FASHION Magazine

See all the photos from Frocktail Party 2013 »

Philanthropy and fashion came together once again at last week’s 5th annual Frocktail Party held at the upscale Arcadian Loft above Hudson’s Bay in Toronto. Fashion forward guests dressed in their best coupled with a fast paced auction of designer clothing and luxe services set precedence for a noteworthy night in support of The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Attendees zigzagged through mannequins in lavish frocks and baubles, spruced up menswear and displays of luxury experiences from award-winning designers and retailers who contributed to the cause. Standouts included a Marciano display of current and vintage wares, signature prints on Diane Von Furstenberg dresses and Canadian-designed pieces from Greta Constantine, Pink Tartan and Jeremy Laing. With drinks in hand and shopping buddies in tow, guests made their rounds placing and checking up on their bids and stocking up on goodies in the gifting suite. The long sign up lists to get manicures by OPI and lash extensions by Winks eyelash boutique were gladly endured by the ladies who could be heard gushing over each other’s looks while the city’s skyline offered an amazing backdrop to the loft’s open space.

Ah, what to wear to the holiday party. It’s one of our most common refrains this season, and yet, never ceases to puzzle. As we juggle an ever-surmounting social schedule of cocktail parties, dinners and the like, falling back into the fail-safe LBD can be tempting. We’re here to take you away from the typical and get you going with some out of the box inspiration.

Channeling the holiday literally with red and green is always fun, but why not go the extra mile and blend those hues with high fashion flair? You can be flirty and feminine or even grungy glam if you please. So whether you’ll be a host, attend a glitzy affair at work or be entertained by family or friends, we’re challenging you to be unexpected just like the holiday style ninjas that make up our Style Panel.

Schooling us on the art of mixing and matching sequins, stripes and metallics is Lyndsey Forest of Over My Styled Body while Jen Tam of Her Waise Choice rocks a Topshop jumpsuit that is sure to make her the flyest hostess when she entertains guests at her annual party. Showing that one can never be too dressed up during the holidays is Cara McLeay of A Fashion Love Affair who is stunning in a BCBG Max Azria maxi dress.

So consider what to wear to the holiday party your next great adventure, not challenge.

Question 80: Party style! What’s your look going to be this holiday season? Read the answers now! »

ALYSSA LAU, EDMONTON | AMBER DESILETS, LONDON | BARBARA ANN SOLOMON, TORONTO | BECKY KUNG, CALGARY | CARA MCLEAY, VANCOUVER | IVA GRBESIC, TORONTO | JEN TAM, VANCOUVER | LEAH GUST, TORONTO | LYNDSEY FOREST, EDMONTON | MO HANDAHU, HALIFAX | NICOLE WILSON, TORONTO | SANDY JOE KARPETZ, EDMONTON | VICKIE LALIOTIS, EDMONTON

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! »

See the Dress for Success party photos »

Last week, Dress for Success Toronto held it’s 3rd annual Heel of a Good Time fashion fundraiser. The event brought a full house of the city’s do-gooders to raise money for the organization to continue to help disadvantaged women gain economic independence. The gala, held at ultra swanky The Fifth Social Club, was a mix of on-going auctions, a fashion show and a celebration of long time advocate Jeanne Beker for her contribution to the cause.

With never-ending cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a bubble machine adding to the ambiance, a crowd of mostly women meandered through displays of goodies for the silent auction. After a tribute video of Beker’s fashion career, presentation of an award and a few words from her, a fashion show followed. Wares from her own line Edit by Jeanne Beker were on models that zigzagged through the packed house giving the crowd a chance to have a closer look. The night ended with a live auction of high value packages ranging from a private Calvin Klein shopping event for 5 to custom diamond jewellery created by !Xam’s expert designers.

Knee-high socks, the quintessential schoolgirl closet staple, have become a transitional piece in our grown up wardrobes especially when the temperatures dip. From thin nylon finishes to thick wooly textures, unpredictable weather poses no challenge to our sock drawer. With the seasonal change calling for more coverage we look to knee-high socks to add a […]

The post How to wear knee highs: 6 Style Panel tips for braving the often risqué sock trend appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See the biggest Spring 2014 fashion trends »
See all our fashion month coverage »

With the end of fashion week in Toronto marking the close of Spring 2014 show season, it’s time we looked back at all the trends that emerged. As much as the runway sets the pace for what’s to come for the top Spring 2014 trends, the streets play a major role as show-going trendsetters give us the relatable breakdown of how to wear what’s hot next season. Prints take two spots on our top Spring 2014 trends list through those with a painterly quality and those influenced by international cultures. At Hérmes, Rousseau-inspired water lily florals were printed on luxurious fabrics while at Diane Von Furstenberg, dresses and skirts depicting an African wilderness roared. As for fashionable time travel, prepare to keep reminiscing about the youthful 1990s, which haven’t ceased to get reincarnated season after season. Designers like Rodarte, Balmain and Jason Wu have reinvented the decade’s essentials yet again. To help with your daydreaming of long sunny spring days we’ve compiled the ultimate gallery of top Spring 2014 trends as dictated by the runways and our favourite street style stars in New York, London, Milan, Paris and Toronto! Feel free to let this be your guide to budgeting and creating closet space for next season’s must have pieces.

View by trend: 1. 1990s | 2. Art-Inspired | 3. Athletic | 4. Blue | 5. Crop Tops | 6. Embellishment | 7. Metallic | 8. Pleats | 9. Sheer | 10. Worldly

See street style from Toronto Fashion Week »

On day two of World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto, leopard prints, bubblegum pink and highlighter yellows found their way onto the stylish set outside the shows. As were furs, which if you were in the city yesterday, were quite the necessity.

