Cynthia Macken
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Camel Suiting

OUTFIT DETAILS:

Wilfred Cocoon Wool Coat
Goorin Brothers Heritage County Line Hat 
Black Market Thrifted Tweed and Suede Blazer
J. Crew Silk- Front Tank in Stripe
J. Crew Trousers in Desert (See Similar here)
Thrifted Brown Leather Gloves
J. Crew Arrow Drop Earrings
Zara Black Pointed Toe Heels

If someone were to ask me what’s one of my favourite places to shop around Toronto. I would honestly say the Black Market down on Queen St. Simply because everything in the store is $10 or less. This store is also one of the bigger reasons why I’m able to shop frequently without breaking the bank and where I find cool stuff to rework or wear. See? You don’t have to spend a lot to run a blog or to pull luxurious looks! It’s a lot like going on a treasure hunt, looking for the hidden gems. For me— I feel less pressure while shopping here because you actually have no idea what you’ll end up with. Whereas if you were to walk into a retail store like Ann Taylor and don’t end up finding that specific item you found online or piece you know they usually would carry because they cater to that kind of thing, then I would be a little disappointed. Different bars of standards, you could say. If you’re in need of a denim jacket, oversized suited blazer with thin pinstripes, cat eye shades, lace slips, duster robe coats they have it all… for literally only $10. They even have Christmas sweaters. I happen to land myself this awesome camel-coloured herringbone/tweed blazer with suede on the collar as for detail.     

This outfit was inspired by International Fashion Editor and voice of The Rake, Sarah Ann Murray. A talented individual who is constantly testing the waters and pushing the envelope with menswear. With that, I wanted to go for a chic, suited ensemble. What better way to start a sophisticated outfit with the colour Camel and turn it into a feminine suit? There’s this deep and crazy love I have for women in suits, flared trousers, silky button-downs, 6″ wide brim hats who also exude a knack for matching and pulling the most subtle yet stunning details. Are these the women who frolic around Paris? Garance Dore does a good job making it seem so. I paired my thrifted blazer with my Aritzia Wilfred Cocoon Coat. In my opinion, a camel coat is such a timeless piece, which can elevate and go with anything. It’s also a nice change from the black coat. Camel coats also remind me of the 1930-40s fashion in America— A golden era I tried illustrating through these images by photographing them on a historical site dated back in exactly 1937. For bottoms, I wore my J. Crew trousers in ‘desert’, which are actually 5-6x bigger than what I normally wear because I was for for a loose and straight fit, paired with a light striped tank and dainty black heels from Zara. I’ve always wondered…
 

When it comes to your style, which time period are you most inspired by?
Share your comments below and let me know. xo

 

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HER Wishlist

DETAILS ON THE BOARD:

1. BAUBLE BAR CAIRO EAR JACKETS
2. MAIYET SOPHIE SHOULDER BAG
3. MOLESKIN POCKET SKETCHBOOK
4. CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE VELVET IN 34 LA RAFFINEE
5. DANIER AMERSEE RABBIT FUR SCARF
6. JO MALONE FRENCH LIME BLOSSOM CANDLE

With less than ten days until Valentines Day, allow me to help you out of the hot waters with gifts for your significant other, girlfriend or mom! I like treating my mom too on that day– because it’s a day to confess your great love right? 

I’ve compiled a board with beautiful, classic, and essential items to treat your lucky companion. These are the few items I found online that I’m absolutely in LOVE with for quite a while. Some were even previous gifts that have been given by yours truly. From a timeless lip colour to everyday handbag– you can’t go wrong with these. Good luck! xx

 

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Stella

ASOS Long Line Coloured Check Coat
Zara Angora Turtleneck (See similar here)
Zara Aztec Skirt (See similar here)
Ann Taylor Skinny Belt (See similar here)
Zara Aztec Ankle Strap Wide Heels
Fossil Rose Gold Medium Boyfriend Watch (See similar here)

Happy Monday! Can we all stop for a moment and see how amazing this coat is because it looks like the Stella McCartney one that’s right off the runway? (Photo reference below) Hehe.. I love it! Another item to add to my plaid collection for winter! I’m only really wearing 3 pieces– a turtleneck, a skirt and a coat (duh, because we’re Canada and it’s winter). Two pieces that have two very distinct prints and one, being the turtleneck to create some balance and contrast with the outfit. If you’re looking for nice turtlenecks and printed pencil skirts, do check  out Topshop and ASOS for those. The thing that ties it all together is the neutral shades they come in. Here’s the other thing… Use a skinny belt to create a waistline and perhaps some nude shoes to go with. Conveniently, I was in sheer luck to own a pair of heels that matched the skirt, so why not add an even more playful element to it?

