Aritzia Sonore Dress | Casual vs. Elegant
Same dress. Same location. Different accessories. Different vibe.
Aritzia Sonore dress | Alexander Wang Annette sandals | Louis Vuitton vintage petit monogram bucket bag | Giorgio Armani sunglasses | H&M straw hat
Aritzia Sonore dress & Dominick blazer | Alexander Wang royal blue Antonia sandals & Trifold bag | Giorgio Armani sunglasses | Nixon black and gold Kensington watch
Photography by Melanie Rees
Styling | Aritzia Sonore Dress
When summer rolls around I always find myself gravitating towards breezy white fabrics. The Aritizia Sonore dress curbs my need for flowy clothing and I really love the versatility that it has. I've styled it here two different ways with some of my favorite accessories.
CASUAL STYLE | I've paired the dress with my all time favourite Alexander Wang Annette sandals, my vintage Louis Vuitton Petit Monogram Bucket Bag and an H&M straw hat from this season. The look remains minimal and chic considering the beautiful detail of this pretty white dress and the texture of the hat.
EVENING OUT | For an evening out on the town, I've styled the white Aritzia dress with a beautiful creme coloured tailored blazer (also Aritzia), my Alexander Wang Trifold Bag in patent leather and my royal blue Alexander Wang Antonia sandal. The look here is soft yet makes a statement with the pop of colour from the shoe which is a bit unexpected. If the weather is too warm, just ditch the blazer. The accessories are elegant enough to hold the hold outfit together!
Photography by NSM
Shopping Tips for The Wise
Alexander Wang shoes: Inga, Antonia and Adina sandals. Photography by NSM.
The summer weather has finally arrived in Toronto which means these beautiful Alexander Wang shoes are finally in high rotation. I had bought the black pairs back in November during an amazing Shopbop sale. The Royal blue Antonia shoes were purchased while there were mountains amongst mountains of snow all over our city.
With all of the sales right now at SSENSE, Shopbop and Net-a-Porter, I feel it's appropriate to share my shopping tips with you to help you shop smart. Enjoy!
TOP 5 SHOPPING TIPS
- Buy what you love. Whether it's $2 or $200, only add it to your closet if you 'can't live without it' because chances are you'll love it for years to come.
- Know when to splurge and when to save. You'll never see a new LV Speedy on sale, but you can pick up this seasons Isabel Marant denim shorts on discount if you wait.
- Classic. Black bottoms (jeans, trouser, pencil skirt), white button down shirts, black pumps, an investment handbag - these are pieces every girl should own and relate to any age. They are timeless and versatile pieces.
- Plan Ahead. As per my above story, don't shy away from buying sandals in the winter especially if they're your idea of the perfect pair.
- Return. Return policies are an online shopper's BFF. Bricks and mortar shopping: If you're not sure, take it home and try it on. Just ask about their policy first.
Sergio Rossi Rose Gold Kitten Heels
I came across these beautiful Sergio Rossi kitten heels last weekend for 85% off and couldn't pass them up. They're comfortable and classic but with an edge considering the colour. When buying shoes my rule of thumb is always comfort (if I can't walk in the shoes then forget it). Can they be dressed up? Dressed down? Do I love them? (You can never go wrong if you love what you buy.) These shoes are begging to be worn with a little dress (as per an earlier post) but are also excellent with skinny jeans and a tshirt. The possibilities are endless.
Sergio Rossi Rose Gold Kitten Heels
Photography by NSM
Styling | The Suede Dress | Casual
The last styled look for my FP suede dress is casual. I always look for different ways to wear my closet - from dressed up - dressed down, summer - winter. It just means that I'll get more wear out of my stuff. This casual looks is probably my favorite for everyday. I layered another dress (pima cotton from Rag & Bone, stayed unworn for too long) underneath in order to get more coverage and contrast. Both dresses are tonal making them work well together. I've layered in darker accessories for a clean and minimal look and a patterned clutch by Pendleton for a bit of pattern and visual interest. To transition this look into winter - I'd layer in tights, ankle boots, keep the leather jacket in addition to topping it off with a wool cacoon coat and beanie - all in black of course. Hope you all enjoyed my first Style Post and happy weekend!
