Tag: Hijab office look

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Fashion Inspiration Uncategorized

Runway looks for less; Take 2!

In another edition of what I love about SS 2020 trends, I am highlighting the fact that maximalist prints are still going strong. Seen or runway shows from Marc Jacobs to Dries Van Noten to Libertine. All the colors and all the clash are giving me butterflies in my tummy. I love me a good color clash, especially when prints are bold and colorful. I mean, how can you not be happy?? Fashion is a way to lift your mood up and this season, there is lots of inspiration that you can use daily to shift your gears and get out of a gloomy wardrobe. Power prints and puffed sleeves are back in a huge way this summer and giant florals, oversized polka dots and the bunch are all the rave. So be brave and creative; do not be afraid to try something new this summer.


I obviously am very happy that bold prints will forever be a thing and even though I don’t buy many trendy pieces, I know I own way too many prints to be out of style at some point. Plus, vintage is big on that! Look for 60s and 70s pieces to get that look. There is always something in the thrift shop with bold prints. Even 80s shirts and skirts have cool prints. Look around your local shop and you’re surely find something cute, well-made and inexpensive. Shameless plug: go to my shop to find some of these pieces.
The puff sleeves, on the other hand, are coming in subtly but gorgeously; Zimmerman hit that one on the head this season on the runway! The puff is either focused on the shoulders or is done gradually down the sleeves. But puffed sleeves, when done right, add a sense of femininity to an outfit and give you a romantic feel. I always opt for puffed sleeves whenever I want to feel girly and feminine.


Although I didn’t go crazy with the print clashing today, I did add a little bit of both elements in my outfit. I opted for some colors and puffed sleeves. I love this blouse so much and bought it a few weeks back to go with a turquoise satin skirt I have for an event and I love that it’s satin, floral and pink. I rarely go for pink but the print on this blouse makes me want to wear it daily. I love how it’s puffed at the top and get a little tighter at the bottom, the cuff adds a badass feel; which I am all about. I paired it with a checkered blazer I got from Tristan in the fall. A little on the expensive side, but as an investment, it’s a good purchase. I know I’ll have it for years and years to come. Adding the blue/purple pants pulled the outfit together. The shoes were my little sneaky print clash and that’s how it all came out!

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I love fashion and styling and again, I love the runway. So, here is another look into the spring/summer trends. A way for you to get inspired and do runway looks for less.
Hope you liked this edition and see you in the next one!!

Categories
Style Vintage

Too much color? Or not enough color?

As the remains of winter keep dragging us down an endless dreary spiral, I am still seeking the help of color to keep myself motivated and energetic. Seems like the cold days are lingering a little bit more this year. Or I feel like maybe because I live in a hot country for a year, I almost forgot what spring feels like in Canada. I don’t mind the cold, it’s just the sun I am missing because the blues are starting to hit. This somehow pushed me to get a few new pieces into my wardrobe for the coming months. I am so excited to wear more colors and play with different layers and texture over the summer. I feel like right now, dressing up is the only motivation I’ve got, and I am not sorry at all because it keeps me happy and entertained. I am even playing dress-up with little monster, except she doesn’t have a choice but to go with what I dress her with and I am fully taking advantage of that because one day, shell have her own opinion when it comes to clothes and I won’t get a say. Babies are so darn cute even though they’re a lot of work.

Anyway, I felt compelled to wear an animal printed pleated skirt I got from Winners with a sequined sweater from Zara. When I paired them together, I was ecstatic; the outfit as a whole is me. What I like about it is the over-sized sweater covering a bit of the skirt, which made it seem like a dress with ruffles. I have been having a little bit of an issue with my body lately. Don’t know if its post-partum depression that is hitting me quite late or I am just not content with my shape. I was super okay with everything until someone pointed out how huge my hips have gotten—Kind of an asshole comment if you ask me, but I just pushed it aside until one of my pants ripped and now I am always self-conscious and want to hide my hips with anything over-sized without compromising style and color. This outfit gave the confidence boost I needed, and I can’t help but share it with pride.

