FASHION Magazine

We may have taught you how to take the best Instagram photo, but what do you know about taking the perfect profile picture? We all know Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and dating apps like Tinder each serve a different purpose in our lives, so naturally each platform should be given special attention. And since it’s the first picture a follower comes across, it’s important that it’s a memorable one.

When it comes to choosing the perfect profile picture, bloggers, editors and other social media stars have the skill down pat. But what’s their secret to having such recognizable profiles? Thanks to years of social media experience and connecting with thousands of followers, they’ve come to know the ins and outs of what pictures works best for them. Cases in point: Using one consistent photo across her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, Nicole Warne of Gary Pepper Girl can easily be recognized on all her social media platforms, while Fashion Toast‘s Rumi Neely‘s different head shots is easy to pinpoint amongst the sea of people we follow via her iconic nonchalant look and beach-wavy hairstyle.

Before we decide to give up because we a) don’t have professional photographers on speed dial or b) have as many years of experience in the digital world like many of the social media stars, it doesn’t mean we can’t strive for the perfect picture for our social media accounts. To help us figure out the secret on how to take the perfect profile picture, we tapped into the brains of Chriselle Lim, personal style blogger, Youtuber and wardrobe stylist of The Chriselle Factor (she has over 315 thousand followers on Instagram alone!) and Canada’s Maybelline New York lead makeup artist, Grace Lee. You know, just in case you were thinking of using that spring break picture for your professional LinkedIn profile. From our personal Facebook page to our fun Tinder profiles, we present you eight expert tips and tricks on how to take the perfect profile picture for all your social media platforms.

How to wear jeans at any age »

Maintaining their place at top of modern day wardrobe food chain, jeans reign supreme as the modern day must-have. Here, we prove they’re just as versatile, whether you’re in your twenties, thirties, forties and beyond. Taking runway inspiration from 4 of this season’s hottest looks, we present: how to wear jeans at any age.

How to wear asymmetrical hems »

Asymmetrical hems, whether high fashion or mall style, have become wardrobe mainstays over the past few seasons. Signalled by Proenza Schouler’s now-iconic Fall 2012 wrap skirt, the oft-copied style (ahem, Zara) is the perfect blend of skirt, skort, short and more. And while some styles have reached saturation level (ahem, mullet skirt), asymmetrical hems have proved here to stay because of their versatility—They work in pretty much every situation and wardrobe! Taking some tips from the fashion mavens du jour (our favourite street style mavericks, of course) we show you how to wear asymmetrical hems for another season. Be ahead of the curve, the curve of the hem that is.

Well. It looks like spring is finally here. (The key words in that sentence being “looks like.”) It’s been lovely and sunny out and I even let my bare, pasty legs run free on the way to dinner last weekend. Then those bare legs and I walked home freezing when the sun went down and took all the day’s spring-like heat with it.

I’m not buying it. And neither are you, I’d bet. It’s not that we’re cynical, it’s just that we’re Canadian. We’ve been burned before. After last Tuesday’s snow-y tantrum, I just don’t trust this spring weather, no matter what the 14-day forecast has to say. With this in mind, I approach spring (and my spring wardrobe) the same way every year: cautiously and with a plan.

It’s not that you can’t have fun with this season—you absolutely can. And you should! You’re probably still fighting off a case of the winter SADs.

Here I give you six key weird weather apropos staples to wear all schizophrenic season long.

How to transition your wardrobe in 20 steps »

It’s a much-lamented fact that our most recent winter has long over stayed its welcome. But with the sun finally coming out and the snow gone for good (we hope!) it’s finally starting to feel a little bit like spring which means we can finally ditch our poor salt stained boots in favour of some cute flats. But spring dressing can be tricky—you don’t want to sweat through your parka but you also don’t want to risk getting caught in a freak wind tunnel with only a flimsy sweater to protect yourself. Welcome to the art of transition dressing.

If you’re one of the almost 20% of Canadians working from home, you’ve likely faced what we like to call the “Outdoor Dilemma:” Part-timing it as an entrepreneur, mommy blogger or cam girl (just kidding) all day long and realizing at some god-forsaken hour that you need to exit the house. You’re out of groceries. […]

The post How to dress for freelance life: 5 wardrobe tips that take the homebody out of working from home appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Inspiration
The designer mandated sporty chic and full-bloom colour. Her beauty team translated that into fearless mouths and glossy ponies.

