Lifestyle: June 2009 Archives

CELEBRITY STYLE - GET THE LOOK: CAMERON DIAZ

[photo courtesy of PR Photos]

At the premiere of the sure-to-make-you-weep My Sister's Keeper, Cameron Diaz brought her effortless chic style to the red carpet. Her asymmetrical J.Mendel cocktail dress stole the show from her younger costars, as flashbulbs couldn't get enough of this California beauty.

Want to dazzle in white this summer? Here's how.

Jay Godfrey Dress: Pink Mascara - $394.00* (4% cashback)

Valentino Garavani heels: YOOX.com - $275.00 (4% cashback)

Inge Christopher clutch: eBags.com - $195.00 (5% cashback)

Marcia Moran gold-plated bracelets: Fashion Chateau - $92.00 (3% cashback)

Karibou Clear Crystal Cushion Ring: Max & Chloe - $120 (6% cashback)

The little white dress is a fresh and just-as-versatile alternative to the little black one. Take a cue from Cameron and accessorize with metallic accents. Be an honorary member of Charlie's Angels and kick butt in a little one-shouldered number that will have exes (Yes, we're looking at you, Justin Timberlake) wondering why they ever walked away.

The above stores are all found at The Brands Club. Shop Apparel for Pink Mascara and YOOX.com, Shoes & Handbags for eBags.com, and Luxury & Fashion for Fashion Chateau and Max&Chloe. Members receive cashback on their purchases, so if you're not a member, join today for free. And be sure to share your shopping secrets with your gal pals. Cameron would.

 *Prices were accurate at time of posting. Prices and availability subject to change.

ACCESSORIES - WHAT TO WEAR FOR FALL 2009

Candy Pratt Price from Style.com, gives us a quick run through for the best shoes, bags, colors and shapes for fall 2009 in her Accessory report.

                      

The BIG look in accessories for Fall:

- Big Shoulders in jackets, coats, even dresses

- Shoe Boots in skins, strong colors

- Geranium Color shown prominently by many designers

- Metalics for Fashion jewelry and in purses

- Brand as Investment - Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga strongest for fall

- Big , multi jeweled necklaces - continuation of the bib style from spring

- Small clutches - bejeweled, feathered, multi hued, "skins"

Candy's cartoon avatar with a slightly "New York" accent, has a sense of humour as well.

She warns about the trend for over the knee high boots potentially looking like a blood pressure test if not worn by the certain type of leg. One needs a slim ankle and calf!

 

Product photos from pinkmascara.com @ the brands club mall. Members receive 4% cashback at the store. Join for Free here.

CANADA STYLE : TORONTO PRIDE PARADE AND FASHIONS

A Michael Jackson tribute at Toronto's Gay Pride Parade this afternoon.                    

As if on cue, the hottest accessory right now is the FEDORA hat in straw and felt on both men and women. Colors seen most often: white, pale blue and black.                                 

  What's a PARADE without a float? Gay Pride Float at its finest!         

 Holt Renfrew's tribute to style bloggers. This window is T.O's own Tommy Ton !                    

HUGE trend seen all over town? A messenger bag carried by men. Mostly seen carried across the body, but some male fashionistas carry it as a purse.                                          

                           

FASHION NEWS: "THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE" VOGUE DOCUMENTARY

 

It seems that Anna Wintour has another hit on her hands.This time it's not the Vogue magazine of which she has been at the helm as editor-in-chief for over 20 years, but it's the documentary about putting together the most important fashion issue of the year and a 'slice of life' look at what really happens inside the fashion magazine world. "The September Issue".

It is amazing that the usually very private Ms.Wintour has been so candid  in her recent public interviews and now this film where she is referred to "as the single most important person in the 300 billion dollar fashion industry".

Could it be the fact that the dreaded competition, Elle magazine is doing better on the add revenue?

The Telegraph in the U.K. speculates that this film is meant to be her legacy:

"Some have suggested that this may be Wintour's last year as Editor-in-Chief at American Vogue; the September Issue would certainly serve as a supreme act of self-commemoration. But, for a documentary about fashion, there is a surprising poignancy to it. On the surface Wintour may seem ice cool, but her demeanour is underpinned by a deep insecurity. She says that "people are frightened of fashion - because it scares them they put it down. They mock it because they are not part of it." Her siblings all have serious jobs - one of her brothers is the political editor of the Guardian - and she thinks that "they are very amused by what I do." She looks pretty grim-faced as she says this."

