Oh you feel that crispness in the air … Fall is here friends!
And you know what that means: Summer Sales!!!
This outfit cost $20! Reitmans Summer Sales are the greatest!
Yep! It’s your chance to nab some super cute summer stuff on the cheap.
Stay on the lookout for low-cost pieces in jewel tones that can pull a summer wardrobe into fall.
And the perfect opportunity to try and extend these new pieces you acquire into transitioning weather outfits! So checkout my recent summer sale finds and how I’m gonna make them work into Fall….
It’s a TWO piece!!! And the skirt has deep pockets!!!
Winners and Reitmans seem to be my go-to stops for summer sale hunting, especially if I’m in the downtown office.
Purse, old (recently rediscovered it in my closet); Necklace from MyBeadedDesign; Guess Platform sandals, Winners ($29); Matchy top ($10) and skirt ($10) from Reitmans
For cooler Autumn days — simply add tights, trade in open toes for closed toed shoes and a sweater layer in a warm colour, like orange below 😉
Ya’ll know I’m a shopaholic. It would be really easy to blow your fashion budget on buying new clothes for the fall, especially with so many tempting window displays out there right now. (I fell victim to it recently after a simple dental cleaning appointment – if you’re following me on Instagram, then you know what I mean).
But your Fall Tales doesn’t have to buying a completely new wardrobe. By adding richer textures, darker colours and a little added warmth your summer clothes …and you’ll be able to wear ’em well into right into winter!!!
So, what do you think of my Summer Sale, Fall Tale here? You like?
What are some of your tips for transitioning your wardrobe for cooler weather?
Oh man – this past weekend was a fun one! I had the pleasure of celebrating a stagette Salsa style!!!
The Lula Lounge (Dundas W/Duffrin Sts) in Toronto has a number of party packages, which makes celebrating a special event easy-peasy.
A gaggle of us -some more tipsy than others- with flowers in hair and penis-staws in hand …. visit my Instagram for that one friends 😉 … arrived for dinner (any appetizer + any main + any dessert), a beginner salsa lesson and then got to dance the night away to three sets by the live salsa orchestra (with a DJ in between sets.) And before the night was done, we were served up a round of Blushing Bride shooters!!! T.R.O.U.B.L.E. 😀
My Entree: Red Snapper over Polenta, with zucchini-corn-bean salad ~~~~~ My Dessert: Poached Pear. Delish!
Much thought had to be given to outfit choice for the evening. The MOH (matron of honour) assured us that there was no ‘theme’ requirement in the dress-code for the party she had planned, which naturally translated to:
Saturday Night Titty CityAttirewas encouraged and welcomed!!! 😛
I couldn’t find a hot pink hair flower …so feathers had to do 🙂
‘The Girls’, who too often are forced into hiding in an effort of making others more comfortable in their presence, extra precautions always need to be taken to keep them at demure levels of exposure.
But not tonight.
Tonight, “Thelma & Louise” (aka…’The Girls’) were coming out!!! STAND BACK!
All Black Everything – jumpsuit style!!!
The pants are a bit on the long side on my 5’2 bod. So this outfit only really works with a significant heeled shoe.
I picked up these black booties recently – while in search for sandals for my upcoming Asian Adventure – from Payless on sale for $33 and they work perfectly.
Now, I bought this all-black jumpsuit online, from Reitmans, just after Christmas. Buuuuuuut due to the amount of boobage I’ve avoided wearing it much. This one-piece has a sexy deep-v, back tie-up belt and nice broad sleeveless-shoulders to hide a supportive bra – requirement for fast paced salsa dancing.
And….there are pockets!!! Perfect for lip gloss, iPhone, credit card & ID. BOOM!
End of the night outfit shot — bridesmaids came to my hair flower aid 🙂
How I Got The Look: Black jumpsuit fromReitmans;Black booties from Payless; Necklace from SexyPlus Clothing; Earrings from Aldo; Hot pink feathered headband, gifted.
Salsa dancing with the Bride-To-Be + general stagette shenanigans. Fab Fun Saturday Night!
Now I wasn’t always a fan of the plus-sized jumpsuit. For more jumpsuit action on the blog ….click here and here and here.
I’m sick of winter! I’m sick of wearing boots! I’m sick of wearing my winter coat!
I’m sick of winter! And it’s making me moody!
I’ve found that wearing colors … even just a pop of color … often helps boost your mood 🙂
This is why I went with a aqua-teal blue collared shirt to pair with my leopard pencil skirt for spending a day in the office last week.
Yikes! Dunno what happened with my iPhone camera …ignore the white lines on the shirt, camera malfunction 🙂
Layer your shirts, blouses, tops, etc! An outfit can go from blah to amazing by just adding a simple cardigan, jacket, or even a plaid shirt! (Maybe not with leopard. Or then again..hummmmm)
I especially love this open 3/4 sleeved black cardi I picked up from Reitmans a few years ago …cuz there’s a bit of lace along the shoulders and down the front that just adds an extra oomph to anything worn underneath it. Don’t you agree?
