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Styled by Nelia: Wear Canada for Canada Day


Canada Day is around the corner and this year we wanted to showcase some of the wonderful Canadian brands available at Yorkdale. Some, like HBC Collection are iconic and can be found in many Canadian homes, while others like Erin Kleinberg and ela handbags are less mainstream, but nevertheless deserve your attention.

If you did a quick glance inside your wardrobe, how many Canadian brands would you find there? Adding just a few more Canadian pieces to your wardrobe every now and then would help support local brands and designers, while promoting Canadian fashion industry in general. So many designers have to leave the country in order to find popularity, and it’s really sad, because the talent is all here, we just need to help nourish it.

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So next time you’re looking for a work outfit, skip your fave fast-fashion retailer and consider picking up a few well-made items from Judith & Charles or Pink Tartan (avail at Holt Renfrew). Instead of buying a “designer” purse, invest in a timeless bag by ela or Mackage (avail at Holt Renfrew and Mendocino). Buy a stunning Dean Davidson (avail at Holt Renfrew) or Jackson Rowe (avail at Mendocino) jewelry piece that you’ll keep forever, or a trendy Brave leather belt (available at Mendocino) that will go with all of your outfits.

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Once you take a look around, it’s really easy to find cool Canadian brands, and Yorkdale carries so many – ALDO, Aritzia, Brave, Cougar, Danier, Dean Davidson, Dsquared2, Dynamite, ela handbags, Erin Kleinberg, HBC Collection, Honey, Jackson Rowe, Judith & Charles, Mackage, Pink Tartan, RW&Co, RUDSAK, Tristan, Wilfred, and so many more!

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I’m not saying that you should avoid all non-Canadian brands, but with so many amazing local designers, adding a few more Canadian pieces to your wardrobe should be a breeze. And what better time to start than Canada Day?

Share your fave Canadian designers in the comments, and HAPPY CANADA DAY!

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Photos and Video by Max Kopanygin

Styled By Nelia: Summer Trends from Forever 21 +

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Ever since Forever 21 opened their new store at Yorkdale, I’ve been obsessed! Huge selection spread out across the 27,000 square foot boutique – what’s not to love?! Well, last month, I got to check out the brand’s plus size collection, aimed at the curvy girl who loves trendy clothes. While most fashion-forward brands don’t carry plus sizes, Forever 21 + collection goes up to size 3X, and carries a wide selection of cool girl essentials season after season. On the latest episode of Styled By Nelia, I helped Andria to incorporate a few key trends for the upcoming summer season.

Joggers
While skinny jeans are a staple for many curvy girls, wearing tight jeans in the summer may not be the best idea, which is why I am such a huge fan of tailored joggers. These versatile pants come in a variety of prints and fabrics, can be dressed up or down, oh, and the super comfy stretchy waistband doesn’t hurt either! If you’re looking for a cool alternative to your trusty jeans, give these pants a try.

All White Everything
White on white is a huge trend this year, and is a fashionable way to keep summer heat at bay. Curvy girls can get in on the trend by choosing figure-flattering silhouettes, loose layers, and a mix of shades of white for a fresh and fashionable look.

Boho
This trend is a summer staple, and is the easiest to incorporate into your wardrobe. Pick up a brightly-printed maxi dress, a fringed caftan thrown over a pair of flared jeans, or a flower-child crochet lace top…your options are limitless!

So tell me, do you love Forever 21 + selection at Yorkdale? What’s your fave trend for the summer? Share in the comments!

Photo and Video by Max Kopanygin

Valentine’s Day: Yorkdale Love Stories Giveaway

It may be frigid and snowy outside, but love is in the air! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, my fellow Yorkdale Style Council member Julio and I are sharing our personal love stories with you. And we want you to do the same!

Because here at Yorkdale we are so in love with love, we are excited to announce an amazing giveaway for all the lovebirds out there! Share your love story on Yorkdale.com (comment section of THIS post), and you’ll be entered to win TWO $250 Yorkdale gift cards – one for you and one for your love! Sounds good? Don’t forget to enter before February 13th!

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Nelia and Rob

How we met
Nelia: The way Rob and I met is a little crazy, and really made me believe in destiny (STOP ROLLING YOUR EYES!). Fresh out of university, I turned down an interview with one financial institution as I had already accepted an offer elsewhere. But after a couple of weeks of training, I realized that the type of work they had to offer just wasn’t for me, so I called the HR person at the company I turned down, who was very understanding and booked me in for an interview. Rob was the person who interviewed me. It’s going to sound crazy, but for me, it was love at first sight…or maybe attraction at first sight, but I just felt that spark. After the interview, I considered asking Rob out and declining the job offer, but at the end of the day, I ended up accepting it and chickening out on the whole “ask him out” thing. Within the first week at my new job, I got transferred out of Rob’s team and he was no longer my boss…phew! We became friends and nearly a year after that interview he asked me out, and we’ve been together ever since. If I hadn’t changed my mind about that job, and stayed at the first company, we may have never even met. Feels like it was meant to be.

