FASHION Magazine

Coachella officially kicks off 2015 festival season this weekend, and whether or not you’re going to be in attendance, what better excuse to don crop tops and all-fringed-anything?

’70s style dominated Spring 2015 runways from Gucci to Saint Laurent, proving that the flower child look is here to stay for yet another season. And it’s with that in mind that we look back to these Style Panel looks, submitted last summer and just right for Coachella 2015.

White lace and denim shorts seem to be the sure way to accomplish the festival look. To take your basic summer look to the next level, add statement pieces like The Pretty Secrets’ Sandy Joe Karpetz did with her festival-inspired kimono. If you’re looking to add a pop of colour to your outfit, our newest Style Panel member, SummerxSkin’s Anum Khan suggests a maxi skirt and multicoloured bangles paired with a white crop top. And if you’re really confident with the trend, The Ordinary Peoples’ Alyssa Lau shows you how to dress for a festival by taking on three spring trends (bold colours, a crop top and patterns!) in one chic look.

Question 54: How to dress for a festival? Read the answers now! »

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!»

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! »

Some of the most on-trend styles can often be some of the most uncomfortable. We have spent many a night staggering home on sore feet from sky scraping heels or sitting in uncomfortably restricting body-con dresses. All in the name of fashion, right? So imagine our glee when the athletic trend, one synonymous with comfy yet fashionable kicks and sporty gear, was bigger than ever on the Spring 2014 runways—viva la trend sneaker!

Despite being one of the most comfortable and freeing trends, the athletic trend has some restrictions. With such a relaxed silhouette and casual aesthetic, you have to be sure to keep things boardroom appropriate and far away from the locker room: sweaty old gym leggings need not apply. Clean lines and a sleek minimalist silhouette as well as luxurious fabrics—think Marni’s bejewelled visors or Marc Jacobs’ silk gym shorts—make sporty cues translatable to all facets of life. Beyond the iconic raglan tee or sneakers, sporty riffs also exist in fabric being appropriated into typically girly or formal silhouettes. Just take a look at Tommy Hilfiger’s neoprene fit-and-flare dresses or Tom Ford’s billowing mesh tanks, both perfect for a night out on the town.

Question 93: How do you wear the athletic trend? 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! »

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! »

Despite the mercurial weather, our Style Panel shows you how to wear plaid in various ways. Barbara Ann Solomon of Barbara Ann’s Style Blog boldly warms us up in monochromatic red-to-toe buffalo check plaid, while Iva Grbesic of Falling in Style shows us how to pair plaid with faux-fur while keeping it business casual. Meanwhile, […]

The post How to wear plaid: 10 Style Panel tips for reinventing the classic print this season appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See all the street style looks »

It was a chilly last day of World Mastercard Fashion Week, which brought out the heavy style hitters in chunky knit scarves and all kinds of fur. Torontonians sure know how to add a little extra coverage without compromising that one last hoorah before hiding out for the winter months.

The colour of the day had to be black, ranging from head-to-toe incognito looks to pops of the hue showing up everywhere. Model Stacey McKenzie didn’t let the chill stop her from wearing a printed black and white mini showing off her long gams. Style Panel regular Nicole Wilson ended the week on a girly note with a black tulle skirt paired with an animal print blouse.

Ah street style, the once treat and now staple of fashion week. It’s become a full time job for those on both sides of the camera and whether or not that’s a silly fact, it’s a fact indeed. After a month full of street style creeping outside the Spring 2014 shows, all eyes will be on Toronto Fashion Week and we’re not about to let those international experts out play us.

While being in the spotlight isn’t always easy, we asked our trusty Style Panelists give us the scoop on how they get snapped without sacrificing their own personal style.

First up to offer her style advice is new Style Panel member, Ruta Rudminaite. The 22-year-old Toronto blogger feels that with street style, nowadays, anything is fair game and that the most important consideration to make is to wear whatever you’re rocking with confidence. The way you hold yourself when you walk down the street in your outfit du jour is what gets photographers to notice you.

We also welcome Northern Style’s Kira Paran to our Style Panel, whose answer to this week’s challenge question is to stick with classic pieces and tailored clothing. When your outfit is sculpted to flatter your body type, it will give you a confidence boost and get noticed.

After a month full of street style watching from New York to Paris and beyond, here’s 11 tips to get noticed right here at home:

Question 73: Street style is a tricky business. What are your tips for dressing to get snapped (without compromising your personal style)? Read the answers now! »

See the street style from Toronto Fashion Week »

As the Spring 2014 season makes its way to Toronto, our homegrown street stylers have some statements of their own to be making. They arrived for the first day of The Shows last night; and as they prepped for viewings of Calla and Bellavance’s wares, photographer Stefania Yarhi flipped the focus to wares of their own.

Those outside the shows included Hipster Musings blogger Isabel Slone, who showed her penchant for fall’s pink trend with pops of the girlish hue on a button down shirt and artfully placed candy pins on her jacket lapel. She finished her look with whimsical striped socks and sturdy leather loafers.

While youthful rebellion may be something we all experienced in our earlier years, this season’s punk trend is feeling oh so modern. Riding the high of the Met’s Costume Institute summer exhibit, Punk: Chaos to Couture, the Fall 2013 runway shows continued our re-introduction to punk under the guise of rips and studs on luxurious […]

The post How to wear the punk trend: 8 Style Panel tips for revamping the notoriously rebellious look this fall appeared first on FASHION Magazine.