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What I Wore: Soft and Cozy

23 February, 2017 Nelia Leave a Comment

As February comes to a close, I look around my closet and realise that I’ve been pretty much wearing the same few pieces all winter long – same few sweaters paired with denim or work pants, and same few sweater dresses worn with fleece-lined tights. It’s not super creative, but I guess it’s a winter uniform that keeps me feeling warm and looking put-together during the cold winter months.

This season, I was very lucky to find a few of those perfect knitwear pieces that I get complimented on time and time again, and that I can totally see myself wearing for years to come (with a little TLC), which is why I’m so thankful for Ultra Downy Free & Gentle Liquid Fabric Conditioner. Truth be told, fabric softener is a fairly new discovery for me. For years, I didn’t see the importance of using it, until someone put it this way: detergent is like shampoo for your clothes, while fabric softener is like conditioner. You wouldn’t skip conditioner after shampooing your hair, so why not follow the same logic when washing your clothes?!

Once I started using Downy Fabric Conditioner, I noticed a huge difference in the way my clothes (and especially knits) look and feel. I no longer have to worry about washing my favourite knitwear pieces, because Downy Fabric Conditioner protects clothes at the fibre level to reduce damage from daily wear and frequent washing, which can prematurely age your clothes. When fibres are conditioned, they’re protected against stretching, fading, and pilling, giving you an extra season or two out of your favourite pieces. Even knitwear pros at We Are Knitters trust Downy Fabric Conditioner with their knits!

Thanks to Downy even my most frequently worn (and washed) sweaters look like new, and hopefully will continue to do so year after year.

What about you? Do you use Downy Fabric Conditioner to protect your knits? Share in the comments.

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What I Wore: Chloe Carlina

26 November, 2016 Nelia 1 Comment

I’ve been obsessed with these oversized sunglasses from Chloe for a while now, but I wasn’t sure if I could pull off such a statement look. What do you think? I think I’m in love. I have a ton of fun sunglasses in my closet, but this pair is my current favourite – with its bug-eyed shape, lightly-tinted lenses, and curvy frame – reminds me a bit of those early 2000’s JLo days, but in a good way. Incidentally, she actually owns a pair too!

If you’re looking for a pair of statement eyewear yourself, there’s no better time to pick one up. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale happening over at Smart Buy Glasses, you can snag a pair of cool designer sunnies for a fraction of the regular price. And their shipping is lightning-fast!

So tell me, what do you think of Chloe Carlina sunnies? Which sunglasses are your favourite? Share in the comments.

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What I Wore: Cozy AF

26 October, 2016 Nelia 3 Comments

When you know, you know. And the moment I laid eyes on this sweater dress, I knew that we were meant to be together. This dress is perfection wrapped in cozy dreams and chicness, and I now own it in two colours. Because when you find something as perfect as this oversized beauty, you buy it in every colour possible. This dress actually reminds of this H&M score from last year, and with the addition of another ankle-length cashmere dress I picked up from COS, it looks like I’ll be nice and toasty all winter long, and I don’t mind it one bit.

Just in case you too would like to be wrapped in snuggie-level softness without looking like you’ve given up on life, check out some of my fave sweaters and sweater dresses above. And those boots too, because Acne Studios can do no wrong in my book.

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What I Wore: The Future is Bright

26 September, 2016 Nelia 2 Comments

Last weekend, I finally got to check out the much talked about in/future “festival of art and music at Ontario Place”. And while, I think this “art experience” was definitely overpriced and overhyped, there were a few interesting installations to check out, and the views from Ontario Place were certainly worth it. If anything, in/future was great for outfit photos, which we obviously took advantage of.

As you can see, I chopped off my hair, and now have to re-learn how to dress for this haircut all over again. To be honest, it feels weird seeing myself in the mirror and in photos, and not having colourful hair, but exciting at the same time. I’m looking forward to dressing for fall, and being a brunette again, even if I’m really starting to miss my long unicorn locks. Hopefully, this haircut will grow on me, but a much longer post on this subject coming soon.

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What I Wore: In The County

8 September, 2016 Nelia Leave a Comment

One more outfit post from our amazing getaway to Prince Edward County with Lincoln MKZ. On our final night, I got all dolled up for dinner with le bf, only to end the night barefoot and playing ping pong outside of the Drake Devonshire. My feet were black when we got back to the room. Sorry for that visual. But that probably describes PEC the best – there’s the quiet luxury of places like Drake Devonshire, coupled with homey comfort of various Inns, local ice-cream parlours, and beach shacks. It truly has become one of my favourite Ontario getaways and I hope we can return as soon as possible.

Have you ever visited The County? Share your experiences after the jump!

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What I Wore: First World Problems

6 July, 2016 Nelia 3 Comments

When I first spotted this dress over on H&M app, I knew I had to have it. Everything about it from the watercolour rainbow stripes, to the Issey Miyake-like pleats screamed “must-have”, and so I dutifully made daily visits to H&M, only to walk away empty-handed (well, maybe not empty-handed, but without this dress in tow). So when I finally spotted a few of these dresses on a lonely rack, I grabbed my size and never looked back.