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Ditto
Nelia: While on vacation in San Francisco, we spent a beautiful day exploring the city. Spring flowers were blooming, the sun was shining and I still remember that feeling of pure joy all day long. We’ve been together for nearly a year at that point, and during dinner, Rob looked at me and said “I love you”…I was so nervous, I mumbled “ditto” in return, but could obviously tell that it wasn’t the answer he was hoping for. Truth is, I’ve never actually said “I love you” to a boyfriend before Rob, so it felt like a huge deal to me at the time. The next day, as we were getting ready for another day of fun, I finally got up the courage to say “I love you” properly. To this day, “ditto” is the way I tell Rob that I love him too.

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Julio and Daniel

How we met
Daniel: Julio and I are a testament to romance in the age of social media. We actually met on Instagram via a mutual friend. I asked him out via Twitter DM. We always laugh when we tell people our story because no one believes us at first!
Julio: We just celebrated our 2 year anniversary on February 1st. Daniel likes to argue that our anniversary is earlier, but February 1st stuck with some encouragement aka my decision.

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Instagram Engagement
Daniel: Well, being that I am the biggest hopeless romantic it had to be epic. I planned out the perfect day for Julio to make sure he got the engagement he deserved. I bought his favourite Tiffany’s Ring that he had always wanted, brought our photographer down to Toronto. Since we met on Instagram, I decided that I would propose via the platform as well at the first place we ever met in person. So at 11:27am (1 year to the minute from when I first asked him out) via Instagram (how we met), at Dupont Subway Station (the first place we saw each other face to face) I asked him to marry me. And lucky for me, he said yes!

More after the jump!
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Rewind 2014: A Year in Photos

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It’s official…2014 is out, 2015 is in! But before we move on to all things new and exciting, I wanted to do a little revisiting, in part to look back on the wonderful year that 2014 was, and in part to have this post for posterity, and in case I ever need a reminder of some awesome things I did last year. If you hate those “me, me, me” posts, then this one may not be for you. Sorry (not really).

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2014 started out pretty well for me, unlike 2013 (credit card fraud galore!), I kicked off the year with a brand new video segment I created in partnership with Yorkdale and Max Kopanygin, called Styled By Nelia. Since January, we shot 9 segments, with 9 amazing retailers, and plan to shoot lots more in 2015. Since I truly hate to be on video, this was a huge challenge for me, but I got more and more comfortable with every episode we shot…and hope to get a little better with each video going forward.

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In February, I had the pleasure of participating in a photoshoot for eLUXE’s Spring 2014 lookbook, featuring Canadian bloggers. And as I will find out later, this will not be the last collab with eLUXE that I would shoot in 2014.


At the beginning of 2014, I also go to test out the Olay Regenerist Luminous skincare line, with beautiful results. Freckles, be gone!
More after the jump!
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Styled By Nelia: Shopping for a Winter Coat

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There’s no denying it, winter is coming. And to help you avoid freezing your buns off when the snow hits the ground, we stopped by the new RUDSAK store at Yorkdale to break down what makes a winter coat great.

There are three important features that I always look for in a coat – warmth, fit, and style. Here’s what we found:

More after the jump!

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Styled By Nelia: Mad for Plaid

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Ever since 424 Fifth arrived at Hudson’s Bay, I’ve been obsessed. Ladylike silhouettes, high-quality finishes, and a touch of quirk – sign me up! Well, last month, I got to introduce Yorkdale’s latest lucky shopper Emily to the brand and show her three ways of wearing plaid this fall.

More after the jump!

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Styled By Nelia: Timeless Outerwear Trends

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With fall on our heels, it’s time to start updating our wardrobes. Sandals and shorts may not have as much wearability once rainy weather sets in, so off they go to the back of the closet, and out come the sweaters, the boots and the leather pants. As with every new season, there’s excitement in the air, and temptation to buy lots of new trendy clothes. And while I don’t discourage you from jumping on the trend bandwagon, sometimes a girl can’t handle any more one-season-wonders in her closet. Last month, I stopped by Mendocino – one of the trendiest stores at Yorkdale – to find 3 items that are in this season, but won’t go out of style for at least a few years, and maybe ever! I focused on outerwear, because living in Toronto, you really can’t have too many coats and jackets, and here’s what happened:

Three Timeless Outerwear Trends After the jump!

