Spring Inspiration: Art Prints

I have returned from New York to what finally seems like spring! The very crowded "big apple," along with a recent issue of Elle Canada have given me so many ideas on what is on trend for the season.
First, and probably my favourite would be art in fashion. From watercolour prints to bold patterns and colour-blocked accessories, this spring has definitely taken its cues from paintings, sculptures, and other works of art. While shopping in New York, I came across a store that is all about this. The store is called Desigual (http://www.desigual.com/en_US); and it is based in Spain with locations across Europe and the US (sadly, none in Canada). Desigual is the epitome of this spring's biggest trend. Their clothes feature bright, colourful prints, geometrical designs, and floral patterns in every colour. Here are some of my favourite pieces:



And it continues with their accessories:



Do you love it yet?
Another reason why I love art-inspired prints on clothing is that it is so unexpected, and that's what makes it fun. I don't know about you, but bright prints and patterns make me happy, and that's what clothing should do.

Concert Tee Outfits

I've been meaning to do this post for a while now and since my class was cancelled today I had a little extra time to put together three outfits that I would wear with my concert t-shirt. I went to Bluesfest and saw Fun. last summer, so that's where the t-shirt is from.   

 Cardigan: Old Navy

Jeans: Aeropostale

Bracelets: gift

This first outfit is the typical way I wear my concert t-shirt. My style is definitely girly, so I love the bright pink cardigan for a pop of colour.

Plaid shirt: Urban Planet

Jeans: Aeropostale

Bangles: Forever 21

This is probably what I would wear if I had bought the shirt before going to the concert. You can definitely substitute the jeans for denim shorts and sneakers of your choice for a laid back, festival vibe. 

Jacket: Vero Moda (at Hudson's Bay)

Jeans: Aeropostale

Necklace: This & That Axesoir

This third outfit is a little bit more edgy. What would also work well would be a bunch of gold stacked bracelets or a chain necklace. I bought this jacket in October and was so excited to wear it the next day, but the temperature dropped (of course) and has stayed that way, so believe it or not, I have not even taken off the tags yet! 

Let me know how you style your concert tee! :)

The Power of a Makeover

I originally had the idea to do this post about a month ago, when there was a Glee episode about makeovers, and how they can change your life. Well, maybe that's stretching it a little, but haven't you ever felt like a different person the first time you, for instance, wore a newly purchased outfit?  I know I have. I know people say that it's really what's on the inside that counts, but it does help if your outside appearance matches how you feel on the inside.
In the episode, Rachel Berry needed to update her preppy high school style to a chic New York one, because  her attitude had already changed (did you notice that? Maybe it's just me, but she definitely isn't as self-centered as she was in previous seasons). Sam Evans had to step his style up a notch to be vice-president candidate material (though he ended up taking his shirt off anyways...), and Brittany S. Pierce just wanted everyone to take her seriously for a change (though I think she went a little overboard with the whole no weekends thing).
This is about as far as I got with the blog post when I first started it. But then I got another idea during a recent trip to the mall that mainly builds on Rachel Berry's makeover- a style shift from high school to University. I've noticed it all around campus- people are, in general, really well dressed! I know I've taken my style up a notch, moving from jeans and logo t-shirts to skirts, dresses, blouses, and cute shoes. Sure there are always those yoga pant days, and of course showing up to exams in sweats, but in between there's plenty of time to experiment with different fashion trends and make a ton of stylish new outfits!
If you want to update your style but are unsure of how to proceed, here are some easy ways to spruce up your outfits:
1. Add a scarf! Scarves instantly dress up a plain t-shirt and jeans, and dress down a preppy white blouse. There are so many different ways to wear scarves, and they come in every colour of the rainbow, not to mention a variety of different fabrics, sizes, and patterns.
2. Accessorize! Add a belt to a blousy tee, a necklace to a plain shirt, a headband, bracelets, you name it!  The right accessories can take an outfit from boring to stylish in seconds! (that sounded so cliche...)
3. Invest in a few pairs of good shoes- flats for warm days or if you're wearing a skirt or dress with tights; ankle boots to tuck into skinny jeans, and knee high boots to add an edge to your outfits in the winter.
My last few outfits on Polyvore have been in the area of typical University student outfits, and I have many more to come. Until then, stay stylish!

Spring Trends 2012

The post you've all been waiting for (well, I have in any case)...

One year ago, I started this blog as an assignment for my grade 12 writer's craft course, and I really enjoyed making posts about fashion (and beauty) so I continued it and here I am a year later with nearly 30 posts and almost 400 page views! Thank you so much to my subscribers and anyone else who happens to stumble across  my blog on a random Google search! I have many ideas for my blog so hopefully this year will be as exciting as the last! And now on to the latest trends for spring!

Floral
I am not surprised that floral print is back for another year. Who doesn't love wearing a small floral print to be girly or a bright colourful one to be bold? It is definitely my favourite trend of all time. Here are some ideas to build a garden...in your closet.

Lace

Also back again this year are the sweet and girly lace edges and necklines in tops, skirts, and dresses. A variation of this trend are eyelets, sort of like a hole punch pattern, but cuter, and also crochet, which is like lace, but with more detail. As well, this year lace comes in all different colours, not just white! Notice that the top pictured above combines floral and lace! So cute!!!

