My favourite wardrobe additions in 2015

I think out of all the additions that came into my closet in 2015, my favourites were my: 

• pre-loved Cole Haan Johanna ankle boots;
• Townshoe Loafers;
• Nine West taupe wedges;
• Marc by Marc Jacobs backpack;
• Coach leopard print double-zip wallet my husband gave me;
• Banana Republic ivory and leopard skinny belts;
• all my items from LOFT;
• Franco Sarto peep-to flats;
• Banana Republic cobalt drape pants;
• Banana Republic black and white color-block dress;
• Banana Republic light colored, striped, color-block sweater; and
• Banana Republic black sleeveless top (so simple, but so perfect)

Time to replace: my trend wardrobe staple, leopard flats with loafers

My leopard print flats were originally purchased in 2012 as an item of trend. I wasn't keen on animal prints at the time but somehow these shoes captured my eye and I decided to give them a try. The first time I wore them, I fell in love and reserved them only for indoor wear at my office. After a year, I began to wear them every where and they soon became an integral part of my wardrobe. 

Cole Haan leopard flats

Now, in 2015, they are looking sad; the heels are worn down and the sole is beginning to part from the shoe and I'm sure it is only a matter of time before there will be an actual hole in it. The calf-hair has rubbed off on a few areas, but over all, it still looks great from far away. Yes, I have still been wearing them - I can't help myself, I just love them too much not to, and I need them in my life. I've been looking for the next perfect pair to replace them and so far, have had no luck. 

On Saturday,  while on the search for a new pair, I magically found some pretty amazing shoes at the Shoe Company - Town Shoes Tapered Loafers, made in Italy, for $80, originally selling for $160 (online they are on sale for $111.98). 

Town Shoes Tapered Loafer, made in Italy

I tried them on and they felt like butter; I loved them immediately but felt bad because I just purchased some black flats, 5 days ago. Considering I found them for $80 and they are very different from other shoes I own, I decided to take them home to see how they would fit in my wardrobe, and return them if it didn't work. I replaced all my outfits that had my leopard flats with these shoes, and they looked amazing; some looked even better than with the leopard! 

Conclusion - They stay. But, they stay on the condition that they are now my new trend wardrobe staple - one-in one-out rule! 

And I am banned from buying any shoes this year, and next year!

My dear leopard flats - you have been absolutely amazing and have opened my eyes and wardrobe to a whole new world. I will never forget you. You showed me how animal prints can give an outfit some oomph without being overwhelming, and can help complete an outfit - I am ever so grateful. You'e also shown me that it's worth the wait to find the perfect pair, so for the time being, I am substituting you with something entirely different until I can find the perfect pair that has brought me so much joy, as you have.

For my next pair, I'd ideally like more of a pointed toe, and it would be great if it could also have gold hardware.

Wallet comparison - Michael Kors and Coach

I rarely receive wallets or bags as gifts, so when I do, they hold a very, very special place in my heart. It just so happens that I was gifted 2 wallets in less than a year, by 2 very special people in my life - my baby cousin and my husband. 

Michael Kors Jet Set travel wallet & Coach double-zip wallet

They each chose great wallets and I wanted to do a review and comparison because they are quite similar in size and function. These opinions are based on how I organize and use my wallets. 

My cousin gifted me the Michael Kors Jet Set travel wallet in navy for my birthday last year - I was so blown away! Below are some of its quick stats: 

• Saffiano leather
• 6.5" X 3.75" X 1"
• Handle drop: 7"

NOTE: I  believe the new versions now have a zip coin pocket next to the cell phone pocket. 

My husband <3 recently gifted me the Coach double-zip wallet in ocelot as a surprise! These are some of its quick stats: 

• Cross-grain leather
• 6" X 3.75" X 1.25"

Both wallets are considered to be classic pieces, so they can be found in classic colors, as well as in seasonal colors and designs. Currently, both styles are on sale, for similar price points. 

Exterior - the Coach has an exterior pocket, great for those who carry a card that needs to be frequently accessible. For me, I carry my transit pass.

Size - I've cropped this picture low so you can get a better idea of the height difference, if they were both lined up properly. The MK is half an inch taller than the Coach - you can really see the difference in the picture; and of course, being a double-zip, the Coach is wider than the MK, but surprisingly, only by a quarter of an inch. (Per their respective websites).

Interior - the MK opens up into one main compartment that has (from left to right) an almost hidden interior pocket, a large compartment, cell phone pocket, large compartment, then 3 credit card slots along the side. The Coach has 2 separate compartments - the left one has 4 credit card slots and an ID pocket, a back pocket behind the cards you can slip bills into, and the opposite side has the cell phone pocket; the right compartment has an almost hidden interior pocket, a large compartment, and a zip coin pocket. I believe the newer MK wallets now have a zip coin pocket next to the cell phone pocket.

