Bomb Girls: How to Wear Spring's Cutest New Jacket

Photo courtesy GAP.

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Now that March is only days away (squeee!), we can finally start planning our spring wardrobes in earnest. Forget the fact that the forecast shows no signs of letting up, ignore the naysayers who claim that spring weather is light years away and instead, let's let fashion lead the charge into spring. First step? Spring's newest outerwear trend that I am LOV-ing: the soft cropped bomber jacket seen at Rebecca Minkoff, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Saunders. Somewhere between a classic bomber, a varsity jacket and a baseball jacket, the new soft bomber lends a decidedly sporty vibe to any outfit.   

So how do you pull it off? You might be amazed by how super versatile this jacket can be, whether worn with jeans or skirts or dresses, from work to weekend and everywhere in between. But the best part of all is that while this cray-cray weather makes up its mind, the bomber acts as cute extra layer to ward off any spring chill that comes your way. 

Check out these 3 chic looks for some serious spring-spiration (thank you NH for coining this term - you know who you are)...

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SWOON: 50 Fall Shoes & Boots Under $300

Nicole Kidman in the Fall '13 Campaign for Jimmy Choo. 

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

Whether you're mourning the loss of a season or are just having a tough time getting back to the grind, sometimes all it takes is a new pair of shoes or boots to feel refreshed, renewed and ready to tackle what lies ahead. As they say, cheaper than therapy, right?

For Fall '13, designers showed us loads of gorgeous kicks to get excited about. From fun flats to fierce boots, here's what to look for on your next shoe shopping trip:

ANKLE-STRAPPED FLATS: While the basic ballet flat will always be a wardrobe staple, there are loads of exciting options for those of us who want to stay grounded. This fall, look for fun details like ankle straps, pointy toes and wild animal prints to add some swagga to your step.

LUG SOLES: Need to get a grip? Then throw on a pair of lug-soled shoes or boots with oversized treads to keep you on track (and on trend).

PATTERN PLAY: Do you tend to stick with solids in your wardrobe? Printed shoes are the perfect way to dial up your look. A fun pair of plaid, leopard or fall floral heels will make a major impact on any outfit.

TOUGH BOOTS: If there's one message in everyday boots this fall, it's this: the tougher, the more roughed-up, the better. Go for bad-ass moto boots to look like a biker babe (even if you drive a mini-van), or studded lace-up boots to add some edge to your skirts and dresses. And don't forget to hop on the 90's grunge train - combat boots and Doc Martens are back in a big way for fall.

OVER-THE-KNEE BOOTS: If you live in leggings, these will be your new go-to. Opt for flat styles to avoid diving into Pretty Woman territory and pair them up with your leggings and knits. Or, go full out vixen and wear them with your skirts and dresses. Check out Reed Krakoff and Ralph Lauren for a crash course.

I did a little shoe shopping for you (I couldn't help myself). Check out these 50 pretty pairs of fall shoes and boots, in stores now and under $300!

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Oshawa Centre Gets Style Approved: Part Deux

A few of my Pinterest pics for the OC Style Approved Campaign

If you read my post the other week, you'll know that I'm part of an undercover team of fashion sleuths for Oshawa Centre. It's not really so undercover, but we are bad-ass and ruthless (when it comes to shopping, anyway), and dedicated to tracking down the best finds. It's a dangerous job (as my Visa card has recently discovered) but I'm glad to do it.

On my second visit, I found loads of things I wanted to bring home, from perfect fall boots to the cutest things for my house. All of my favourite finds (along with those of the 4 other style experts) are being added to the Oshawa Centre Style Approved Pinterest Board daily for you to share, re-pin or 'like' at your leisure.

Once you're done lusting on Pinterest and making your fall shopping list, simply head over to Facebook to enter the Oshawa Centre Style Approved Contest for your chance to win 1 of 3 $500 Shopping Sprees to properly fund your shopping habit.

Good luck, y'all! Can't wait to hear what you think of our picks (aren't those mugs the cutest?)

xx

Win 1 of 3 $500 Shopping Sprees with Oshawa Centre 'Style Approved' Campaign

A tee to L.O.V.E. from Smart Set

As a fashion blogger, I hardly ever get to shop. Sure, I stare at clothes all day and write about the latest trends but as for actual physical, down-and-dirty shopping, it's a very rare treat. You might think my world is all changerooms and chargecards, but the reality of my little blogosphere is me, tied to a chair, getting intimate with Carpal Tunnel and trying to recall what my ballet teacher taught me about posture (Shoulders back! Chin up! Oui, oui!)

So when Oshawa Centre asked me to be one of their 'Style Approved' Experts (along with 4 other amazing blogettes) and spend a few days trendhunting at their mall, I was totally game. Our mission? Visit Oshawa Centre, check out all the stores, and take pics of our top fall fashion finds to be posted on the new Oshawa Centre Style Approved Pinterest Board. 

I live in a small town where fashion selection is pretty much nil. In a large haystack (literally in my case), I can always find that needle, especially if said needle has high heels or a sparkly finish. The minute I walked into Oshawa Centre and saw the huge selection of stores, I knew I had this assignment in the bag - I checked out H&M, Pandora, Gap, Hudson's Bay, Danier, Roots, Chapters, Smart Set, ALDO and Town Shoes and snapped away. 30 pics (and several shopping bags) later, my day was complete.  I'm heading back to Oshawa Centre for round 2 this week and can't wait to add more finds to our compendium of fall must-haves. Best. Job. Ever.

Now here's the exciting part: Check out the Oshawa Centre Style Approved Pinterest Board (it's updated daily with our fall finds) and re-pin or 'like' your favourites. No pressure to 'like' mine but I'll love you if you do :) Then, simply head over to Facebook to enter the Oshawa Centre Style Approved Contest for your chance to win 1 of 3 $500 Shopping Sprees to score a new fall wardrobe. Can you imagine?! 

Best of luck, beauties! Hope to see you soon at Oshawa Centre! xx

 

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3 Style Secrets You Need to Know

Pretty pics from the J.Crew Fall '13 Style Guide. Photos via J.Crew 

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

Birthday cards are lovely, party invites delightful, but nothing makes me more excited than the arrival of the J.Crew catalogue. I love to shop J.Crew but since I can't afford to indulge too often in the clothes themselves, I like to shop the catalogue (or the J.Crew Pinterest boards) for inspiration. Because nobody styles quite like J.Crew; They know how to layer and mix and match and mismatch, always finding things that you wouldn't think would go together, but somehow, they do...

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