., and the unending onslaught red carpet premieres and parties in celebration, can you blame us for being excited?

Already one of the most referenced styles in recent history, 1920s fashion is back in the spotlight. And while flapper dresses, embellished headpieces and layered pearls might look more like costume party and less like reality, we turned to our Style Panel for tips on how to adapt 1920s fashion for every day.

Taking hints from the film, both A Fashion Love Affair’s Cara McLeay and Dainty Girl’s Nicole Wilson take on shift dresses with heavy embellishments that while statement making, look ultra modern. Meanwhile, Over My Styled Body’s Lyndsey Forest, Short Presents’ Kayla Short, and Velvet & Vino’s Becky Kung channel the decade’s over-the-top accessories with long gold chains and pearls.

Question 50: How would you pull off the 1920s fashion trend for an everyday look? Read the answers now! »

With spring in the air (fingers crossed), we can finally take out those pastel colours and floral prints that have been itching to come out of our closets to bask in the sun.

Trending since last fall, monochromatic tones were seen both on the runway like the cozy furry collection of Alexander Wang’s Fall 2013 Ready-to-Wear collection or on street style favourite, Miroslava Duma in her all white ensemble. Transitioning to spring, could we bring this monochrome trend into warmer season or are we already nostalgic for the colder days? Not just yet!

With some designers already showing off their take on the monochromatic look with primary colours in their Spring 2013 collections, we decided to turn to our Style Panel for a second opinion on what they have to say about the spring monochromatic look and how they plan to work this look this season.

Avoiding the black-on-black ensemble, many Style Panel members played with cooler colours for the spring season as their choice for their monochromatic look. While Mo Handahu from Lion Hunter and Melissa Knight from Miss Melissa chose cobalt blue for a brighter and bolder look, Gabrielle Lacasse from Dentelle + Fleurs experimented with different shades of mint for a fresh spring appearance. Utilizing different patterns, prints, and textures, these girls definitely know how to put together a chic monochromatic outfit for this spring season!

Question 48: What are the best ways to pull off the monochrome look? Read the answers now! »

So far, 2013 has been a mighty test of our patience. While spring may have officially begun a month ago, Mother Nature has kept us waiting with bated breath for any real show of it.

And when checking your weather app before leaving the house no longer ensures you’re prepared for what awaits outside, it’s time to get creative with layering by mixing winter essentials with summertime accessories. Because we, much like everyone else, struggle with perfecting the subtle nuances to transitional dressing, we asked our Style Panel for a little help.

Our two newest members of the panel, both showed us how to make an airy maxi skirt an essential for the transition from winter to spring. Lyndsey Forest of Over My Styled Body paired her skirt with a heavy army-inspired jacket and camo scarf. Her combination of an ultra-girly skirt with a menswear jacket offers some end of winter inspiration for all of us. Meanwhile, Jennifer Pistor of Prairie Girl in the City matched her black maxi skirt with a bright pop of neon and floral shoes, inspiring us to get ready for spring.

Panellist Deanne McRae went a little nineties with her transitional look, wearing thigh-high socks, a full-skirt and leather jacket to add some warmth. And where McRae showed a little thigh, panel members like Cee Fardoe and Cara McLeay went barelegged and braved the last few moments of winter exposed in style.

Read on for more tips on making your wardrobe work as we transition out of winter (fingers crossed!) and into spring!

Question 47: What are your tips for transitioning your wardrobe from winter to spring? Read the answers now! »