Book Review: Style Stalking

Another book review!


I have just gotten back into a reading groove lately and have really enjoyed checking out my local libraries to see what cool books they have. I love how in Toronto you can go to any neighbourhood library instead of having to stick to just one! They also tend to have more current books than the library from where I grew up, which I am very thankful for.

Today's book review is going to be on Style Stalking, by Christene Barberich and Piera Gelardi. They are the Editor-in-Chief and Executive Creative Director of the style website Refinery 29. I don't visit this website all too often but it has had some posts and features that I've gone to through looking at Pinterest.

The aim of this book I guess is to dissect different elements of fashion and ways of dressing, and instruct you on how to wear them. Each section lays down the basic training, style moves, 1 piece 3 ways, rule breakers, how to wear it year round, Q&A and zoom lens. They cover 10 different style elements (denim, metallics, layering etc).

In a nutshell, this book is very visually pleasing, but that's about where it ends. The rules they tell you to follow for pieces are pretty common sense, for example, when mixing patterns make sure they have one colour that's in both prints. The year round page is probably the most helpful as it can tell you what pieces within that style element work for what season. The Q & A sections interview some prominent fashion people but only cover about three questions, which doesn't really give you any information on the person being interviewed and their style.

Also, all of the pictures are very current, relying heavily on fashionista bloggers and street style, which is great and all, but will lead to this book being irrelevant in three years. A girl with a sweater, oversized tutu skirt, neon Nikes and a loud clutch all work for today, but who knows maybe that will be a fashion sin next year. The photos are all great quality and do give me some styling ideas, but are just a little too trendy for my liking.

All in all, to sum up this book, it is like a Pinterest board in literary form. Tons of pretty pictures and very much a coffee table book, but not one to keep in your collection for years and years. I am glad I didn't buy this one and just rented it from the library!

Till next post!

Spring Haul + OOTD

Hi Everyone!

It may be the middle of April but this past week or so hasn't really felt like it, it's still pretty chilly outside! Let's pray that Mother Nature is finally done with the snow at least.

Today I have a clothing haul for you, I decided to pop into the Parkdale Salvation Army after school on Monday and ended up going a bit crazy in there as well as a couple other stores, but oh well, I got some great deals! My wallet isn't sure whether to be disappointed or proud of me with these pieces I got haha. I do think that I got pieces that I know for sure will get plenty of use out of, which isn't always the case when I go to the thrift store. Usually I end up picking out all these items that I only wear once or twice then donate because they're so cheap I don't care. But I can assure you this will not be the case!

Ok, so first off is something boring, just a plain pair of khaki skinny jeans originally from H&M. I don't own a pair this colour and I figured they will be acceptable for where I'm working this summer, at a golf course! Even if they're not, they'll be a good staple to have in my wardrobe.

Next is a great lightweight sweater from Banana Republic. You may not be able to tell from the picture of it on the hanger, but it has a great carefree shape to it that will make it an easy piece to just throw on or even layer with collared shirts and such underneath.

I also picked up this awesome knit vest originally from Theory, which is a fairly expensive brand, but this was only $8! I think the fact it only has a slit on one side helps make it unique. This will work well with layering as well as when it gets warmer I can probably wear it by itself, with just a camisole underneath.

The last item I got from the Salvation Army is definitely the best. I had my eye on the American Apparel tennis skirt for quite some time, but was on the fence about spending the $60 or so retail because I know it's not a timeless item but one that I really would just like for now. I had seen some alternatives around but none of them seemed as good as the real thing, so I was still unsure what to do! But then I saw this pleated skirt in the thrift store and it was my exact size and.... $3! So even though it isn't the original navy that I wanted, I was more than willing to shell out the money for this! It's also longer than the American Apparel one, but for the weather right now that's fine and I figure I can always get it shortened later!

So I was very pleased with my purchases, and decided to head to the consignment store Common Sort just a bit down the street and check out what they had. Since they are consignment, things cost more than they would at a thrift store and sometimes I find myself unimpressed with their pricing, but their assortment is always just so good! I find myself wanting to buy multiple things from there every time I go in. So I ended up finding this Patagonia hat. This had been on my wishlist last spring and then I kind of put it on the wayside until I found it that day! And it's a hat so a pretty practical purchase (gotta protect my face from the sun!)