Meanwhile the New York Post believes it all has to do with her vying for a job as an ambassador :

"ANNA Wintour hasn't given up on her dream of becoming an ambassador just yet. The Vogue editrix, who's been on a publicity tour lately, was seen wooing White House social secretary Desiree Rogers at the Monkey Bar last week.

That makes sense to us, if you knew you were going to be out of a job soon, wouldn't you start looking for a new one?

In any case you can be sure we will be first in line to see the film as soon as it's released in September 2009.

SHOPPING REVIEW: YOOX@ THE BRANDS CLUB -HANDBAGS

Simply had to pull away from the TV and MJ. To cheer up, we engaged in some online shopping therapy. Since Yoox was having a huge sale, it seemed like the perfect place to go bag spotting. Here were some of our picks, check them out ( roll over picture for description):

 

                                 

 

                               

 

                               

As we said above, the sale is a good one, all of the above bags up to 50% off AND of course members of The Brands Club ( the online fashion mall where you can find Yoox.com and over 300 other stores) receive an additional 4% cashback in addition to any sales you find. So if for some reason you are not yet a member, then RUN ( ok just click) and JOIN FOR FREE. 

FASHION NEWS: SEX AND THE CITY STYLIST REFUSES RECESSION

OK. At which point does life start to imitate art imitating life? And more importantly at which point does it all get to be a bit much?

Latest news on Patricia Field the stylist who created the whimsical and often groundbreaking looks for Carrie Bradshaw on Sex And The City t.v show,is that she may not be participating in the new sequel.

The reason? Carrie, oops we mean Sarah Jessica Parker, yes the real woman, NOT the fictional character, wants the styles for the new sequel to reflect the state of the economy and the new chiconomic reality. Patricia does not. In fact she told Gracia magazine "'I don't use the recession as a reference for my creativity'.

We can go on about fantasy, fashion, reality, fictional characters, and not mixing those up...but frankly since we didn't know to call the post Celebrity News, Celebrity Fashion or Fashion news in the first place, we decided to keep quiet...

FASHION NEWS: JENNIFER LOPEZ CALLS IT QUITS

Seemingly against the trend where every celebrity and their grandmother has jumped on the "designer" bandwagon, Jennifer Lopez is pulling out of the clothing business in the U.S. At least temporarily.

She is closing her fashion line called Sweetface, which sells contemporary sportswear. The brand was sold in the U.S. for six years and the last collection was for Spring, 2009.
"In light of some new company strategies, we have decided to put the Sweetface line on hiatus while we prepare to reintroduce the brand in the near future with new messaging points and an entirely new fashion point of view," the company said Tuesday.

Jennifer was one of the first celebrities to get into the fashion design business with her JLO brand in 2001. She  still retains her JLO by Jennifer Lopez branded costume jewelry, which Macy's continues to carry, and the Victoria's Secret catalogue carries the brand's shoe collection. Each of those are produced under licensing agreements. The company also continues to do well with fragrances; there have been six scents launched with Coty Inc. to date, and a seventh is due to be introduced later this year.

JLO by Jennifer Lopez junior business was closed in the U.S. in 2007. The collection was distributed outside of the States where the brand continues to perform well.

CELEBRITY STYLE - GET THE LOOK: JAYDE NICOLE

We were planning to do a "GET THE LOOK" for Lady Gaga's exploding corset at the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto but decided to stick to something simpler...

Playboy Playmate-turned-reality-TV-star Jayde Nicole turned heads in her black lace cocktail dress. Known to fans of The Hills as Brody Jenner's hot girlfriend, this Canadian girl-of-the-moment certainly demanded attention on the red carpet close to home.

 

[photo courtesy of PR Photos]

It's about time someone took the spotlight away from Heidi and Spencer!