How I Got The Look:
Leopard pencil skirt, SexyPlus Clothing (click here and here to see in other looks); Collared shirt, Lane Bryant; Black lace cardi, Reitmans; Jewellery set, Necessities; Black laced cardi , Reitmans; Booties, Nine West Outlet
Never underestimate the power of good accessories. Many a plain outfit has been saved by the addition of a scarf, belt, or piece of jewelry. But try sticking to one focal point accessory. For example, if you’re wearing a big statement necklace, like me in this outfit, keep your earrings small or skip them altogether.
I picked up these baubles last week – you may have already seen them on my Instagram. Are you following me yet? you should 😉
What tricks have you been using to keep warm, cozy and cute during the winter months that help you make the most of your current closet offerings? Tell me about them in the Comments Section below.
Now, that we’re in the depths of January – a pop of hot pink colour is a sure-fire way to lift my mood and spring in my step.
Wore this dress to the office the other day. I simply threw on a warm, extra furry, black and white cowl-neck sweater (a gift I got for Xmas) over top of the dress … belted it … and voila! Winterized and office ready! Boom!
Belts can make everything better. Either a skinny belt over a top, sweater or a sash on a wool coat; having something there to define where your waist is makes you look shapelier. I really am pleased with how it transformed this furry sweater overtop of this dress.
I often pick out my outfits the night before – especially for those days I’m headed into the office. I cannot tell you how many times I used to not bother, then be in a rush in the morning and just put on the first thing I could find in a hurry. With a bit of pre-planning you’ll pick something practical, stylish and feel great, rather than rushing and feeling like a hot mess all day!
Plus it gives you time to pick out your accessories — which I had a habit of running out without when I would pick it out in the morning! I feel naked without earrings and hate looking for the time only to stare at my bare wrist. **grumble grumble**
A little planning the night before is totally worth the effort friends. 😉
How I Got The Look: Acid pink swing dress, AdditionElle; Black n’ white furry sweater, LauraPetites; Sliver buckle belt, Reitmans; Booties, Nine West Outlet
What tricks have you been using to keep warm, cozy and cute during the winter months that help you make the most of your current closet offerings? Tell me about them in the Comments Section below.
We began the week with a special Holiday Double Feature collaboration with Cassie of Style Cassentials yesterday. If you missed our first post, no worries – click here 🙂
Today we’re we focusing on getting Office Party ready for both before & after 5pm!
Before 5pm…
To get through the workday, I chose a black collared shirt with a gold faux belt attachment (Reitmans) to go with my gold & black brocade pencil skirt (Lane Bryant). Keeping the shoes a simple beige pump (Payless) with sheer black hose (Dollarama).
For the party portion of the day, I’d lose the blazer and put on one piece of awesome jewelry: like this amazing black n’ gold statement necklace (SexyPlus Clothing)! Click here and here to see it in other looks.
Jewelry has been the most successful fashion conversation starter at networking events, or so I’ve found. Both women and men feel comfortable complimenting or commenting on a piece of jewelry. It’s considered in the safe zone — Statement Jewellery May Help You Network.
Are you more of an earrings girl? Go For It! You can wear a big bracelet or put that vintage embellished hair clip in your do. Just stick to one eye catching piece of jewelry….try not to over do it.
Now, to elevate my look After 5pm…
I got rid of the collared shirt, and went with the mock-neck peplum top with a sheer peek-a-boo neckline (Forever21+)
I didn’t want to add anything more to the neckline of this top, so I opted for bling’d out earrings instead (Your Big Sister’s Closet)…
I also swapped shoes for these edgy gold spiked pumps (Torrid, click here and here) with a purse to match (Danier Leather, click here) and put my hair up.
Cassie green leopard dress is amazing….! With blazer or without it’s perfect for office party mode, don’t you think? Head over to Style Cassentials for all the details on how Cassie has styled the trends. Or visit her Facebook page here.
Cassie of Style Cassentials
What do you think about these look? What have you worn to your work’s holiday party? Tell me in the comments section…
Your holiday calendar is likely packed with tons of parties and get-togethers over the next couple weeks. You’re gonna need a festive frock or two for this super-social season.
Not to fear friends, me & Cassie of Style Cassentials, are gonna be giving you some inspiration when it comes to outfits, accessories and all that jazz ALL WEEK with our special Holiday Double Feature collaboration!
We’re kicking off the series talking about the classic christmas combo colours of Red and Green 🙂
Photo credit: Val Soo
When I’m feeling festive, it’s hard for me not to over do it with the reds and the greens. For holiday parties, pick one to avoid looking like a christmas ornament 🙂
This green fanny midi skirt is pretty great – so great in fact, that I even bought it in a wine red too! Click here to see that. To make it holiday and winter ready I paired it up with a simple black sweater and jazzed it up with jewellery.