Then, as I was paying for the hat, I saw something magical behind the cashier. There was a Fred Perry polo shirt on the rack of things to be put on the sales floor, so I snatched that and bought it immediately too! Ever since going to Aberdeen and being more exposed to Fred Perry (my flatmate had a t-shirt I was very jealous of) I wanted to purchase one, and almost did from ASOS a couple days earlier. Thank god I held off for this baby! It costed me $25 instead of the normal $115!

My last stop for the day was Sylvie and Shimmy, an absolutely adorable boutique in Parkdale. They carry a lot of soft, neutral clothing and girly prints as well as dainty jewellery and some shoes. The design of their store is so strong, with everything well thought out and cohesive, they are a store I aspire mine to be like in the future! Anyways I picked up this wonderful cat print shirt because it is pretty much the same as  the Miu Miu cat print. The only downside to it is that there isn't a top button to do the collar up all the way but that's okay, I can improvise!

I also placed a Forever21 order the day before, because when I had gone in store they didn't have the items I wanted to purchase for me to try on. I ordered this skirt, which is the perfect spring piece! It is a very of the moment skirt, and the colour is gorgeous. The picture doesn't really do it any justice, it's a deep royal blue and the fabric gives it an almost metallic like sheen.

Then I also ordered this overall dress! It'll be perfect to wear with a t-shirt underneath and sneakers in the summer, for now black tights will have to do! It may be a bit juvenile yes, but nothing wrong with listening to your inner child ;).

So I decided to finally do an outfit of the day with what I picked up, and I wore it to school yesterday since we had a presentation. I paired the Banana Republic sweater with the pleated skirt and added tights to stay warm in this "lovely" April weather. To make it more casual I just wore my knockoff white Converse on my feet, and my Tommy Hilfiger chambray baseball cap! Then my coat is from Stitches, I got it last year. Funny thing is, the most expensive piece in this whole outfit is the hat, being around $30.

Hopefully these pictures give you a better idea of how my items fit compared to on the hanger pictures!

Anyways, safe to say I should be done shopping for awhile now and give my wallet a rest! Hope you enjoyed reading and till next time!

Sarah :)

Book Review: Always Pack a Party Dress

Hi everyone!

I have another book review for you today and it's about the book Always Pack a Party Dress, and other lessons learned from a (half) life in fashion by Amanda Brooks. No I'm not related to her, but after reading this book I wish I was! I had never really heard of Amanda Brooks before but turns out she has had a variety of different jobs in the industry. She was Patrick Demarchelier's assistant in the beginning, then worked at an art gallery, then creative director for Tuleh and most recently worked the big ticket job of Fashion Director at Barneys.

I really enjoyed reading this book as it took me through Amanda's life and how she ended up where she is today. As she went through her many jobs in life, it was nice to read that not everything was peachy keen and she knew when she loved a job and when she didn't. I am at a point right now in life that I have no clue what I'd like to do when I graduate from school next year and it was settling to know that Amanda went through the same notions and still ended up having a great career in the end. When it came to the part of the book where she self admittedly "lost herself" while being away for Fashion Month, it was a real eye opener to see how hard people in the industry work and it's definitely not all glitz and glam. There is no doubt after reading this book that Amanda seems to have worked extremely hard on any job she's ever had and deserves every bit of praise she's gotten. I also love how she has admitted to going through multiple different styles throughout her life and has never had a true defined style, which I can definitely relate to.

My favourite part of the book would have to be the section on the years she attended the Met ball, and dissecting her outfits. She was not afraid to write down that she hated some of them and didn't have a good time certain years. I think it's important to know that even "fashion" people can feel unfashionable at times!

I absolutely recommend reading this book, whether or not you've heard of Amanda. She seems very down to earth and has a great writing style that kept me reading!

Spring Must Haves

Happy March Everyone!

Wow, I am definitely not very good at keeping up this blog, eek! I promise I will try harder, life has been busy lately though! Anyways, today I am going to share my top items for spring aka the items I would buy if I had the cash to do so. I don't know about you but I am extremely excited for spring to come and to finally say goodbye to my parka and toques.

ASOS Off the Shoulder Top

Okay, first off are off the shoulder tops. These are a great style to show off statement earrings or a necklace (or both!). The downside to this style though is you can't really layer it underneath other jackets and sweaters, it is much more a stand alone piece. No worries though if it's nice and warm out!

MSGM Frayed Culottes

Another style I'm loving right now are culottes. They unfortunately will not be the most flattering cut on everyone, but can be a quite versatile piece if you find a pair you like! I have my eyes on a denim pair this season which will be a great alternative to jeans. Culottes are also perfect for spring since they are like capris and don't expose too much skin for the weather.