Want to make her fun-yet-demure party look your own? Get the look:

Baby Phat heels: Heels.com - $79.99 (9% cashback)

Glass brooch: YOOX.com - $185.00 (4% cashback)

Conair Instant Heat Curling Iron: Drugstore.com - $19.03 CAD (6% cashback) 

Make the look uniquely yours with a glass brooch rather than a fabric bloom. Toss your long curls over your shoulder, show off your pedicure in strappy heels, and get ready to hit the bigtime.

Take it from us: Jayde Nicole is the one to watch. She's making sure of it.

Shop The Brands Club for this look and more. Members receive cashback on their purchases. Not a member? Join today for free. Canadian girls, make us proud with that style!

 

*All prices were accurate at the time of posting. Prices and availability subject to change. 

CANADA STYLE FASHION NEWS: HOLT RENFREW TRIBUTE TO STYLE BLOGGERS

It seems that we are talking a lot about Holt Renfew lately and with good merit to boot. Mostly it's about the fabulous fashion finds we find on sale at Canada's preeminent fashion department store, but this time it's to report on a rather daring and innovative initiative. According to WWD, Holts is recognizing the contribution style bloggers make to the greater fashion news community by dedicating an exhibition of store windows to some of them:

BLOGGER WINDOWS:

Holt Renfrew is the latest fashion player to catch social media fever. The Canadian department store chain is preparing a series of blogger-inspired window displays for nine stores, including the Toronto and Vancouver flagships.

Due to be unveiled Friday, the windows will salute high-profile names in the fashion blogosphere, notably The Sartorialist's Scott Schuman, Bryanboy, Tommy Ton (Jak & Jil) and 17-year-old Texan Jane Aldridge (Sea of Shoes). Engineered by Holt Renfrew's creative director John Gerhardt -- and apparently with no direct input from the bloggers themselves -- the windows will include captures from the blogs and possibly mannequins dressed as the bloggers. The windows won't be the first retail hookups for Schuman and Ton. In 2006, Schuman inspired a similar visual merchandising project at Saks Fifth Avenue and he has shot advertising campaigns for DKNY Jeans and Australia's SABA chain, while Ton recently shot a campaign for Hong Kong's Lane Crawford.

And retail isn't the only industry courting fashion bloggers. Last Thursday, in a temporary art gallery in Munich, Absolut Vodka unveiled "Visions in an Absolut World," an exhibition of 121 artworks created by 11 bloggers -- including Bryanboy, The Cobrasnake, Facehunter and Les Mads.

Congratulations to the featured fellow style bloggers and thank you to Holt Renfrew for recognizing their contribution!

READER QUESTIONS- TOP LUXURY PIECES TO BUY NOW?

Stephanie from Calgary, Alberta asks:

I have been reading a lot that this is the right time to invest in collectible and classic luxury pieces and accessories. Which would you recommend and why?

 

Hi Stephanie,

 Most authorities on luxury goods such as Forbes, Womens Wear Daily and numerous fashion magazines and sites are all indeed saying this is NOT the time to spend your money on trendy clothes and accessories. Fads come and go but there are certain fashion items whose design and style rarely changes and thus they remain timeless and elegant.  The pieces most recommended are the following classics:

 Burberry trench      -  To the knee in khaki or black

Chanel purse 2.55   - Flap over with gold or silver buckles and chain

Birkin                      - Hermes most coveted bag

Cartier watch           -Tank style

Chanel Suit              -White with black details remains the most classic

Tiffany ring              - Tiffany engagement ring in a style of your choice

The above items have been around  for up to 70 years and have remained relatively unchanged .They hold their value better than most other luxury clothing and accessories and if taken care of, can be passed on to the next generation and still be considered valuable and desirable.

You should also look for some of those pieces on SALE. Some people think that the above brands never go on sale, but they do. Very often discreetly. These sales are rarely or never advertised or advertised with a small sign in the store itself. Check in at your favorite store and ask the sales assistant to give you a call when the sale starts . Of course some of the best designer bargains are on the web and you should look for designer sales online.

Here is a video on how a Birkin Bag is made and why it is so valuable: 

 

 

Dear readers we welcome your questions . Please write to us : editor@canadastyleblog.com

FATHER'S DAY BOOSTS CANADIAN SALES!

