I am slightly late in the game with this article that was released in September about Vancouver fashion.  To sum it up, MSN Travel listed the top 10 worst dressed cities in America and threw in some international and Canadian cities for good measure.  Vancouver ranked as the 3rd worst dressed city in the world because of our affinity for yoga pants.  To my horror, the Jersey Shore (10) ranked as better dressed than Vancouver.  I cannot believe that Jersey Shore Oompa Loompas ranked higher than Vancouverites.  But I digress…

If a casual approach to style makes Vancouver the worst dressed city, then yes, Vancouver’s fashion style is not so hot.  For one thing, the fact that I have been told many times by Vancouverites that I am one of the best dressed people they know is telling.  I am absolutely NOT the best dressed person, not by a long shot, but by Vancouver standards, the effort I put in certainly stands out.

How much effort do I put in?  Well, when I look at my closet, I always ask myself one question…what would my European Nana do?  She taught me to always dress with the expectation of running into someone I know (picturing an ex is good motivation!) and to always put in effort when going out to meet people because they will appreciate it. It also makes you feel good, which makes you look even better.

Would Nana appreciate the comfort of yoga pants?  No, since she doesn’t understand what the word “comfort” means.  She is the person who wore her high heels when she sprained her ankle, because it was more “comfortable” that way.  Yeah, she’s  awesome.

My question to yoga pant enthusiasts is: If you lived in Paris, would you go to a café to meet up with friends in yoga pants after working out?  Ummm, I don’t think so.  Since Vancouver isn’t Paris (who am I kidding?!?!), do take a page out of Nana’s style and filter your yoga style: don’t wear your yoga pants to work (unless you are paid to do so), with heels of any kind, or to establishments where you hope to meet anyone of substance.  Harsh?  Well, that’s my Nana.

In all honesty, who really cares what MSN Travel says about Vancouver style.  So long as you are happy and, perhaps, comfortable (sorry Nana), does it really matter how the world perceives your style?  Not really, but I might judge you a teensy bit when I see you at the pub in Lulu’s — I do write a fashion blog after all.

I love me some leggings, tunics, and tall boots.  This year, however, I have begun to covet the boyfriend sweater look.  It took me a while to embrace the baggy look as I am no stick insect (ie I have hips and boobs), but I found this adorable rugby style sweater at Mango in Montreal and paired it with my pencil leg, dark wash, J Brand jeans (from the Holts outlet in Toronto), and finished the look with a long gold necklace and tall boots.  I have to say, I killed that look!

Tips for pulling off the bf sweater look:

1. On the bottom wear skinny jeans or thick leggings
2. Pair your pants with pumps, tall boots, or cute little booties
3. Finish the look with a long necklace (I am loving gold these days) — especially nice for those with a bust as it can prevent the sweater from bagging out too much from the chest area to the tummy

 Image courtesy of Mango.com

With Christmas around the corner, we’re all pinching our pennies to save up for that ever important New Year’s Eve dress.  This year is especially important for me as I have a wedding to attend!

In the summertime, I blogged about a DVF dress I found for $90 at Bloomingdale’s in Chicago.  While I was there, I ventured to my favourite dress designer’s department — Nanette Lepore.  I discovered an amazing dress that afternoon, the Darjeeling Dress by Nanette Lepore.  It was gorgeous, what dream dresses are made of: silk, intricate beading, and a big price tag ($378).  As you know, the DVF came home with me but the Darjeeling did not.

M
y birthday was in November and I decided to see if the Darjeeling Dress was available on eBay.  Oh it was and for only for $125.  With shipping it came to $150 and arrived within 2 weeks from Australia.  FABULOUS.  My poor DVF dress will have to wait until the following weekend when I celebrate a BFF’s 30th birthday as Miss.  Darjeeling will be worn NYE 2011.

Greetings from Montreal my lovely fashion followers.  I must apologize for being so quiet on the blog front lately, I have been very busy with my other non-fashion related job.  But I finally have some free-time today to report on fall trends!

In observing Montreal street style, I am happy to report that over the knee (OTK) boots are still all the rage.  Especially flat OTK boots.  Girls look more like Robin Hood than Heidi Fleiss in the flat OTK’s. 

What this means for my West Coast fashion followers is that OTK boots will be around until at least Fall 2011!  Those of you that jumped on the trend last year, you were on the money and are echoing current Montreal street style.

Work Style Tips:

• Stick with flats or very low heels
• Wear tights or leggings in the same colour as the boots (ie black with black, grey with grey, or patterns in the same colour palette)
• Pair with skirts or dresses that hit right at the knee — be classy not trashy
• Avoid butt baring mini’s (you should always do this at work, in fact!)
• Rock them with Jeggings as these tuck in nicely – only if you are permitted to wear jeans at work
• Keep your neckline high so the eye is drawn to the boots
• Limit accessories since the boots are the showcase of this outfit

I love the below STRAZZA over the knee boots from Aldo (a Montreal based company!).  They’re affordable ($69), work appropriate and uber CUTE!

I’ll try and post some Montreal street style pics this weekend.  It will require stalking fashionable women…one of my favourite past times. 

Some might say my personal style is fairly conservative yet classic.  I like chic styles that will last for years to come and don’t easily give in to short lived trends.  However, like my mother, I admit to having a weakness for sparkles — yep, it’s true.

