Follow on Bloglovin

Monday, October 31, 2011

What's Your Personal Style?

First off, Zeke and I want to wish everyone a very Happy Hallowe'en! Also remember that our canine friends are allergic to chocolate so keep it out of their reach because they will eat it and get sick.

Do you know what your personal style is? Despite me usually knowing what to buy and helping others shop, I never really sat down and thought about this. However it's good to know what your style is so it is easier to go shopping because then you will know exactly what you're looking for.

There are basically only five main personal styles: Classic, Chic, Whimsical, Bohemian, Avant-garde, and combinations of each ie. Classic/Chic. I kind of thought I'd be Classic, but then I took a quiz in a book by Jesse Garza and Joe Lupo titled Nothing To Wear? A 5-Step Cure For The Common Closet. I was shocked to find that I'm actually Whimsical/Chic, so I had to take the quiz again on a different day and I was the same thing!

Here is the eight question quiz here to help you to figure out what you are so that shopping will get a bit easier. Plus it's kind of fun - at least I thought so! So grab a pen and be prepared to learn more about your personal style.

1. If we opened your closet, what colour palette would we mostly see?

a) black and neutrals
b) basics, such as navy, white, khaki, charcoal, or brown
c) earth tones
d) a rainbow of colours
e) black with touches of bold colour

2. How would your friends describe you?

a) playful and spirited
b) relaxed and liberal
c) sharp and direct
d) traditional and proper
e) innovative and forward-thinking

3. Given a choice, what would you rather do?

a) throw on a pair of jeans and t-shirt with funky accessories
b) step out in a fun floral dress or bright mixed prints
c) put on a sleek V-neck top and modern-cut pant
d) grab your favourite jacket with interesting and unusual details to wear with a black pant
e) get comfortable in khakis, a collared shirt, and your custest loafers

4. If someone gave you $200 to spend on clothes, how would you use it?

a) spend it on a cashmere wrap
b) buy a couple of outfits at J. Crew or Banana Republic
c) add to your accessories collection with a slouchy suede bag
d) buy a dress that makes you feel smart and unique
e) splurge on anything that catches your eye

5. When you walk into a crowded room, what would you prefer to do?

a) stand out
b) blend in
c) be in control, exude power
d) seem natural and easygoing
e) be zany and animated

6. When you have the urge (or need) to go shopping, you are more likely to do which of the following?

a) purchase practical basics for all seasons
b) head to the flea market for some great "lived-in" and funky finds
c) get something with a splash of colour to brighten your day
d) find that unusual piece to add to your wardrobe that no one else will have
e) buy high-quality, smart pieces that are sure to be in style

7. When you flip through the pages of fashion magazines, what is most likely to catch your eye?

a) that little black dress in the "specail occasion" section
b) peasant blouses and denim
c) multicoloured bangles for spring
d) a story on the new designers from Tokyo and Belgium
e) a Ralph Lauren lifestyle ad

8. Which of the following best describes the decor of your home?

a) minimalist, architectural, and sculptural (think the Jetsons)
b) comfortable and traditional (think the Cleavers)
c) fun, kitschy, and unorthodox (think Alice in Wonderland)
d) lots of rugs, earth tones, and floral prints (think 70s)
e) streamlined, tonal, with clean surfaces ( think Tom Ford)

Stay tuned for the answer key. I will be posting the answer key, the descriptions of each style, and the icons of each style Wednesday. See you then!
Joelle

Friday, October 28, 2011

Friday's Faux Paw

Wearing a nice white tank top, t-shirt, dress shirt, or dress will always be in style. Nowadays you can forget the old rule that you can't wear white after Labour Day. What always will look tacky (unless you are a rockstar) is wearing a white bra underneath. Look at the photo on the left of the woman wearing a white bra under a white tank top. What specifically do you look at first? Personally my eye gravitates to her bust. If you don't want to advertise your bra and your bust and I think it's a faux paw to do so, then wear a skin coloured bra. This will provide you with a seamless look, so that your bra does not stand out under the shirt. If you are Caucasian, the best bra to wear with a white T-shirt is a beige bra. If you are darker skinned, your best bra choice under a white T-shirt is a chocolate one or even a black one, depending on your skin tone. This will minimize how noticeable the bra you are wearing is to others. Choose the same colour for your underpants when wearing white pants.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Still Don't Know What to Go As For Hallowe'en?