WHAT I AM WEARING

SWEATER: Zara ● SKIRT: Imelda ● SHOES: Zara ● SUNNIES: Ray-Ban ● BAG: Vintage

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I know that a lot of us North Americans suffers from the blues and the struggles is real, especially when the sun is teasing us and only showing up for an hour or two. I hope that the weeks to come will be brighter and happier for all of us!

Happy Monday xx

Categories
Vintage

Currently having a love affair with statement booties.

We all know that boots and booties are taking over the runways and shops for the past few seasons and the trend is still going strong. Statement booties specifically are having a major moment and I am super on board with that. Although some designer booties are to die for, I am still not convinced on dropping thousands of dollars to partake in said trend. Animal printed booties, colorful booties, color blocked cowboy boots, brocade style and even luscious velvet fabrics are all over the streets lately and I am loving how fun and east this trend is—you can experiment with different styles and you’d be able to pull it off seamlessly. No need to break your head because a simple outfit works wonders with statement, colorful booties…because you just let your boots do the talking!

I am an avid, obsessive, shoe-aholic girl and I am a collector of shoes and especially colorful, unique one. If I fall in love with a shoe, I don’t hesitate in investing in a good pair because I know I will keep it for years to come.  Besides, this is a trend that will stand the test of time, because you always need boots and if you are looking to spice up your outfit, then you can’t go wrong with statement boots. It’s a versatile and stylish trend. Plus, I feel like that booties are a transitional piece that you can take with you from season to season and you can easily dress them up or down! If you are into this trend currently and you’re not sure you will be in the future, then you can just go thrifting! That’s always a good option for you to find something cool without dropping big bucks for it. Since I love my shoes, I am more than willing to spend money because I know I will get my wear out of them and, I am very good at keep my shoes in tiptop shape! However, I love turning to vintage too because I always find something beautifully unique from previous times like the one I am wearing in this photo. These red croco skin booties are amazing!!! They’re a cross between cowboy boots and biker boots and what I love about them is the fit, so so comfy! it’s unreal! I bought them from a luxury thrift shop at the Point Claire village over last summer and have paid 90$ for them and I guess for real leather, that’s a pretty good price, id say! They’re made in Spain and although the brand name has been washed out, I cannot be more impressed with the quality. If I ever find a similar pair in a different color, I’d buy it without thinking twice.

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WHAT I AM WEARING

SHIRT: Winners ◊ PANTS: Gap (thrifted) ◊ BOOTS: Vintage ◊ Watch: Marc Jacobs ◊ BRACELETS: Alex and Ani

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A good place to start looking for booties on the high-street would be Zara if thrifting isn’t your thing! They always have amazing shoes and I would definitely put a seal of approval on the comfort front. They always do shoes right. Not clothes, but shoes are their forte.

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Happy April and may your shoe game be as strong as your coffee!

Categories
Style

Cruella De Vil: a style icon!

I was thinking to myself the other day as to why we neglect the villains of Disney or in general. There’s two side to every story and we tend to always stand with the vigilantes of every story; again, because that’s human nature.  I mean, villains, too have a voice and a message to convey, so why not get inspired by them somehow. Take it and turn into a positive in your own way. I have been getting back into Disney and cartoons because I want my daughter to appreciate them as much as I do. I have been having such a dalmatians moment and enjoying Cruella, granted she was awful, but we can’t deny the fact that she was always so damn stylish. I mean I wouldn’t go as far as skinning poor little animals for the sake of fashion but finding inspiration isn’t bad either. She was so big on prints, especially black and white and although I have been sporting too many colors lately, today I felt like going monochrome and ain’t no better way to do it than à la Cruella De Vil way. Her outrageous accessories and hairdo make for an extravagant vogue spread and if she was real, I would hang out with her just to get infected with her confidence of rocking insane dresses. She is a true style icon; she has the ability to make any outfit seem so posh and fab! I mean, come on! Her green eye shadow was just bomb! The half white, half black hair was everything; she was already so advanced in her fashion game!

