Crop Star

When it comes to fashion, there are some trends I bypass entirely (ie. culottes), and some I latch on to right away (ie. crop tops). This little white top from last summer made a return appearance for our trip to Cuba, this time paired with one of my favourite skirts ever, a midi/maxi (mixi?) I picked up in a post-Christmas Anthro sale. I love long skirts but I often find it tricky to decide what to wear them with -- so often, a tucked-in t-shirt can look kind of awkward when it bunches up around the waist, I find. So thank God for crop tops! And I love that this plain white one is the perfect backdrop for a big, statement necklace.

Crop top - H&M

Necklace - Aldo

Skirt - Anthropologie

Bag - Kate Spade

Sandals - J. Crew

Sunglasses - Forever 21

Lipstick - Posh Pink (Lancôme)

Little White Pleated Dress

As anyone who follows me on Pinterest knows, I'm a big fan of white dresses (I have a board solely dedicated to images of perfect LWDs). The ubiquitous little black dress, while a classic for obvious reason, can easily veer into funereal/frumpy/lacklustre territory, in my opinion, but the little white dress, in all its iterations, always seems so fresh. 

This pleated J. Crew dress, a sales-score from last summer, is incredibly versatile -- I love changing up the vibe of it by pairing it with different accessories and jackets. If I want to enhance its preppy vibe, I'll wear it with a blazer, while tossing on my leather jacket instantly edges it up. 

Which are you more a fan of -- the LBD or the LWD? 

Dress - J. Crew

Necklace - Forever 21
Sunglasses - Forever 21
Shoes - Forever 21
Bag - Kate Spade
Lipstick - All Fired Up by MAC

Five Favourite Shops: Pricy (But Amazing)

Over the past few weeks, I've shared my five favourite budget-friendly stores; five pricier/mid-range favourites that have great sales; and my five favourite shops from the UK and Ireland. (You can check out those posts here). Today, I thought I'd share, in no particular order, five of my favourite pricy favourites -- the kind of places that I could go crazy in if money were no object. 

1. Anthropologie
Vicky and Claudia aren't the biggest fans of Anthro (they think it's pretentious), but I love it. Love, love, love it. They really know how to suck me in with their dreamy, ethereal catalogues and their impeccably boho-chic store design. The few pieces I own from here were all bought on sale (because no matter how beautiful something from Anthropologie is, I don't have the budget to justify buying it full price), but let's be honest: the full price stuff is just so much more alluring. 

2. Kate Spade
Ah, Kate Spade just knows me. She knows what I love: bright colours, bows, polka dots, pretty stationery, the odd bit of glitter... Definitely pricy, but pure preppy, girly heaven. Their outlet stores are fantastic -- at the one in Vegas I was able to score this beautiful lemon-yellow handbag at a quarter of the original price. 

3. Club Monaco
If I had to describe this Toronto-born chain in one word, it would be "sophisticated." Normally, I'm big into colour and pattern, but there is something so refreshing about stepping into the peaceful, immaculately appointed haven of a Club Monaco store, with its crisp, understated-chic pieces in muted tones. Also: I love that every item has a name! (I was totally nearly tempted to buy a skirt once because it was "called" Ali).

4. Ted Baker
This British brand strikes the perfect balance between feminine and cool, and their pieces are just so beautiful -- great colours, fabulous prints, lovely detailing. But when you do the conversions...eeeee they're so expensive! Sigh. 

5. BCBG
I'm big into dresses, and BCBG gives great (albeit $$) dress. I recently browsed the summery dresses they had on sale, and was overcome with an intense craving for warm weather (and this is coming from someone who is typically in her element in November). Damn, those dresses are magical. 

Floral Farewell

Well, first of all, let me apologize for the bad quality of these photos -- I guess having a photo shoot at night wasn't the greatest idea. The darkness just seems to creep up so quickly these evenings! I always have slightly mixed feelings this time of year (and I say slightly because fall is my favourite season), but there's something about summer coming to a close that's bittersweet. And for me, it always ensues a slight panic as I try to cram in as many wears of my bright, summer-only clothes -- like this skirt -- before packing them away for 6 months.

Shirt - Forever 21

Skirt - Banana Republic

Bag - Kate Spade

Ring - Aldo

Tights - DIM

Shoes - J. Crew

Lipstick - Schiap, NARS