Autumn Uniform

Autumn seemed to creep up so quickly this year--this time last week we were dying of heat exhaustion here in Vancouver, and now here we are shivering on the first day of September. Not that I'm complaining though! Fall is my favourite season, and I way prefer dressing for colder weather. I find I gravitate towards a uniform of sorts this time of year, and in the spirit of all things back to school, here's a little equation: jacket + patterned top + skirt + tights + boots = the perfect outfit combination for early autumn!

How about you? Do you veer towards certain clothes this time of year? Let me know in the comments! 

Leather jacket - River Island

Top - French Connection

Tweed skirt - Banana Republic

Boots - Steve Madden

Tights - Express

Pearl earrings (clip-ons) - Claire's

Lipstick - Ruby Woo, MAC

A Teal Tale

Teal is a colour I rarely gravitate towards when it comes to clothes (for no good reason other than being put off by the Aer Lingus vibe the shade evokes). But after happening upon this little dress in Vicky's wardrobe, I began to see the appeal of this most versatile hue, which pairs beautifully with gold jewellery, hot pink lipstick, and lilac nail polish (or so I choose to believe!)

Teal dress - Forever 21

Gold spiky necklace - River Island

Owl ring - Aldo Accessories

Black tights - Express

Black heels - my Fergalicious Louboutins

Lipstick - "Schiap" by NARS

Nail polish - "Lilacism" by Essie

Back to Black

Although we've sung the praises of the LWD here, and provided winter-appropriate alternatives to the LBD here, sometimes you just can't beat the timeless elegance of a chic black dress. Vicky dressed up her look by adding heels, silvery jewellery, and sparkly black nails, but toned it down with a tousled updo and peach lips; the perfect balance for a casual New Year's look.

Black lace-trimmed dress - American Eagle

Necklace - borrowed from our mum

Bracelet - The Bay

Watch - Seksy

Tights - Express

Heels - Call It Spring

Nails - "The Black Knight" by Butter London

Lipstick - "Peach Me" by Revlon

Anna Karenin-spired

Vicky recently had a Banana Republic work event to launch the store's Anna Karenina-themed Holiday collection, and, naturally, the dress code for the evening was "Russian." And, more specifically, black with touches of grey or red. A touch of fur, dash of red lipstick, and strand of pearls did the job nicely, giving a basic black outfit a winter-glam vibe.

Black dress - Kensie via The Bay

Black, fur-collared cardigan - Forever 21

Red belt - Aldo Accessories

Red earrings - Aldo Accessories

Pearl necklace - borrowed from our mum

Silver watch - Seksi

Black heels - Call It Spring

Black tights - Express

Lipstick - "Ruby Woo" by MAC

Nail polish - "My Italian Love Affair" by OPI

Flexible Lace

Layering a jumper/sweater over a dress is a simple way of getting more use out of your dresses and prolonging their wear right into the cooler months. It's also a great way of making a dress more daytime-appropriate, as Vicky demonstrates here. What appears to be a white lace skirt is actually a dress with long sleeves and a high neckline - a bit dressy for a 9am lecture, but instantly more casual when worn with a jumper and scarf.

Mint jumper - H&M

Melon scarf - BCBG

White lace dress, worn as skirt - Zara

Black tights - Express

Brown leather boots - Aldo

Earrings - Forever 21

Lipstick - "Candy Pink" by Revlon