Floral Prints in the Winter

Free People floral print tunic worn as dress

Nordstrom Blank NYC biker jacket with Free People dress

Nordstrom Blank NYC biker jacket

Nordstrom biker jacket with Free People dress

Nordstrom outfit with biker jacket and Free People dress

Leopard nail art and Samantha Wills bohemian bardot ring

Nordstrom outfit with biker jacket and Free People dress

faux suede ankle boots

Nordstrom outfit with biker jacket and Free People dressJacket (Blank NYC), Dress (Free People), Bag (Steven), Boots (BP) c/o Nordstrom. Sunnies, Gucci. Ring, Samantha Wills.

One of the most rewarding things I’ve gotten out of blogging is how much it has forced me to push boundaries outside of my comfort zone. Especially when it comes to colours and bold prints. While I never had issues with over-the-top style pieces, I did tend to live in a monochromatic colour scheme mainly revolving around black. For years, if you’d asked me what my favourite colour was, I’d tell you black. But apparently black isn’t even a real colour.

Truth is, I never realized just how much black I was wearing until after I started blogging. Don’t get me wrong, I owned colour pieces and always intended on wearing them…but it just never happened. Catch me in floral print? Uh…not since the 4th grade! However, looking back on it now I realize this was probably because I had been such a tomboy in my early teenage years. Even as I grew out of my tomboy phase I still avoided anything girly like the plague. I suppose that even after I embraced my feminine side subconsciously I was still avoiding warm colours and prints out of habit.

Be that as it may, I was happy to have made this discovery because boy had I ever been missing out on the fun part of fashion! Not only have I embraced florals and other prints, but I find myself pushing new boundaries by wearing them even in the wintertime. Case in point this beautiful tunic from Free People that I’m sure you’ve seen me wear before. The deep burgundy floral print makes for a great fall/winter dress when layered over leggings, trousers, jeans, OTK boots. Or even a maxi skirt (like here). I need not mention that in the summertime this tunic becomes its own standalone minidress. Winter just became a lot more fun.

What are your favourite colours or prints for winter?

Winter Layering

Winter Layering feat Nordstrom pieces

Winter Layering feat Nordstrom pieces

Winter Layering feat Nordstrom pieces
Winter Layering feat Nordstrom pieces
Winter Layering feat Nordstrom pieces
Winter Layering feat Nordstrom pieces   Top, Nasty Gal. Jacket (Blank NYC), Skirt (Halogen) c/o Nordstrom. Boots, Ralph Lauren. Scarf c/o Pinkstix. Bag, Rebecca Minkoff.

Staying fashionable in the winter months can be a daunting challenge at times. Especially if you live somewhere that tends to get buried in snow while reaching ridiculously stupid freezing temperatures. While the preference is to hibernate during the winter months unfortunately that is not always feasible. So I’ve opted for a new strategy – layering. Layering clothing items provides not only warmth, but also gives quite a bit of versatility when it comes to styling. It’s a perfect opportunity to combine different fabrics and textures, which is exactly what I did here.

For the base layer I opted for knits; long sleeve top and fitted maxi skirt, worn with a biker jacket and fun printed scarf. For colder temperatures one could easily layer on a maxi cardigan or long coat. Another benefit of layering is the ability to add or remove articles of clothing as required. There is nothing worse than being stuck in one heavy piece in the event you need to transition between interior spaces that have different temperatures (for instance the office I work where one room can be overly hot while other areas are freezing). Stay warm my friends!

And most importantly – Happy Friday!

How to Dress Up Track Pants

Dress up track pants with a pair of chic heels
Biker jacket with track pants
Dress up track pants with a pair of chic heels
Dress up track pants with a pair of chic heels
Dress up track pants with a pair of chic heels
Dress up track pants with a pair of chic heels
How to dress up track pants
How to dress up track pantsJacket, Zara. Turtleneck, H&M. Track pants, Roots. Bag, Rebecca Minkoff. Heels, Lulus. Sunnies, Gucci.

I’ve come to love juxtaposition in fashion. Maybe it’s the Gemini in me that yearns for extreme opposites to blend together in harmony…Yet as I type this I can’t help but realize just how much my zodiac sign has impacted my life. Fashion aside, my two favourite types of music are soca and heavy metal – two extreme opposites. So I guess it’s no wonder that I wanted to pair a chic yet edgy biker jacket with trackpants and a pair of elegant heels. But I love the contrasting mixture no different than Metallica following up a Destra Garcia song.

When going for this look, if that ‘off the runway kinda vibe’ is what you’re after then dress up track pants with a very elegant, somewhat statement heel. A feminine bag will compliment the look as well. A benefit of this look is the effortless transition from day to night. This look can easily be worn to run errands during the day. For night, just add strappy sandals or dainty pumps. Anyone else out there who seems to be drawn to opposites? How do you like to dress up track pants?

Happy weekend!