FASHION Magazine

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! »

Thanks to designer houses like Lanvin, Gucci and Givenchy, it looks like metallics are no longer exclusive to the holiday season (or the eighties). With luxe looking, full-shine pieces making their way down the Spring 2014 runways, the trend proves to be just as chic for summer, instantly turning outfits from plain Jane to full-on glam. And while it may be one of this season’s hottest trends, metallic may not be easy to sport for a day-to-day look without feeling overdone. Fear not because we asked our Style Panel to show us how to wear metallic, taking this trend from runway to the streets.

Style Panel members agree that the trick to tackling this look is to wear it in small doses. Mo Handahu of Lion Hunter shows us how to work the metallic trend subtly into the outfit with just a small accessory without straying too far from her personal style. Meanwhile, With A City Dream’s Emma Walker ups the glam factor in her look hitting two birds with one stone (in this case, two trends with one pair of gold running shoes). And if you’re ready to break out of your comfort zone and play with the metallic trend head-on, Jill Lansky of The August Diaries demonstrates how to work the spring trend effortlessly this summer in a statement gold dress, as well as sharing tips on what shades of metallic works best for which skin tone.

Question 109: How do you wear metallic? 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! »

Spring 2013 may have been about bold thick stripes on jackets, crop tops and dresses, but this year, the perennial spring trend was refreshed with thinner and finer takes on the Spring 2014 runway. Cases in point: Altuzarra showed vertical stripes in pajama-esque lady-like attires while Proenza Schouler worked the lines into its crisscross bodices and metallic pleated skirts. So, as the least complicated trend to incorporate into our everyday outfits (one may argue), this week we asked our Style Panel to inspire us with updated versions of their take on stripes for this spring.

While it’s easy to stick to one striped piece per outfit, To Vogue or Bust’s Alex Grant played with a striped scarf and top in reverse colours adding an understated elegance to a casual day ensemble. Where stripes only existed on tops, blazers and dresses in her closet, Dainty Girl’s Nicole Wilson’s broke out of her comfort zone and worked a pair of vertical striped pants to a work-appropriate outfit. And if wearing stripes isn’t really your thing, Kayla Short of Short Presents works a striped weekend bag into a monochromatic look to prove that this spring trend isn’t exclusive to just clothes.

Question 102: How do you wear stripes this spring? Read the answers now! »

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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.

As the old adage goes, April showers bring May flowers… right? (Just about any thought of spring will keep us going right now). It’s with that thought in mind that we embrace the upcoming month of rain as stylishly as possible. Gone are the days when outfits are overtaken by rubbery boots, nowadays, stylish rain gear is a dime a dozen. How then to incorporate resistant pieces into everyday outfits? We turned to our trusty Style Panel to find out.

Challenge 98: How do you look stylish in rain gear? 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! »

Any day now, it’ll start feeling like spring. When it gets here, we’ll be more than ready to shed layers. And while the web (this site included) is full of new buys to check off your seasonal shopping list, there’s something about the good old wardrobe staple that makes everything old feel new again. Since […]

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