Ugh, I have Nothing to Wear!

 It's date night. You've known about it all week, but like me, you're a woman wearing multiple hats, with a schedule that probably requires a minimum of two executive assistants to balance it, and you've given little, if not, zero time to what you're going to wear for your beau tonight! You're scrambling around, tearing your closet apart, and you're about to have a fashion meltdown! Okay girls, let's take a deep, deep breath and regroup. Here are 5 wardrobe essentials that you will help you avoid any future fashion crises!

 The Perfect Little Black Dress
Absolutely every woman must have a little (or not so little) black dress in her wardrobe. It doesn't matter if you're a size 0 or a size 16, black is ultimately flattering, accentuates natural curves, it's wonderfully versatile. You can dress it up, or keep it casual, with hundreds of different accessory options, it's every woman's best friend, and no dress is the same.




 

The Crisp White Blouse
This is a personal favourite of mine, and I cannot tell you how often I've used this wardrobe piece. I've worn it to interviews, luncheons, evenings out, formal events, you name it, my go-to white blouse has been there! It can be made of silk, cotton, polyester, it doesn't really matter. Like the little black dress, it is one of the most versatile pieces you'll ever own. 



 

The Classic Dress Pant
Another must-have, dress pants, like jeans, can be tricky to shop for. Flare, bootleg, straight leg, skinny, the options are endless. We use the word "classic" because it should be your classic style. Personally, I have a petite frame, and I prefer a classic bootcut or a straight leg. Some of you may like a trouser style pant like the one pictured here. Which ever fit you choose, a chic dress pant can be a woman's secret weapon!

 Dazzling Denim

Every woman needs a pair or two (or ten!) of fabulous jeans. Don't get overwhelmed by all of the different fits. Despite what you may tell yourself, there is definitely a style out there that will look amazing on you, it just takes a little hunting around! Check out this style guide to help you. A beautiful pair of jeans can be made to look as formal as dress pants, and be dressed down for a walk in the park with your pup.

How to Dress for Your Body

As women, we've all spent countless hours in the changing room, feeling at the end of our proverbial rope because nothing seems to fit. It's almost like every designer in the world came together in some secret meeting and conspired to make everything in their collection completely unwearable to anyone who's above a size 6. Ladies, don't lose heart, there are plenty of designs out there that practically have your name sewn into them. What it all boils down to, is understanding your perceived flaws, and appreciating the natural curve and shape of your body. If you want,  it's possible to give the illusion of a nip here, and a tuck there, all under the guise of a well-constructed garment. Once you unlock the formula for making your body look bangin', you'll be turning heads everywhere you go! 

1) The Petite Figure. We should all be so lucky to be built like mini mouse right? Wrong! Sure, it may be fabulous being a size 0-6, but if you don't know where to look, it can be difficult to find fashionable jeans, trousers, or blouses that are designed for a shorter torso, or shorter legs. No respectable thirty-something year-old woman wants to be shopping in the teen section! Simple, clean lines and well tailored clothing looks best on a petite frame. When buying dresses, keep the hemline above the knee to give the illusion of longer legs and make you look taller. If you are donning a gorgeous petite, hour-glass shape, items like a wrap-dress, a sultry pencil skirt, and a blazer with a tailored fit are essential to your wardrobe! 

2) The Pear Shape. Don't fret ladies, pears are delicious, just like your shape! Women that are pear shaped are more curvy through the hips and derriere, and smaller on top. It's important to balance out the bottom by adding shape and detailing to the top half of your body. If you are self-concious about your shape, it's best to avoid tube dresses, pencil skirts and fish-tail hemlines. These are all designs that will accentuate your behind! A-line dresses, maxi skirts,  and blouses with embellished necklines or kimono sleeves attract attention to all the right places! 

3) The Rectangle. This is a body type that is often perceived as a little less shapely. But ladies, you have no idea how many women would kill for your shape! Your shoulders, hips and waist are a similar same ratio, hence the name rectangle, which often translates into women with this shape, look good in just about everything! However, there are designs that shouldn't don't flatter like sheath dresses and dropped waistlines that make your figure look more boyish. Lower cut blouses and shift dresses best accentuate curve and shape. 

Spring 2012 - Channel Your Inner Fashionista

For any of you seeking a career in fashion merchandising, having   your eye on the latest trends is essential. Last week, we shared with you some of the exciting up and coming trends for Spring 2012. Stunning vintage pieces like cloche hats, classic pearls and fascinators, along with bold, tropical prints, boxy silhouettes and earthen toned accessories. As we inch closer to the transition from thicker winter fabrics and into breezy Spring prints, we start to get a more realistic idea of trends that actually have a fighting chance of making it from the high flying catwalks of London and New York, to the mean streets Los Angeles, Chicago or Toronto.

All About the Midriff! Dolce & Gabbana, Anthony Vaccerello and Emilo Pucci are all about abs, abs ABS! Long flowy skirts, and undersized embellished bandeaus strutted their way down the runway. So you might want to grab yourself a copy of insanity ladies and start working on those six packs ladies. Or you can flip off this trend, happily sip away at your full fat Americano and stop freaking about losing a million pounds before the summer. This look isn't for everyone, myself included! Keep the long flowy skirt, and pair it with a pastel tank or fitted corset.