With Hallowe'en coming up in less than a week, I thought I'd help you out with some costume ideas and how to create them. Here are some suggestions on how to look stylish for Hallowe'en:

Katy Perry
Why not try a Katy Perry costume? Every day seems to be a costume day for her so there are many outfits to choose from. The above outfit from her California Girls video seems quite easy to create. Buy a cheap white strapless form fitting dress. Buy some styrofoam balls, cut them in half and colour them in fuchsia, blue, and yellow. Glue gun them onto the dress. Buy a blue wig - they have some at Ardene and Value Village. Buy a chunky white bracelet and throw on some high heels. Make sure you put on some fuchsia lipstick, fake eyelashes, and winged black eyeliner.
Steampunk
Steampunk seems to be a popular fad right now and seems quite easy to put together. The above look is great except I think she could've chosen better shoes. Select your main clothing in shades of gray, brown or black. For women, you could go with something shown above or combine a tight corsetlike top or dress with a full skirt and bustle and puffed-out sleeves. Or you could choose a button-down shirt with a tie, vest, and pants or shorts; because Steampunk is less gender-biased than the actual Victorian era. Add the proper Steampunk style in your shoes. Tall, lace-up boots work well in the Steampunk tradition. Try to find narrower boots with a little bit of a heel rather than bulky, combat-style boots. Spats or leg warmers with laced wingtip-style shoes also complement Steampunk style. Accessorize with goggles. Channel the Wright Brothers in your goggle selection. Choose large, full-faced goggles that mimic an aviator style; if you can't find any, try making some with fabric glued to science-lab goggles instead. Gears and cogs are the height of Steampunk style, and they belong outside your clothing just as much as inside your pocket watch. Break up an old watch or clock to pull out the gears, and then string them together to make a pendant or hang them from earring hooks. Spray paint the cogs in metallic bronze or copper colors if they don't fit that color scheme already. Top it all off with a hat or hair accessory. Glue large feathers and gears or cogs to a hair clip, and wear it on the side of your hair as a fascinator.

Femme Fatale
If you have a love for vintage looking clothing and being dark and mysterious, then go as a femme fatale. A femme fatale is defined as a woman of great seductive charm who leads men into compromising and or dangerous situations. In the 1940s, the femme fatale was popular in contemporary pop culture with the introduction of film noir. She represented the liberation and power gained by females throughout the Second World War: she is sexy, duplicitous and often ruthless. The colour scheme for this costume should be either black, dark grey, dark red, or emerald green would also work. If you have a killer vintage looking body hugging dress now is the time to wear it. If you'd prefer separates, go for a blazer with a peplum and bellshaped knee-length skirt. Keep the colours the same. For accessories, grab a beret or fedora, peep-toe pumps, skin coloured seamed stockings with garters, a gun or a cigarette holder. Red lips and smoky eyes are a must as well as long hair like Veronica Lake or Jessica Rabbit.

Elle Woods From Legally Blonde
While this may not be a current, trendy costume, it is certainly easy to do and easy to recognize. When picking out clothing for a Legally Blond costume, "pink" is the key word to remember. A pink three-piece skirt suit creates the ideal look for the costume. However, more casual clothing could be worn. If mixing and matching items, make sure everything is the same shade, or at least complementary shades, of pink. If you have blonde, medium-length hair with some curls, great! But if you don't a wig will be required to get the look right. For makeup, aim for a glamorous approach in terms of eye shadow and overall makeup. Try to find pink lipstick to match the shade of the clothing. Nails need to receive polish in that same shade of pink to complete the look. For accessories, add tasteful but glamorous jewelry, a stylish pink hat, pink high-heeled shoes, and sunglasses with pink lenses worn atop your head. Carry a pink purse. Elle Woods owns a chihuahua named "Bruiser Woods." Find a realistic stuffed chihuahua. Add a pink collar to the dog. A pink outfit of some kind should be worn by the dog, too. If possible, try to match the shade of pink to the shade of clothing worn in your costume and pop the dog in your purse so he can look out. 
Justin Bieber
Another easy costume to pull off. To totally go for the Bieber effect you need to wear as much purple as possible so find a purple hoodie or shirt and bandana to wear around your wrist. A black cap worn backwards, high top sneakers and tight jeans are very important too. But the real key, is the flippy hair so make sure you find the right wig. You need to commit to this one so flip your hair every few minutes. 

