FASHION Magazine

Sandy Joe Karpetz Instagram: @theprettysecrets Twitter: @SandyJoeKarpetz “My style has been shaped by the music and fashion of bygone eras. I developed an appreciation for vintage at a young age and it followed me into adulthood, the influence of which is evident in my home—a converted loft in a historical building and my vehicle, a […]

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Forget about flowers, the ultimate Mother’s Day gift might just be bringing back her glory days. From mod minis to bold colour block hues, our Style Panel members are kicking it old school by channeling their mothers’ best looks. Conveniently, the 1970s rocked the runways this season, giving us a two-pronged reason for busting out […]

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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! »

Halloween is fast approaching, and while we’ve already looked at ghoulish makeup and nail art, today’s Style Panel post is all about completing the look. From dressing stylishly on-theme to going full out Rocky Horror, here’s a glimpse into the costumey closets of our panel. Question 124: What are you dressing up as for Halloween? […]

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Swimwear has made its way from the beach to the runway, and has now become full-on inspiration for everyday dressing. Thanks to the likes of Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger and DKNY (to name a few), swimwear hit the Spring 2014 catwalks hard, taking beachwear to a whole new level of street chic. No longer is swimwear only paired with towels and beach bags; it can add subtle–or not-so-subtle–sexy detailing to your getup, whether you’re heading to the beach or not. However, we know the thought of wearing a bathing suit anywhere other than the beach may be a bit daunting, so we got our Style Panel to weigh in on how to style swimwear for everyday.

All of our Style Panel gals agree that layers and staying casual are key to styling swimwear for everyday. Kayla Short of Short Presents and Emma Walker of With A City Dream both focus on the bikini top as an accent piece. Wearing one under a tank or a sheer top makes styling swimwear for everyday totally practical. Sandy Joe Karpetz of The Pretty Secrets keeps her swimwear look casual by pairing a bikini top with loose, high-waisted denim, while Becky Kung of Velvet & Vino brings sexy back in her monokini layered underneath an open chambray shit and denim cut-offs.

Question 110: How do you style swimwear for everyday? Read the answers now! »

Without a doubt, the sock and sandal trend has been making waves via street style stars, instantly becoming sartorial eye candy for photographers standing outside the tents during Fashion Week Month. And judging from the Spring 2014 runways (Saint Laurent, Chanel and Miu Miu to name a few), it looks like socks and sandals (or heels in this case) were definitely on the minds of many designers. Although many would think this look could come across frumpy (socks and Birkenstocks, anyone?), with the right pieces, this look just screams high fashion. And besides the fact that it’s the ideal look to transition from season to season, you cannot deny socks and sandals also makes for the perfect cover up for those toes that aren’t quite ready to debut for sandal season. It’s definitely no easy task to master the art of this trend, but Style Panel is here to show us tips and tricks on how to wear socks and sandals for everyday.

The Pretty Secrets’ Sandy Joe Karpetz is all about making sure her feet are the focal point of her outfit when it comes to playing with socks and sandals, while Barbara Ann Solomon of Barbara Ann’s Style Blog is not one to shy away from mixing with different colours for her ensemble. And if you’re still skeptical of pulling off the trend, Kayla Short of Short Presents shows us one full-proof trick on how to rock this look with confidence.

Question 106: How do you wear socks and sandals? 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! »

We’re in the midst of May, which means wedding season is once again upon us. While we may not be able to help you out on the gift-giving front, we’re your go-to when it comes to getting inspired on what to wear, especially when it’s no easy feat to stand out from the wedding crowd without upstaging the bride. But before you brush us off and reach for the closest little black dress, we’ve asked our Style Panel members to share their fashion expertise on new and unique ways to dress for a wedding this upcoming season.

When it comes to making a statement, prints are definitely the fave trend. While Sandy Joe Karpetz of The Pretty Secrets continued last week’s all things stripes, Lion Hunter’s Mo Handahu and Velvet and Vino’s Becky Kung worked show-stopping prints that will definitely get heads turning at wedding receptions. Barbara Ann Solomon of Barbara Ann’s Style Blog proves that a crop top is definitely appropriate for weddings (done tastefully, of course). Teaming it with a full-length ball skirt, this look has chic and elegance mixed into one. And if straying from the LBD makes you feel a tad queasy, To Vogue or Bust’s Alex Grant shows us how to wear the timeless shade with a colour-blocking twist to keep things interesting.

Question 103: What to wear to a summer wedding? 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! »

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! »

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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