Balanced

 Since this Zara off the shoulder dress if very pink and very girly I wanted to style it in a way that gave it a little bit of "edge". I accessorized the dress by wearing snakeskin platform heels instead of nude simple strapy heel which would have made the dress feel even more feminine. I also added a diamond choker from Topshop. The diamonds fit in with the girly look but the choker is a bit more trendy and cool. 

Drape Your Jackets

 Last year was all about wearing your jackets over your shoulders, this year we're wearing our jackets draped around our arms for an effortless 'cool' look. The style is most suitable for bomber jackets and over sized denim jackets so that it isn't uncomfortable or restricting. 

Super Casual/Super Chic

I find that as much as I like a glamorous kind of over the top outfit, sometimes the best outfits are really the ones that are simple and effortless. It's about going for basic pieces with an edge. 

This outfit only has 3 pieces, each of which everyone should have in their closet: a black top, jeans, and black pointed toe heels.  Since I already have a bunch of black tops and a few pairs of jeans I bought new versions of the things I already have just with different cuts and textures. 

If you mix and match your basic pieces you may end up wearing your best outfit. 

In the Nude...Bodysuit

If you've gone shopping in the past eight months you know bodysuits are everywhere right now. They're being made in a multitude of styles, colours, and cuts. The best part of the bodysuit is that they're made to be tucked in to your bottoms. No more worrying about your shirt bunching underneath your skirt, with a body suit all lines are smooth and perfectly tucked. 

Somewhere Between A Hippie and A Farmer

I feel as though the title of this post is self explanatory and does not require any sort of explanation. 

Anywho... 

I got this dress from The GAP this week and in the fitting room I realized there are literally a trillion different ways I could wear it. I the fitting room my hair was straight and slicked back behind my ears. I was wearing red lipstick and had a silver metal choker on as well as black heels. The look I had on in the fitting room would be a really cool day to night look. 

Today I opted for a beachy and relaxed day time look. The dress came with a thin denim tie for the waist of the dress. I like having something cinching in my waist that is a bit tighter than the belt the dress came with so I swapped it for a leather western belt from M. To make use of the denim belt and to not loose touch with the beloved choker trend I tied the thin denim string around my neck. 

Business As Usual

I wore this outfit while at a presentation for a prominent law firm in Toronto given by a personal stylist/wardrobe consultant who I work with once in a while. The presentation was all about how to dress for your body shape (whether it be pear, hour glass, or an inverted triangle) in a corporate setting. Due to our location I needed to look like I work in a corporate setting but also show off my own personal style. 

I wore a metal silver choker for a trendy and fashion forward look and paired the statement piece with the most comfy black dolman sleeve top from M for Mendocino with my favorite high waist wide leg black pants perfect for an office. 

19.

Yesterday was my 19th birthday - the age in which any minor living in Ontario becomes of legal drinking age; so of course I had to go celebrate because turning 19 in this province isn't the same as just any other birthday.

In the afternoon I went to One Restaurant at the Hazelton Hotel - the hotel favored by the likes of Justin Beiber, Drake, and Kanye West + Kim Kardashian West in  Toronto. At One I met a friend, ordered my first legal drink, Rose, and of course some food...truffle fries and baked brie with baguette. We tried to keep lunch on lighter side since we were going to dinner to follow.

We headed up to where I live in the 'burbs and went for Italian food (my favourite). I couldn't decide between pizza or pasta but since it was my birthday...I got both with a glass of Proseco my second legal drink.

Since any birthday should be a fun filled day I wore an outfit that I saw as pretty fun and a bit of a departure from my other clothing. I wore a white dress with pop art "badges" on it of different foods and accessories. The dress screamed summer and fun. I paired it with a light blue leather jacket because the colours went perfectly together, and then added a pair of snakeskin platform heels to add mixed prints and some more toned down colour.

Off the Shoulder Is Everything

It's no secret that off the shoulder tops and dresses are a huge trend right now and I am such a fan! 

Keeping it Casual

 There's nothing I like more than a long black dress, side swept waves, and a red lip but then dressed down with a bomber jacket to add a cool edge. 

Dark, Bold & Floral

I've had this dress sitting in my closet for a couple of months now and when I woke up to go to the Opera Sunday morning I knew this was the perfect dress. It's dressy but not overly dressy like the woman's black tie gown in the box next to mine. 

I felt this was perfect because it's dark and dramatic just like an opera but the floral design was perfect for the sunny and warm weather.   

I had to sell myself this dress in the fitting room at Zara. I loved it immediately even on the hanger but I really wasn't looking to spend any money. When I saw the dress was a button up I realized I could style it in tonnes of different ways. Button the dress lower on top for a low cut neckline, undo the bottom buttons for a leg slit or....wear it completely unbuttoned as a kimono with jeans and a t-shirt underneath.  

Obviously I bought the dress, but I did trip on it countless times walking around...haha. 

Coachella is Coming

Loeffler Randall $295 

Coachella is the music festival of the year. It's known for it's music, getting tons of celebrity love, and it's boho fashion. 

Today I've rounded up some of my favourite boho pieces for all your coachella and music festival needs. 