Facebook Page
I know I spend WAY too much time on facebook and many of you probably are guilty of the same. So why not go as your very own facebook page? First of all: you don’t have to be your own Facebook profile. You can be a celebrity’s, monster’s or anyone's Facebook profile. Use a whiteboard as your base, or use pieces of a dry-wipe board for interactive areas like your status update, your wall and gifts. Attach a belt at the backside of the board in order to wear it without using your hands. People will want to pose on pictures with you, so make the cut-out area large enough for people to become part of your profile picture. Take felt-tip pens with you so that you can update your status on the fly, or let people write comments on your wall. Possible status updates: “is wearing the best costume at this Hallowe'en party”, “is wearing his Facebook profile”, “is wishing everyone a happy Hallowe'en”, “is posing with monsters and idiots”, “can’t wait to go home and check facebook”, “doesn’t want to be tagged in any Hallowe'en pictures”, etc. Bring a Polaroid camera so you can instantly add friends attending the party to your friends list by gluing their photos onto your profile. If you don’t have a Polaroid camera, why not have Count Dracula, Jason Voorhees and Hannibal Lecter in your friends list? Get sponsored and put funny, targeted ads on your profile, like tooth whitening for vampires, human burgers for cannibals, Einstein brains for zombies… Or if you are not so good at making things, you could just put a blue book cover on your head and be Facebook 0.1 Beta.

Hope these ideas help you to find a fun costume this Hallowe'en!
Joelle

Monday, October 24, 2011

Joelle's Top 10 Fall 2011 Purchases

First off I would like to give a shout out to my friend MrS. E (Elysia) who runs a wonderful blog on scrapbooking and other crafts called MrS. chiEvous Crafts. Check it out at: http://mischievouscrafts.blogspot.com I just won a wonderful Valentine's Day card from one of her contests and cannot wait to give it to my Sweetie this Valentine's Day. Thanks!

I thought I'd share with everyone the Top 10 things I bought recently for fall. It is my hope that these will inspire you to revamp your wardrobe, accessories, and make-up to add a bit of current trends.

Leather Flared Skirt from eBay $51.16 If you don't want to hit eBay (I am not sure as to why you wouldn't!) you can find one that is a bit shorter at Danier for $89.99

Silver Sequin Skirt $25.00 from eBay I found some at Forever XXI that were around the same price, but way shorter.
Leather Pants from eBay $24.00 You can find a similar pair at Danier for $129.00

 Chili Tingle Lip Tint from LUSH $8.95
Cropped Wool Blend Peacoat from Old Navy $55.00
Men's Madras Shirt from Old Navy $9.99
Leather Clutch from eBay $11.56 These can be found almost anywhere for $25-$50

Sequin Top (yes I see a pattern of shiny purchases as of late) from Forever XXI $21.80

Aqua Black Lace Dress from eBay $24.50 Similar ones can be found everywhere from $50-$100

Shoeties from WALMART $25.00 I cannot find a photo on the net so I will take one of them tomorrow when I am awake. I find that all of this shopping can make you exhausted! *wink* And with that I am off to bed. Goodnight and sweet dreams of chasing down a great deal!
Joelle

Friday, October 21, 2011

Friday's Faux Paw

I had to go to the vet yesterday because I was really ill. I guess I should not have eaten all the tasty berries that are on the ground in our back yard. Joelle told me that those berries are what has made me sick, but I still want to eat them. While I am one to give out fashion advice, at the end of the day I guess I am still a dog.

So, just like me being told over and over again not to eat those yummy berries, today's faux pas is something you have most likely heard over and over again. Each year many humans do something that ages them, makes them smell bad, takes away their money, causes a variety of illnesses, and often ends up killing them. I am talking about smoking! Smoking also causes bad smelling breath, clothes, and hair, yellow teeth and hands, unhealthy looking skin, shortness of breath, makes your body heal slower if injured, and increases the risk of colds, flus, bronchitis, and pneumonia. We dogs don't understand why humans would want to do all of this to themselves therefore I believe we are smarter than humans because we don't smoke (but I still want those berries - hmmmmm...)

As this is a style blog focusing on everyone becoming the best versions of themselves, I felt I would be amiss not to bring this up. After all, how can you look awesome in your beautiful clothes if your skin looks pale, unhealthy, and wrinkled and you're holding a smelly cigarette? Think it's glamorous? Think again:

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Skirting The Issue

Fall 2011 may be well known as the season of the longer skirt. This is wonderful especially because our climate gets rather chilly and mini skirts with tights don't keep us warm enough. Midi-length or "tea length" as well as Maxi-length (ankle length) skirts were seen all over the runway months ago at various fall/winter 2011 fashion shows, so I thought it would be a good idea to discuss these skirts in more detail.

Midi-length or “tea length” skirts finish somewhere between the bottom of the kneecap and the bottom of the calf. Form fitting midi skirts were very prevalent in the 1940’s. They were popular in flared silhouettes in the 1950’s. And they were popular in just about every silhouette in the 80’s. For women who are shorter than 5'7" who want to wear this trend, it will work better to keep the skirt at a just-below-the-knee length and keep the silhouette slim and narrow.

