Casual Wear: For Real Men

Fitted denim blazer, blue button-down shirt, aviators - a well-fitted blazer can make almost any outfit look polished.

Plain black polo, pants rolled up, statement slip-on shoes...how easy is that?!

Mix casual, well-fitted cargos with a button-down shirt and cool accessories (sunglasses, belt & watch).

Another perfect example of comfy-chic; fitted blazer, deck shoes, flat-front shorts and a fun tee.

All photos are from TheSartorialist.com

Boys, now that we've gone over a few examples, you may now go to your closet and throw out anything that has holes/tears/stains (including socks), does not fit properly, pants with pleats, worn out shoes, cheap polyester and 50% of all your old graphic tees.


And go purchase:
1 well-fitted casual blazer  (could be denim, courdroy, linen, cotton...)
3 plain, solid-coloured tees (in any colour - but at least one black) 
1 pair of fitted shorts (not so casual that you can paint in them) 
1 well-fitted cardigan or sweater  
1 pair of fitted jeans (key word, fitted)
1 pair of comfy, walking shoes (ie. deck shoes, loafers, nice tennis/court shoes...)
1 pack of white socks, 1 pack of black dress-socks
& sunglasses, watch and belts are always a necessity

EPL

Frankly, I'm quite tired of hearing the words "Eat, Pray, Love" - and FYI, I won't be going over what the movie is actually about, you should know by now.

Ever since the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, first appeared on Oprah, every middle-aged woman has been talking about it. Now, I'm really not one to sit down and have a good read (especially just because Oprah says it's good) but seeing the movie made me want to go out and get the book (and maybe even read it, too).

On opening night, my mom and I went to the local movie theater (very small, only two theaters) and joined a group of 60+ year old women (the joys of living in a "retirement" town).


Throughout the movie, laughter, tears and "Awww" filled the theater (there was also a few folks who caught some ZzZ's, I guess it was past their bedtime). Personally, I left with an even stronger desire to visit Italy, as the movie really captures the lustful 'relationship' between a woman and her pizza (and gelato, and spaghetti). However, I'm sure the movie left almost every woman the desire to become a world traveller.


Take your grandmas and go see  Eat Pray Love.


What did you think of the movie?

Fall Transition - What to wear?

Ahhhh Autumn... my second favourite time of the year. (The first is Winter...just FYI).

It's not even the middle of August and we are already experiencing some of the notorious BC weather changes. We go from by the pool on a hot summer day, so hot you can feel your skin burning from being outside for two seconds (my fellow porcelain-skinned friends..), to a cold, foggy day spent watching movies indoors wrapped in a blanket.

I have no doubt that many of you stand infront of your wardrobes every morning thinking "What on earth am I going to wear today?" (and it certainly does not help when the weather forecast says "sunny, with clouds and a chance of showers"..that can literally mean anything).

Do not fear friends,  I have found the 3 most simple ways to update your wardrobe for fall transition.

1. Wear your cute summer dresses with booties.

Note: Do not wear your beach cover-ups with booties - this is not cute. Above is a perfect example of a great way to wear an acceptable summery dress with booties.

2. Wear your Minnetonka moccasins or your TOMS shoes.

These shoes are super light (and majorly comfortable) and during those too-cold-for-flippy-floppy days, they are a perfect substitute.

Note: If you do not own a pair of either Minnetonkas or TOMS - you must go buy them. They are very affordable (anywhere between $50-$100CDN regular price).

3. Wear a wrap sweater.

They are super versatile - you can take them from day to evening and very comfortable.

I have 3, black, light green and beige - I wear them everywhere!

You can purchase them almost anywhere - my most recent one is by Joe Fresh for $19 (go to your local Superstore now!!)

 

What are YOUR favourite Fall transitional pieces?

Summer Accessories

Wedding Attire

Work In Progress...

This blog is currently in progress.

xo Andrea 

One of my favourite photos by The Sartorialist.

Society Experience

Yesterday was my 20th birthday - and thanks to my friends and family, it was a wonderful day.

Lately, I've been craving to go somewhere new and trendy - what better place to look than Yaletown? I decided on a restaurant called Society, made reservations for 3 and we made our way all the way from White Rock to Yaletown to have dinner.

