90s and Now

The 90s was the decade that probably was the most influential on my own personal style, given that was the decade of my teen years. I love that the 90s seem to be sneaking back in - slip dresses, combat boots, monochrome dressing. I've done a tiny nod to the 90s here with a tank over a button up shirt. 

Style tip: It can get bulky looking if you try to do this with a thick weight button-up. Make sure the one you pick is thin. 

 Details

Shirt and hat: Forever 21

Tank: Uniqlo

Jeans:Zara

Coat: Banana Republic

Boots: Town Shoes

Earrings: H&M

I actually wore this ages ago (Boxing Day, hence the stocking on the doorknob), but I've been really behind in my blogging these days. Blame it on all the good books I'm reading!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

What’s Up Doc

One day I was sitting at the mall, sipping on a Starbucks iced tea and browsing Instagram on my phone, when I had a sudden urge to buy something very specific. "I think I want a pair of Docs" I typed out to a friend, and as soon as I hit send, I got up out of the chair and went and ordered them at Little Burgundy. 

Details

Vest: Club Monaco

Shirt: Zara

Jeans: Gap Factory

Boots: Dr. Marten Pascal 8 Eye via Little Burgundy (color no longer available)

I originally ordered them in white, but when they arrived and I tried them on, SOMEONE (who shall remain nameless) told me they looked like figure skates. And, they kind of did. So back they went and instead I ordered these green ones.

I LOVE THEM. The first few times I wore them, they were not so comfy. Thank goodness for thick socks. But the more I wear them, they better they feel. I have a blue pair of combat boots from Aldo and I wear them a lot, so I'm sure these will get much wear for many years to come.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Thanksgiving Stretchy Pants

I now own three pairs of these Uniqlo pants. They come in handy when there’s a high chance you’re going to overeat (a given for Thanksgiving). They’re also really comfy for traveling in and work appropriate if you have a casual office like I do.

Details

Top: Topshop

Pants: Uniqlo

Shoes: Tory Burch

Bracelet: Alex and Ani

Necklace: Banana Republic

When you're helping prepare a meal for 37 people (yes, really!) you have to make sure you wear something you can move in and no droopy long sleeves. These 3/4 sleeves worked out perfectly.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Zara Tips

I’ve been shopping at Zara for years, both on-line and when traveling. Halifax now has a Zara store that opened in August. I’ve had some people ask me how I have such good luck finding stuff there. I admit, lots of the styles are not for people who want to blend in, and some of them are ridiculous, but there are hidden gems if you’re willing to spend some browsing.

Five tips for Zara success:

1) Know when to shop. I haven’t figured out the store arrivals yet, but the new styles tend to drop on-line on Tuesday and Fridays. If you go to the “New In” section on these days, you’ll find all the most recent stuff, organized by most recent. That being said, if our visit often, you can quickly see what has become available since the last time you looked.

2) It doesn’t hurt to try it. The return policy is one month for both on-line and in-store purchases. It’s also FREE SHIPPING over $50 and free mail-back or store returns. I’ve ordered two giant boxes of clothes before and only kept two pieces. If you are unsure, just get it and try it on at home. If it doesn’t work for you, return it. 

3) You snooze, you lose. Don’t wait on something you think you might like. Even though I know better, I did this last week with a green tunic.  When I went back to buy it the next day, it was gone. Remember, you can always take it back!

4) Some things run a bit small. I’ve found I need to size up one size in any tops with button fronts and most pants and jeans. Dresses and tops without buttons tend to be true to size.

5) Know where the sales are. On-line you’ll find mark downs in the “Special Prices” menu. When they have a big sale, there will be an obvious sale section on the website. In the Halifax store, there hasn’t been a big sale yet, but the mark downs hang out close to the cash.

I had a gift card recently and picked up this cute shirt dress that I wore to the Festival of Wines on Friday night. Even though the pattern is bold, it has tons of colors in it and I know I’ll be able to wear it with bare legs, leggings, tights, and skinny jeans.

Details

Dress: Zara

Tights: Calvin Klein

Boots: B2 via Browns

Hat: Forever 21 

XOXO

Glitterary Girl

A Spectacular September

It's hard to not have a spring in my step lately, even if it is technically fall. We normally have great Septembers but I think this one has been even more beautiful than usual. Yes, I'm excited for fall fashion, but I can hold off on wearing my wool sweaters for a little while longer. You'll know fall has truly arrived I trade my iced teas for lattes!

Details

Hat: Le Chateau

Shirt: American Eagle Outfitters

Tee: Gap

Jeans: 7 for all Mankind

Sandals: Aldo

Bracelet: Alex & Ani

Bag: H&M

If anyone sees a hat like this in black, please let me know! The one at Zara is too big for my little head!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Denim and Ruffles

An easy outfit is a girly shirt paired with some type of denim bottom. In August, the perfect choice for your lower half is a mini skirt. Although I'd had this shirt for two months, this was the first time I wore it. I thought the ruffle might annoy me, but I didn't mind it at all.

Details

Tee and Skirt: Topshop

Shoes: Tory Burch

Bag: Kate Spade

Sunnies: Coach

Bracelet: Michael Kors

After a whirlwind of a week off, with TWO weddings, I'm back to the old grind. Toronto was great and I even got to take a spin around Yorkdale mall, which has changed SO much since I was there last.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Mixed Neutrals

It's been a quiet summer for outfit posts. It seems whenever we're going anywhere that I'm wearing something half interesting, we're rushing out the door with no time for photos.

