ballet from neck to toe

 ᔥ oldnavy.ca

When Bill Cunningham spots a trend, people across the globe listen. I stand with them. When ballet flats appeared in On the Street two weeks ago, I made a mental note. (I’ve never learned to walk in heels anyway.) Ballet style has always been and will continue to be timeless. Meanwhile, I’d been setting my sites on ballet for a different part: necklines. Ballet necklines on fitted tops pair well with pleated or wide-cut pants and flowing skirts. On relaxed cut tops, the simplicity of a ballet neckline is right for slim cut pants. Crewnecks and crossover necklines look tired in comparison. The ballet neckline quietly reasserts itself, needing no other accessory than your best posture.  

metro mondays: comeback kid with the comeback cut

↬fashionising.com

If you’re among those eagerly bidding farewell to faux hawks everywhere, you will be happy to see stylish men putting those hawk spikes in reverse. The slicked back undercut has irresistible nostalgic charm. I can’t help but think of the sepia photo of my dad with a slicked back undercut on his 1960s motorcycle license. Here, Nick Wooster, Men's Fashion Director for Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, sports a more moderate version of the undercut. Low drama and modern, this is the comeback cut. (Please overlook that cigarette in Wooster's hand.)

introducing metro mondays

Since I started this blog, I’ve been mulling over the idea of publishing the occasional post on style for men. I have always been content to be in the company of men and would love to one day count some of them among the readership of this blog. Men - from Bill Cunningham to internationally-renowned designers to some of my close friends – have, with their discerning eye for trends and style, made an indelible impact on my appreciation of fashion. From time to time, I come across trends for men that make as much of an imprint as the trends for women that are the focus of this blog. When I do, I would like to share these with you on Mondays and I would be most honoured if the occasional 'Metro Monday' post found its way through the filters of both male and female readers.

a perfect counterpoint to a slouchy silhouette

ᔥ aldoshoes.com

Careless elegance is the envy of many. Yet, to me it is a oxymoron. Elegance is planned and practiced. Likewise, there is a mastery to wearing this year’s slouchy silhouette well. One part of this mastery is finding counterpoints to the slipshod shapes. For example, the re-emerging structured bag is a perfect antidote to unstructured tops and bottoms. Fortunately, straw totes are inescapably structured and an inexpensive addition to your summer wardrobe. Equally practical for summer is a colour-blocked or striped canvas satchel (pictured, on sale for $34.98 at Aldo). As well, a slim clutch will balance a floaty dress. (Right now, you can pick up a woven one at Urban Behaviour for $5.) Footloose and handbag free? Geometric necklaces and bangles (options at Forever21) will find their place against drapey jersey.

P.S. Hang on to your slouchy leather hobos.

updating your wardrobe with spring 2012 colours



Pantone Spring 2012 Colours

Months before any of us can dream of going outside without a parka, Pantone has published the colour trends for Spring 2012.

This quarterly report takes the guesswork out of updating your wardrobe each season. I’m putting my money on the dark blue (Sodalite Blue), muted green (Margarita) and aqua (Cockatoo) which flatter more skin tones than many of the other colours.

Once overheard and never forgotten: fall/winter colour trends often feature deeper hues of the spring/summer colour trends. Let’s see if this holds true for fall/winter 2012. In the meantime, I'm pouncing if I find a good deal on something dark green.