We entered from the patio - which was nice and warm from the outdoor heaters they have (which was GREAT considering it was borderline raining and freezing last night!). A very pretty and friendly hostess greeted us and took us to our table. Walking in, we immediately noticed the two massive pink chandeliers hanging in the middle of the high ceilings - beautiful!

They make the experience feel so much more unique and special. Within minutes of being seated our waiter came to tell us about the specials - normally I find this part somewhat annoying and repetitive, but his friendly, quirky attitude set the tone for a very enjoyable dining experience.

Our meals consisted of:

Appetizers -
Mac and Cheese Balls (SO good! Crunchy on the outside, hot & cheesy on the inside)
Nachos (I'm not a fan of nachos, but these ones were delicious! Perfectly baked with the "works")

Dinner -
Margherita pizza
Bianco pizza (Both pizzas, absolutely deelish!)
Prime Rib

and for dessert, we enjoyed the Dessert Platter (a perfect combination of a mini doughnut, rice crispy square, bread pudding, a cookie and a brownie)


My experience was great and I'm looking forward to making my rounds through the other Glowbal Group restaurants.

For a full menu and more information about Society, visit their website http://www.society-grg.ca/

Warren Boutique

Hidden in the quaint shopping area of Elgin Corners in South Surrey, Warren Boutique proves to be a found treasure.

To fashionistas living in the South Surrey/White Rock area it's not difficult to notice the complete lack of unique boutiques that carry quality brands. (Unless of course you are 55+ - then you're practically set for life).

Before the addition of the Morgan Crossing/Grandview Corners shopping village, we were forced to make shopping trips to surrounding cities such as Langley or Vancouver. So, imagine the excitement over the fuel and time saved when the shopping village came to town - we can now purchase hats, shoes and anything inbetween - all in our own neighbourhood.
Yet still, with the exception of BCBG and Jack & Jill Boutique, the stores which were added are all in the likes of Garage, Tommy Hilfiger and Winners - none of which truly offer a personal, exclusive shopping experience (and good luck finding true quality items!).

So, in my yearning for nice, trendy boutiques I visited Warren yesterday. Why this was my first time there? I don't know - it may be that it's location is a bit out of the way from my daily route, or that the last time I was in that area, I was 99% sure that it was a mens-only boutique (this was back when In The Pink was still around).

Walking in, I was kindly greeted by the only person on staff at the time and I immediately noticed the organization and cleanliness of the store (which I am truly appreciative of, I can't even count the amount of times I've fled certain stores due to the frustration, confusion and pure fear of the piles and racks of wrinkled and mismatched clothing). The boutique was about 70% womens (which they added in Fall '09) and 30% mens, including brands such as Citizens of Humanity and Free People.

The boutique also had a quiet, comfortable environment - the music wasn't obnoxiously loud, the amount of racks & tables didn't make it feel cramped or too spacious, the window displays were a good depiction of what the store is about and the placement of the POS desk was placed to the left against the wall. On that note, I would like to say that I'm not a fan of small boutiques with their POS stations right in the centre of the store - it changes the environment from comfortable to "buy, buy, BUY".

In conclusion, to all fashionistas living in the South Surrey/White Rock area (Langley, too!) - you must visit Warren Boutique at Elgin Corners in South Surrey.

For more info about Warren visit their website:  http://www.warrenboutique.com/

PJs in Public

When I was in primary school sometimes we would have PJ Days, where all the kids were encouraged to wear their pyjamas for a day. I never did. 

Even as a child I thought it was strange - people would seriously roll out of bed and go to school in the same thing? That seems dirty. Even if you went out and bought PJ's specifically for PJ Day, it's still showing children that it's OK to wear your pjs out in public - which it's not, because they're not even attractive.


Some people took PJ Day and ran with it - all the way into their adult years. As you can see, it's highly unattractive and should be deemed socially unacceptable (unless of course it's the middle of the night and your house is on fire and you had to run outside to save your life). 

The embarrassment! That poor child...

I mean, how lazy could you really be to put on a proper pair of pants? Even a pair of decent fitting yoga pants would do! They're just as comfortable, and you don't look like a homeless person...actually, even most homeless people don't wear their pj's in public. 

Yoga Pants: Find them at any athletic store or department store.

These are from lululemon athetica.

NOTE: Although yoga pants are socially acceptable and much more attractive than PJ's, it is absolutely unacceptable to make them part of your daily wardrobe.