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Styled By Nelia: Leather in the Summer

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I often get questions from readers asking me about ways to incorporate leather pieces into their summer wardrobes. Sounds near-impossible, but it’s actually easier than you think. Last month, I stopped by the stunning Danier store at Yorkdale Shopping Centre to show Carolina, how it’s done.

There are three rules I follow when trying to pull off this look. Read them after the jump!

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Styled By Nelia: White Denim for Summer

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It finally feels like summer. So to prep you for more sunny days ahead, I thought I’d share one of my favourite summer must-haves! Year after year, white jeans remain a staple in my warm weather wardrobe. Not only are they incredibly versatile, but they are super flattering to boot! I know that white denim has gotten a bad rep over the last few years. I blame it on the “ultra-low hiphugger” phase, followed by the “trashy denim” phase. But no word of a lie – white jeans are flattering…you just have to find the right pair for your bod!

Last month, I stopped by Smart Set at Yorkdale to show Ash how she could add a pair of white skinny jeans to her wardrobe, and to prove to her (and you) just how versatile those pants can be. Dare I say, even more versatile than your blue jeans?! Don’t believe me? Here are three super easy ways you can integrate a pair into your everyday life.

Nautical

Is there anything cuter than a nautical look? Well, it’s also incredibly simple to pull together – all you need is a pair of white jeans, a striped tee (or a striped blazer), and you’re done! Stick to the “nautical” colour palette, which should include pops of red, blue, and white, and you really can’t go wrong. Wearing white jeans in this case, provides a clean background for all the other colours, keeping this look from becoming too costumey.

Black and White

The monochromatic trend has been around for seasons now, and it’s not going away any time soon. For this look, I styled a fab striped blouse with an edgy faux leather vest to create an outfit that works at the office, as well as happy hour! And don’t those white jeans look a lot cooler than a pair of boring black slacks would?

White on White

There’s absolutely nothing chicer than an all-white outfit. Caution must be used when putting together various shades of white and cream – keep it all the same colour…or if the shades are starkly different, make sure that textures are too, which will make the mismatch look deliberate instead of looking like a washing machine accident. You can never go wrong with a smart, well-tailored blazer or vest, thrown over a white tee or blouse, and a pair of white pointy-toe pumps. The great thing about white-on-white, is that you can really make it your own – minimalists can forego the accessories altogether, while the peacocks could pile on bracelets and rings, throw on a chic gold chain necklace, and finish it all off with a pair of Hollywood starlet sunnies. Whatever rocks your boat.

I hope these 3 easy ways of wearing white jeans inspire you to try this timeless trend this summer, and check out some of our previous Styled By Nelia videos for even more styling tips!

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Photos and Video by Max Kopanygin

Styled By Nelia: Dressing for Prom

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Prom season is here, and if you still don’t have your dream dress in the bag, don’t worry – there’s still time! Last week, I stopped by Le Château at Yorkdale Shopping Centre to help Daphne, who will be graduating this year, shop for her upcoming prom. Together, we selected a few looks inspired by three stylish celebs, to help make your search a little easier.

Our first look was inspired by Queen Bey herself – a glam and sexy black gown with embroidered bodice – perfect for a fancy soiree. While many are apprehensive to wear black for special occasions, it’s actually the easiest way to look sophisticated and glamorous. All you need to do to make sure you don’t enter snoozeville is choose a black gown with fun details like embroidery, cut-outs, and other embellishments. And to top it off, you can add colour to your look with jewelry and accessories. For Daphne, I chose a pair of sparkly green earrings for a pop of colour.

If you’re a girly girl like Taylor Swift, a floral frock might be just what you’re looking for. To avoid looking too casual, make sure to add a sparkly or a metallic belt, and stay away from the not-so-dressy fabrics like cotton.

And finally, my favourite look of the three was inspired by Angelina Jolie and Diane Keaton. Both actresses love to wear suits on (and off) the red carpet, and I adore them for it. If you want to stand out from the crowd and have the guts to go against the grain, a well-tailored suit is a great option. To pull off this look, your suit must fit you reaaaally well, so if it needs to be taken to a seamstress, just do it. A few bucks spent on alterations can make a world of difference. As for accessories, the best thing is – a suit is really a blank canvas, so you can go as bold or as minimal as you’d like. Obviously, for prom, I would suggest a few standout accessories, and a fun pair of shoes.

Good luck with your prom dress (or suit) search, and let us know whether you were inspired by the three looks we put together!

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Photos and Video by Max Kopanygin

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