Colourful Blazers

One of my fave new trends for this Spring is the Colourful Blazer. Whether it's a pretty peach blazer with a soft grey dress or a bright neon blazer with  a white shirt and jeans, as long as it's a colourful contrast to the rest of your outfit - anything goes! And feel free to add even more colours in your accessories as a softer way to colour block...another trend that will be sticking around for Spring/Summer.

 

Oscars Best & Worst Dressed for 2012

Of course, it's all about the Oscar's today...

After my disappointment with the fashion choices at the Grammy Awards earlier this month, I was hoping to be WOWED. I wasn't.

Sure there were some great choices, but nothing that really took my breath away (except for some of the worst ones of course). Check out my choices below and let me know what you think. 

Who did it best and who missed the mark?

For my best dressed list...I am loving the dramatic elegance of Gwyneths look. Though Michelle Williams dress didn't quite fit her body shape the best, she made my best dressed list only because I LOVED the style of the dress, and the colour (Tangerine Tango) is on trend for Spring/Summer 2012. When it comes to Jennifer Lopez, I thought she just looked gorgeous...the dress sparkled and so did she! And lastly, I am not a big fan of Cameron Diaz, but I think she rocked it in that gown...I loved the bottom of it and think it gave her shape a much softer and feminine silhouette than usual.

As for the worst...Rooney Mara could have done better. She has been described as a "designers dream come true", but I think this dress is a nightmare. Natalie Portman doesn't usually disappoint, but this polka dot gown was a bit of a yawn for me - it has a casual vibe to it for me. As for Sandra (who I LOVE by the way), I did not like this choice for her. The fit was off everywhere! I didn't like how unfitted it was up top and how tight it was on the bottom. It just looked messy to me. And lastly, the gown worn by Jessica Chastain was touted as one of the best on some sites, but it just didn't do it for me, and the colour choice was a bad one for the fair skinned red head.

"A" Body Shape - Evening Wear

Continuing with the theme of evening wear options according to your body shape, today is dedicated to all of the "A" shaped ladies out there.

It's the body shape that is characterized by being "fuller on the bottom". If you have an "A" Body Shape like Beyonce, besides carrying your weight in your hips/thighs/bum, you will have narrow shoulders in comparison to your lower half, a smaller bust, and a defined waist. When it comes to evening wear, ideal picks for you would be...

• Styles that show off your tiny waist and flow away slightly from the hips without adding width.
• On the top half, anything that adds volume or brings the eye up (embellishments, lighter colours, details, and fullness).
• Accessories like sparkly or fun earrings and necklaces to bring the eye up as well.

Not an "A" Body Shape? Watch for evening wear options for other body shapes coming soon!

"O" Body Shape - Evening Wear

It's the body shape that is characterized by being "fuller in the middle". If you have an "O" Body Shape like Jennifer Hudson, besides having fullness in the tummy area, you will most likely have rounded shoulders, an average to full bust, a higher waist (usually right under the bust), and nice legs and arms. When it comes to evening wear, ideal picks for you would be...

• Empire styles that will show off the narrowest part of your waist.
• Soft flowing fabrics in cuts that skim over your mid section without too many gathers will help disguise your tummy without adding extra volume.
• Sassy and strappy shoes will show off your great legs.
• Bracelets will bring the attention to your lean arms, and sparkly earrings will bring the focus to your gorgeous face.

Not an "O" Body Shape? Watch for evening wear options for other body shapes coming soon!

Online Style Makeovers

The Practical Fashionista is now offering Virtual Style Coaching - get one-on-one personalized style help no matter where you live!

Click HERE to find out more... 

Florals for Spring

They were all over the runways as one of the biggest trends for Spring 2012, but as with most runway styles, the way they are portrayed is not realistic for everyday life - and to be honest, sometimes a bit hideous.

So, I have created some pretty floral inspiration for you. Whether you are ready to go all out with a bright floral dress, funk it up in some floral pants, or are looking for something a little more understated with a floral blouse.

Ahhhhh....Valentines Day! A day all about love and of course, chocolate! But let's talk about the former...

