Life Lately: Fashion edition

A few snapshots of the fashions I've been wearing in the past few weeks.

Dress & Clutch - Le Chateau; Trench - H&M;
Wedges & Necklace - Aldo; Ring - Old Navy

Sweater - Joe Fresh; Blouse & Skirt - Jacob;
Purse - Aldo; Espadrilles - Aritzia; Sunglasses - American Eagle

Blazer - H&M; Dress - Aritzia; Heels - Aldo; Watch - Fossil

Blouse - Jacob; Skirt - Aritzia; Purse - Aldo; Sunglasses - American Eagle

Blazers - H&M; Dress - Banana Republic

Blazer - H&M; Dress - Banana Republic; Purse & Shoes - Aldo

Blazer - H&M; Dress - Banana Republic; Purse - Aldo

Blouse & Pants - Jacob; Sunglasses - Ray-Ban

Blouse - Jacob; Camisole - Smart Set; Trousers - Talula via Artizia;
Purse - Aldo

Blouse - Old Navy; Trousers & Belt - Joe Fresh;
Heels - Michael Kors;

Blouse - Zara; Jeans - Forever 21; Flats - Blowfish

Looking Smart

Sweater - H&M; Skirt - Forever 21; Heels - Michael Kors;
Bracelet - Gift; Necklace - Smart Set

There's nothing quite like having an always elegantly dressed colleague tell you that your wearing such smart look. Honestly, it made my afternoon!

Inspired

After attending the MARCOM Conference last week I was inspired. 

Not only was I inspired to get into work and try out some of the things I had learned (including Scott Stratten's mantra "be awesome") but I was so inspired by the fashions that I decided to try something completely out of my comfort zone.

Shirt & Pants - Jacob; Necklace - Aldo; Belt - Joe Fresh; Shoes - Michael Kors; Watch - Fossil

Throughout the two days as I watched the fabulous ladies walking around the Ottawa Convention Centre (and Rideau Centre when I popped out to do a bit of window shopping) I was inspired to give my work wardrobe a bit of an overhaul. I'm no slouch when it comes to business casual; however, I have been known to sabotage an outfit by throwing on a cardigan or a less fabulous (read: boring and safe) pair of shoes. 

But that ends now.

Not only did this ensemble feature no cardigan, but it garnered compliments from co-workers, and satisfied my desire to be more Anna Wintour and less Liz Lemon when it comes to dressing.

More Wintour, less Lemon. That's my new mantra.

But, just because I'm moving away from becoming Liz Lemon doesn't mean I don't still want to be Tina Fey. I mean, have you read Bossypants?!

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Met Gala Red Carpet Recap

The Costume Institute Gala aka: the Met Gala is one of the most exciting red carpets of the years; it's la creme de la creme of fashion full-on bringing it. 

This annual event celebrates the opening of the Metropolitan Museum's fashion exhibit at the Costume Institute, which this year honours Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada.

Although I found the red carpet to be a little bit underwhelming this year, there were a few gems. Here are some of my favourites (and one of my not-so-favs).

Emily Blunt in Calvin Klein

Simple, elegant and in such a gorgeous colour - what's not to love about Emily Blunt's look?! 

Lea Michele in Diane von Furstenberg

I am not usually a fan of Lea Michele or her red carpet style, but this navy blue sequin Diane von Furstenberg dress looks amazing on her.

Kristen Bell in Tommy Hilfiger

Again, simple, elegant and in this season's hottest hue, Kristen Bell looks so California surfer girl chic.

Camilla Belle in Ralph Lauren Collection

I don't like the dark lip, and I think Camilla Belle's hair is a little bit extreme, but for the most part this look is fantastic and perfect for the Met Gala.

January Jones in Versace

Love the colour and the structure of these two strapless peplum dresses; it makes me wish I could pull off yellow.

Solange in Rachel Roy

Jessica Alba in Michael Kors

The golden girls. I just think these two look awesome.

Jessica Pare in L'Wren Scott

And now, for my not-so-favourite:

Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci 

From the front, it's not so bad.

But then she turns around. 

Don't get me wrong, I love Beyonce. I think she's a gorgeous and talented girl (I've done the Single Ladies dance more than a few times at the gym) but this dress is not a favourite. It's just a little too sheer, and a little too short. There's always next year, B.

What did you think? What was your favourite look from the Met Gala red carpet?

All photos courtesy of People.com

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Spring is Upon Us!

I don't know about you but when the seasons change I like to follow suit; which is why this weekend I chopped off my hair!

Me and my new 'do heading out on the town! 

It feels so amazing - I couldn't be happier with the cut. Emily at Saab Salon & Spa is a shear genius (see what I did there) she's great at taking my ideas and making them fit for my face shape. I always leave feeling so happy! (side note, Saab just happened to be the official salon for the 2012 Juno Awards, so walking in and out on the red carpet wasn't too bad either)

Now, let's move on to some fashion...