Maxi-length skirts finish off at the ankle. At one time only worn by bohemian artsy types or as formal evening skirts, they are now very mainstream and come in solids as well as the familiar patterns. This length is also not a look for everyone. Once again shorter women should stick to shorter skirts (knee length and up) or else you will look like you're lost in the skirt or dress.

A good idea if you're on the shorter side is to wear knee-high boots with a skirt. To create a longer, leaner line, make sure that there's either no gap between the top of the boots and the bottom of the skirt or wear tights that match the boots and skirt.

Whether you choose midi or maxi what is popular right now are slim skirts with a high slit, full pleated skirts, and skirts shorter in the front than in the back (often called shirttail hem, tapered hem, or cutaway hem). The trend for patterns for Fall 2011 are plaid, graphic prints, polka dots, florals, or some sort of embellishment - sequins, beading, etc. To be in style choose chiffon or some other sheer material, wool, satin, or even leather. Current colours are bold like cobalt blue, emerald green, royal purple, lemon yellow, fuchsia, metallics, or stick to basic black if you must.

To make yourself look taller and thinner, once again I will repeat - wear knee-high boots and make sure that there's either no gap between the top of the boots and the bottom of the skirt or wear tights that match the boots and skirt. With a slim midi or maxi wear pumps or kitten heels with pointy toes because they will make your legs look more shapely. With a full skirted midi or maxi, try wearing a ballet flat or wedges and steer clear of pumps because they are too sexy for such a cute skirt.

Hope this inspires everyone to select the skirt that's in style and right for you!
Joelle

Monday, October 17, 2011

The Real Deal vs The Steal

My husband and I went for our first ever hot air balloon ride today in Edmonton. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and wonderful experience. I got some awesome photos and videos. By a mere coincidence we even happened to fly over our house! Now onto today’s blog entry…

Who likes to save money these days when buying clothes, shoes, make-up, and accessories? I know I do! *raising hand* So without further ado here are my favourite things I cannot afford and comparable items for less. The prices are in Canadian dollars.

Jimmy Choo Black Glitter Aimee Pumps $532
Walmart Black Glitter Pumps $19
Lanvin Silk Pleated Dress $3355
H&M Dress $39.95
DSQUARED Boot Rider Abrasivato $903.40
Call It Spring Lathon Boots $100.90
Nars Orgasm Blush $29.00
Milani Minerals Luminous Blush $11.94
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star $51.12
Walmart Run Canvas Shoe $12.50
Yves Saint Laurent Ring $255.59
H&M Ring  around $7 (Their website is down for maintenance so I cannot get the price at this moment.)
Someday I will do more The Real Deal vs The Steal so stay tuned. Hope this helps everyone to save some money.

Follow on Bloglovin

The Real Deal vs The Steal

My husband and I went for our first ever hot air balloon ride today in Edmonton. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and wonderful experience. I got some awesome photos and videos. By a mere coincidence we even happened to fly over our house! Now onto today's blog entry...

Who likes to save money these days when buying clothes, shoes, make-up, and accessories? I know I do! *raising hand* So without further ado here are my favourite things I cannot afford and comparable items for less. The prices are in Canadian dollars.


Jimmy Choo Black Glitter Aimee Pumps $532

Walmart Black Glitter Pumps $19


Lanvin Silk Pleated Dress $3355


H&M Dress $39.95


DSQUARED Boot Rider Abrasivato $903.40


Call It Spring Lathon Boots $100.90


Nars Orgasm Blush $29.00


Milani Minerals Luminous Blush $11.94

Converse Chuck Taylor All Star $51.12

Walmart Run Canvas Shoe $12.50

Yves Saint Laurent Ring $255.59

H&M Ring  around $7 (Their website is down for maintenance so I cannot get the price at this moment.)

Someday I will do more The Real Deal vs The Steal so stay tuned. Hope this helps everyone to save some money.
Joelle

Friday, October 14, 2011

Friday's Faux Paw

Last weekend the humans had a big feast and apparently their dog companions are not invited to take part. I spent most of the day in my kennel. But I digress...

What I wish to discuss today is wearing running/athletic shoes in public. Yes I know they are comfortable, but unless you're at a gym or out for a run or walk this really looks like you've given up on yourself. Quite often a whole outfit is built from your shoes. So if you start out with runners, then you'll grab jeans and a T-shirt. Now you're wearing a whole outfit of boring. Why not try a cool pair of Converse street shoes or a chic pair of ballet flats? You could also wear oxfords, loafers, or ankle boots. If you find yourself constantly reaching for your runners - put them in your gym bag where they belong and you won't be tempted to wear them in public.