FASHION Magazine

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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Layering is an art in and of itself. On frigid days, it can be a necessity for survival. On warmer days, it’ll help you go from day to night sans effort. Learning how to do it well can be tricky because simply put, the challenge in these days of the Great Canadian Winter, it seems to be more like “how to layer without looking like the Michelin Man” than anything else.

Luckily for us, many recent fashion collections have dealt some great tips. In Elizabeth and James’ Pre-Fall 2014 lookbook, a check shirtdress did double duty when worn open as a duster coat in one look and then layered underneath a pencil skirt in another. Helmut Lang, the patron saint of layering, lives up to its name, layering as many as four pieces in some Pre-Fall 2014 looks. On the fall runways, the coat trend made for some extra-interesting pairings. The key? A mixture of fabrics and textures achieve a cohesive and interesting look with depth.

Question 88: How do you layer to keep warm while still staying stylish? Read the answers now! »

January is synonymous with a few things – chilly temperatures, post-holiday fatigue, but above all, resolutions. While the ambitious among us are religiously hitting the gym, eschewing booze all together, ridding the cupboards of sugar, or other extreme goals, we like to think of the New Year as a chance for a simple style switch-up. Who better to offer up their realistic resolutions than our Style Panel? This week our panellists are joined by a new (male!) face and offer up their personal goals for the year.

Our group of Style Panel bloggers have some great goals for the year. Christopher Wolf, from wolfmusings.com, and Becky Kung, the girl behind Velvet & Vino, are both hoping to let their intuition run wild and take more risks. While Kayla Short, of Short Presents, is tackling her disaster of a closet (her words!) on the East Coast, Whitney Cosgrave of See Shop Eat Do is out soaking up the L.A. sun, and committing to wearing her favourite pieces more often. Take a peek at their resolutions and maybe you too will feel inspired to make some changes.

Question 85: What are your fashion resolutions? Whether you’re vowing off tights or trying to incorporate more colour this year, share it with us! Read the answers now! »

Dropped shoulders, hourglass figures and loose fits are just three of the characteristics of this season’s coat trend. Seeing as what’s worn on top of it all was one of the hottest trends on the international Fall 2013 runways—-from Carven’s larger than life bubble coats to Rag & Bone’s we asked our Style Panel for their essential tips to staying on-trend, while keeping warm.

New to Style Panel is Marla Brum of Trend Struck, who suggests wearing a colour rich burgundy cape coat to embrace the trend of oversized outerwear. Bonus: the extra rooms affords for more layering without looking bulky.

Vibrancy and colour is what Cara McLeay of A Fashion Love Affair opts for to combat those cold, dreary days. A jacket lit with some brightness is the perfect thing that will keep you warm and be something you won’t get bored of wearing. Meanwhile, Northern Style’s Kira Paran looks for ones that use quality material and have classic details. She’s smitten with her wool coat with toggles.

If you’re in need of an outerwear update or need advice on how to embrace the latest trend styles, look no further than these 14 tips!

Question 75: How are you embracing this season’s coat trends? Read the answers now! »

Get used to it, boys. We’re taking a deeper plunge into your closet and coming out with more than just your comfy sweaters and jeans. Blame the fall runways for giving us a fresh twist to menswear’s tweeds, plaids and everything in between. This season, the classic pinstripe suit got a chic makeover with Stella […]

The post Trying the menswear-inspired trend: 6 Style Panel tips for updating classic tomboy style appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

  If you haven’t yet embraced that pink is a big part of Fall 2013’s colour palette, we don’t blame you. Though pink has been there for us when we bid adieu to the winter’s cold and reclaimed our femininity from dark heavy coats it’s time to embrace it as a burst of girlishness to […]

The post How to wear pink: 11 Style Panel tips for co-opting spring’s typically girlish hue for fashionable Fall 2013 wear appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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.

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!