This week I'm taking part in Two Birds' Inspiration Monday. I really like Louise Roe. I liked her on The City; I didn't mind her on this year's Oscar telecast; I absolutely love her here. This outfit is to die for. I love the colour combination of the purple and yellow paisley, and wish I had all of these pieces in my closet.

Louise Roe

But this is the closest I could get. My mom thrifted this skirt back in the fall, but I kind of forgot about it after hanging it in my closet. That is until I saw this week's inspiration.

I love the colours in this skirt. I can match it with pretty much any piece in my wardrobe, but I chose the purple sweater because 1) I like purple, and 2) it wouldn't distract from the skirt.

I even like the length. Petites aren't advised to wear a tea length skirt or dress, but sometimes I just like to break the rules. Plus, the Michael Kors platforms help.

Sweater - Forever 21; Skirt - Thrifted; Heels -Michael Kors

I only wish the skirt didn't show off so much of my ghostly white ankles.

This outfit and my new haircut have made me even more excited for warm weather, exposed ankles, and patios. I just hope my pasty skin gets some colour before swimsuit season hits.

What are you looking forward this Spring?

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Je vous manqué

Well hello there, I have good news: I'm back!

Okay, I didn't actually go anywhere, I just fell off the face of the blogging earth for a couple of weeks. And, I have no excuse - actually I have many, including: laziness, lack of clean clothes, PMS, a wild weekend with friends and the following days of recovery, work, life, etc. etc. - but none of them are good reasons.

But, like I said, I'm back - and with a new dress to boot.

This dress forced me to break my self-imposed shopping hiatus, but it wasn't my fault - I swear! I was walking through the Rideau Centre with my Director on the way to a trade show one afternoon and it was the first time I had set foot in a mall in weeks. As we passed Mexx she pointed to the dress and said: "You need that dress, it's such a Kate dress." I immediately cursed her for being a bad influence and continued on my way.

Fast forward eight days and the dress was mine.

I'd spent eight days thinking about the dress and telling myself that I didn't really need it, although I wanted it. So Friday afternoon I trekked back to Rideau and tried it on hoping that it wouldn't fit, or would look horrible; sadly that wasn't the case.

So there you have it, the tale of my latest splurge. I really do love the dress, the colour and cut are perfect! I wish I could wear it everyday (who knows, if laundry continues to win the battle of Kate v. Laundry, I just might)

To link up with this week's Inspiration Monday challenge I threw on an oversized cardigan and rocked a monochromatic chic look!

Sweater - Joe Fresh; Dress - Mexx; Heels - Michael Kors; Ring -Aldo; Watch - Fossil

Check out the rest of the Inspiration Monday posts here.

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A Proud Moment

I really like this outfit. I'm just not very proud of the way it came about, but don't they always say "The End Justifies the Means"... Let's go with that.

Here's the back story: 

I've decided to boycott laundry; it's been going on for a while now. 

Anyone who lives in an apartment building with machine stealing neighbours knows how utterly unenjoyable the laundry process can be - and expensive! So, I've decided to take a stand and do it as infrequently as possible. 

Please don't stop reading!

This may sound gross, but trust me, it's not. Every now and then I'll throw in a load so that I can make it through another work week or have clean sheets and towels, but I just can't stomach spending six hours and countless dollars every week to ensure that every single sock is clean - who's even wearing socks in this weather I ask you!

Yesterday was one of those infrequent laundry days - it felt great to get it done and I was so looking forward to a few days of new possibilities; but, what I failed to remember was that when you hang clothes to dry it takes a little bit longer. So things were still mildly damp this morning. Dry enough to consider it, but too damp to be comfortable.

So I shopped my closet. And here's what I came up with.

A monochromatic number, with some sparkle and flare!

I've had this skirt FOREVER... like we're talking I remember buying it back in the days when my mom still had a say in what I wore - yeah, it was THAT long ago. 

Over the past decade that it's been hanging in my closet and I can say, with confidence, that I've worn it a handful of times. Sad really. But now that it's proven to me what a reliable piece it is, I have a feeling it'll be called up a lot more often.

Plus, it's great for twirling. If I could have gotten away with it (and not gotten sick) I would have twirled the day away. But maybe I'll save that for the weekend.

T-Shirt - SmartSet; Skirt - Esprit; Shoes - Michael Kors

 Just to add a bit of dimension to this monochromatic look I wore my brown suede Michael Kors platform pumps - purchased at Nordstrom Rack outside of Seattle for just $50 - I know, unbelievable.

The best part - they're a size 4.5... I didn't even know shoes came that small! 

But I'm sure glad they do. 

Friday, Petite Adventures will feature the lovely Sincerely, Sabrina in the blogger profile. You should definitely take some time to check it out!