How about a trend all of us shapely gals that doesn't require us to skip lunch everyday! Thank goodness for the mavens of the roaring twenties! Flapper frocks are all the rage this Spring season and guess what, you don't have to be a triple zero like the waifs pictured above, to look look the part! The subtle, yet sensual boxy, low waisted silhouette is wearable by all! Let Alberta Ferretti, Roberto Cavalli and Gucci be your muses this season. Sequins, sateens, even jersey, the fabric matters not, it's all how you accessorize it.

Is there anything sexier than a woman in a suit? Yes, a woman rocking her confidence in a short-suit! This is a favourite trend of mine that, thankfully, designers keep reinventing. A girl can never have too many suits, and in every colour. Linens are always a favourite for spring and transition beautifully into sultry summer eves. 

We're seeing stripes! A splash of colour and dash of chevron and you've got a recipe for show-stopping look. Classic design houses like Dior and Burberry draw from the Art Deco movement of the 1930's and translate the geometric shapes of the era onto frocks, crop sweaters, capes and blouses. 

Crazy for Cloche and Other Vintage Treasures!

It's always interesting every year watching accessory designers scramble to think-up the next big thing to bring shock and awe to the runways of Fashion Week. This fall season was a fury of unique and refreshing designs. Stunning Navajo beadery, delicate feather extensions, chunky necklaces and bangles could all be seen on the worlds most prominent socialites. When Kim Kardashian dons 9 inch earrings, we scrambled to jump on the trend train. But what I am loving about this season, is our new found love affair with the illustrious, notorious, sensuous roaring 20's. The era where ladies of all classes donned boxy, shapeless silhouettes, calves and ankles were as sexy as decolletage and the bob was all the rage. It was a tumultuous time. Jazz was the spoken language, and the cloche hat was the most worn accessory of the time. Cloche hats were generally made of felt, so as to ensure they conformed comfortably to the head, and maintained and highlight the integrity of the bob. Later, fashion houses like Lanvin and in-house designer Jeanne-Marie Lanvin, capitalized on the popular trend by coordinating fashion designs with the cloche being the piece de resistance. Wool was often used by couture houses in London, Paris and New York to account for the severe winter weather. In the summer, months, hat-makers often used more light-weight material like straw, or sisal. It's chicness, and versatility that has allowed the cloche to stand the test of time, and is lovingly reinvented by the likes of Bergdorf Goodman, or more affordably, Jessica Simpson.  

Do you remember how enraptured we all were with the new Princess of Wales? Kate Middleton's style is affectionately copied the world over, but if there was an accessory that took off like the concord, it was the hair fascinator. No, this is not a modern day fashion super hero! Fascinators are beautiful headpieces that are often clipped to the hair with a bobby pin, or snap barrette. They're a gorgeous alternative to a full veil for brides that want to be a little more temptress and a little less priestess on their wedding day! Spice up your favourite little black dress, or spend at day at the races with the girls. The fascinator is a guaranteed conversation starter!

Pearls are also a timeless, and fabulous way to take a favourite outfit of yours back to an era of elegance. Larger pearls are perfect for a subtle black dress, or simple soft toned tank. Smaller pearls are ideal for outfits with more embellishments like lace, sequins or crocheted knits.

Keep Chic for Spring 2012

Alright, perhaps it's tad early to start getting excited for the Spring melt, but nothing drags me out of my post-Christmas blues like curling up in my favourite over-sized armchair, a pot of my favourite jasmine tea steaming in a pot nearby whilst being comforted by old friends like Vogue, In-Style, Elle and Marie Claire. Spring 2012 is certainly shaping up to be a bright, soft, sleek, edgy and as always, vintage-inspired season. Personally, I'm an avid fan of the sleek, shapeless silhouettes of the sultry 1920's. So rouge your knees ladies, put your stockings on, and take yourselves back to the elegance of the days of prohibition. Low-waisted silhouettes, luxurious cloche hats and silk panty hose make for fashion splendour. You don't need to learn how to become a fashion designer to dress like the great Louise Brooks or Clara Bows. But you can surely use use them as inspiration. After all, copying style is the greatest form of flattery. 

Warm, sumptuous tropical prints are heating up the catwalks. What girl doesn't want to sway down the street imagining a caribbean breeze flowing through her hair, looking sun-kissed and ready for a day at the beach. Everything from matte sheens, to canvas, bright silks, breezy jersey's and tulle and organza all make their appearance in this year's Spring's line up. This stunning tropic isle dress is from none other than Dries Van Noten. It may be a hair out of the price range for the average budget conscious fashionista, however, don't let that stop you for hunting around for tropic prints at penny-pinching prices. 

If you didn't get your fill of tribal and native prints this seasons past, they are back with a vengeance, and even more exquisite then before. Fine beading, rich fiery reds, deep golds and earthy browns illuminate the runways with classic cuts and indigenous patterns, once again, creating the perfect marriage between the past and present. This fabulous turquoise ring by Kelly Wearstler is just one example of the exceptional accessories you can find this season. 

Shoes, shoes, glorious shoes. How I adore thee. Tropical pinks and cool peaches will be strutting down Madison Ave soon enough. Diego Dolcini's ultra sexy strappy sandals scream spring flings, and soon after, summer fun. It's time to break out of your dreary post-holiday blues girls, snap some spring colour into that sad winter wardrobe and rest assured, the warmth of Spring is on its way!