Cell phone pocket - probably the biggest feature of both wallets is that it can hold a cell phone, for iPhone, Samsung and Blackberry. I own a BlackBerry Q10 and can confirm that it does fit in both wallets as long as  it is without a phone case. I choose not to use this feature because for work, I have to always be near my phone. This leaves me with an extra large compartment where I put my receipts and other miscellaneous items.

Extra details - the MK has beautiful gold tone hardware and there are little MK details throughout the wallet, such as the name etched on the clasp of the wrist strap and zipper, and also embossed on the interior wall. The hidden interior compartment is also lined in its monogram. The Coach also has gold tone hardware and like the MK, has Coach details throughout the wallet, including 'Coach' etched ever so tiny, onto the clasp. The zipper of the coin pocket snaps tight against the zipper when closed so it doesn't catch onto the zipper of the wallet when it is being opened or closed (I really appreciate this detail because there are a lot of wallets where the tab always gets in the way). Of course, it also includes their hang-tag, synonymous with their brand. 

Durability - When I first received the MK wallet, I used it non-stop for over 3 months. I recently took her out again and except for a few scratches on the plate, she looks brand new. Saffiano leather is known to be super durable so I have no worries about her getting scratched. I have only started using the Coach (about a week now) but can tell that it will be another one that will hold up well for many years. The cross-grain leather makes it very sturdy and almost feels bullet proof. 

Open and close - the zipper on the Coach was a bit iffy when zipping around the corners when I first got her but after some use, it's now starting to get smoother. The zipper on the MK was smooth from the start.

I am someone that carries a lot of cards with them and as much as I try to downsize, it's difficult - both these wallets have a lot of space for cards, despite both having very little designated slots. I also need to keep my receipts for work and sometimes it may take months before I remove them from my wallet - I like the open compartments for this a lot. I rarely carry cash, and therefore do not have a lot of change so my MK version not having one does not affect me greatly, although I appreciate it in the Coach. 

Both of these wallet fit my lifestyle really well - I could never carry a mini wallet regularly, but sometimes like to carry something smaller than a full-length wallet; these medium sized wallets are great because they fit into a majority of my smaller bags with ease. I like that both have the detachable wrist strap which lets me use it as a small clutch of some sort, or hang it from my arms if I need to be hands-free while running an errand.

While I use both as an every day wallet, I prefer the MK on a regular basis because I can access all my things by opening one compartment. The Coach is great but because I can't squeeze all my loyalty cards into the same section as my credit/debit card, I sometimes end up having to open both compartments, which takes more time and maneuvering. That said, when I go on vacation, I carry as little as possible. This is where the Coach has more points  - when I'm on vacation, I carry cash so I can keep my bills, receipts, and coins in the right compartment, and use that side regularly; this allows me to store my cell phone (which I don't need as much), along with important cards I don't use often (including my credit/debit cards), in the left compartment, secured and on my person at all times. 

The Coach does have one thing I wish the MK had, and that is the exterior pocket. 

I hope these pictures, and thoughts on how these wallets work for me, can help someone out! Feel free to ask me any questions or ask for more pictures!

Excitement! - new favourite outfit and accessory!

I thought Mimmy made a really good point in her post comment about the 'odd man out' - "I think I was actually trying to pair it with things that worked against it." This really spoke to me and she had mentioned she decided to pair her piece with neutrals and let the piece speak for itself. 

Here is that same sweater again - 

(Rosie Neira)

And taking into account Mimmy's words, yesterday, I decided to wear it as the showcase piece and made this outfit with it - 

(Banana Republic, GAP, Rosie Neira, Cole Haan, Coach, Pearson & Brown)

I wish I had taken a photo with the outfit on because the colors look way better together, but this is a new favourite outfit I discovered; it uses my color capsule and a 'odd man out' piece to form a decent outfit, but then is taken to a non-boring level by my shoes and scarf. 

(The more I look at it, this cardigan seems to be a shade of gray with some green undertone ... ya, I still have no idea about its color, sigh...)

Now, let me talk about this scarf - I received it from my mom's latest trip to Asia and it's actually landscape. I don't know if you can tell from the photo but it's mountains and a body of water. I don't know too much about it other than it's silk and by Pearson & Brown - if any one has more info on this brand, I'd love to hear about it! It's beautiful and oh sooooooo soft. It's fast becoming one of my favourite items. 