Refreshing Your Maxi Skirt

Maxi skirts became popular a few seasons ago and...I'm pretty much over them now. 

Since I still have this black one with a long side slit I decided I would give it another chance but refresh it and make it look a little less basic. 

March is the perfect time to experiment with typically summer clothing, and mix said pieces with winter ones (hence the knit turtleneck).  

Pairing the black maxi skirt with my grey knit sweater added contrast to the skirt. Accessorizing with thigh high heeled boots and adding an architectural drop earring gave my skirt a whole new "cooler" vibe. 

Other ways to update and refresh your maxi skirt include wearing one with a blazer and a statement heel or bag for a polished and sophisticated take. Another way would be to throw on a leather jacket and white running shoes for an edgier cool girl vibe. 

Marigold

If you follow me on Instagram (tarynpotasky) or Snapchat (tpotasky) then you know I was in California a couple weeks ago for wedding. We arrived in San Francisco and made our way up the next day to Sonoma for the wedding, and then down to Los Angeles. To the rehearsal dinner I wore one of my favourite dresses, a marigold yellow Zara dress that I think is so glamorous! I took it the more classy route at the rehearsal dinner with straight hair, a red lip, and a nude shoe. When I tried the dress on in store it was with a pair of strapy maroon suede sandals and I would continue to modernize the look by wearing it very natural make up and a low slung pony tail. I love creating looks with such different vibes for the same pieces. 

Retro

After we shot these photos we realized the camera was on the wrong setting the entire time. Many of these shots turned out grainy, but I ended up kind of liking it. The effect gave the photos a retro, artistic feel that goes well with this shooting location and the all black outfit. 

White, Black, and Nike

Running shoes are the epitome of comfort and style circa 2015 ladies! 

I've worn my Nike's so many times since I got them two weeks ago. Of course I'm still very much a  high heels sort of girl, but when I have the opportunity to wear my running shoes I wear them now. It's good to give your feet a break from heels anyway, and gives your look a more sporty feel to it which is super 'in'! 

Ottawa

Last week I was in Canada's capital city, Ottawa for the day. I've been to Ottawa so many times for so many different reasons. This time I was there because I had some crazy tickets to the Taylor Swift concert. I was literally two feet from the stage for Taylor Swift and Vance Joy. 

Going into the concert I was more excited to hear Vance Joy preform than Taylor Swift because I prefer his music. I just thought it would be cool to see Taylor Swift because she's the biggest pop star in the world right now so...what's cooler than that? Plus the tickets were free! 

As it turns out the concert turned me into the Taylor Swift fan I never thought I would be. She's such a good live performer and her songs were all so catchy! 

(Photos from the concert on my Instagram @tarynpotasky) 

Why Is It Called A Canadian Tuxedo Anyway?

I've done the Canadian Tuxedo look a few times before but this is for sure my favourite Canadian Tux look that I've done to date. I wore a more fitted denim shirt with bell bottom jeans to give it a very 70s feel, and I could easily wear it again with a trench coat, or fur vest in the fall. 

This got me wondering why total denim looks are called Canadian Tuxedos anyway...

Well turns out Bing Crosby (White Christmas, Little Drummer Boy...) was a fan of wearing Levi's jeans with a matching denim jacket and wore the outfit every chance he got. He and a friend went hunting one day here in Canada  and were turned away from a swanky Vancouver hotel all because Bing Crosby was too under dressed in his denim on denim look (denim had a bad rep in the 1950s). Finally a bellhop at the hotel recognized the famous singer and allowed him to stay the night. When Levi's heard about what had happened and decided to change denims reputation. Levi's gifted Bing Crosby with a custom made denim tuxedo jacket. The jacket had a leather patch inside with a notice to all hoteliers stating that whoever was wearing the denim garment was meant to be treated with extra special respect. 

I bet Bing Crosby had no how much of an impact his go-to outfit would have on the fashion industry. 

The first ever Canadian Tuxedo worn by Bing Crosby, designed by Levi's 

Comfy Casual

This may seem crazy but every Sunday night I lay out all my outfits for the week. I started it doing it years ago! It may take a lot of my time on Sunday's but it is so worth it. It saves time during the week instead of picking out an outfit the night before school. For me the biggest benefit of laying all my outfits out on Sunday nights is that I have a variety of outfits to chose one in the morning to correspond with how I'm feeling.

Last night I went out with friends to watch the fireworks (Victoria Day) and didn't end up getting home till 1:30 am so I was way too tired to pick out four more outfits for the week so when I woke up still tired after only a few hours of sleep, I threw on this new comfy white pull over from H&M as well as leather shorts from Zara and my Topshop booties to keep with the more edgy look of the outfit. 

The Opposite

Last week I was going on about much I love all white and all I was doing on the weekend was wearing monochromatic outfits. This weekend not so much....I was all about the total black look and loving it.

Retro Vibes

I think I have a thing for sunglasses. Whenever I see a pair at any store I'm at I have to try several pairs on. M for Mendocino is selling all sunglasses for $18 and I of course found a pair I loved - gold cat eye's.