GOOD BUY | Johanna Ortiz x H&M

via H&M

Scroll down a few posts and you'll see my 2020 fashion pledges. Let it be known that I am inserting an addendum; one that seemed implied at the time but let's make it offish by adding it here:

7) WEAR IT OUT

Before I 'add to cart', I'll ask myself this question: will I wear this multiple times? Many sustainably-minded peeps subscribe to the '30 Wears' philosophy made famous by Livia Firth (Colin's wife), whereby if you don't see yourself wearing the piece 30 times over its lifetime, it's not worth the buy. I'm less of a strict rule follower so my take on it is that I ideally want to add things to my closet that will last for years (not months), and will look amazing for several different occasions and in multiple contexts.

At the H&M Spring 2020 Press Preview in Toronto last week, I fell head over kicks in love with the new Johanna Ortiz x H&M Collection. If you don't know Ortiz, then it's time you did; powerhouses like Michelle Obama and Beyoncé and style-setters like Olivia Palermo and Sienna Miller are all fans of the Colombian designer. Sadly, her designs have remained in my 'life goals' bucket since her full-priced line runs in the $2-3 K range. Ortiz's maximalist aesthetic manages to be bold yet timeless - and such a welcome change after so many years of basics. 

All of the racks on display at the H&M preview were beautiful, but I found myself camped out in the Johanna Ortiz x H&M section, fondling the beautiful fabrics, entranced by the vivid colours and smitten with the chic AF florals, doing some serious fashion math.

FASHION MATH

Cost of dress / 20 wears = approx $4 per wear. Less than a flat white? Done.

20 wears / 4 years = 5 occasions per year.  I have 1 vacay planned for June, at least 2 summer parties sure to happen, a grade 6 grad to attend and I'm sure my sister will want to borrow it at least once. Add weddings, family photoshoots, date nights, and work events to the mix and I'm golden. If I want to amortize it over 30 wears, I'll either consign it or simply book more vacations & enroll myself in some salsa lessons, which I've always wanted to do anyway. Everybody wins.

Cost of the sadness I'll experience if I miss out on a rare amazing designer collab = priceless.

I feel strongly about picking up one of the red palm print dresses (the ruffled one is insane), the B&W one-shoulder bather, and that white shirt dress. I've done fashion math on all 3 pieces and I think it's all highly justifiable, since the collection ranges from only $19.99 - $79.99 CAD. That's it. Uh, I KNOW. Some designer collabs feel watered down but I can tell you from getting handsy with the collection that the pieces feel decidedly luxe and totally legit. 

Click on the thumbnails below to check out the stunners for yourself. The Johanna Ortiz x H&M collection will be in select stores and online March 12th so mark your calendars and tell me what you end up buying. Hope you've enjoyed watching me wrestle with my fashion demons as much as I've enjoyed doing it ;)

Happy Tuesday, beauties! 

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DRESSED TO CHILL | 4 Off-Duty Looks to Try Out This Summer

via ALDO

Originally posted in The CLOSET

We wait and we wait and then, we wait some more. Canadians are SO good at waiting. But when July finally hits, make no mistake: we want summer. We want the feeling of the sun on our shoulders and an icy cold glass in our hands. And when it comes to fashion, we want to make the absolute most of our little window of warmth to look as cute as possible. 

So let's not wait a second longer. Let's push our basic shorts and tees aside and get a little cray. Let's rock little white dresses with cool silver accessories and head somewhere sunny for an epic weekend brunch. Let's book that girls night, even though it might seem impossible to fit in, and rock cool girl black from head-to-toe for the best night out ever. Instead of passing that patio, let's grab a seat right in the middle and stay there all day in distressed denim, a fun tee and a cute baseball cap. And for those oh-so-necessary date nights, let's rock sexy lace with playful floral sneakers to make the absolute most of it. 

Happy July, y'all. Let's do this...

SUMMER OUTFIT INSPO THIS WAY...

TREND REPORT | Why Spring 2017 Is All About Doing You

 via Coach

Originally posted in The CLOSET

We go through different phases in life of wanting to conform and dying to be different. As a teenager, I remember thinking that I had my own amazing sense of style, only to look back at pics and realize my group of friends had a very distinct uniform - a tragic, Disney-sponsored-skate-park-by-day-rave-by-night uniform. It's really hard to describe, and I won't torture you with the pics, but it basically consisted of mini skirts or dresses, tiny logo tees (my monster truck tee was my fave), over-the-knee socks and Converse or Gazelles.  Occasionally we wore our Little Mermaid backpacks, but they were way too small to hold anything other than a few tubes of LipSmackers so we usually just carried them on empty. For the record, there were no soothers. Whether we knew it at the time or not, wearing this uniform made us part of a club, made us look like a team, made us feel like we belonged.

As you grow up, you reach a point where the last thing you want to do is look like everyone else. Some people get tattoos, others chop their hair, but however we decide to define ourselves, we take action to stand out. We want to be noticed and respected, and while we don't always feel in control of our lives, there is always fashion to help us make our mark. Sure, we might look back to regret the fashion choices we've made (let's just forget my Spice Girl sneakers in 2001, please), but every fashion phase we endure comes to define us in some way... 

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These 35 Accessories Will Get You So Excited for Spring

via Dynamite

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

-24ºC overnight tonight and it's March. I feel for you Sudbury. The sun might be out but it's not really doing its job. The light's on but nobody's home. Like, if the sun had a boss, it would be so fired, amirite? And so, I feel like today is the perfect time to talk spring. But instead of teasing you with cute sandals and flirty little dresses which you have no hope of actually wearing for the next few months, I'm sharing loads of fun accessories to brighten your day.

Colourful, fun and affordable, the new accessories coming into stores right now scream spring but don't require warm spring weather to wear them. Replace your heavy knit scarf with a pretty new pastel version. Let a pair of shoulder-skimming earrings get the spring party started, even if you're still wearing your toque. And nothing takes advantage of those sunny winter days quite like a new pair of mirrored sunglasses - I'm personally partial to pink.

Happy March and happy accessory shopping.  -24ºC: um yup, you totally deserve it ;)

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LOVE ON THE BRAIN | 18 Valentine's Gifts to Make Them Swoon

Pretty in pink Ray-Bans via Sunglass Hut

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

There's nothing better than love. Sigh...I mean, what's not to love about love? From new relationships to weathered, old ones - er, I mean, deep, lifelong, stuff-that-movies-are-made-of ones - Valentine's is about celebrating that most important 4-letter word. I'm talking about love. Love is patient, love is kind, and love demands presents from time to time. Or is it just me who demands them? Anyway, it's complicated. Let's let these sweet, swoon-worthy gifts do the talking for me today. Clearly, I'm so smitten that it's making my mind foggy. Must be love on the brain...

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