FASHION Magazine

Four brains (and closets) are better than one. Or at least, that’s what the new site, The Style Common, shows us. Started by four Vancouver-based fashion bloggers (three from our very own Style Panel, no less), The Style Common is a collective that pairs online skills with companies looking to partner with bloggers.

Started by Alicia Quan of Alicia Fashionista, Alexandra Grant, Jen Tam of Her Waise Choice and Jennifer Pistor, The Style Common is tapping into a market that has been steadily building. Bloggers have started to work closely alongside companies with events like Tavi Gevinson touring with Urban Outfitters all summer or Leandra Medine of Man Repeller collaborating with lines like Dannijo. Bloggers have the ability to get the word out about brands, products or whatever through their personal voices and knowledge of what works for their readers.

View the Christmas stocking
stuffers ideas »

Back in our childhood, Christmas stockings were usually filled with chocolate, candy, socks and underwear (thanks Mom and Dad!). For 2012 however, the amount of stuff and the price tags that come with them can tend to add up. For our 2012 gift guide, we have many different stocking stuffers that will suit anybody in your family and with each item retailing for $25 or under, you may even want to buy one for yourself too.

The stocking stuffers featured here are pretty much foolproof, as in you’re bound to find at least a few items here that anybody on your Christmas gift list will love. From The Body Shop’s festive array of gingerbread body polish and bath crystals to tech items like iPhone covers and funky headphones, these Christmas gift idea stocking stuffers are sure to be opened with excitement come Christmas morning.

See all the Christmas gifts
for best friends »

Buying a Christmas gift for your best friend should come as one easy task. You know your best friend inside and out, and chances are that you have similar tastes and shopping habits. But for those out there that don’t have a clue where to start, we have many ideas for Christmas gifts for best friends (and sisters and girlfriends too!) included here in our 2012 gift guide.

Christmas is a season of giving, and why not choose a Christmas gift idea for your best friend who you’ll likely be spending some of the holidays with? The affordable gift ideas for best friends featured here are all under $100, so even if the Christmas season is draining your wallet there are still cute, but cheap options out there for your best friend.

See all our Christmas
gift ideas for men »

Thinking creatively about holiday gift ideas for men, for us, means appealing to his five senses. It can be your brother, boyfriend, husband or dad on your Christmas 2012 gift list, but our trendy ideas are sure to gain a man’s stamp of approval. Alcohol, socks, and sweaters have been tried and tested gifts for as long as we can remember for gifts for men, but this year we’re taking the basics and adding a twist.

See Christmas hostess gift ideas »

Christmas is often the most stressful time of the year for many people. Even more so for those who decide to host the cocktail parties, the dinners, and the new years bashes (hats off to them). Because it’s a party faux pas to show up empty handed—especially when someone has spent hours preparing—we’ve thought of creative Christmas hostess gift ideas for those who bare the grunt of the work.

The bonus of shopping for a friend or family member who is constantly having people over, is that a gift that works as a thank you for planning a holiday party is also useful to their everyday life. Give them gifts that will help them relax after the fete dies down like a red wine and chocolate set or a scented candle that will make the rest of post-party worries melt away. From Cooking with Siracha to the now-classic Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty coffee table book, these items will look beautiful in a new apartment or well lived in home.

Some of our favourite girls-about-Hollywood stepped out at last month’s Tribeca Film Festival in some of the prettiest and mixiest (yes, we know that is not a word) bouquets of floral prints we’ve seen this season. From Emma Watson’s head-to-toe Miu Miu worn at the Struck by Lightning premiere, to Michelle Williams’ multi-fabric’d Giambattista Valli worn to a party for Take This Waltz, to Riley Keough’s floral Rachel Roy blouse, we’ve got the picks to get the look for $100 or less!

See our 11 picks »

We love an architectural shoe. These cutout wedges add dimension to even the simplest of outfits. ($50, urbanoutfitters.com)

The post Daily steal: Leather cutout wedge boot, $50 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, so get into the spirit with these cute heart-print tights. ($14, urbanoutfitters.com)

The post Daily steal: Sheer heart-print tights, $14 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Brighten up any outfit with this neon collar necklace available in pink and yellow. ($28, urbanoutfitters.com)

The post Daily steal: Neon collar necklace, $28 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Layer this blouse for a stylish pop in the season’s hottest color! ($49, urbanoutfitters.com)

The post Daily steal: Sleeveless chiffon shirt, $49 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Just last week, I was rumbling toward a Mexican beach in a golf cart with two friends, debating an article on trends that appeared in the January issue of Vanity Fair.

Now back home, shivering despite a turtleneck and boots, I am writing about FASHION’s Spring 2012 Trend Issue and I can’t get that conversation out of my mind.

In the VF piece, writer Kurt Andersen asserts, among other things, that not much has changed style-wise over the past 20 years. That 2012 looks much like 1992. That jeans and sneakers remain a standard uniform for people of all ages. And that the proliferation of mid-priced retailers like Gap, Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie means practically anyone who wants to can shop stylishly, and this has resulted in an “all the same, all kind of cool” look on city streets.

Well, yes and no. Yes, there are fashion themes that now seem to endure from year to year. Once again spring is on the horizon and with it comes the annual crop of florals, crisp white cottons and tropical themes.

What better way to dress up a dowdy winter sweater than a rhinestone collar! ($20, urbanoutfitters.com)

The post Daily steal: Rhinestone collar, $20 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.