Happy Father's Day.Hope you had a great one! We spent the day running around, brunching with kids and their dad, calling own dad and later settled down for a relaxing afternoon in the backyard where offers to cook dinner for Dad were dismissed with " I'm the barbeque king". So Life is good and apparently getting better at the retail level as well.

Since we left everything to the last minute and thus missed the shopping online deadlines, yesterday was a mad dash to a busy mall. All I can say the name "Human Jungle" could not be a more fitting term! It was a mad house. In the men's section of one of our favorite Canadian high end department stores, Holt Renfrew,the lign up at the numerous cash registers took up to 20 minutes. Our impromptu conversation with Mark the sales guy, went something like this:

Us:    Wow, recession ? What recession? You'd think they were giving the stuff away.

Mark: Since we started the 40% off sale on designer wear it's been busy, but today it's insane. I would say it has been steady in terms of sales for a few months now. When the store puts on a special event, people come out and shop.

Us:    What are they buying for the most part?

Mark: I found that there are a lot of people looking for designer wear on sale . Just look at the sale bins with dress shirts, we filled them this morning and now they are mostly gone. Also for father's day, it's been a run on ties. There are some very good deals around.

Deals they were indeed! We scored a pin stripe fitted ETRO dress shirt , a silk purple, navy and pink graphic print DUCHAMP tie and a pair of men's black PRADA casual lace up shoes with arch support. All at 40 to 50% off.

( Of course we then figured since we saved a bundle, it was time to stock up on soft 100% casual cardigans and tank tops in delicious sorbet colors at ZARA and at $10.00 and $20 -30.00 a piece it really would have been a shame not too..)

 

FASHION NEWS : "ONE DRESS" - MANY STYLES

Designer Malcom Harris for the brand Mal Sirrah has created an innovative new outfit/dress. The dress is actually called " One Dress" and can be fashioned into many styles. This would be a great travel dress which the wearer can re-create each day into some new and fun outfit. Take a look:

 

 

According to the New York Times,the dress has caught the eye of a celebrity recently. In fact THE celebrity, Angelina Jolie. Both she and Malcolm are participating in World Refugee Day on Saturday and she had called him to buy 3 dresses. Malcolm is donating part of the proceeds to the charity. In any case the designer didn't believe it was really Angelina on the phone and hung up on her twice.When she did finally manage to convince him that it was really her, he was very flattered! 

No kidding, who wouldn't be! 

FASHION TREND - PLASTIC SHOES

Yes, you read it correctly ! And before you guess that I'm talking about the super comfy and very ugly crocs, I can tell you that indeed I'm talking about crocs but in a new and fashionable incarnation and the growing popularity of flip flops. Vancouver sun article says lots of shoe designers are embracing plastic :

                

LOS ANGELES - STYLE , SHOPPING AND HOT SPOTS

We are  back from Los Angeles having spent time in checking out all the hot spots and absorbing the scene and the scenesters. Here is what we saw:

The fashion day style on the 20 to 30 crowd:

Skinny jeans with gladiator or thong sandals or wedge heels, short skirts, loose t-shirts or long sleeved t's. Also popular were flip flops, empire waisted sundresses, floral prints and yoga/workout apparel worn as day wear.

30 and over crowd were more formally dressed: 

The same skinny jeans would be worn with a nice jacket and a designer bag. Bags for the most part remain oversize as are the sunglasses.

Friday afternoon lunch at the storied POLO Lounge in Beverly Hills Hotel, saw everything from formal jacket and tie ensembles for the men to smart Chanel style suits on the ladies.

Morgan Fairchild ( looking ageless and beautiful, with nary a blond hair out of place) wore jeans with a pink long sleeved t-shirt. Her one of a kind Bottega Venetta bag lay casually sprawled on the brick tiled floor by her feet.

 photo:POLO Lounge at Beverly Hills Hotel June 12, 2009

In the evening all of LA were dressed up:

At the Bazaar restaurant, one of the new hot spots in LA located at the SLS hotel we saw lots of short pretty dresses, very high heels with skinny pants. At Cecconi, the movie mogul crowd wore designer maxi dresses, fitted mini dresses, white pants with florals and most men wore jackets with no ties. At the trendy Skybar at the Modrian Hotel, the mostly 20 to 30 crowd wore jeans, with very high heels for the girls and with fancy sneakers for the guys. Super short mini dresses remained de rigueur. 