This was something I wore to work and then out to dinner with literally not one change (ok, I probably brushed my hair).

Details

Top and Sandals: Zara

Shorts: Club Monaco

Bag: Michael Kors

Sunnies: Coach

I've always liked the look of a long sleeved top with shorts. I have to be careful what I pair with the shorts as they are quite boxy, and the shape of them can make me look shorter and wider. Heels certainly help!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Kimono Chic

Open-front cardigans and blazers are my closet staples, so it shouldn't be surprising that I'm drawn to kimonos as well. I think they're the perfect "third piece" to add more interest to an outfit. I nabbed the last one in this color at the Aritzia clientele sale (which is one of my favourite sales to shop).

Details: 

Kimono: Talula at Aritzia

Top: Diesel

Jeans: Zara

Sandals: Aldo

Necklace: Joe Fresh

Sunnies: Coach

I wore this ensemble to my soon-to-be sister-in-law's wedding shower last weekend. I love wedding showers.  I remember how nice it was to have so many loved ones gather to celebrate the countdown to the wedding.

The sales happening right now are pretty spectacular. If you're the type who doesn't shop much, you should really consider taking a peek at the stores/on-line right now. I've picked up/ordered lots this month from Aritzia, Aldo, Zara, Dynamite, and even some of my non-clothing favorites like DAVIDsTEA  and Bath & Body Works.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Giraffe Day

The day I was looking forward to the most in Palm Springs was our visit to The Living Desert. It's a beautiful zoo and garden located in La Quinta, about a half hour from Palm Springs. I've always loved going to zoos, even more now as an adult than I did as a kid. I was very impressed by The Living Desert in terms of how much space the animals had and how they were treated. The zoo also does a lot to help animal conservation and has a rehabilitation hospital on site. 

Details

Tee: Uniqlo

Shorts: Aritzia

Sneakers: Converse x Missoni

Bag: Michael Kors

Necklace: Stella & Dot

Sunnies: Coach

Bracelets Alex and Ani

For $5 you can feed the giraffes. You get four carrot sticks and lots of photo and video opportunities. I could have stood there all day and fed this guy!

My sticker says "I fed a giraffe"

The zoo volunteers were so knowledgeable and friendly.  They didn't mind answering all of our questions even though they must get asked the same thing so many times every day. The good thng is that they move around, so they're not always volunteering at the same exhibit.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Dinner at the Course: Palm Springs

I've been really behind with blogging on our recent Palm Springs vacation. I actually didn't spend a lot of time trying to get photos for blog posts, so there isn't much in the way of outfit posts. I kept it casual pretty much all week. I did bring one less casual dress, but didn't even end up wearing it.

One evening we decided to go to a golf course for dinner. It was called Escena, and R and my dad golfed there the day following the dinner. It was such a beautiful spot, and the food was really good too.

Details 

Shirt:Old Navy

Tank: Gap

Jeans: Zara

Booties: Aldo

Necklace: Stella & Dot

Earrings: What on Earth

Bag: Danier

This golf cart might cost more than my actual car. 

The mountain and desert scenery in Palm Springs is nothing short of stunning. I found a lot of the time, it was so pretty it looked fake. The desert actually had a lot more rain than usual over the winter months, so things were greener this spring than usual.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Thank You January

There's usually only a small window in the fall when I can get away with wearing this vest. It's too bulky to wear a big sweater underneath and likewise I can't wear a jacket over it. January this year has been oh so cooperative though! Many days the temperatures have been just around freezing which is perfect for this vest as long as I don't have to be outside for too long.

Details

Vest and sweater: Club Monaco

Jeans: Cambio via Foreign Affair

Bag: Michael Kors

Boots: B2 via Browns

Bracelet: Alex and Ani 

Hat: TNA via Aritzia

Pom: Pseudio

Necklace: Banana Republic

I'll be sharing more details about these boots in next week's post. Something I've learned over the years of finding my style is that I'm much more of a boot and sneaker person than a shoe person. If I can get away with wearing heeled boots instead of heeled shoes, I'm all over that. If I can get away with rocking sneakers with a dress, it's the best day ever!

XOXO

Glitterary Girl

Winter Pink

On a bright day in January, you do what you can to forget the months of winter that are looming. Sometimes that means putting on a pink jacket and hoping you don't freeze. I was actually shocked by how toasty I was in this bomber. 

Details

Bomber: H&M

Sweater and earrings: J Crew

Jeans: Zara

Boots: Artica via Browns

Necklace: Banana Republic

Snood: American Eagle Outfitters

These boots were purchased at the end of last winter, so it was a treat to dig them out for the first time recently. They are really warm!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Lumberjack Chic

One of the easiest outfit formulas I love for fall and winter is jeans, a plaid shirt and boots.  It's easy to change things up by changing the shirt, the type of jeans (leggings, boyfriend style, straight cut, etc), and the boots (combat boots, riding boots, or winter boots). You could create a ton of looks with just a few different items from each category. Basic? Sure. But so comfortable!

Details

Plaid shirt: Topshop

Tee: Gap

Jeans: Zara

Boots: Aldo

I almost wore my winter boots with this outfit, but then I changed my mind and wore combat boots. I was on my way to Bath and Body Works for soap day, which is basically like a war zone. 

Success! And I didn't even need to kick anyone! I'm so impressed with how well BBW does with holiday crowds. The lines might look huge, but they go by so fast. I hope your holiday preparations are going well. I think I'm officially done with the shopping and moving on to wrapping.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl