What would you do if you received a year’s worth of your salary upfront…without having to work for it? If that sounds good to you, make sure to stop by any Banana Republic store in North America starting September 3rd – September 6th, and see if you won up to $100,000!
So, lovelies, if you won the money, what would you do with it?
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Billabong – the name is almost synonymous with surfer clothing, no? Apparently - wrong. After attending Fall 2010 preview at the Yorkdale store last week, I realized that Billabong not only caters to surfer dudes, it has a fashionable side as well!
The first thing that caught my eye as I entered the store was a multi-color Portola cardiganwith fringe detailing – a super amazing boho piece, perfect for wrapping oneself during the cold winter nights. I knew I had to have it. Throughout the store, I spotted a few other cozy-looking cardigans, faux leather jackets, super cute black dresses, and a ton of on-trend accessories. Wait, at Billabong? Yup, at Billabong.
Other than Billabong, The Yorkdale location carries brands such as Element, TOMS, Nixon, Von Zipper and Dakine.
And of course, there are rows of bikinis. Bikinis and shorts that are available all year-round. So if you’re looking for one in the middle of January, Billabong is definitely a safe bet.
For guys and boys, the collection seemed to be a bit more grown up from what I remember. There are still plenty of hoodies and t-shirts to go around, but there are also classy button-ups and sweaters available for the dressier occasions. Another cool thing that Billabong store carries is Saxx underwear. It’s pretty great to see a small company with a great idea represented at a bigger store. Plus, guys seem to looove Saxx. If you don’t believe me, get it for your man, and see him rave about the…ahem…extra support.
Overall, I was pretty impressed with the Fall 2010 collection, and having worn my new cardigan around the house, I can’t wait to take it out for a spin in the real world! I’m definitely packing it for my upcoming trip and will share some pics after I come back. You may see more Fall 2010 pieces on Style Blog’s Facebook Page HERE.
Now what about you, lovelies? Do you shop at Billabong? Let me know in the comments.
Huge thanks to Micki Benedetti for the invitation!
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All of my fashion prayers have been answered – Lanvin for H&M line is coming to a store near you in November! And as Alber Elbaz put it in the H&M video released this morning, he only said “I do” to H&M going luxury, not Lanvin going public. This makes me even more excited, because what it essentially sounds like to me is that the quality of this collection will be somewhat better than your regular H&M collab – but I guess we’ll have to wait until November to see. I know, I’ll be lining up bright and early to get my own little piece of affordable Lanvin luxury H&M…even if I have to fight for it. Bring it on!
“H&M is proud to announce that its next designer collaboration will be with Lanvin, one of the most influential brands of the 21st century. Designed by Lanvin’s artistic director Alber Elbaz and menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver, the collection will go on sale in around 200 H&M stores. It will be launched November 20th in North America and on November 23rd in the rest of the world. The collection of both womenswear and menswear will be revealed to the world on November 2nd, just three weeks before the clothes hit the store, making the launch of Lanvin for H&M one of the most anticipated fashion events of the year.”
Photo Credits: H&M
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We live in a world where celebrity clothing lines are dime a dozen. And while I have no idea who in their right mind would ever even consider buying something with Heidi Montag’s name on it, when The Bay invited me to attend an intimate preview of Jeanne Beker’s new clothing line EDIT, it really made sense. After all, Jeanne is an iconic figure of Canadian fashion with an immaculate sense of style and an immense knowledge of the industry – who better than her?
And though Jeanne didn’t design the collection herself (“I’m not a designer!” – she exclaimed), she did have a hand in editing the collection to create a selection of simple, yet timeless pieces, ranging in price from $79-$195 and sizes 2-16. There’s a classic pencil skirt, a structured blazer, crisp white button-up, ubiquitous LBD – all staples in any working woman’s closet. My favorite of all was the cozy cape ($195), that came in grey and camel colors – such a versatile and fun piece to rock for fall – definitely a must-have on my list. But EDIT is not just for the ladies at the office - available are also Jeanne Jeans and Jeanne Jeggings, with portion of sales going toward Dress for Success.
The launch of EDIT not-so-accidentally coincides with the 25-year anniversary of Fashion Television, which drove Jeanne to do something a bit more personal to share with the world. The collection consists of 25 pieces, and will be available at 65 Bay stores come September.
To see some of the looks modeled by Jeanne Beker herself, check out Style Blog’s Facebook page here.
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As much as I wish that summer was here to stay, the grim reality is that fall is just around the corner. And though I love the warmth of long summer days, fall fashions are much more interesting and…dare I say…grown-up? Seeing these new pics of H&M’s Fall 2010 collection, makes me feel slightly better about the impending cooler weather, and the necessity of wearing sweaters and jackets again. Love the ladylike blazers and skirts, the chunky knits (even the squirrel pullover!), and abundance of camel. Haven’t seen most of the pieces in stores yet, but I’ll definitely keep my eyes open.