Lucky for me, sparkles are BIG for Fall 2010.  I recently purchased a super cute sequined tank at Target for $17.99 (pictured at left) that looked fab with indigo skinny jeans and my boyfriend blazer. The key is to wear a sequined top with simple accessories that add to the outfit rather than compete with it.

Earlier this year, I discovered the below Kate Spade glitter bow slingbacks on the Neiman Marcus website.  Yeah, they’re expensive ($325) but so cute!  These slingbacks would be super adorable paired with a brightly coloured dress–like magenta!

The shoes defo wouldn’t compliment a sparkly top like the one above, but would be a gorgeous accent to a simple dress.  They also aren’t everyday shoes…save them for a special sparkle worthy occasion!  I wish these lovely Kate Spade’s were in my closet…I guess I’ll wait for the $17 knock-off to arrive at Target.

Go ahead and get glittered for Fall 2010.

Earlier this year, I wrote about the latest Euro trend, Jeggings.  Well, ladies and gentlemen, they have arrived in North America and I have succumbed to the fashion pressure.

When it comes to trends, I don’t like to invest my hard earned money.  Target to the rescue with $19.99 Jeggings by Mossimo.

The crappy thing about jeggings is that they are so super tight that your thighs and bum can appear much larger than they actually are.  This is why I opted for a dark rinse without that thigh-enhancing feathering.  I will also only pair my jeggings with bum-covering tunics.

Because jeggings are so tight around the ankle they slip right into your boots without causing that annoying bunching at the knees — which was the selling point for me.  I’ll wait until its cooler out to rock my jeggings like my regular leggings, with knee high boots to even up that darn thigh/calf ratio.

Be cautious with this trend and only dive in if you are comfortable rocking them.  Trends come and go so $19.99 is the right price to invest in jeggings.

As I mentioned on Monday, all hail the return of the timeless lady.  Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2010 collection is magnificent.  I loved everything about it and can’t wait for the looks to trickle into the mainstream.

I can definitely see the hemlines lengthening and becoming fuller in the coming seasons with fitted tops balancing the look.  Because I die for shoes and bags, my breathe was taken away when I spied the shoes rounding out the timeless LV looks.

If I could justify the $815 and buy these LV shoes I would never take them off .  I can see the headlines now, tragic car accident caused by silly girl staring at her new LV shoes moving up and down on the gas pedal instead of the road.  Really, it’s not suffering from insanity if you’re loving every minute of it.

Check out the show for yourself:

The September Issue has arrived!  My Vogue was so large this year it wouldn’t squeeze into my mailbox so I had to pick it up at the Post Office!  I was ecstatic to lose myself in the many pages.

Of course all the Fall trends were laid out in February during New York and Paris Fashion Weeks but they are now hitting the stores–which couldn’t excite me more!

Among all the lists of Fall Trends, here are a couple of my faves…

1. Cashmere Crewneck

It’s a basic item that can be worn under a tweed blazer, or worn on its own with a crisp, white shirt underneath.

Of course cashmere is the costly investment choice, but there are lovely blends like this J.Crew Cambridge Cable crewneck for $74.

2. Full Skirts

Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton suitably channeled his inner Donald Draper for his fall collection.  Watch for full skirts, paired with low cut bustier style tops that emphasize voluptuous curves.

Also, the elegant pointed-toe shoes with retro block heel and oversized bow are simply to die for.  All hail the return of the timeless lady!

3. Sequined Cardigans

Last night I was out for dinner and saw a girl totally rocking a sparkly cardi…she looked amazing.

Marc Jacobs RTW Fall show unveiled the sparkly cardi in February but I really like this Steph Sequined Cascade Cardi by Alice + Olivia.  Yeah, it’s pricey ($495), but I am sure you can find a cheaper version at Forever 21 or H&M.

More fall reports to come…

There are few things in life that I love more than my dog, Scout.  My find last month in Chicago definitely made me forget about my dog for an entire afternoon: DVF, Bloomingdales, and a massive end-of summer sale!

I couldn’t believe my dumbluck when I beheld a black silk, DVF dress in my size, for $90 reduced from $365 at Bloomingdales.  I was nervous the shopgirl was going to tell me it was a mistake when I went to pay.

Diane von Furstenberg without a doubt designs the most flattering dresses for women.  Oh and she’s also a Princess, but hey who isn’t?

When DVF married Prince Egon of Fürstenberg in 1969, she decided to make a name for herself by developing her career as a designer.  In the early 70′s, she designed the iconic knitted wrap dress which has been a staple in women’s closets ever since.  Based on her success in the 70′s, DVF moved into all facets of fashion designing everything from sunglasses to handbags to couture ball gowns.

As you can probably tell, finding a DVF dress for under $100 in your size at Bloomingdales is like when Planet Earth captured the elusive snow leopard in Pakistan on film…you can spend 6 weeks looking, but sometimes dumbluck is all you need!

DVF at home in Conneticut

Images Courtesy of Bloomingdales and Town and Country

I love hand bags.  I mean, I seriously L-O-V-E them.  In fact, I once told my fab carpool buddy that if I could, I would drape myself in bags and wear nothing else.

Well ladies and gentlemen, thanks to Paris Couture week and Maison Martin Margiela, my dream has been realised!  My only question: Why are there two looks when you should clearly pair the clutches as trousers and braided handles as a top TOGETHER!!!

Before you decide to stop reading my blog, I am of course kidding.  But I still love the idea of draping myself in all of my gorgeous purses.

Images courtesy of Go Fug on New York Fashion