Collection
The striking beauty look stayed on point with the mesh tanks, cocoon-shaped dresses and cotton shorts in a colour palette inspired by Farhi’s visit to a blossoming Indian garden.

The Breakdown »

THE EXPERTS:
Sarah Ghobrial, swimwear buyer at Holt Renfrew, holtrenfrew.com
Tom Mora, head of women’s design at J.Crew, jcrew.com
Fay Yeung, owner of Sandpipers, sandpipers.ca
Liliana Mann, owner of Linea Intima, lineaintima.com

THE PERFECT SWIMSUIT
HIGH-WAISTED RETRO BIKINI | ONE-PIECE MAILLOT | SPORTY

Q: How tight should a swimsuit be?
A: “Bathing suits and jeans should both be very tight when you buy them. The fabric will relax, and there aren’t many things less attractive than a bathing suit that sags.” —Mann

Q: Can you alter a swimsuit that’s not quite right?
A: “The straps are very easy to do, but I wouldn’t alter the sides because it would stress the seams. A swimsuit will stretch out a little bit, so you could wear it around the house until it gets comfortable.” —Yeung

By Malena Harbers

Today, it’s all about customizing your tan,” says skin-care expert Nichola Joss, who created a variety of caramel tones for models at the Spring 2012 shows of British designers such as Issa and House of Holland. Designed to work with the spirit of each collection, Joss’s handiwork illustrates the idea that one hue indeed does not fit all. By adding, omitting or changing the way you apply a product, you can create a completely different-looking tan. Here, we break down the shades.

SUN-KISSED
Suntan equivalent:
A day out in the garden
Seen at: Roksanda Ilincic

MID-TONE
Suntan equivalent:
A long-weekend at the cottage
Seen at: Erdem

HOLOGRAPHIC
Suntan equivalent:
A week in the Mediterranean
Seen at: House of Holland

BRONZE
Suntan equivalent:
Weeks of sun-worshipping in Brazil
Seen at: Issa

The cat-eye is having a moment. Celia Ellenberg takes us through its many versions over the years and finds out how to execute them.

While spring tends to signal the arrival of all beauty things light and bright, the runways told a different story this season as designers embraced a certain graphic cosmetic accoutrement that’s seen an impressive evolution over the past few centuries. Behold, the rebirth of the cat-eye. Black-rimmed upper lash lines were the makeup look of choice at shows such as Ruffian and Dolce & Gabbana, and while the backstage miracle workers made it look easy, mastering the perfect flick on your own can be a different story. We’ve gathered eight eyeliner icons and asked Hourglass Cosmetics’ artistic director Gina Brooke and makeup artist Pati Dubroff to weigh in on whether the liquid pen is truly mightier than the kohl pencil when it comes to crafting the perfect winged liner. Because, according to Brooke, “if you use the right products, getting the look is not an issue.”

GET THE LOOK:
CLEOPATRA | AUDREY HEPBURN | SOPHIA LOREN | BRIGETTE BARDOT | BETTY DRAPER | KATE MOSS | AMY WINEHOUSE | ADELE

The race is on to find this season’s most sleek, athletic-inspired pieces. “Sport was touched on in almost every collection,” says Nicholas Mellamphy, creative director of The Room at the Bay. He points to Anthony Vaccarello’s use of tech fabrics and utility details, Antonio Berardi’s strong colour and stripe detailing, Yves Saint Laurent’s “sporty but elegant” eveningwear jumpsuits and J. Mendel’s play on the old-school sports jersey. The question is: Can sporty wear be made office-appropriate? Mellamphy laces up to give us a pep talk.

4 tips on how to wear sport utility »
See our editor’s picks »

When it comes to pairing prints and patterns, our fashion director, Susie Sheffman, is the resident mixologist. She’s also Marni-obsessed: “When I discovered the outlet in Milan, it was game over,” she says. “Cardigans, sexless sandals and printed sweet nothings have been making their way into my suitcase on my twice-yearly pilgrimages to Milan fashion week ever since.” Two weeks ahead of the Marni at H&M collection (launching on March 8), she shares her tips on mastering this spring trend.

3 tips on how to wear prints »