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Although I didn’t go as far as wearing an avant-garde dress to work, I ended up just sporting trousers and a shirt and I felt very profeshhh in a stylish way. I felt naked without color, really, but I still enjoyed the monochrome because sometimes you need a little break from your obsessions before you reach your limit to hating them.

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WHAT I AM WEARING

SHIRT: Topshop ● PANTS: House of Harlow ● BOOTS: Nine West ● BAG: Core Life

So, I guess, moral of this post is that no matter how evil or how old a person may be, you can still find inspiration in them (yes, I am using a Disney character to prove a point). Lately, I have been feeling all kinds of down because of humanity’s level of goodness degrading….but somehow I still maintain my positivity. I feel like it is in our hand to see the good in a person and, yes, some of us are too far down the evil pit, but there is always room for improvement.

Categories
Style

I let my niece dress me for the day and here’s what happened…

I thought it would be interesting for me to ask my 10-year-old niece to dress since she has been so into fashion lately. She’s an artistic child and I feel like I need to push her to follow her dreams a little more and nieces always go their aunts for support (for some reason). Since I am the artistic aunt of the bunch, she tends to follow my lead when it comes to fashion and beauty—which is quite endearing. Today, I gave her total freedom to raid my closet and choose what I’d wear to work, and the outfit was quite interesting, and I feel like she tried to emulate my personality into it without trying too hard…kids are so cute, especially little girls, they pay so much attention to details without you knowing.

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WHAT I’M WEARING

SWEATER DRESS: H&M ◊ PANTS: Simons ◊ SHOES: Reebok ◊ BAG: Aldo ◊ NECKLACE: DCM

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I also took the time to ask her what her thought process when it came to choosing my outfit and her response is beyond adorable, makes me want to hug her and never let her go. She decided to go with this ensemble because it’s different while still being pretty and comfortable. She also said that she like the yellow and how it flashes against the pink (her words exactly!! It killed me!!!). The fact that she is also choosing her words wisely makes me feel all kinds of proud. She even went as far as saying that people with confident will pull this look off. Like this kid thinks I have confidence! She’s so amazing and I do hope that I am at least rubbing it off on her. Even though I am not at a good stage with my confidence level lately, I feel like if she sees me in that light, then I must be doing something right. I would much rather fake it till I make it for the sole purpose that I am being analyzed and admired by my nieces. Although I feel like I don’t have much to offer sometimes, she sees something and that is bloody touching! She summed it up by saying that vibrant colors describe my personality, like guys, if this kid isn’t amazing, then I don’t know!!!!! She even knows that I love vibrant colors. I am speechless and beyond words and she makes me feel special and I am so so proud to call her my niece. She was so excited to do this little exercise that she came back to me at the end of it to ask me to do it again. I guess she has it in her now; styling and putting outfits together. So genius! It makes me excited to see how my daughter will be at her age!

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I would absolutely wear this outfit again and I even love how practical she made it by adding running shoes to the mix. This little experiment made me connect with my niece on another level and having her take charge shows me just how much she is open to learn as well. Through this, I have learned that children as innocent as they are, still have a voice and still have opinions and it is important to take the time to listen to them. Even though she looks up to me, I look up to her too in a way because she has courage to put herself out there and she too has confidence and I hope nothing takes that away from her.

Categories
Style Vintage

Getting out of my funk and making the most of what’s left of sweater season!

I am making the absolute most of whatever is left of sweater season. If I could wear this 80s vintage neon orange sweater every day, I absolutely would. It gives me so much joy and I feel like since the world is so negative lately, why not get inspired by color to get our moods lifted and happy. Seems a bit difficult these days to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Am I alone on this? Or do you guys feel it too?