Photo credit: Val Soo
The details on the neckline and arms of this black sweater were really pretty, and to draw attention to them I kept the jewellery minimal & matching in a deep red-gold combo to give my overall outfit the festive feeling I was after.
How I Got The Look: Fanny midi skirt from Tatyana Boutique; Black sweater from Reitmans; Maryjane shoes from NineWest; Purse from Danier Leather; Red cuff and necklace from Celo, Gold on red belt from Fashion Crimes
Photo credit: Val Soo
I wore this outfit (slightly modified) recently, to Your Big Sister’s Closet store’s holiday bash — since it was a mild evening I wore a simple black corp top (Forever21+, click here), my faux fur bag (Aldo, click here) and black suede booties (Nine West, click here) instead.
While I went green, Cassie did the opposite showcasing a red dress with sheer panel at the hem of the skirt, with green nail polish to add to her festive look. Her crisp white blazer can take this look to the office …and beyond! Head over to Style Cassentials for all the details on how Cassie has styled her holiday look below. Or visit her Facebook page here. 🙂
Cassie of Style Cassentials
What do you think about these looks? How are you going to be rocking the festive red & green this holiday season? Tell me in the comments section…
Stay tuned tomorrow as we continue with this special HolidayDoubleFeatureCollaboration!!!!
Ok…the holiday season is upon us and I’m sure you’ve got 101 places to be as invitations start filling up your calendar. I aim to write not only about What I Wore …. but rather What I Did while wearing it.
So get ready for a flurry of Holiday Happening posts from me throughout the month of December friends 🙂
One of the first invitations was to a Vintage Cookie Exchange!
If you’ve been following the blog, you know that there is a group of special friends in my life from all my involvement with the Toronto Vintage Society. Among them are the crafty, kitchy, artsy, put-Martha-Stewart-to-shame few who’ve really helped me expand and discover new skills I never knew I had. And this invitation was one of those moments of discovery!!!!
The Mission: Bake 8 dozen holiday inspired cookies to give away to the others who were coming to this shindig, plus a few to be plated, shared and enjoyed at the party.
Now, for a chick (moi) who doesn’t bake, my immediate thoughts were …. DUN DUN DUNNNNN…Run Away! Run Away! in a Monty Python spirited way.
But then I bought this amazing fanny midi skirt, which would be perfect for the get-to-gether …and so I decided I’d make an effort by trying my hand at baking! 😉
I picked up this lovely skirt from Tatyana Boutique’s newest location on West Queen West during their BOGO deal. Yup – Buy One, Get One FREE!!! Naturally I had to scoop up this midi in both colours: wine and green. Needless to say that these two skirts will be making multiple appearances over the holidays (stay tuned to the blog for that!) 🙂
Best part about these skirts: THE POCKETS!! Perfect for iPhone, cab fare and lip gloss … you know, the essentials!
In an effort to step my up holiday glam, I decided to wear festive accessories like my gold xmas bows set I picked up from Target a few years ago. Still kicking myself for not picking them up in the other metallic xmas colours they had at the time. Sigh…
How I Got The Look: Black n’ white polka dot 3/4 length top from Reitmans; Fanny midi skirt from Tatyana Boutique; Xmas bows accessory set from Target; and shoes were thrifted
Outfit Photo Credit: Val Soo
As for my baking effort and contribution … I’ve been told that peanut butter cookies are the easiest of all the cookies to make. And with the help of Pintrest, I found the following recipe and added my own holiday twist and TRIPLED it!
Ingredients (needed for approx 3doz cookies):
1/2 c. butter (unsalted is best, but salted works fine)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Un-wrapped Hershey Kisses, 1 for each cookie
I’ve even documented my efforts step-by-step for y’all 🙂
Step 1: In the bowl cream together butter, both sugars and peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla. Step 2: Then combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Add flour mix to butter mix. Step 3: Refrigerate dough in bowl for 30 minutes.Step 4: While dough is in fridge, preheat oven to 375C, line your cookie sheets and unwrap all your Hershey’s Kisses. I went with Hugs instead…the swirls looked more ‘holiday-like’ 🙂Step 5: Form into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.Step 6: Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are just a little brown.Step 7: Discard all the burnt ones – lol. This was my very first batch…seems the recommended use of parchment paper was of critical importance. Sigh…Step 8: Remove from oven, and press a Kiss/Hug into each cookie. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then move cookies to cooling racks (or plate).Step 9: Put a dozen of them into individual festive baggies to give away at your Vintage Holiday Cookie Exchange! I call these cookies: Christmas Hugs!!Step 10: Become Cookie Monsters with your cookie baking friends and eat as many as you can in a violently horrific manner!! #nomnomnom
This was my first cookie exchange ever – first time baking cookies ever, in fact. And with relatively little work and preparation I’m now am able to offer a variety of lovely baked goods to family & friends at upcoming holiday festivities and gifting. HAZZA! 🙂
Between all the shopping, parties, wrapping, decorating, and travel this time of year, most of us would put “more time” as the number one item on our holiday wish lists. So this year, why not kill two turtledoves with one stone by hosting a cookie exchange party?
