In Toronto, the weather has been off and on. Gorgeous and unseasonably warm one minute, frigid and windy the next. With these five key pieces, be ready for anything.

1/Harley Maxi-Nasty Gal A bright maxi skirt is the perfect spring staple, and here’s why…you can wear leggings underneath and be as warm as you like, but technically, you’re still wearing a skirt. Take that, winter! 2/Luxe Sunglasses-Linda Farrow Wearing sunglasses off season is a bit difficult at times because you don’t want to look like you just stepped off the beach. These round frames are pure glamour and they’re more suitable for a full outfit than a skimpy bikini. 3/ Zara Leather Jacket Leather is the perfect “in between weather” fabric. It’s strong enough to keep you warm in a cool breeze, but light enough to carry around when the sun comes out.Not to mention that it automatically makes anyone look bad-ass. 4/Alexander McQueen Silk Scarf Spring calls for layers, but easy-breezy ones. Store away your wool scarves in favour of a beautiful silk one and you’ll feel like a real lady…who just happens to like skulls. 5/Topshop Suede Slippers Vivid pops of colour, but in wintery fabrics, that’s the trick to keeping your tootsies toasty but on trend. The slipper silhouette is awesome because it allows  the top of your foot to be exposed, but lets you play hooky on your pedicurist…for now.

Hello Friday! How happy I am that you’re finally here. This week definitely wasn’t my best – the days seemed to feel longer, nothing seemed to go right at work, and on top of that, i’ve been fighting a cold that just won’t quit. Thankfully I’ve stumbled upon a few things to help brighten my mood and get me through the week. Here are currently my five favorite things:

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Warning: this post is bound to be very biased.

You see, in my last year of high school, when other girls were searching Fairweather and Le Chateau for prom dresses, I was drooling on Versace.com. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t a rich kid, not even close…but I was a resourceful one. I took the picture to a dress-maker in Barrie, who worked out of the basement of his suburban home that he shared with his wife and two kids. You literally had to step over his kids’ toys to get into his “studio” and it was there that we gushed over the ruching, the colour, the glamour. He made the dress for me to the best of his abilities, which looking back was limited and I wore it proudly to my prom.

So needless to say that when it comes to getting Versace for less, I know my stuff.

I know that on November 17th Donatella Versace’s signature look is coming to H&M, and I know that if you want it, you better get up mighty early.

The Versace x H&M look book is chock-full of  the studded leathers, neon hues and of course animal prints that we’ve come to love from the brand. The fact of the matter is, is that it’s this aesthetic that merges very well with the H&M customer, perhaps even more so than any other guest designer before it.

After all, there’s something delightfully ironic, about getting that Italian “excess” look for less! Trust me, I know.

Though I love perusing nearly every rack in H&M‘s glorious stores, the Conscious collection puts a little extra spring in my step. Dubbed a more “sustainable” line of clothing, the pieces are made from organic cotton, linen, recycled wool and hemp.

The newest Conscious collection, called Romantic Folklore, features several covet-worthy pieces, including the embellished tan jacket and cream-coloured lace dress. Fans of floral with love the long-sleeved print dresses and low-heeled ankle boots.

The Romantic Folklore Conscious Collection is available now at the following H&M stores: The Eaton Centre, Bloor Street, Yorkdale Mall, Downtown Montreal, The Pacific Centre and Metropolis at Metrotown.

 

The art of dressing is dead; as a doornail and I think it died sometime during the late 80′s. As much as I love this decade (we have gay rights, globalization and Facebook! ), I hate that clothing oneself, for the most part has fallen to the wayside.

Take this weekend as a prime example and arguably the ignition of this rant. This past Saturday I was invited to the lovely wedding of my friend Agata. This being the first wedding of my adult life, I was extremely excited. So few and far between are the chances to get dressed up, to feel really and truly exquisite and to don your best frocks.

Needless to say, I caused myself much stress over the dress to wear, and on a very small budget. Finally, the night before, I chose a beige biased-cut dress from H&M with beige strappy sandals. I woke up early in the morning to blow dry my wild hair and fasten it into a tight ballerina bun and chose to accentuate my eyes with soft purples and bronzes. As a final touch, I picked my grandma’s tiny beaded purse as an accent to the black straps that criss crossed the bust of my dress.

The final product was an outfit that I clearly thought about, and I was proud of how I looked.

When I actually arrived to the wedding however, I was shocked at how many people did not think about what they were throwing on. I saw one man in khakis and a golf style polo, while another wore a brown belt with his dress pants. The women, to their credit, were wearing formal dresses, but threw their hair up with a ponytail and were wearing their  over-sized day purses.

I was horrified.

When I whispered to my date my horror, he scoffed that “the practice of getting dressed up is an outdated ritual designed purely to show off to one another”.

I happen to disagree. I think that the ritual of dressing… picking the perfect dress, and the right nail polish or cuff link, and spraying the final touch of fragrance is a beautiful thing. It’s excellent for self esteem, for the longevity of civilized society and it’s just plain polite.

So this is my plea. If you have a few more weddings left on your summer schedule, dress up!

Think about your ladies dresses or suits! Pick an appropriate shoe to match, style your hair! Wear perfume! I assure you, you will not only feel amazing, but I bet you’ll have a great new Facebook profile pick!