Anyway, since I feeling very meh at the moment….I put on the outfit that makes me feel like my bets self and today, I did. A little color and a little clash and a little print is nothing short to pushing me into the lane I want to be in. Perhaps I am feeling blue because little one is now 6 months. Like wth??? How did this happen? I feel like I simply blinked and now jumped fast forward and I am missing out on every little detail of her growth that it makes me feel so icky inside. I can’t push past it and I know I can’t do much except go with the flow. And so that’s what I am doing. Flow, here I am with you by your side, waiting to see what else you got in store for me.

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I feel like orange is the perfect color to marry with blue. The combination is exciting, and it gives life to dead beings. It makes me feel so sad to see so many youngsters stick to just black. I mean black is the king of colors, and yes dress as you please….but don’t miss out on life either!!! Hello, what about yellow?

WHAT I WORE

SWEATER: Vintage ● SHIRT: Thrifted ● PANTS: Zara ● SHOES: Aldo ● BAG: Core Life

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How has your week been so far?? How to you try to get out of your funk?? Do you ride the wave or go the opposite way?? I would love to hear your thought!!

 

Cheers x

Categories
Style

Orange you glad it’s Friday

See what I did there!!! Yup, play on words, because today is finally Friday and I am wearing orange. Because orange is the color of life at the moment. Never even considered it, until I decided to get that H&M sweater months ago. I am very peculiar with what I decide to add to my wardrobe, but when I ponder deep and have more pros than cons, then I go for it. These days I am not big on shopping—everything is become a bore, repeat on repeat on repeat. There is nothing that is really catching my attention. Perhaps this is why vintage is my main squeeze, gets me excited to wear something preciously old because it has a story to tell. You can simply imagine the person previous to you wearing it and wonder if they walked in the same path as you and did the things you are doing in life. Or is that just me? Not a creep, just deep interest for the past.

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Now, I don’t know if this is truly the image I give off, but I honestly wear color for myself and to feel motivated to get out of bed. But sometimes, people take it as me wanting attention but I SOOO don’t, I am super happy to disappear into the crowd; because it is not as much as attention-seeking as it is fulfilling my love for fashion. And anyway, I am very much known to be a dry person when I first meet someone new…I am always in my own bubble hiding behind my walls….I guess my choice of clothing project a totally different image than what I am. I am very selective when it comes to adding new people to my circle of friends because I guess I have come to a point where I no longer want to explain who I am to anyone. Less people, less trouble. Maybe it is a wrong ideology to have, but this is one I am very comfortable with. I try my hardest to be sociable, approachable and welcoming to everyone I meet, but I don’t necessarily allow them to come into my everyday life. What I’m trying to say is the way I dress is purely out of creativity and happiness and it is not to get a pat on the back for making efforts to put some color into my life.

Today is no different than any other day, I choose color and just because. No explanation needed. I have been dying to wear colored/checkered tartan pants for the longest time and so I did! Felt very proud of my outfit…sometimes I feel icky…but today was total win in my books! Plus, adding the leopard was a must to make the clashing prints tradition live on.

WHAT I WORE

SWEATER: H&M ● PANTS: Simons ● SHOES: Lord & Taylor ● BAG: Core Life

Are you like me? Do you use fashion as medium to express your creativity? Or is it simply a way to cover yourself and be presentable in society?? I would love to hear your thought on this!

Categories
Style

Fashion VS. Style: What makes an outfit pleasurable?!

I have been asking myself these questions lately…. I mean, what are the elements that make your outfit pleasurable or satisfying??? What style quests are you trying to achieve? There is a big difference between fashion and style and I guess for many, it doesn’t really make a difference. But to those of us who love fashion, we know that the art of dressing up is far more important than just covering your body with fabric. There is something much deeper than that and for me style is a constant evolution of dressing up to your own desire. Style is personal to each individual and it is about expressing yourself freely without having to speak. I find it so interesting to watch and analyze people based on how they dress…but then again, we don’t judge a book by its cover. But, really though, what makes an outfit an outfit??? Should an outfit simply be utilitarian or should it be more style-focused? Sure, it all depends on social status, career requirements, environment and personal taste, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a say in what you put on your body.