Montreal-based blogger and Style Panel member, Elodie Parthenay channeled rockstar chic with a touch of girly via a vibrant 3.1 Phillip Lim pink overcoat, studded leather skirt, and scenic t-shirt. Fellow Style Panel member and current FASHION intern Mo Handahu, walked on the wild side in a roaring leopard printed sweater, soft golden skirt, and African printed jacket as her staples.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been plagued with Halloween costume panic for the last few months. You’ve made countless lists of the year’s biggest newsmakers (read: Miley) and searched high and low for costume-affirming props. If you’re an enthusiast of the howliday, you’re likely already ready. But for those who are relieved to have […]

The post Halloween costume ideas: 5 head-to-toe options from our Style Panel appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Having traveled from Halifax to Toronto for the past three years to document up and coming fashion, beauty and street style trends for my site Lion Hunter, I’ve come to accept the madness of fashion week. This season, as an online editorial intern at FASHION, I get to experience fashion week differently, having already been in the city for a few months and working for the magazine. Each day will still bring worries of failing to squeeze in a quick bite between shows, publishing up to date content and finding a moment to rest before the next day rolls in. Thankfully, concern over my sartorial choices is the least of these.

My approach to figuring out outfits leads to a heap of gathered wares from my favourite thrift and vintage stores that I’ve slowly collected since the lights dimmed last season. Vintage trinkets and jewellery, a plethora of prints and dope heels that I will curse at the end of each day, are all under scrutiny. As a frugal shopper I’ve found ways to create street style worthy looks without making my bank account sweat. I put together possible looks out of that pile of goodness allowing myself to change them due to last minute thrift store finds or an inspired trade of pieces between outfits. The upside of taking in Toronto Fashion Week is a prior month worth of street style inspiration from New York, London, Paris and Milan to inspire a week’s worth of looks.

In the spirit of anything goes when dressing for fashion week, here are 3 inexpensive looks that are worthy of a little show and tell.

With the September issues hitting the stands, the seasonal change is just around the corner. The unsought transition of summer to fall is aided only by an exciting new set of trends that give our weepy hearts something to look forward to. And if the thought of a new fall wardrobe has you seeing dollar signs fear not. Fall’s fresh new colour palette of pink, grey, black and white and must-have looks (think leather, print and plaid) are sure to have you pulling out pieces you already own, so why wait? The new trends are ripe for the picking. We’re here to show you how to rock them for the final days of summer and beyond.

Much like a blank canvas, white fashions are the clean slate that every wardrobe needs. The versatility of the innocent hue lends itself to endless styling possibilities. With the no-white-post-labour-day rule behind us (how passé), we’re free to stock up on crisp white pieces for summer, fall and beyond.

Stars on and off the red carpet are choosing white as their colour of choice. The ongoing white trend can just as easily adopt a streamlined, clean-cut look with sharp tailoring, as it can a perfectly pretty one with embroidery and sheer silks. Whatever your flavour, the posh hue is the perfect choice for showing off some of your boldest accessories. Consider pairing your favourite whites with a fierce animal print bag as Beyoncé pulled off recently. In the jewellery department, try topping off a white frock with an edgy, head-turning necklace like Olivia Palermo. A bold lip can also make as strong a statement, with Karlie Kloss showing off the perfect red pout to avoid looking washed out by her all white red carpet getup.

Much like the stars they dress, A-list designers are showing their love for the always-in-style hue. To keep it fresh, Bottega Veneta combined white-on-white textures on its Spring 2013 runway. Chanel spiced up ensembles with pearl beads garnishing white pieces.

Still doubting the power of an all white palette? Fear not, because we’ve asked our style panel for tips on how to wear white.

Over My Styled Body’s Lyndsey Forest agrees that accessories are key to amp up a white ensemble. She also suggests trying an unusual hemline to keep your look fun. Alicia Fashionista’s Alicia Quan pairs her whites with edgier pieces such as a leather jacket to avoid a bride-to-be look. With Love Gabrielle’s Marta Tryshak thinks that white is easy and fabulous. She considers well-fitted white denim jeans a must-have and advises investing in a pair that can be worn well into the fall.

Question 62: How do you wear white while keeping it fresh? Read the answers now!

Once relegated to summer camps and dress up parties, neon has been making its may back into the forefront of fashion over the past few seasons. Especially with this season’s nineties crazy, even the brightest fluorescent hues have even become near basics.

Seen prominently on many of this summer’s music festival attendees, neon appeared on everything from bra tops to the ever-popular Cambridge satchel. Neon was popular with celebrities as well, spotted on Serena Williams’s nails to Gwyneth Paltrow’s heels.

On the Spring 2013 runways, neon appeared with creative pops in Peter Pilotto’s ruffled dresses and bright prints on Kenzo’s jungle print jumpsuits and Christopher Kane’s Frankenstein shirts. For Fall 2013, the unexpected cold weather hue makes its return with 3.1 Phillip Lim and Rag & Bone’s brightly hued motorcycle style jackets.

Since the trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, the girls from Style Panel are sharing key tips on how to wear neon this season and beyond.

Never having tried the trend, Dainty Girl’s Nicole Wilson works neon into her outfit with brightly coloured yellow heels. In the same vein, both Suburban Faux-Pas’s Krystin Lee and Born Lippy’s Melanie Morais suggests wearing neon in moderations, while pairing it with neutrals. If you’re still unsure on how to wear neon, Canadian Fashionista’s Amber Desilets advises to start with something simple like accessories. Nothing like a neon necklace or neon belt to really make your everyday outfits stand out and on trend.

Question 61: How do you wear neon? Read the answers now!