FASHION NEWS: DOLCE & GABBANA CUTTING PRICES

Dolce & Gabbana, one of the top fashion brands and Madonna favorites, are hoping to urge in a new retail pricing revolution by lowering prices. They will be lowering their own retail prices up to 20%. Here is what they had to say in Womens Wear Daily:

"This crisis has two key aspects: it's international and social. The first thing people say these days when they walk into a store is, 'Nice, but how much?'" noted Gabbana, wearing a white shirt, frayed khaki Bermuda shorts and Crocs sandals. "In this moment of uncertainty, people spend more willingly on travel or spas rather than on a new dress. We want to work for the final consumer."

To obtain the price cuts, the designers talked their suppliers and manufacturers into a collective, cost-efficient approach across the entire supply chain. And everyone, from button suppliers to mills to manufacturers, is doing their part, stressed the designers. In addition, the designers' usual selection of hundreds of fabrics was dropped to dozens that will be served up in a more far-ranging palette, while constructions will be simpler. For example, Dolce and Gabbana worked hard to develop alternative stitching techniques that are innovative, but reduce manufacturing costs.

Dolce compared the process to the resetting of a computer or a cleanup act without wiping the slate entirely clean. "The idea is to peel off the superfluous because there are too many clothes, too many seasons, too much advertising -- too much of everything that is tacked onto the final price. We want to go back to how things were 20 years ago. It's about drawing the line," he said.

Gabbana doesn't believe customers will feel betrayed or taken for a ride by having paid more in the past. "Our goal is the consumer and to keep the thousands of people that work for us," he said. Added Dolce, "This is the only way to save the market and our companies. It's time to turn the page."

The strategy makes a lot of sense. The more affordable prices will allow for less drastic discounting of the fashions by retailers, thus helping to preserve brand value. D&G , I like your clothes and your business sense.

You can already get some great deals on Dolce merchandise. I just read that Yoox.com, a high fashion store at  mall is having up to 50% off spring/summer sale. They carry a great selection of designer merchandise. As well members of The Brands Club receive additional cashback rebates. Yoox is 4%. Membership is free. Click here to join.

PARIS HILTON OPENS HER CLOSET

Paris Hilton literally showed her style by opening up her closet to Myspace.

She mostly flags her various fashion lines, but it is an interesting peek at the apparel of one of the most talked about, loved,hated but nevertheless most recognized celebrities of the 21st century. You do have to wonder about Hilton's timing here in showing off the a closet full of clothes, shoes, jewelry and handbags that would outfit inhabitants of a small village. Considering that it's a global recession out there , it seems a bit of "let them eat cake" gesture. Can't say we love her, but her clothes are fabulous.

 

MySpace Fashion Presents The FIT with Paris Hilton

CELEBRITY STYLE - GET THE LOOK: BLAKE LIVELY

Missing your weekly Gossip Girl fix this summer? Why not channel your inner Blake Lively at a summer soiree and be the one worth whispering about?  

[Image of Blake Lively courtesy of PR Photos]

All eyes were on Blake and her eye-catching strapless number by Michael Kors at the 2009 CFDA Fashion Awards yesterday. No fashion nemesis can rival hot pink (with pockets!) and a tan.

Want to make this look your own? Here's how:

 

Dress: Queen Bee Girls - $326.00* (3% cashback)

Open-toe heels: Heels.com - $79.99 (9% cashback)

Statement ring: Max & Chloe - $19.00 (6% cashback)

Clutch: eBags.com - $62.06 (5% cashback)

(Yes, she carried a clutch. But ditched it for photos. As you probably would, too.)

Faux Glow: Origins - $18.50 (5% cashback) 

Ditch the little black dress for a pop of color this season. And who knows? Maybe you'll end up in the society pages.

Shop The Brands Club for this look and more. Members receive cashback on their purchases, so if you're not a member, Join for free. And start turning heads!

 

*All prices were accurate at time of posting. Subject to change.

CELEBRITY STORE KITSON, L.A. HAS CANADIAN ROOTS

Not many people know this but one of L.A's hottest stores, Kitson is founded by a Canadian by the name of Fraser Ross.