These days, I have been having endless amount of fun experimenting with color and clashing print. I sometimes overwhelm myself because I’m super inspired. Crazy, I know. Well today was no different, sometimes I just want to wear all the pieces in my closet, all at once, all at the same time….haha! But I hold myself so I don’t end up looking like the pigeon lady from home alone. However today, I managed to keep my cool and I only got out my yellow pants amid a snowstorm, yes, the yellow pants! Did I get weird looks on my way to work, yes…but come on, where’s the problem with wearing yellow trousers in winter?? And I also paired them with a polka dot navy shirt and made an outfit happen.

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WHAT I AM WEARING

SHIRT: FDC ● PANTS: Bianco ● BAG: Cole Haan ● SHOES: Nine West (knee-high boots)

Although, I was sure of the choice when I got up…during the day, I felt a bit out of proportions with the color choice but decided to keep on keeping on, because what choice do I have. Sometimes, we just gotta go with the flow and that’s what I ended up doing today. I guess, moral of the story is to always enjoy your outfit and be sure to feel good in it, because when you feel less confident, it shows, and you won’t be satisfied. There is a huge difference, at the end of the day, between what you are wearing and why you are wearing it. I tend to always think about why I would like to wear a certain piece and that, my friends, is what style is about. Defining yourself unapologetic-ally through your garments of choice.

What do you guys think?!

 

Categories
Style Vintage

Grown-up or cool kid? Which do you prefer?

As much as I love going downtown, every day, for work purposes, I feel like it’s a little depressive still. I always had this romanticized idea in my head of what it would feel like working in downtown Montreal in one of those beautiful shiny skyscrapers but its just so not what I expected. People are so focused on themselves and don’t see past their phones. they dress so dreary and never smile. Gosh, is this where we’re headed, really?! Anyway, I choose to dress the way I want to dress because it’s my way of motivating myself (in the morning to leave) the house and leave baby girl behind. Sincerely though, I do get weird looks in the AM because I dress to colorful and they’re not looks of admiration, they’re those looks you get when you’re too out there for the world. Am I just supposed to follow those grown-up and dress in boring black suits for the remainder of my contract? Or do I brushoff those complex ideologies of standard dressing to wear pretty, colorful things and clash colors and make a statement, purely for my own creative hunger? I am seeking attention whatsoever and on the contrary, I am not as outgoing as I seem to be in my photos. I love my comfort zone and I love being safe, but I use garments, fashion and style to live outside the norms I have set for myself and work on my anxiety levels. Therefore, I choose to be the cool kid, the one that takes risks and makes statements and pushes the boundaries. The little kid who is not afraid to be different!

Although I have days where I want to wear paper bags and potato couch through the passing hours…I still try to make efforts to dress well to be in a happier mood. Today was no different. I put out my shiny pants and dressed like a cast member of the Pirates of the Caribbean. My sister claims that I wear too much bling, but I say, who cares, wear the shine, because YOLO!

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WHAT I AM WEARING

SWEATER: H&M ● PANTS: Zara ● BOOTS: Nine West ● BELT: Vintage ● SCARF: Zara

Yes, more culottes please. Don’t know why my husband hates them because I love them and find them incredibly flattering for my petite frame. Since it was leaning towards the colder side today, I did a chunky sweater to keep myself warm and snugly. This technically is a dress but tucking it in the front of my pants and cinching it in with a belt worked perfectly. Adding those knee-high boots underneath made me feel powerfully feminine.