Are you excited about fall fashion? Or do you wish that it was summer all year-round?
Photo Credits: H&M
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As a blogger, I spend a lot of my time online. 9-5 at the office for my day job, and then a few more hours at home scheduling posts, answering emails, reading pitches, and of course, as a girl in my twenties – shopping online. As I got older, my real-world shopping trips got more sparse, and my online deal hunting time increased dramatically. And why not? It’s so convenient – just click and pay…et voilà!
So when Gap PR invited me to attend Gap Canada’s Online Shopping Launch, I was thrilled! Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic have had huge presence worldwide and in Canada for many years now…but we weren’t able to shop online until now. All three sites, one shopping cart, free shipping (over $50), warehouse in Canada, no tariffs - easy, peasy.
Shopping at the event was easy too. Attendees were given $100 to spend on any Gap Inc. items available online, via www.GapCanada.ca. After initial browsing, I selected a cute double-breasted sweater from Gap, and some socks from Old Navy, clicked Checkout, and was done in mere minutes – the way online shopping should be.
Gap Inc. is a huge corporation…and all this ease has made me wonder why we (Canadians) didn’t get online shopping sooner. Thankfully, Gap Inc. Direct President Toby Lenk was on hand to answer some of my questions. He and Debbie Podberesky (VP Gap Inc.) shared that though online shopping could’ve been offered to Canadians much sooner, the infrastructure was not in place to allow direct shipping from Canada to Canada, which would’ve meant that packages would be shipped from the States, incurring tariffs, and making in-store returns nearly impossible. With a new warehouse in Southern Ontario, shipping is supposed to be fast and efficient, while returns and exchanges - a breeze.
I also wondered about the goods’ selection online – having shopped firsthand myself, I noted that many items offered in stores or on the US site were noticeably missing. But Mr. Lenk confirmed that it’s just a timing issue – the site is still in its early stages, and more product will be introduced as time goes on.
But as expected with any brand new launch, my online shopping did have a minor setback – an email stating that my order was cancelled. After phoning the number on the email, and speaking to very courteous and helpful support staff, I was informed that due to a large number of sequential prepaid credit card orders, the system halted said orders, suspecting potential fraud. The problem was fixed, and it somehow made me feel more secure about shopping at Gap Canada online, if mildly confused at first. A couple of hours later, all orders were re-instated, my package was still scheduled to arrive at my house in 5(ish) days. Hooray!
Now, I don’t know how fast I’ll be getting my goodies in the mail, so I can’t vouch for speediness and packaging, but as soon as that parcel arrives at my door, I’ll make sure to let you guys know all about it and post some pics too!
Are you excited about being able to shop Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy online, all on one site? Let me know in the comments!
UPDATE: Got my package in the mail 2 days after ordering. That is TWO days with FREE shipping. If that’s not amazing, I really don’t know what is! The sweater was a bit big on me, so I went in the next day to exchange it. Brought the bill with me, sales associate processed the exchange without questions. I got a pair of jeans instead of the sweater…and they fit like a dream. They’ll definitely get a lot of use on my upcoming vacay. Look out for pics!
I Wore: Pants – Gap; Shirt – H&M; Shoes – Zara; Bag – Longchamp; Belt – Nine West via The Bay
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Leave it to Forever 21 to plagiarize offer an affordable substitute to Miu Miu’s highly coveted (yet, highly unaffordable by many) Mary Jane platforms. I’m pretty sure these will be gone before you can say “knock-off”, but for the quick and thrifty ones, these Posy Platforms are probably the answer to their fashion prayers. Will you be getting a pair of these for yourself? Let me know in the comments.
Photo Credits: Forever 21
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Hello, lovelies! Meet the new addition to the Style Blog shoe family – my new Via Spiga leopard print peep toe pumps. Got these babies at The Bay deeply discounted…basically 75% off original price! Now if that’s not a good deal, than I really don’t know what is! While shoe-shopping, I spotted a few cool pairs by L.A.M.B., Botkier, Halston – all aditional 40% off the last reduced price. If you’re looking for a pair of shoes – make sure to stop by The Bay before the sale is over!
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The Angels are landing indeed. This Thursday, August 26th, the first ever Victoria’s Secret store in Toronto will finally open its doors! And to give its customers something really special, VS is flying Adriana Lima in to sign autographs at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre location. If you’re wondering where your boyfriend is this Thursday between 1:30 and 3:30pm, Yorkdale might be a good bet.
Oh, and if you spend $100 or more, you’ll get to jump into the VIP line, which (as noted) should be faster than the regular ol’ lineup.