(Pearson & Brown silk scarf; sorry for the poor photo quality, I used my phone camera to do the pano)

The yellow played off of my shoes and the green picked up the undertones of my cardigan. And since I left everything else neutral, both the scarf and cardigan got to stand out. So, thanks Mimmy, for giving me the idea to let the 'odd man out' shine, and also to the girls on TpF for all the talk about scarves lately that gave me the idea to pull this out. 

Color capsule attempt - Black, White, Gray, and Navy

After my Tuesday post about our dreary Spring, I decided to try a new approach to my wardrobe. When I began my purge, I organized my wardrobe by colors and let go of anything that didn't look good on me. I am going to take it one step further and try to stick to a color capsule of only black, white, gray and navy (blues). 

Why the sudden change? I'm bored by all this rain and also find myself distracted with what I have - it's been harder the last while to put together outfits and I need to re-focus; also, my purging has really slowed down and I find I'm getting tempted to make purchases (I haven't! but I'm tempted!). Since my attempt at a capsule wardrobe didn't work out, I'm hoping this will help me stay focused but allow me to still be flexible. Also, it's a great way for me to wear more of my shoes - since I got so many new pairs lately, I've been working on creating outfits around my shoes (I have a really bad habit of starting with awesome shoes and then changing into flats the second I get a chance)

I discussed my plan with my co-worker (I shall call her N) and she suggested that I only do this for work, or I might get bored or feel restricted. I thought that was a really good point, especially since I still love color, have great pieces, and am still trying to perfect my weekend wardrobe - perhaps I can shift anything outside of the color capsule into my weekend and voila, perfected! (We'll see, haha) 

Also, she loved the color capsule idea so much, that she joined me on my challenge to wear only black white, gray, and navy for the rest of the week. Here are our outfits:

My outfits:

(Shoes: BCBG gray patent pumps; Nine West Swaymeso kitten heels; Nine West leopard pumps)

N's outfits:

I loved all of N's outfits - she looked so perfectly put together for the office and made it look so easy! For myself, I definitely love the idea but I need to actually organize my closet and think about outfits. Since it started out as a whim idea, I wasn't super prepared but we decided we loved the idea so much, that we're going to take the challenge into April - we'll be sticking to the same set of colors. Also, my husband is returning soon (yay!!!) and I will have use of my Stylebook App again (bonus yay!!!).

Did you notice my shoes though? hehe. I think if anything, although I wasn't super happy with my outfits, I AM super happy about my shoes and their rotation. 

New shoes! 3 pairs! Oops... OR, 3 pairs of perfect shoes

On Sunday I wandered into a Nine West boutique looking for some fun, colorful, sky-high heels (because you know, sometimes you just gotta have fun!) - of course I didn't find them. 

INSTEAD, I found 3 pairs of shoes that are perfect for my wardrobe and pieces I had been keeping my eye out on for a while (so I can't complain too much)

Ever since I discovered how much I love leopard print, I have been wanting a pair of pumps - these are so comfy and were a great price! My leopard flats are slowly deteriorating at the back of the heel so these will also slowly be replacements for them. I am also treating these as the fun, colorful, sky-high heels I couldn't find because they are just as fun =)

I always have a pair of black flats for work but since my last pair it's been a while since I've found one I really like so I just gave up. I found these with a tiny heel and almond toe and thought they were a perfect alternative - one of my goals is to try to be more girly with my shoes. Usually I wear really girly shoes for a few minutes at work and then change out of them, or for special occasions only - it's not because they hurt, it's just I'm always running around and in a rush and flats are just easier. Really hoping to change this habit.

I have been on the lookout for the perfect nude pump or wedge and although these aren't nude, I think they are the perfect neutral color for spring and summer. I have seen SO many

Pinterest inspirations with a light shoe and I am so happy to be able to 'complete' the look. 

All of these are perfect wardrobe staples and I can't wait to wear them! Unfortunately, they will have to wait until I return from my trip to snowy, very snowy, Nova Scotia to see my husband and in-laws. 

Can't wait to see my husband <3

Now, I have to let go of 3 pairs of shoes from my current collection to balance things out =S

Never say never - animal print

When I was a little girl, I thought anything in an animal print was horrible and old lady-like but as I got older, I became more curious but wasn’t sure how to pull it all together. After browsing Pinterest for outfit ideas, I decided to take the plunge and purchased these cute flats. These instantly gave my outfits a spark! And I’ve never looked back - animal prints give my basic outfits a bit of edge and I don’t even have to try.

For those interested, these are by Cole Haan, purchased 2 years ago.