I wish I could say that this was a rare occurence, but the fact is, I stalk things at H&M all the time. Between the time I see something I want on the website, and the time it actually hits the stores, I end up spending countless lunch hours trekking back and forth between my office and the store, cursing the lack of H&M online shopping in Canada. I know that Canadian e-commerce is coming this year…but I literally can’t wait. First world problems, I know…but how amazing would it be to be able to buy your fave H&M (and H&M Home) things online from the comfort of your couch?!

What about you? Are you excited about the upcoming H&M Online Shopping launch? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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What I Wore: Similar, But Different

29 June, 2016 Nelia 1 Comment

You may have noticed that I’ve been wearing a lot of white dresses lately…which means I’m either in a rut or I’m obsessed with LWDs this summer. Let’s go with the latter. In my defense, all three dresses I recently wore are very different – the first one is worn off-the-shoulder and has long sleeves, the second is a breezy t-shirt dress with lace, while this one is a cami-style maxi. Similar, but different.

I guess, since the weather has been so beautiful lately, a crisp white dress feels appropriate and almost necessary. I wear these dresses with cute sandals for dressier occasions, with white sneakers (I’m partial to Stan Smiths) for casual strolls, and with ankle booties if the other two shoe styles feel a bit “been there”. Regardless of what I pair it with, LWD is the easiest garment to wear in the summer (perfect for lazy people who want to look put-together). So if I’m wearing yet another LWD in the next outfit post, just assume that it’s my summer uniform…I’ll try to keep it exciting with accessories.

So tell me, do you have something that you keep buying over and over again…similar, but different? Share in the comments.

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What I Wore: Langdon Hall

30 May, 2016 Nelia Leave a Comment

I wore this outfit last weekend at Langdon Hall, where I spent a couple of days with Garnier Canada and a group of fellow Canadian bloggers as part of our #SkinActiveRetreat. A separate post about the retreat is coming soon, but in the meantime, I thought I’d share this outfit post, seeing how I’ll most likely be living in this entire look all summer long.

This off-the-shoulder dress is pretty new to my wardrobe but it’s already a favourite – so easy to dress up or down, and breezy enough for even the balmiest of summer days. As for my footwear choice, these were the only shoes I brought with me on the retreat, showing just how versatile a pair of stylish white sneakers can be. I paired them with denim shorts, floaty dresses, and yoga pants, and not once did I feel out of place or under-dressed. This particular style is so comfy, I can literally walk for hours without any discomfort. Perfect shoes for travelling, if you ask me.

So there you have it, my summer staples – easy off-the-shoulder white dress, a pair of Adidas Originals Stan Smith kicks, and a gorgeous country house to frolic about. What are you summer must-haves? Share in the comments.

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What I Wore: Surprisingly Washable

25 April, 2016 Nelia 22 Comments

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Have you ever needed to wear something only to realize that it needs to be dry cleaned? Well, last weekend it happened to me. As I was prepping my outfit the night before a friend’s wedding, I realized that the silk H&M Studio dress I was planning to wear was not in wearable condition and needed to be cleaned STAT! Dry cleaning wasn’t an option (too late!), and so in my desperation I looked at the inside care label only to realize that despite its silk composition, the dress was surprisingly washable! Who would’ve thought?! And so I happily marched downstairs to the laundry room, threw in a Tide POD along with the dress (inside a delicates bag), and just washed it. As you can see, the dress was in perfect condition after the wash – fashion crisis averted!

When you start paying attention to those care labels, you’ll learn that a huge portion of your wardrobe is most likely surprisingly washable too. With #TideChic movement you can save a ton of money on dry cleaning bills, while giving your clothes the TLC they deserve. I’ve been using Tide PODS ever since they first launched, and the convenience as well as excellent results got me hooked…I don’t think I could ever go back to regular detergent. Downy Fabric Conditioner is another fave; it protects clothes at the fiber level and keeps them looking like new, extending the life of your favourite pieces…and it leaves them smelling so good!

So next time you throw that dress in your dry cleaning pile, make sure to check the care label and see if it’s washable…you may just be surprised! But don’t just take my word for it! Comment below if you’d like to try Tide PODS and Downy Fabric Conditioner for yourself, and you could win one of 3 #TideChic prize packs*!

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What I Wore: Juicy Fruit

29 March, 2016 Nelia 1 Comment

I try to wear as many Canadian pieces as I can during Toronto Fashion Week, but sometimes the cutest options in your wardrobe are from Zara and you just have to go with it. With the exception of a few accessories this entire look is from Zara…from that fun yellow moto jacket to the colourblock shoes, and I love it all. The hem fringe on the jeans is very trendy right now, the striped sweater is a new MVP in my wardrobe, and paired with my trusty faux fur Prada stole, the jacket looks a lot more expensive than it actually is. Funny enough, if my hair wasn’t a unicorn-technicolour-dream, I probably wouldn’t wear so many bright colours together all at once, but for some reason, having rainbow hair has given me a new kind of DGAF attitude, slime sunnies and all.