I have to say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised by all the sale items in Reitmans these days. My entire outfit (minus the accessories) in this post has been assembled from the pieces I’ve picked up at from their Clearance Sale racks.
The easiest way to make your Summer pieces more Fall appropriate isn’t to ditch them altogether, but to come up with new ways to wear them.
Mark downs were as follows:
‘Love’ sweater $19 …. Black n’ White striped maxi skirt $19 ….Wine moto jacket $59
I picked up this wine moto jacket, that your advice PPMeow readers, when it was on sale (at $75). Buuuuut it was further reduced upon my last visit, and I managed to get a price adjustment for the difference. BOOM!
Aren’t these socks great!! They were birthday prezzies – pink owls – aren’t they a “Hoot” 😉
How I Got the Look: All clothing from Reitmans;Red leopard circle scarf from AdditionElle;Michael Kors bracelet watch; Suede booties from Nine West + Gloves from Danier Leather + Faux Fur purse from Aldo Accessories (click here for details on these three items)
I wore this outfit on a mid-week date night.
I’m really diggin’ this maxi skirt with the high side-slit… Casual yet sexy at the same time….to show off my legs. I love my legs! 😉
If you haven’t gone to Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Putt….you need to get to there! Sooooo much fun!
Sadly, I lost by one stroke. Meh … I let him win 😉
Ok friends….seems like Fall came and went in a blink of an eye and we’ve already been thrown into Winter weather. I thought before we start focusing on winter wear, we’d take a look at some of the trending colours and vibes in Fall fashion on the blog.
Here’s a roundup of a few I personally have embraced over the last few months of blogposts. Each image is linked to this individual post, just click on it for more details on the look 🙂
The Classic Combo: Black n’ WhiteAcid PinkBlue Hues
Fall (and Winter) is perfect for ‘Sweater Weather’ …. so here are a few looks incorporating just that – sweater glamour:
Sweater Dress GlamourSporty ChicTransition Summer into Fall with sweater love
The big patterns I noticed and loved the most this Fall have been BLOOMS ON BLACK and PLAID!
Blooms on BlackMad for Plaid IMad for Plaid IIMad for Plaid III
and last, but not least….is LEATHER!! It was everywhere:
Loving the leather at the hems and shoulders of this Newsprint Navy frockWarming up my leather moto with a black n’ white plaid ponchoWearing a leather jacket as a blazer to take a jumpsuit to the officeLeatherette panels and collar for some edgy office wearAdding leather to dark florals
And of course a combination of everything above to transition a maxi skirt for sweater weather and leather — a little teaser of an upcoming blogpost friends 😉
Transitioning Maxi into Fall/Winter wear
Waddya think of this Farewell to Fall roundup? Think there’s potential to take some well into the Winter months too.
Any stand out as your personal favourites? Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts!
I’ve been doing my very best to avoid wearing ‘wintery’ things just yet, avoiding bulky sweaters and a giant winter coat at all costs.
That’s why I really loved this two-toned, short-sleeved, light-weight polka-dotted sweater from Reitmans. I love me some colour, so I decided to go with bright bottoms and bright jewellery, keeping my shoes simple.
I finally got myself a haircut – waddya think of my new do?
These pics aren’t the best to show it off…as sadly the new cut went right into a furry hat, as it was quite cold this evening.
Since us Torontonians will have to endure Winter for, what will feel like 8-months of the year, I’m avoid wearing a proper winter coat for as long as I possibly can. I went for this double-breasted button herringbone jacket instead. For other looks in this jacket click here.
I also got to unveil my new leather gloves I picked up from the Danier Leather Friends n’ Family sale. Mixing in expensive pieces with non-expensive pieces, to give me an overall sophisticated, business casual look.
Waddya think of this combo?
How I Got The Look:
Fuchsia pants from Old Navy; Polka-dot sweater from Reitmans; Fur bag from Aldo Accessories; Shoes from Rockport; Statement necklace & earrings from LOFT; Gloves from Danier Leather; Jacket from Forever21+; Michael Kors bracelet watch; Beige scarf from Winners; Fur hat…sorry friends, I don’t remember
And the perfect opportunity to try and extend these new pieces you acquire into transitioning weather outfits! So checkout my recent summer sale finds and how I’m gonna make them work into Fall….
PPMeow! 
