Summer Style

Kate Hudson for Ann Taylor Collection

Written by

Categories: Fashion

My friends at Ann Taylor are thrilled to announce the debut of the Kate Hudson for Ann Taylor collection for summer 2013. This limited-edition collection of chic, white summer apparel and rose gold accessories was inspired by Hudson’s effortlessly chic red-carpet glamour and her love for classic yet playful fashion.

To celebrate Hudson’s first fashion collaboration, Ann Taylor will host a White Party at Ann Taylor stores nationwide (Canada too) on Wednesday, May 22 from 6-8 pm where guests will be invited to shop this exclusive collection.

Ann Taylor

“It was such an honor when they asked me to come back for the campaign and to work on a collection inspired by my personal style. I love how Lisa Axelson, Ann Taylor Creative Director, picked up on my style and turned it into a very chic, incredibly wearable collection!”
-Kate Hudson

I love Kate Hudson as the face of this classic yet playful brand! She’s the perfect fit…along with some lovely Canadian Brand Ambassadors ;)

Enjoy this behind-the-scenes sneak peak with Kate:

This stunning capsule collection includes ready-to-wear dresses, skirts and tops as well as shoes and jewellery – everything will be available in-store and online starting on May 22.

SO SAVE THE DATE and join the White Party! I’ll be visiting the Toronto Eaton Centre location and I can’t wait to try on the Premiere Dress shown in the ad campaign above – so fresh and sexy for summer. Stay tuned for more great fashion from Ann Taylor coming soon!

Dainty Outfit: Sunshine Maxi Dress

Written by

Categories: Fashion,Accessories,Fashion,Dresses,Fashion

You know I’m a big fan of the summer maxi dress – now take this super chic style and add soft sheer fabric, trendy pleats and colour blocking – and you’ve got the ultimate summer maxi! My credit card literally jumped out of my wallet when I saw this mustard yellow / heather grey stunner on ModCloth earlier this year.

I always intended to save it for summer, but I jumped at the chance to wear it when we had warm weather in March for Toronto Fashion Week. I paired it with a sleek black tuxedo blazer and it landed me in Fashion Magazine!

I love the gathered pleated skirt and the black piping that separates it from the soft jersey tank top. It’s so light, loose and comfy – perfect for the heat wave we’ve been having in Toronto!

Now that summer’s officially here, I paired this sunny maxi with mixed metal accessories, silver gladiator sandals and an over-sized black clutch with a chunky chain strap. For a little extra boho-charm, I topped it all off with a long crochet vest from Smart Set. Love the light layered look! Tempting you to buy a summer maxi yet?!

Dress & Ring: ModCloth, Vest: Smart Set, Purse & Bracelet: Jacob, Necklace: Charlotte Hosten (from Elle Hardware), Watch: Michael Kors Sandals (not pictured): Aldo

Dainty Outfit: Summer is NOW!

Written by

Categories: Fashion,Accessories,Fashion,Fashion,Shoes

It’s sweltering hot and humid in Toronto this week, especially today – fitting for the first official day of summer! I decided to keep today’s Dainty Outfit light and airy with a big pop of colour for the kickoff to summer 2012.

I love this super dainty look because it’s suitable for the office, while keeping me cool outdoors. The pleated skirt from Mendocino is an amazing coral-pink colour and the light fabric maintains its shape and doesn’t wrinkle. The cream blouse is from Smart Set and I love the sheer black applique “bib” on top! It’s so eye-catching and pulls in black accessories like my belt, shoes and handbag beautifully!

The pattern on the blouse inspired me to choose braided silver jewellery and a black braided skinny belt. Since the skirt is a little short and school-girlish, I decided not to wear high-heels today and opted for short wedge ankle strap sandals from Nine West. I love the way it came together!

Blouse: Smart Set, Skirt: Mendocino, Jewellery & Purse: Jacob, Shoes: Nine West, Watch: Michael Kors, Belt: Aldo

Dainty Outfit: Pastel Pants

Written by

Categories: Fashion,Accessories,Fashion

I want skinny jeans in every colour of the rainbow, but my budget only allows one new pair every now and again and they have to be affordable – none of those $200 jeans, unless I can find them on sale! I purchased coral and royal blue jeans earlier this year, so lately I’ve been looking for jeans of the pastel variety. I recently came across this lovely lilac pair at H&M for $29.99 and it was painless going through the checkout with these soft and stretchy skinnies at that price! I didn’t see any other colours in-store, but according to the website, they’re available in lots of other colours to! I’m looking for the mint ones next! If only H&M offered online shopping in Canada…

For their maiden voyage, I paired my purple pastel skinnies with a navy and purple floral jersey top, gold flat sandals, gold accessories and a pink shoulder bag for little colour blocking!

I love how easy it is to pull together a casual-chic, summery outfit with colourful denim!

I’m still looking for that perfect pair of floral jeans without breaking the bank…I found this pair online at H&M but I’ve yet to see them in-store and Topshop has a few pairs that I need to check out in person. I love the idea of taking a basic casual staple like jeans and making them super girly with flowers and pretty colours – so dainty ;)

Jeans & Purse: H&M, Top: ModCloth, Watch: Michael Kors, Bracelet: Vince Camuto, Necklace: Alanna Bess

Dainty Outfit: Mint Lace and Stripes

Written by

Categories: Fashion,Accessories,Fashion,Dresses,Fashion

I love my mint green lace dress from Urban Outfitters, but with such a low back, I can’t wear it to the office. Unfortunately, I have a lot of summer dresses that fall into this category and because I’m in the office 4 or 5 days a week, so many of my faves are limited to weekend wear or subject to strategic layering. I’m trying to extend my wardrobe as much as possible and I know that some of those weekend favourites can come out to play during the work week with a little creativity!

After writing my Baby Shower Style post earlier this week, I was inspired to make my mint green lace dress work appropriate for today’s Dainty Outfit. I thought about throwing a blazer or sweater over it, but with such a pretty nipped waist and a full skirt, this type of layering would take away from the dress (in my opinion). While the super low back is what makes it challenging to wear to work, it’s also one of the prettiest features of the dress, so it would be a shame to cover it up. I started looking for shirts to wear UNDER the dress – nothing too dark or too patterned and preferably something form-fitting that would fit smoothly under the open back. When I came across this medium sleeve, striped jersey top in my dresser – the vision finally came together!

Black and white stripes against soft mint lace took this classic dress to the fun and trendy level! It’s actually a scoop back shirt with a straight boat neck front, but I wore it backwards so the plunging open back was entirely filled with stripes for an eye-catching effect. With black stripes in the mix, it was easy to accessorize this outfit with black and a little silver. I broke up the solid green with a skinny black belt and chose black t-strap peep toe pumps and a black shoulder bag with silver hardware and jewellery. I love the way it came together, but most of all – I love that I have another dress to add to my work AND weekend rotation!

Dress: Urban Outfitters, Shirt & Jewellery: Jacob, Shoes: Nine West, Watch & Purse: Michael Kors