In my last post, I made a point with winter being boring in terms of frequently seeing black coats, big boots, etc. Not that it’s a problem or a bad thing..Don’t get me wrong, you can rock it like how a lot of Garance Dore’s captured models has on her blog does. But winter should not limit someone’s creativity in their style. But as long as you own a couple turtlenecks, layer some long sleeves underneath, wear one to two wooly camp socks with your trousers or skinny wants to weigh out the top heavy layer you’ll be doing.. then I believe it’s okay to put down the parka.

Although this outfit may seem impractical on some days, make your picks with the weather! Because when I was out with this outfit, I was doing good. The only thing I would have probably switched out would be to some ankle booties with socks instead to complete the winter look and add some extra warmth to my feet. To add to this.. I was out for quite a while since I was using a tripod to take photos. Don’t let not having blogger boyfriend or photographer friends around stop you from shooting amazing photographs! But I’ll go into detail about this next time.

And there you have it! My not so typical winter ensemble. One that’s also chic and wearable for any date or dinner with your girlfriends. Since we’re also on the plaid trending topic, 
I’d love to know what’s your favourite plaid item in your winter wardrobe?

Have a good start to your week!

PS. Just two more days until my GIVEAWAY on Instagram
for the Urban Decay SMOKED Palette ends! Click here! And good luck! xx

 

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Almost There

OUTFIT DETAILS:

Thakoon Addition Pink Floral Printed Shawl Collar Dress
Ann Taylor Crepe Colourblock Topper Coat
Thrifted Faux Snake Printed Vest
JustFab Sanna Heels
Topshop Gold Fringe Necklace
Danier White Leather Passport Holder (Used as a clutch)

HAPPY SUNDAY! Hope you all are having a beautiful weekend! I’ve spent the weekend going to the Lawrence Farmer’s Market, attending family and friend’s dinner, ice skating and editing photos from the Wedluxe show! *Hint hint.. future post coming soon* On another note, I don’t think I’ve ever cried while taking out the garbage… until I was surprised with a bouquet of these stunning peonies during the process. Tears of joy I say… also the best kind of tears too. In addition to happiness, I’m extremely ecstatic that it’s been pretty warm this weekend to do all your favourite winter outdoor activities.

One of the few things that I love incorporating into my fall/winter wardrobe other than big cable knits is COLOUR! I’m a true believer in the psychology behind colour selection, what one chooses to wear is a pretty accurate reflection of their emotions and persona, whether you consciously or subconsciously pick out. 

Every winter in Toronto, the sea of black parkas roll out. For me, I try to layer to stay warm. Owning a coat that is a couple sizes bigger than what you normally wear allows you to wear all of your favourite sweaters– one on top of the other. At the same time, I like to wear my favourite vivid colours, hence my bright blue J. Crew cacoon jacket. It’s actually a size 4 regular, while I usually wear a 00 petite. For this look, I wore my floral printed Thakoon Addition dress for a splash of colour… as well as to showcase my excitement and eagerness for Spring! If you’re looking to rock florals in the winter, I highly recommend poking around in Topshop.

Make sure to follow me on instagram for my weekend adventures and see my first GIVEAWAY!

Hope you all have relaxing, fun & rejuvenating weekend!

xxxx

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Pulling Grey Layers

FRIDAY’S EDITORIAL INSPIRATION

Magazine: January 2015 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Poland
Photographer: Riccardo Vimercati
Model: Josephine Skriver Stylist: Sara Francia
Hair: Nicolas Eldin Make-Up: Cedric Jolivet

Truth be told, I’m not really familiar with a lot of models in the fashion industry. I’ve only heard of Josephine Skriver walking down the Victoria Secret fashion show for 2014 but didn’t really put a face to the name. But boy does photographer, Riccardo Vimercati do a crazy job of photographing Josephine here for the January 2015 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Poland. If you get the chance, be sure to check out his portfolio site… it’s filled with super inspiring work. For me, it’s great to see a range in style and use of lighting. His work honestly made me feel like a jolly kid in a candy store… more accurately a kid sitting in front of a PC computer desktop surfing through Deviant Art and seeing Nikola Borissov for the first time… (Imagine seeing his work at age 13…) if you know what I mean. If not, that’s still okay. I like to call this ‘Pinspiration time’.

Anyways, Stylist Sara Francia puts Josephine in a a few looks that primarily focuses on textures and layering. Great for the Winter! (Along with your Canada Goose or Mackage coats of course..) You see this laying x texture work happening in heavy cable knits, contrasting with delicate laces, paired with the fringe skirt and the play in dark neutrals. There’s also a lot of exaggeration in the lengths of the pieces but also maintaining the waist line in the last shot. There’s minimal-close to nothing in terms of accessories. Various designs seen here include: Bottega Veneta, Dior, Burberry Prorsum and many more. 

Overall, If I had to water down the ensembles of this shoot to the basics, I would say it’s similar to having Anthropologie meet The Reformation and a lot of cool vintage. x

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