Free People, suede dress & bracelet | Rag & Bone, pima cotton dress | Mackage, Mary A leather jacket | Topshop, hat | Salvatore Ferragamo, glasses | Nixon, Kensington watch | Pendleton, clutch | Alexander Wang, Jade sandals
Photography by Geoff Martin
Styling | The Suede Dress | Monochromatic
Best thing you can do when you have two seconds to get dressed in the morning - go monochromatic! It's totally fail safe. I've styled the FP suede dress with this Elizabeth & James linen blazer from a few years back. I still love the details - the beaded lapel, scrunched sleeves and the tuxedo cut. I paired it with my 3.1 Phillip Lim Quinn loafers in gunmetal. (I searched high and low for this shoe in Canada before restoring to purchase it from 3.1 online. The customs nearly killed me but it goes back to my "love what you buy" rule.) The whole look is clean, simple yet beautifully tailored. Prior to the #shopyourunworncloset challenge on Insta, I hadn't worn the dress or blazer in a long while. I'm excited to rediscover my closet!
Giorgio Armani | Sunglasses. Elizabeth & James | Linen Blazer. Free People | Suede Dress. 3.1 Phillip Lim gunmetal Quinn loafer.
Photography by Geoff Martin
Styling | The Suede Dress | Current
Trends aside I prefer buy quality pieces that will be in my wardrobe for a long time or pieces that can be resold at a fair price if I fall out of love with them.
I bought this hi-lo suede dress from Free People years ago for $35. The jacket was another FP find for 60% off. Both pieces are excellent for dressing up and dressing down and can be worn all year round depending on how it's layered. Unlike the previous post, were I styled the dress to be classic, this outfit epitomizes my style on a dressed up day. The accessories are understated enough to let the detail of the jacket shine though and the red frames of the Armani glasses bring out the bits of red in the jacket.
Giorgio Armani | Sunglasses. Free People | Dress & Jacket. Céline | Trio Bag. Alexander Wang | Adina Sandal..
Photography by Geoff Martin
Styling | The Suede Dress | Classic
This is my version of classic styling for my suede Free People dress. I've paired it with feminine kitten heels in rose gold, a vermilion jacket for a pop of colour (that I got on a store closing sale) and my Gucci Mini Boston bag (which only gets worn once or twice a year). While I felt great wearing this outfit, I also felt it wasn't me since I'm used to a slightly edgier look. I call this one "ladies who lunch".
Ray-Ban | sunglasses. Club Monaco | jacket. Free People | Suede Dress. Sergio Rossi | Rose Gold Kitten Heels. Gucci | Leather Mini Boston Bag.
Photography by Geoff Martin
Styling | The Suede Dress
This post is inspired by the lovely girls on Instagram who started a #shopyourunworncloset tag and the idea grew into a "how to wear it" post. Here I take my suede Free People dress (last time worn to the ballet a few years back) and paired it with a few other pieces, some new but mostly old, and rolled out different outfits for the same dress. I always say "trends aside, you have to love what you buy" and also think about how many ways you can wear it because that'll ensure that you're always buying smart for your closet. During the next few days I'll post the four outfits inspired by this dress. I'll cover classic, trendy, casual and monochromatic. I hope to inspire back. : )
Free People Suede Dress
Mackage leather jacket, Elizabeth & James linen blazer with sequined lapel, Club Monaco jacket, Free People beaded jacket
Céline Trio Bag, Gucci Mini Boston bag, Topshop hat, Ferragamo, Ray-Ban and Armani glasses
Alexander Wang Jade sandal, 3.1 Phillip Lim Quinn Loafer, Sergio Rossi kitten heel, Alexander Wang Adina sandal
Photography by NSM