SUMMER VIBES ONLY | These 35 Bright Finds Will Keep This Summer Party Rolling

via H&M

 Originally posted in The CLOSET

I don't know about you but I like to keep a good thing going. When I'm enjoying the moment and carpeing the diem, I don't really want to think too much about what's next because it's a total waste of my precious rosé-sipping time.  So when I see Harry Potter costumes at a big box store (Who Must Not Be Named) or hear ads for Back-to-(insert short name for Educational Institutions here), I get my back up a little. I mean, why are we rushing summer away? Why aren't we all sitting on a patio somewhere, soaking up the sun and living each summer day like we mean it.

Once we hit the middle of August, I am totally down with discussing fall - er, that next season that we're not going to talk about quite yet - and you can bet that I will. After all, as a fashion blogger, it's my duty to give you a sneak peek of what you'll be wearing next. But for now? For now, let's live for these extra long days. Let's take things down a notch at work (if you can and if not, tell your boss I'd like to speak to him/her right now please) and give ourselves a little more time to enjoy the summer vibes. And of course, let's put away the blacks and greys and embrace brights. Remember that there's no time like the very middle of summer to dress like it's still only the middle of summer. Glass. Half. Full. Speaking of...um, am I going to have to refill this glass of rosé for myself? ;) Check out 35 bright finds below to help keep this summer party rolling. Hope your summer has been absolutely epic so far xx

SEE MY BRIGHT SUMMER PICKS HERE...

GAME, SET, MATCH | 5 Winning Ways to Go Matchy This Summer

Matchy-matchy cuteness via GAP

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Summer is a time to just chill. It's about being carefree and worry-free and keeping it extra simple, sweethearts. While most of us don't have the luxury of lounging on a dock all summer (AKA #goals) we do have the option of stress-free dressing. My favourite way? It's all about going matchy matchy. No need to overthink it: matchy dressing lets you pick one colour or theme and be done with it. The result? A super stylish pay-off with relatively little effort. Scroll down for 5 winning ways to go matchy right now. Hope you're having the best summer EVER xx

SEE THE LEWKS HERE...

NINETIES BABY | 3 Throwback Summer Trends We're Totally Feeling

via Tendances de Mode

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

I won't tell you how old I am but let's just say that I remember the '90s. I remember them well. And I recall that for me, my sister's closet played a starring role. She was four years older, and I was old enough to know better - but that didn't stop me from devising 007-worthy tactics to raid her closet. She had the BEST wardrobe. I'm talking denim distressed in all the right places, perfectly worn leather belts, baggy boyfriend shirts & super soft tees, oversized blazers & body-hugging bodysuits that I had absolutely no chance of filling out (sadly). She had a job and I didn't, so she bought her own clothes while I had to make do with very uncool hand-me-downs. That first time I wore one of her jackets to school, let's just say that she wasn't super stoked to find it lying crumpled up on my bedroom floor. And the time after, once she'd put a sister-proof lock on her bedroom door which I figured out how to bypass with a bobbypin, she was even less stoked.

My obsession with my sister's '90s closet taught me two important lessons: 1) Never, ever touch your older sister's stuff. Definitely not worth it. I should know. and 2) If the opportunity ever presents itself to score an epic '90s wardrobe once you can actually afford to buy your own things, take it.

Luckily, some of my fave obsessions from the '90s are back and I can't wait to live in them this summer. Slinky slipdresses can go from sexy for date nights to playful by adding a little white tee underneath.  Sleek bodysuits are amazing for taking the frump-factor out of this season's high-waisted pants & shorts. And long blazers (either floral kimono-style or boss-babe businessy), look great with jogger-style pants (as shown below) or with distressed pale denim shorts (see above). Scroll down for some '90s summer outfit inspo, courtesy of my perenially cool sis (who has hopefully forgiven me by now) ;)

GET YOUR '90s SUMMER STYLE INSPO HERE...

BABY YOU'RE SO CLASSIC | The Freshest Ways to Wear Your Old Favourites This Spring

Cutest. Shirt. Ever. via H&M

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Like a great old friend, classics are the best. You can part ways for awhile and do your own thing, but when you come back together, it feels like no time has passed at all. You share a history that's hard to replicate. You get each other.  Somehow it always just feels right.  Like people, classics evolve in their own small ways but they tend to stay true to what made them so great in the first place.

This spring, your old stand-bys have come back to play, only this time, they're updated to feel totes 2017. Here are some of our fave classic go-tos:

1. CULOTTES | Culottes keep coming back but now, they're available in loads of interesting fabrics and textures like pinstripes and faux leather, and are amazingly versatile - work to weekend is as simple as a shoe change.  Cropped, wide-leg jeans give off a similar vibe and are perfect for wearing with ankle boots while you wait for the warm weather to get here already. 

2. THE WHITE SHIRT | There isn't another piece more universally-flattering, more wardrobe-elevating and more go-with-everything than a great white shirt.  This season, the white shirt stays true to its roots but adds a decidedly 2017 twist with statement sleeves. 

3. STRIPES | Every single spring, you can count on stripes to be on every top trend list. While one usually thinks of nautical when shopping for stripes, this year, it's time to go for something a little less obvious. If you read between the lines (which I hope you do), I'm talking multi-toned striped dresses, vertical striped wide leg pants and flowy striped statement tunics that look more landlubbing than seafaring. 

4. GINGHAM | Gingham screams picnics and pretty weather and the innocence of youth. While I'll never say no to a pair of cute checked pants, I'm especially tempted by some of the fresh gingham finds I'm seeing in stores now. This spring, try a fun patchwork gingham shirt or a flirty cold-shoulder dress - pretty sure they'll be your new BFF's ;)

Happy, happy spring! Serious outfit inspo below...

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TREND REPORT | Why Spring 2017 Is All About Doing You

 via Coach

Originally posted in The CLOSET

We go through different phases in life of wanting to conform and dying to be different. As a teenager, I remember thinking that I had my own amazing sense of style, only to look back at pics and realize my group of friends had a very distinct uniform - a tragic, Disney-sponsored-skate-park-by-day-rave-by-night uniform. It's really hard to describe, and I won't torture you with the pics, but it basically consisted of mini skirts or dresses, tiny logo tees (my monster truck tee was my fave), over-the-knee socks and Converse or Gazelles.  Occasionally we wore our Little Mermaid backpacks, but they were way too small to hold anything other than a few tubes of LipSmackers so we usually just carried them on empty. For the record, there were no soothers. Whether we knew it at the time or not, wearing this uniform made us part of a club, made us look like a team, made us feel like we belonged.

As you grow up, you reach a point where the last thing you want to do is look like everyone else. Some people get tattoos, others chop their hair, but however we decide to define ourselves, we take action to stand out. We want to be noticed and respected, and while we don't always feel in control of our lives, there is always fashion to help us make our mark. Sure, we might look back to regret the fashion choices we've made (let's just forget my Spice Girl sneakers in 2001, please), but every fashion phase we endure comes to define us in some way... 

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