Ross owned a boutique in Toronto called ICE which was located across the street from the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville. In 2000 he founded Kitson, origionally as a sister store to ICE, but after celebrities such as Hale Berry, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton began frequenting the establishment, he closed the Toronto store in 2004 and focused on the LA store. LA now encompasses 3 locations.

Our recent trip to the Melrose Ave. flagship store uncovered some of the secrets that made Kitson such a hot spot for trendy youthful fashions. First of, there is the variety of  casual womens and mens fashions, shoes, handbags, branded merchandise, fashion jewelry and even skincare and books.So in essence a bit for everyone. Then there are the price ranges from $18.00 for a pair of Kitson branded flip flops to over $1,000 for snake skin purses ( which were still a good buy). Branded t-shirts and bags ranged from $32.00 for a funky t-shirt to $68.00 for a sequin tote bag. 

Some of  our favorite style trends at the store were:

T-shirts with cute and cheeky slogans such as: LA Not Love You, Your boyfried loves me, Peace and Love and so on.

Lots of skinny and distressed jeans from brands such as: J Brand, William Rast to name a few.

Fringed, ruffled, pleated, and ethnic style dresses from Vivienne Westwood,Charlotte Ronson , AKS New York ,our fave's Yana couture and others.

Rated out of 10 , we gave the store the following rating:

10-for  fashion selection, 9-on price and affordability, 5-for sales service.

CELEBRITY STYLE-GET THE LOOK: ELLE MACPHERSON

  Elle Macpherson channeled her inner prepster as she dropped her kids off at school this week. Forever cheating the gods of aging, this supermodel/supermom is great inspiration for those of us wanting to look effortlessly cool this spring.

Want your own version of preppy celebrity style? Here's how to get the look:

Fine-stripe Henley: Boden - $88.00* (5% cashback)

Linen blazer: Gap - $69.50 (1% cashback)

7 For All Mankind Jeans: National Jean Company - $198.00 (4% cashback)

Tab belt: Gap - $34.50 (1% cashback)

Sunglasses: Boden - $78.00 (5% cashback)

Rope trim sandals: Old Navy - $19.50 (1% cashback)

Nail polish: Beauty.com - $14.00 (6% cashback)

 

Looking to conjure up Hamptons-worthy style as you run errands? Take a cue from Elle and pair a shrunken blazer with a nautical sweater. And then add a surprise hue to your pedicure. Simple, casual chic at its best.

Find your warm-weather style at The Brands Club. Members receive cashback on their purchases, so be sure to join today. It's free.

 

*All prices were accurate at time of posting. Prices and availability subject to change.

 

 

CANADA STYLE -VANCOUVER SHOPPING AND STYLE REVIEW

Snow capped mountains behind you, vast ocean in front of you, 30 foot cedars and maple leaf trees completely shrouding the home behind them .  The sheer natural beauty of Vancouver, British Columbia almost makes it hard to focus on the local fashion scene. Nevertheless it does exist and is vibrant.

As with most of the West Coast of North America, the style is relaxed. Most popular daytime looks spied on the street were flats or flip flops for shoes, cargo shorts to the knees on guys with t-shirts and miniskirts and shorts on girls. Evening in the trendy outdoor cafes of Yaletown saw the men in dress shirts with rolled up sleeves, distressed jeans and loafer style shoes. The girls sported heels, dresses, nice jeans and cute tops.

The high fashion stores such as Gucci, LV, Prada are located on Robson Street downtown, but I almost preferred the funky boutiques and many local designer stores on Granville Ave.  Also not to be missed for Vancouver shopping is the mostly underground Pacific mall.

 

CELEBRITY STYLE -GET THE LOOK: SANDRA BULLOCK

The seemingly ageless Sandra Bullock turned heads this week, charming David Letterman audiences with her classic style while promoting her upcoming flick, The Proposal.

The almost-45-year-old star rocked a tailored pinstripe dress with the season's must-have boyfriend cardigan and subtle pendant necklace. Maybe it's husband Jesse James who keeps the spring in this beauty's step. Or maybe it's those statement ankle-strap heels.