So even though I didn’t spend too much time thinking about my outfit—I still felt pretty amazing and I do prefer feeling that way than being a ‘‘grown-up’’ or a prisoner in my own wardrobe dreadfulness. I do acknowledge the fact that certain companies have a dress code but that doesn’t not call for wearing boring black or grey clothes all winter. We lack vitamin D people, so why not feel some joy through the art of dressing. Be a cool kid too!

Categories
Style Vintage

The art of clashing prints.

Doesn’t really take a genius to mix and match different patterns because it mostly has to do with confidence to be daring and getting out of your comfort zone. There is something quite magical in having the ability to clash prints and to do it in a bold, stylish way is quite sexy. I have always loved colors but lately I am very into mixing different materials and patterns to express my creativity. Most of us women tend to own loads of different patterns in our wardrobes but are afraid to put them together because of them not matching. But it’s never about matching it’s about going together. There’s no secret formula to this, really, but there are a few simple steps that you can follow to get you started into the never-ending wonderful world of clashing prints. The idea of it seems daunting, but don’t be scared because there is something for everyone!

It’s simple, really, because all you gotta do is follow your gut instinct about mixing and matching different pieces in your wardrobe. Whenever I feel the need to clash print in a little bit of a muted way, I go with stripes. Stripes always win! If you’re team strips like me, then you’re going to love this tip. You can easily clash prints with stripes by adding pieces with different colors, widths and directions. This makes for an interesting combination which allows you to experiment with clashing prints without being too too out there or without feeling extra self-conscious. This one works well for me and I swear by it! Stripes are my everything! Like I mentioned in a previous post where I mixed florals with stripes…sticking to a similar color palette will allow you to be creative yet pulled together. Having one color that runs throughout the whole outfit is the perfect way to look sassy and extra stylish! It allows you to put yourself out there without saying a word but by letting your clothes do the talking. For the girls who want to get into the door of mixing prints while staying clean, classy and chic…simply go with monochromatic prints. You can mix stripes with houndstooth or geometrics with chevron or even graphic prints with tartans. Get creative and go wild! The possibilities are endless, and this strategy is very much foolproof, because the mixing is subtle yet impactful all at the same time. Last, but by no means least, you got my favorite prints…the animal prints! I love love love animal prints and I know they’re very big this season and so is clashing prints. Many designers like Parda or Saint Laurent are coming out with amazing ideas that you can easily get inspired from. So, this brings me to today’s outfit and I was very doubtful at first about making it work and frankly, I am happy I took a risk and went with it, because I felt very confidant and very me in it. Leopard print holds a special place in my heart and although I do not wear it often, I keep it in the back of my wardrobe for those times I feel like being loud.

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I mixed leopard with plaid…yes! Plaid! I instantly felt alive because my outfit was playful and riotous. I even dared to wear and layer 2 shirts over each other. Crazy? Maybe…but I did it anyway! I paired a vintage shirt that I got given from my mom’s friend with a really old plaid shirt I have in my wardrobe. This shirt traveled with me pretty much everywhere and it’s the shirt that I met my husband in…I am really attached to it, yes, and I am intending on keep it for as long as I can. Then simply added leopard and there, outfit made! Did I overthink it?! Not really! I think the best things in life happen when you don’t overthink them! Just go with it and you’ll see that sometimes, the result is fascinating and rewarding.

WHAT I’M WEARING:

SHIRT: Forever 21 (5 years ago) ● SHIRT: Vintage (gifted) ● PANTS: Zara ● SHOES: Charles & Keith ● WATCH: Marc Jacobs ● JEWLERY: Damas (Gold)

If you still struggle to figure out what goes with what and want to try this trend but don’t  know where to start…then I suggest to go with garments that are already made that way. Meaning, go to Zara or H&M to buy dresses or shirts or pants that are already sewn and made with multi-prints. That will get you started with ease and from there you can test your own limits and knowledge. (Show example). You can even play with the contrast of small and large prints. Like why not try wearing a micro polka dot top with a large polka dot printed skirt or trousers? Trying gets you places!

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