Casual Sweaters

I've been looking for the perfect casual pullover sweater since last winter. I didn't think it would be that hard to find one, but I've only found my favourite one today after months of searching. I know it totally sounds like the wrong time to buy a sweater, but the one's I've been looking for are the slightly sheer, lightweight ones that can be worn in the spring/summer.

I usually check Zara and Aritzia for new sweaters, but I haven't been liking the new ones lately. I find that Zara's pullover sweaters are too boxy for my body type and I dislike the necklines. Also, even though Aritzia has sweaters that are cut the way I like, those tend to be too delicate for everyday wear. The coral sweater I bought a few months ago already has a hole in it (I snagged it on a bracelet)! :(

The one I bought is a Monk & Lou sweater from Plenty, which retails at $42. It's thin enough that I can wear it with my Mackage Kenya or an oversized cardigan on top, but the price point is low enough that I don't have to baby it for fear that it's going to rip. I like it so much that I ordered a white one too.

 

 

The celebrity outfits below are ideas of how I'll be wearing the sweater. A lot of the outfits are variations of the same basic pieces (ex. different coloured/printed pants, high heels or flats, etc.). Some people might think that's boring, but the verstality of this type of sweater is what makes it such a great piece. It's also really easy to throw on when you're in a hurry or just being lazy like me!

All About Flats

Even though I'm really short, I've never been a heels girl. I strongly dislike wearing/walking in heels, which is why I only wear them for really special occasions. If I can get away with it, I'll wear a pair of flats 99% of the time. By flats, I mean loafer, ballet flats, converse, TOMS, etc. After reading a thread on Mallvibes about a girl asking everyone what their favourite flats are, I went and looked at all the flats I have (clearly I have nothing better to do).

I counted over 15 pairs (there are a few that are in another closet....). I didn't even know I had that many! My favourite ones are listed below.

1// Unif 'hellraiser':

These are the most comfortable (lambskin leather), but it can get difficult when I'm trying not to scratch everything up around me (like my bf's car).

2// Coach 'skyla':

My first slightly expensive pair of flats. I bought these close to two years ago, and I still love them. These will probably be my favourite flats... until I get the Ferragamo ones! The only bad thing about these is that the patent leather is really easy to scratch and they're not incredibly comfortable if you're walking for a long time.

 

3// Modcloth 'you'll be the mist':

One of my many pairs of nude flats. These are a darker pink than a true nude, but I love them nonetheless. These took the longest to break in, because the leather was quite rigid.

4// Aldo 'buschur':

My first pair of loafers. I get a lot of questions about these shoes when I wear them. I think it has to do with the fact that they sold out completely within a week in stores and online. Also, leopard flats were all the rage when I bought them (a few months ago), but the other shoe stores in Vancouver seemed to carry ones that had a cheaper looking pattern to them. These took a while to break in too.

5// TOMS:

I have 3 pairs (classic, stone washed, glitter), but I'm planning to get the crochet ones as well. I know some people hate TOMS because they can make your fit stink if you wear them a lot. The good thing about TOMS, though, is that you can just throw them in the washing machine when they get dirty/stinky and hang them up to dry. I'm lazy so I just put them in the dryer and they always come out fine. Beware of washing the coloured ones though, because they do bleed/fade depending on the colour!  I haven't washed the glitter ones; obviously because the glitter is probably going to come off!

The stone washed ones are the softest out of the three and are also the most comfortable. I usually wear them to school or if my feet hurt. TOMS also donates a pair of shoes to children in need for every pair bought. This is the primary reason why I hate knock-off toms (like the ones from Aldo). The Aldo ones are priced the same as the classic TOMS for $55. If you're going to pay the same amount, you might as well buy the pair that will benefit someone else too!

All the shoes I talked about previously are all over the place in terms of price and comfort. However, the one pair of flats I owned that were EXTREMELY comfortable were from non-other than.....


......FOREVER 21!

I bought those flats 3 summers ago and I wore them almost every single day. They only lasted around 4 months, but they only cost $11.50! I think that if you're looking for a pair of everyday flats, don't be afraid of buying a pair from a cheaper store like Forever 21 or H&M. A lot of the times, their flats are way more comfortable than the $70 ones at Aldo or other retailers. However, if you want a pair that's going to last a very long time, you have to be prepared to splurge!

Review: Tobi.com

I've been purchasing a lot of dressier tops for the summer lately. By dressy tops, I mean button down shirts, sheer/chiffon tops, etc. In previous summers, I pretty much lived in loose t-shirts and shorts, but I'm going to try to stay away from that this year.

I love the button down shirts from ZARA and the chiffon tops from Aritzia, but it's just not practical or economical for me to buy, let's say, ten shirts at more than $70 a piece. I decided to buy some tops from Tobi, because they have tops that are very similar to the Zara/Aritzia ones at a much lower price.

Tobi has 30% OFF new arivals and they put up new stuff everyday (I think an average of fifty or more pieces per day). I did purchase these tops close to a month ago, so they will not be 30% off anymore, but they're still affordable.

These are the ones I purchased:

From left to right:

1. Ellison Good Morning Button Down Shirt $32 (reg. $47)
2. Everly Mother of Pearls Button Blouse $32 (reg. $47)
3. I.ner Dobby Top (I bought this in black & cream) $22 (reg. $32)
4. I.ner Zipping Off Top $43

Quality:

All the tops are made in the USA and are polyester. The quality is very similar to Zara's TRF pieces and the higher quality pieces at Urban Outfitters. Obviously, since the tops are polyester, they're not really comparable to the tops from Aritzia (most of which are silk or silk blend). Compared to the polyester tops at Zara, these are not as silky. I actually prefer this though, because too-silky tops for summer are a nightmare. You don't want to be sweating and wearing a top that sticks to the worse parts of your body! In particular, top #1 is actually closer in texture to the Talula Tinsley top from Aritzia. The zippers and buttons are good quality as well. Here's some pictures to give you an idea:

Colour:

ALL the tops are slightly darker than the pictures on the website. Top #4 has the most colour difference, it's more of a medium beige than the cream coloured pictured above.

Fit:

All the tops fit bigger than the size label. For example, all the tops I purchased were size small, but fit more like mediums or slightly larger than a small. The measurements of the lengths provided on the website are very accurate though. I also find that the way the top drapes on the model is almost identical to the way these pieces draped on me. The only obvious difference in draping and fit will be how small or large your bust is.

Repurchase?

I will definitely be repurchasing from Tobi. However, I'll stick to getting basic button downs as they're more likely to fit better and be closer in colour to the pictures than the more trendy pieces.