Want to adopt Sandra's chic look as your own? Here's how.  

Chevron-striped A-line dress: Gap - $59.50* (1% cashback)

Boyfriend cardigan: Old Navy - $20.00 (1% cashback)

Roxy Originals Sin pendant: Manhattanite - $40.00 (4% cashback)

Aviators: Lands' End - $49.50 (2% cashback)

Steve Madden Ultimit Heels: Heels.com - $79.99 (9% cashback)

 

*All prices were accurate at time of posting. Prices and availability subject to change.

 

Shop The Brands Club for this look and more. It may not land you on Letterman's couch, but you'll still knock 'em dead in versatile pieces that won't break the bank.

Members of The Brands Club receive cashback on their stylish purchases. Not a member? Join today for free!

CANADA STYLE SHOPPING REVIEW - CALGARY'S WESTERN STYLE CLOTHING

by: Editor

Our sister celebrity blog was speaking about the Canadian Bachelorette Jillian Harris. Fans of the show know that Jillian is a lover of all things country and particularly western wear. Yours truly is currently at the heart of Canada's cowboy country, Calgary, Alberta and I am finding this ageless look very in Style for this season. The comeback of the 80's has also meant the comeback of the most symbolic of the Western fashion looks such as:

The fringed vest, purse or jacket, the cowboy hat , the studded or corded belt .As well as the  Indian inspired beaded jewelry, garments and mocassin style slippers and boots.

Today's shopping trip to my favorite Calgary store for all things Western, Riley& McCormick, yielded these 2009 fashion trend finds:

- Small black leather fringed purse with a turquise stone sawn into the hide,

- Funky studded and fringed leather poncho/vest,

- Beaded mocassin slippers and of course a black felt cowboy hat.

All have the fashion LOOK of right now, for a fraction of the price one would pay to get a simmilar look at a designer shop.

 

 Besides I love the fact that it somehow feels authentic ( even if made in China). 

SCRUNCHIE THE NEW FASHION MUST HAVE?

Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City  famously banished the scrunchie to the" never to be worn by a New Yorker category" or "this is a major fashion faux pas", 5 years ago. Nevertheless , If American Apparel has it their way, they will make sure the lowly scrunchie adorns the hair and perhaps arms and legs of their thousands of  young devoted fans.

 

Clearly American Apparel,a favorite brand among the tweens and teens, feel that a colorful scrunchie, a staple in the 80's, is poised for a major comeback .They are selling it in a variety of fabrics and colours.

I can see the appeal to young girls, but to women who knew the item first time around? Not on the street any time soon, but at home absolutely. The neon colours will make it easier to find without our glasses .Now if I can just find those acid washed jeans...  

FASHION TREND :TUNIC, THE VERSATILE SUMMER FIND

A quintessential summer find this season is the tunic. Choose an ethnic or tribal print, some jewels or embroidery embellishments and you have a piece of clothing that is multifunctional.

For daytime wear it with a pair of slim white capri's or shorts. For evening pair with some large bangle bracelets, high heeled wedges and wear with tights or mini skirt.

Choose a light weight fabric and it can even double as a fashionable bathing suit cover, Wear  right over your favorite bikini with shorts and gladiator pumps ,as you sip a strawberry margarita at your sea side table. Don't forget your large straw hat and oversize sunglasses for that sexy St.Tropez look. Here are some finds from hipchick.com.

      

    Ya Ya Aflalo - Quest Tunic                               Young, Fabulous & Broke- Betts Tunic

shop at The Brands Club store hipchick.com and receive additional 5% cashback rebates on your purchases. You must be a member to shop. Join for free. 

CELEBRITY NEWS:SARAH SLEAN SINGS ECO-STYLE PRAISES

                                             

Canadian chanteuse and Juno nominee Sarah Slean is using her Recessionista ( we love this girl) tour to promote eco-chic styles and Canadian designers to boot.

According to this National Post article, the singer asked the fashion designers to design a unique outfit that she would wear in each city on her tour. The requirement was that the clothes had to have the following: "All the materials used in the garment had to be upcycled, as in reclaimed and repurposed fabric".  Canadian fashion designers as varied as: Annie Thompson, Comrags, Susan Harris and Project Runway Canada winner Sunny Fong all rose to the challenge.