Express Flats

Lace up flats/sandals/heels have been going strong and that makes me smile! You'll find me wearing a flat style if I get a pair because I am still a clutz in heels, but this style is a reat way to dress up an outfit or add drama. They are a nice variation to gladiator style shoes if you're not into the whole I'm a Roman goddess sort of thing.

J. Crew Pleated Skirt

Pleated skirts! Oh how I would like one so so bad... especially midi length, which keeps it elegant. They are great with just plain t-shirts and sneakers or romantic blouses and heels. Accordian pleats are hot right now but I also have my eye on tennis skirt like pleats (they'll make me appear athletic).

Forever21 Lace Up Dress

Last but not least, are lace up style tops/dresses. I'm sure you've seen them this past fall but I never got around to getting a piece in that style. You can get them in a variety of silhouettes to suit your style and they add an extra bit of visual interest to a top!


Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this post and now I am off to shop for these pieces! Haha not... I wish!

Till next post! (which may be 5 months who even knows)

Sarah

Book Review: Love Style Life

Hi Everyone!

Long time no post! It has been a busy month with school starting up again and I have been lacking some creative ideas for posts, so here is a simple book review.
I received the book Love Style Life by Garance Dore from my mom for Christmas and was super stoked because I love Garance! She is a fashion illustrator and blogger, but I knew of her more from her illustrations. The book just came out last year, and it is pretty much just about her experiences and some style and life rules she lives by.
Before I started reading it, I had it in my head that it was going to be just like any other blogger book, with obvious information and lots of filler pictures, Mais Non! (get it, cause she's French) It is a lot more personal than I thought. Garance tells the story of how she found herself in fashion and started her blog, moving between Paris and New York. She points out the differences between New Yorkers and Parisians and reveals how she found it hard to fit in sometimes in the U.S. She also interviews a couple of women she admires including my fave, Jenna Lyons, which is a nice touch to see who she looks up to when she is practically a celebrity herself. There is also a section at the end of "100 Love Lessons" where you get to read about her love life which is a lot more personal than I was expecting.
The pictures and layout of the book are great, I especially like how she uses pictures of people other than herself to showcase topics, for example, Vivianna Volpicella wearing one of Garances key wardrobe pieces, a men's shirt. There are some pages that are obvious filler pages with a pull out quote of random illustration, but not an excessive amount to me. Also, she is an illustrator so it makes sense to showcase her drawings on full pages!
I think the very best thing about this book is how refreshingly honest and down to earth Garance is. She talks a lot about the strive for perfection and how everyone is beautiful, which we all hear but often ignore and are too hard on ourselves. Coming from her, a successful, independent and inspirational woman, it means a lot. She has learned to laugh at herself which is incredibly important because life is about having fun and enjoying the things you do! I could definitely relate to some parts of the book and the experiences she's had, which is nice to know everyone goes through some similar issues in their lives. This book was less fashion-y than I thought it would be and I'm actually glad it was.
Overall, it was a fantastic book and I think people who don't even really follow Garance Dore will enjoy it. Solid gift choice Mom!
I am going to end this post with some memorable quotes from the book:

"'Me and my boo at Starbucks this morning. He has a latte and I do blonde roast. Both Venti. Isn't that love?' Please, don't be that couple."
"How to not fuck up your hello" (whole section on this)
"Saying 'Oh my God, we haaaaave to get coffee sometime!'and then never getting in touch" (sad but so true)
"Eating isn't a very interesting subject during Fashion Week"

Till next post, bye for now!

Style Inspiration: Jenny Walton

Happy New Year!

I don't know about you guys, but I didn't really make any resolutions this year because I know I would just break them! (i.e. all the junk food I ate on New Years day, there goes the healthy eating goal). But if you did make any, I wish you the best of luck!

Today's post is focusing on my newest girl crush, Jenny Walton. She is a fashion illustrator and stylist who is actually the cutest little thing. I love the eclectic outfits that she comes up with, mixing lots of different colours and textures. Here are some of my favourite looks of hers:

Just by these photos, you can get a good sense of her style. I think it's feminine and vintage with a bit of quirk thrown in! Here are some pieces I found online that you can buy if you want to steal her style:

Statement Earrings

J. Crew Earrings

Midi Skirt

Zara Skirt

Embellished Bag

Dolce & Gabbana Bag

Collared Shirt

Madewell Shirt

 Hopefully this gives some style inspiration to you all! Jenny Walton's website is called Markers and Microns if you interested in checking it out. Thanks for reading!