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 :)