Are you excited about having Victoria’s Secret in Toronto? I used to work there (at the NYC flagship location), so I still have some unworn items in my drawers (hence no need for more) – but I sure am excited about the lotions and the beauty products! And though Adriana Lima is not my favorite Angel, if I didn’t have to be at the office that day, I might’ve ventured out to get a glimpse. Will you?
Photo Credits: Yorkdale.com
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So Gap has been all over the internet lately, what with the new premium pant collection, and their new line of well-fitting jeans in stores, I must say the buzz is quite justified. I, myself, got a pair of cropped work pants the other day, and I just don’t want to take them off – they fit so well! But today, there’s another reason to shop at Gap – a 50% off Groupon coupon!
Just as a disclaimer, I am not associated with either Gap or Groupon, but a deal this good is TOO good to pass up! All you have to do is register with Groupon (if you still don’t have an account), and purchase today’s buy for $25! You then will be emailed a $50 voucher to be spent at any Gap store in the US or Canada (expires in November 2010). It’s basically 50% off your purchase (even sale items included)! I am definitely buying one today, and getting another pair of premium pants – working at the office, you can never have too many, right?
What are you going to spend your Groupon on? Let me know in the comments!
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So when Style Blog was just a baby (blog), le boyfriend surprised me with my very own Moo minicards. Back then, I didn’t really know anything about Moo, and the surprise was truly awesome – tiny adorable cards with different images printed on each one. A much better alternative for someone who finds business cards too stuffy.
This time, having run out of my first batch, I ordered Moo myself for the first time…and surprisingly, they have arrived earlier than projected on their site and looking oh-so-lovely! I am super happy that I have my Moo minis before our European getaway, because who knows…I might be invited to a super fun party in Florence or Milan, and meet some very stylish Italians to give my cards to.
So here are my new Moo cards…hope you like ‘em! And if you want your very own batch, make sure to check out Moo’s website – super affordable, super cute, and super customizable! What’s not to love?
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I really like the new Fall 2010 H&M campaign, featuring a fellow Canadian Daria Werbowy. It is by no means groundbreaking, nor especially different, but what I love about the pieces featured is how wearable they are. This is everyday/everywoman chic at its easiest, and by the looks of it at its comfiest too.
I already own most of the pieces featured (or some similar ones), but I still want the above grey sweater with asymmetrical hem – it’s just so simple, and I can imagine wearing it all through the winter. What do you think about this lookbook? Is it great or boring? Let me know in the comments.
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You know Pink Tartan, right? It’s a pretty fab Canadian label, and it’s currently on sale at Rue La La! There are also some deeply discounted hotel rooms available from Westin Hotels & Resorts, as well as numerous other steals and deals. It’s definitely not the Chanel sale, but if you’re planning on traveling somewhere soon, perhaps you should check out Rue La La.
Sales are available to members only, so you’ll need to click this link and sign up in order to be able to see the deals! Good luck, and let me know if you buy anything cool!
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I have a shocking confession to make…I have never shopped at Balisi. Scratch that…I have never shopped at Balisi until a couple of weeks ago. Why not? I guess I never knew that they carry such an awesome selection of cool and unique shoe styles. After searching high and low for a pair of Melissa x Vivienne Westwood Lady Dragon shoes, I (luckily) stumbled upon Balisi’s website, and promptly made my way over to their Queen Street location.
Not only was I pleasantly surprised by their extensive Melissa stock, but they also had non-rubber shoes galore! And, on top of that, the store was having a 40% off sale all weekend long. How cool is that? So not only was I able to satiate my plastic heart craving (it really is a sickness…help me?), but I got to drool over some really amazing pairs of shoes too. Not one to selfishly keep these beauties to myself, I thought I’d share some photos with you. All of these pairs (except for the creepy rat shoes) have tugged at my heart strings, but being a good girl that I am (yeah, right!), I walked away only with what I came for…not that it means that I won’t be making another trip to Balisi soon, because I will, as I’m definitely a convert…especially if they keep having these awesome sales…wink*wink*nudge*nudge.
PS. So these rat shoes definitely creeped me out. Totally the opposite of the cute Marc Jacobs “Mouse” flats, no? But still there was something very compelling about these, so I had to take a picture to share with you. Would you ever rock these or do they make your skin crawl?
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So I went a little crazy at H&M the other day, and ended up with a ton of new and exciting items in my closet. But there was one thing I wasn’t sure that I’d keep – these faux leather shorts. I’ve been looking for a perfect pair of leather shorts for a while now…I want them longer (hitting at mid-thigh), somewhat loose fitting, cuffed, and with higher waist. Basically, I want a completely different pair of shorts. But for some reason, I just can’t convince myself to let them go. What do you guys think? Should I hold out for the “perfect” pair, or should I settle for these short-shorts? Take the poll below.
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I wore: Top – Forever21; Shorts – H&M
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