When it comes to summer vacations, we all share the same fear of overweight luggage bills. From the moment we pull the suitcase out of the closet we’re considering how many purses we can qualify as necessary with and whether we can survive on just four pairs of shoes. Vacations are supposed to be blissfully stress-free and yet the packing blues have us in a rut.

For those of us heading beach destinations, the warm temperatures call for light, carefree pieces. Beyoncé has us convinced that she knows how to pack light. The starlet turned to Tumblr to document her recent beach vacation in which she’s seen rocking a variety of one-pieces (in kaleidoscopic prints, we might add) and flow-y bohemian blouses. For those planning a sightseeing vacation, packing light becomes increasingly more challenging. Comfort is key for those who plan to be on their feet all day. Rihanna was recently spotted out and about in London in a cool white-on-white ensemble which she paired with a leather visor, showing us she’s not letting the hot European sun put a damper on her vacation plans.

Still weary on how to pack light? We’ve turned to our style panel for more packing dos and don’ts.

Much like the classic LBD and the plain white T, denim shorts rank high on the list of timeless trends. Feared by some, loved by many, the versatility of this wardrobe staple makes this classic style a must-have for summer. On the streets, we’ve seen trendsetters brace the warmer temperatures in denim shorts of all […]

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Ever have one of those intimidating statement pieces that makes you feel so self-conscious about your body that it makes you want to sprint to the gym immediately? This may as well be the tale of the crop top.

Showing your midriff once seemed like a scandalous look, only to be tested by celebrities —think Britney Spears circa “Baby One More Time”—this season, the crop top has emerged as feminine, even covering our current issue on Lana Del Rey!

Lead by designers like Peter Som with his Spring 2013 bralet and high-waisted flowing skirt, we’re beginning to see how ladylike this look can be. With different styles and fits including the bustier, the cropped T-shirt and the waist-tied blouse, the crop top can be altered to your preferred degree of mid-section baring.

Still questioning how to wear a crop top? Fear not, because 11 of our Style Panel members share tips on how to easily pull off this spring trend sans butterflies in your stomach.

Opting to show a little less skin, many of our girls decided to pair their flirty crop tops with cute midi skirts like BornLippy’s Melanie Morais and Dainty Girl’s Nicole Wilson who chose to wear tie-knot crop tops that tastefully bares a sliver of their midriff. Showing off a bit more skin, Leah Says’ Leah Gust was all smiles as she takes on two spring trends, the crop top and the graphic floral print, in today’s outfit. But what’s the best way to wear your crop top this season? Taking Style Worthwhile’s Jacquelyn Son’s advice, rock your crop top with confidence.

Question 51: Can you share tips on how to wear a crop top this season? Read the answers now! »

Ah, the sneaker trend. Once upon a time (and by that we mean junior high), runners felt like the only source for footwear, but while we resorted to them for efficiency, it certainly wasn’t for style. Nowadays, sneakers are the hottest shoes on the block, thanks to designers like Isabel Marant and her ultra lust-worthy sneaker heel hybrid. Who knew?

Whether colourful, embellished or super athletic, sneakers have definitely made their way in to the mainstream. Even high-end footwear designers like Christian Louboutin, Giuseppe Zanotti, and Jimmy Choo have included a pair or two into recent collections.

And while sneakers may be hotter than heels (for the time being, that is), wearing them without looking like you’ve just hit the gym proves a bit of a challenge. Naturally, we turned to our Style Panel to teach us how to tackle the trend without making it too literal.

Our two newest members, Leah Says’ Leah Gust and Velvet & Vino’s Becky Kung sure know how to start off with a bang by mixing a pair of bold colourful sneakers with bright coloured or printed pants. Getting into the summery swing, both Barbara Ann Solomon (who appears in twofold) and Inherited Jeans’ Stephanie Koch showed off in neon-accented or leopard-printed sneakers while jumping for their photos.

Question 49: How would you pull off the sneaker trend without making it too literal? Read the answers now! »