How do you show love to yourself? Well, I have an idea! How about learning to love your body and stop stressing about some sort of unattainable ideal and just 'letting it go' once and for all. Or learning how to relax and stop stressing when it comes to getting dressed? Good news - I have the answer.

Love from the Inside Out

An intimate and interactive workshop on loving the way you look and how to stress less about getting dressed

Imagine...

• Complete freedom from body image issues and that unattainable idea of perfection?
• Being able to define your style, create a fun & functional wardrobe that matches it, and enjoy shopping again?

If so, then you’ll definitely want to attend “Love from the Inside Out”!

Created and presented by yours truly and Personal Trainer Michelle Pitman, “From the Inside Out” is all about transformation, but not in the typical fashion. Get it, fashion? Okay, seriously though, from transforming the way you think about your body, diet, and exercise, to your style and personal image, you’ll leave with practical tools that will not only help you manage your feelings about your body, but manage your personal style and wardrobe too! How much fun is that?!

In honour of Valentine's day and loving yourself, tickets go on sale today! And to keep this an intimate and interactive event though, there are only 15 spots available, so get your ticket now to avoid disappointment. 

Visit the event page here http://fromtheinsideoutworkshop.eventbrite.com/ to find out more and get  your ticket before they're gone.

Grammy Fashion

Overall, I found the fashion at the Grammy Awards a bit of a yawm this year. There was no one that stood out as really shockingly sensational. Most are just boring & plain, or ridiculously insane. But if I had to pick the winners for the best and worst dressed, here's what it would look like...

BEST DRESSED - Adele, Kelly Osbourne, Carrie Underwood, Rhianna

WORST DRESSED - Fergie, Robyn, Alison Krauss, Nicki Minaj

                           

Sh*t Fashions Girls Say

Oh my god, this is hilarious, I couldn't help but share it (I think I may have to do my own version one day)! I am loving, "She thinks she’s sample size", "Like American beauty on a yacht, but tribal, and with a fishtail braid", and "It looked like Forever 21 vomited on her". Enjoy!

Splurge versus Save

This posting is inspired by a conversation I had with a new client today. We were making plans for our upcoming shopping session, and we got on the topic of her shopping budget and where she should invest her money and where she should save. So, I wanted to share with you what I told her...

SPLURGE: A classic cut coat in a colour that looks AMAZING on you, comfortable neutral coloured heels, a pair of premium denim jeans in a classic cut that fits you like a glove.

SAVE: Costume jewellery, trendy jeans, layering pieces like tanks and t-shirts, and shoes that can obviously only work with a limited amount of outfits and are so trendy that they will only be relevant for a season or two.

Slimming Tips for Everyone

Forget stressing about your body shape, scale, size, etc and the "rules" for dressing it. Instead, to look your longest and leanest, check out my top 3 slimming tips for ANY BODY...

1) When it comes to footwear, choose a medium to high heel with a low vamp. The vamp is the opening near the toes. The lower and closer to the toes and the more of your foot and ankle showing -  the longer your legs look.

2)  Wear fine to medium textured fabrics...bulky fabrics just make your body appear bulkier. Sounds obvious, but for some, it's not.

3) Skip the boxy and shapeless cuts of clothing, and go for pieces that have a shape and silhouette to them.

Are you a DivaGirl?

Interested in joining me for a full day of fun, flirty, & educational classes, workshops and seminars to help you unleash your sexy within?! Then you'll want to get a ticket for the DivaGirl Conference being held in Toronto on March 24th! Check out the attached event flyer below for more info.

And if you want a ticket, DivaGirl is giving all of my Practical Fashionista peeps out there $10 off - but message me directly at lisa@practicalfashionista.com to get the secret promotional code to get it. Then use THIS LINK to buy your ticket. If you have any problems, let me know.

Hope to see you there!

Oh so pretty!

Want to know how to wear one of the hottest trends for Spring 2012 without looking like an Easter Egg? Check out the guest posting I did for Cafe La Moda HERE.