At the end of the tour the dresses will be auctioned off on eBAy with the proceeds going to David Suzuki Foundation.

This is what Sarah had to say :

"The first portion of sustainability, choosing to go solo [on the tour] and buying carbon offsets, that's the portion of doing right by ourselves and the Earth. It's the right thing to do," Slean says. "But it doesn't really engage the imagination, excite or inspire us. And I feel that's the way these ideas really catch on in the world. So the idea of the dresses just hit me one day."

"The North American ideal is greed and disposability," Slean concurs. "It's, 'Oh I'll buy this and sure it's only $30 and then throw it out next season' ... We have to think differently about something like clothing. It isn't as innocent as we think."

FASHION TREND - DESIGNER SNEAKERS

Just when you thought your Nike's, Adidas and Pumas were more than enough to meet your sneaker fashion needs, the Couture fashion brand Celline has announced it's collaboration with a Chinese fooot wear brand Feiyue to create a designer shoe. And they are not the only ones either. Sensing a potential new hot market other Fashion brands to follow soon. From Vogue.com:

"Launched in 1920, Feiyue - which means "flying forward" - became known for its robust yet flexible footwear designs in the Thirties before being launched in Europe in 2006 and going on to find a fashion following among sneaker-savvy fans.

With a retro design influence, the spring/summer 2009 collaboration with Celine (featuring bright multi-coloured stripes) is one of many more still to come - those with French brand Stereopanda and Hong Kong-based artist NSBQ".

 

GRETA CONSTANTINE:CANADIAN FASHION DESIGNER PROFILE

The "Greta Garbo" evoking name of Canadian fashion brand, Greta Constantine, is a combination of experience and creative efforts of two fabulous Canadian designers by the names of:

Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong.  

The remarkable fact about the talented duo is that they work together from two different sides of the Atlantic and still manage to produce a super glamorous sexy 'greek goddess" collection. Take a look here at the Greta Constantine 2009 spring/summer season.

Here is some background on the dynamic duo from their website: 

"Kirk, a stylist by trade based in Milan, Italy, has worked for international designers such as Dsquared2 and Neil Barrett. He's a guest teacher at the renowned ISTITUTO MARANGONI in Milan.

Stephen began his career as a costume designer in Toronto for Susan Dicks & Co. and has made clothing for several films such as THE LAST DAY OF DISCO, AMERICAN PSYCHO, GLITTER, CHICAGO and currently HAIRSPRAY, starring John Travolta.

Stephen's draping and design expertise, paired with Kirk's knowledge of fashion forecasting resulted in a business partnership and the establishment of GRETA CONSTANTINE in 2005."

I think we will be seeing much more of Greta Constantine fashions . I for one just fell in love with at least half the collection! ( Swooning over the  long goddess dresses, image 26 and 28 from the spring/summer 2009 collection). 

Greta Constantine Atelier were also the chosen designers behind the dresses worn by the contestants of Canadian Next Top Model in the Fashion Magazine cover shoot . This will be a great publicity boost to this world class design team.

Shop the fashions at Holt Renfrew Design Lab across Canada.

FASHION TREND: BALMAIN MILITARY JACKET - FASHION HIT

The House of Balmain under the guide of designer Christophe Decarin has been the major trend setter for the last two seasons in bringing back the 80's. The biggest new look is the revival of  the Military style jacket, reminiscent of Michael Jackson's thriller jackets and the acid washed, shredded jeans.

The Balmain extended shoulder jacket has been seen on many a celebrity from Victoria Beckham to Rihanna. According to this article from TheStar , while the boyfriend jacket is becoming a staple in many women's closets, it's the "marching band" boy jacket look that is being most copied around the world.

The Balmain jacket retails for $4,900 cad. My suggestion would be to find a nicely cut, much more affordable version to get some trendy fashion style wear out of the look.

Shop the look for under $275.00, see Qi Military Jacket  from CoutureCandy and  Bebe Leather Military Jacket  from BEBE.com .

If you are interested in saving more money on those jackets, check out The Brands Club  mall and receive cashback rebates at the above stores on all purchases. Not a member? Join for FREE.