Bright Pants

This trend is hard to miss. Skinny jeans and jeggings are available in every colour of the rainbow this year, paired either with neutral  or brightly coloured tops to create fun outfits that you can literally see from a mile away.  Here are some outfit ideas from DailyLook. Notice that this trend can carry on into the middle of summer with brightly coloured shorts. I don't have too many ideas for this one, but you can check out American Eagle, Garage, and Aeropostale for more looks with bright jeans and shorts. 

Wild Prints
If you're headed to the jungle, you'll blend right in with animal prints, tribal patterns, and earth tones.  Silhouettes include shirt dresses, wrap skirts, cargo pants, and cross-body bags.

The Colour Palette and Accessories

Colours that are in this season include water colours such as turquoise, aqua, indigo, and sea green; bright colours especially in the red-orange area (think tangerine, a deep orange), and, of course, pastels such as light pink, mint green, soft yellow, and sky blue. 

These colours will be seen mainly in jewellery and other accessories, as well as makeup (especially pastel nail polish, which I absolutely love). Set the trend with dangling earrings, tangerine coloured lipstick, pastel nail polish, or stacks of multicoloured bracelets. 

Enjoy looking fabulous this spring!

Photo Credits

AEO Floral Scarf, $19.43, http://www.ae.com

Daisy Dolman Top, $12.25, http://www.aeropostale.com

AE Floral Corset Dress, $39.36,  http://www.ae.com

Floral Boatneck Tee with lace inserts, $24.90, http://www.garage.ca

Cooperative Mixed Media Bag, $39.99, http://www.urbanoutfitters.com

Solid Eyelet Woven Dress, $20.00, http://www.aeropostale.com

AE Lace Panel Tee, $29.46, http://www.ae.com

AE Paneled Lace Tee, $29.46, http://www.ae.com

Belted Eyelet Skirt, $22.25, http://www.aeropostale.com 

AE Crochet Detail Top, $29.46, http://www.ae.com

See http://www.dailylook.com for the three looks with bright bottoms. 

Geometric Contrast Dress, $17.90, http://canada.forever21.com

Sparkle and Fade Roll-Tab Shirtdress, $59.00, http://www.urbanoutfitters.com

Truly Madly Deeply Slouchy Printed Tunic in brown and black & white, $34.00, http://www.urbanoutfitters.com

AE Artisan Dolman Sweater, $39.93, http://www.ae.com

AEO Suede Fringe Cross-body bag, $29.46, http://www.ae.com

Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipcolour, drugstores and http://www.maybelline.ca 

Maybelline Eye Studio Colour Plush Silk eyeshadow, drugstores and http://www.maybelline.ca

Sun Medallion Earrings, $6.80, http://canada.forever21.com

AEO Beaded Turquoise and Pink bracelets, $15.48 each, http://www.ae.com  

Putting the "Access" in Accessories

An outfit is sometimes not complete without accessories. Accessories can add a punch to an outfit, and really show off a person's unique style. For example, if you were wearing a white blouse and black skirt, your look would most likely say "classic." However, just by adding a studded belt, knee-high boots, and a chunky necklace, the look would suddenly shift from "classic" to "edgy."
I love accessories. Particularly ones that feature pearls, bows, flowers, hearts, butterflies...anything that would make you say, "aw, that's so cute!" (I do this all the time when browsing websites.) Oh, and if they didn't cost so much, that would be great too.
On my recent (well, not so recent anymore) trip to England, I came across possibly the best accessory store in the entire world. Literally. The name of the store is Accessorize. If you like pearls, flowers, and bows like me, I recommend you check out the link below:
http://www.accessorize-usa.com/
For some reason, I can only get the USA site now, but I'm sure there's a way to change it to Great Britain pounds or Euros.
I love everything on this website. Absolutely everything. There is only one small fault: it is a tad bit expensive. The style laid out by Accessorize is similar to that of Forever 21. When I compared some products from both sites, they were almost identical, except in price. While accessories from Accessorize can range from $5 to $35, accessories from Forever 21 are rarely over $15. Let's compare, shall we?

The one on the right is a cupcake necklace from Accessorize, costing $9, while the ice cream necklace on the left is from Forever 21 and is only $4.80.

The owl necklace on the right is $10 from Accessorize, whereas the one from Forever 21 is $6.80.

The set of gold bangles on the left is $32 from Accessorize; the pack on the right is $6.80 at Forever 21.

The set of cute rings on the left is $14 from Accessorize while the ones on the right are $4.80 from Forever 21.

                               

The flower earrings on the left are $9 from Accessorize, however, at Forever 21 a set of three only comes to $3.80.

                            

The floral headband on the left is $14 from Accessorize; a similar one from Forever 21 is $4.80.

The handbag on the left is $70 from Accessorize, a similar one from Forever 21 is $30.80.

Now, I'm not advertising in any way that you should never shop at Accessorize just because Forever 21 is cheaper, I'm just comparing prices of similar items. Having bought accessories from both these stores, I can say that the quality is pretty much the same.

I credit the websites of Accessorize and Forever 21 for all the photos.

http://www.accessorize-usa.com/page/home/

http://canada.forever21.com/Product/Main.aspx?br=f21