Aldo

Mixed Metals

November 22, 2017December 20, 2017 by Alyssa Garrison

I’m usually the first to get excited for the holidays, but I’ve been moving a bit slower this year and suddenly the season is here! Time for peppermint hot cocoa, baking, gift shopping and my personal favourite, holiday parties with sparkling dress codes!

I’ll take any chance I can get to wear a dress, especially in winter, so the holiday party season really bodes well in my books. This look all started with the perfect copper ruffle wrap dress from TOBI, which inspires me to start mixing metallic tones. My hair is currently a subtle shade of rose gold, and I’ve been piling on jewels in shades of pink and pearl thanks to Mai Lin’s beautiful reminder bracelet collection, so accessorizing from there was easy. Velvet and sequin patterned flats from ALDO were a shoe-in, especially when they pair perfectly with their matching purse counterpart, and my favourite black wool coat from Evernew topped the whole thing off.

Scroll down to shop the post and my holiday party purse essentials!

Absurda Bellville Sunglasses – Pink & Gold
Double-sided Clear Lingerie Tape
Charlotte Tilbury Bar of Gold Highlighter
Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick Duo Sour Cherry / Gold
R+Co Travel Size Dry Shampoo
Black Tights
Fleur Musc By Narciso Rodriguez
Makeup Remover Travel Wipes
Benefit Roller Lash Mascara – Mini Travel Size

Shop my look here!
Purse
Shoes (on sale)
Dress (on sale)
Shirt
Lashes
Coat

Dress Up

Long Live White T-Shirts!

June 27, 2017June 27, 2017 by Alyssa Garrison

Though it may seem like I’m always dressing up in bright colours and novelty pieces, I’m actually a big sucker for good, clean basics. A former retail employee at one of Canada’s best stores for simple dressing and well made essentials, I have a massive collection of carefully cut denim, simple comfortable black heels and above everything else, WAY too many plain white t-shirts.

My team frequently pokes fun at me for my addiction to soft, white t-shirts. I’m always on the lookout for the MOST perfect one and when I find a good one, I have a hard time choosing to wear anything else. The problem is, this love affair has always been a tumultuous one, because I’m also very clumsy, which means wearing white is basically a promise I’ll be doing laundry at the end of the day. I’ve had to turn so many of my beloved white tee-shirts into cleaning rags, losing them to stains, stretching and pilling thanks to too many washes.

Luckily, there’s a solution to all of my t-shirt heartbreak.

As someone with very dry, damaged colour-treated hair, I’m all too familiar with the importance of conditioning every time I shampoo my hair. It turns out, the same rules apply when it comes to your beloved basics too! Downy Fabric Conditioner takes care of your clothing much like hair products condition your hair – by lubricating fabric fibres, Downy protects the material from break down, which prevents pilling plus loss of shape and colour.

Now that my love affair with my newest perfect white tee can last a lifetime (or at least a long time) I don’t have to be afraid to wear it too much! Scroll down to see three ways I styled my tee for the Summer (and beyond!)

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”2720016″]

Dress Up

Yellow Dress OOTD

June 24, 2017June 23, 2017 by Alyssa Garrison

So many wonderful things in this world come in shades of yellow – cartoon smiley faces, the sunshine, daisies, and of course, lemonade. Way back around Christmas time I decided this summer was going to be my lemonade summer, painted in sun-dripped happy hues with sparkle emojis dancing around my everyday.

Of course life isn’t always how we plan it, and so far this Summer has been testing, unstable, busy, filled with massive success and a seemingly endless to-do list of tasks. I’ve spent a lot of time outside, exploring the city and beyond, and though there have been a lot of pretty pastel moments, there have also been dark days clouded with grey. I’m starting to recognize that life, even during my favourite season, is filled with the entire spectrum of colour, with a rainbow of ups and downs, and though it can feel disappointing when things aren’t as light as desired, I’m trying to teach myself to be present in each moment, whether it’s pink or yellow or dark, daunting indigo.

I’ve always believed in dressing for the way you want to feel, so I’ve been donning bright shades more than ever in the hopes of manifesting my washed-out Summer. This is a bit out of my comfort zone, but a few weeks back when we passed the beautiful yellow inn I’d stopped at on my first trip to PEC in the Fall, it simply felt right. Though the day was cloudy and our crew a bit tired from the day of travel before, I decided to be the sun I wanted to see, paired with pretty blush accessories of course.

How do you dress to chase the blues away?

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”2714443″]

Dress Up

With Bells On

June 12, 2017June 12, 2017 by Alyssa Garrison

The time has finally come – day or night, it’s safe to sport bare skin once again. I have a personal vendetta against tights, and all year round I wait for the magical time when I can slip into a dress and leave the house without packing four different layers in my purse.

Canadians are built to be ready for any weather, anytime, which means we’re experts in the field of layering, but there are some things that just can’t be layered, those that can only truly be enjoyed when the weather gets warm enough. I love the SS17 statement sleeve trend, but anyone who has tried to wear a big bell sleeve under a jacket or sweater will agree that all that statement sleeves need to be a stand alone in an outfit.

I’ve been waiting for the chance to take this dusty rose no-shoulder dress from Ever New for a spin (pssst, it’s on SALE right now!) and now that I don’t have to worry about stuffing all that fabric into a trench or jean jacket I’ve been pulling it out of my closet more than anything else. Paired with heavily embellished blush mules and matching tassel earrings, this ensemble has me set to show up at Summer parties with bells on.

Scroll down to shop the post

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”2705158″]

Dress Up

Winter’s a Wrap!

May 15, 2017May 13, 2017 by Alyssa Garrison

Though the weather has suggested otherwise this past week, I’m calling it – Winter is dead! I’m always the first to jump the gun on sunny weather, stripping down to show as much skin as possible even when it’s far too early to reasonably do so. What can I say, I LOVE the feeling of warmth on my skin! I need to be free! Winter jackets and long johns have been stifling me for far too long (says the girl who spent most of the winter in California…)

This season I’m trying to be extra selective when adding to my wardrobe. Now that i find myself living in a pocket-size apartment, so I’m only accepting really special pieces and elegant staples, and I try to shed something worn out every time I bring in something new. This rose satin wrap dress from LULU by Rana falls somewhere in-between – the cut is both modern and classic, and the longer sleeve length makes it an ideal transitional Spring item. Paired with a trench (because Spring layering is crucial), ballet-inspired pumps from ALDO, the perfect ’70s inspired mani from Chillhouse and hints of tortoise shell & gold, this look is simple but still fun.

Because really, what’s the point in getting dressed if it’s not fun, right?

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”2658821″]