Another Closet Staple - The Chambray Shirt

My monthly guest, Christine is back to share another fashion trend - Chambray shirts.  I, for one, love this staple and look forward to wearing mine once the cooler temps start.  Over to you Christine...

Hello Jessie Street readers, I'm back once again to continue on my theme of "staple pieces" for your closet, I have created a few looks working with the classic Chambray shirt. First, yes you can pull this off at the office, a good way to make it office friendly and professional is with a black pencil skirt and pumps. Second look is for weekend wear, the possibilities are endless. Here I have paired it with a bohemian sandal and fedora to make the look trendy and ultra stylish. And last but not least, the third way to incorporate a chambray top into party wear is to pair it with a sparkly skirt. Once again the rule of contrasting pieces of clothing works here. The casual chambray shirt with the uber- glam skirt. Right now the stores are full of chambray shirts. My favourite is the JCrew Chambray top at $80 but you can find a cheap one at Forever 21 for less than $30. Either way the possibilities are endless and it is sure to be a great piece to have in your closet for years to come!

 

The LBB aka - Little Black Blazer;)

It's that time again....your monthly fashion tips from my lovely sister Christine!!  I really look forward to these posts and I hope that you are all enjoying them as much as I am:)   Take it away Sista!!
Hi again Jessie Street Designs readers, I am so happy to be here and share some tips on incorporating a black blazer into your wardobe.

The black blazer is a staple in my closet- it is my go to piece of clothing for any occasion. You can easily transition this blazer from work to errands to a night out. It really is a good piece of clothing to invest in that will stand the test of time :) Plus take your time searching stores like GAP, JCrew and Banana Republic for sales. I picked one up for less than $40 at the Gap.

So you can see from the diagram above how versatile it is to work with. Picture 1 is of office wear- nice and professional but then you can see in picture 2 how you can easily work it into your weekend wardrobe to get a more casual look
Tip* if you want to make a dressy piece of clothing more casual a good tip is to pair it with destroyed denim or worn in jeans. It gives the look an overall more laid back feel :)

Now picture 3 is a more playful and fun look for a night out on the town. Plus florals (which are very feminine) would play off nicely with a more structured jacket like a blazer. I once saw a girl wear this to a baby shower with flats and tights in the winter and it was very cute and weather appropriate.

Either way a blazer is a good wardrobe staple for any closet.

Flats are a Mom's Best Friend:)

Hello Friends!!!  I hope that you all had a lovely weekend!  Ours was full of dance lessons, team photos, baseball and swimming lessons - I'm looking forward to having a bit of break when all the kids are in preschool this morning:)  With any luck, I'll be able to get some sewing done that I've been putting off for way too long - wish me luck! 

Today, I have my sister, Christine, taking the reins...if you missed her last post, you can check it out here.  Take it away Christine!

Hi again...if you're anything like me, you do not lead a lifestyle that allows you to wear heels regularly.  As much as I LOVE heels and how they make your legs look amazing or instantly add sophistication to any outfit...I don't wear them. My life tends to revolve around running errands, walking the kiddies to school, grocery shopping etc. So I thought I would feature some great shoe alternatives to heels that are still comfortable and STYLISH! So here we go....

My first pick is the Converse running shoe. Comfortable but very trendy right now. Pair with anything from jeans and a t-shirt or shorts - they are amazing!

Next would be El Naturalista shoes- not only are they comfortable but they are made in Spain- the shoe capital of the WORLD! Plus they are committed to protecting the planet’s natural resources by using natural materials and dyes, not using toxic products and materials, and practice conservation by using substances that are biodegradable and recyclable. Double bonus if you ask me. Below is a favourite of mine but check out there website for a full listing of shoes.     

And last but not least I found these babies on the Zara website and fell in LOVE.  It is a take on a ballet shoe and a flat. Would look so cute with a black skirt, a LBD, a jean skirt or destroyed boyfriend jeans....oh, the options are endless.   HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

Thanks again Christine - can't wait for your post next month;) 

And here's a little teaser for you.....be sure to come back here Friday for a very special announcement for all you readers out there...you don't want to miss it:)

New Spring Trend - Colour Blocking

Today, I'd like to introduce my lovely and talented sister, Christine!!  Not only does she have terrific fashion sense but she also knows how to find a bargin.  Lucky for me, she's agreed to do a monthly guest post on EVERYTHING fashion...froms trends, shopping tips and recreating designer looks on a budget - I'm really looking forward to her posts, and I know that you will enjoy them too!  Take it away Christine....

Hello Everyone! I'm sure you've noticed that designers, retail stores and fashion blogs are busy talking about colour blocking, one of the many new fashion trends for spring.

J Crew has done a nice job of showing this new trend in a classy way.

However at this price point ($838 - yikes!) it might be bit difficult to achieve for the average gal.

So here are some easy ways to incorporate colour into your wardrobe with some fun original finds (thank goodness for ESTY) and major retailers.

1. Coloured Denim 

With various retailers on this season new colour blocking trend many are offering very reasonably priced denim of varying colours.
Gap has a great pair of fun green jeans for only $69. Pair with a purple tee and you are instantly on trend!

2. Clutch/Purse

My longtime favourite handbag designer out of Montreal, Matt and Nat, have definitely hit the mark with this season line of Vegan handbags. Plus you can search by colour in their online store at http://www.mattandnat.com/

Another great addition of colour to any outfit (maybe a date night or night out with the girls) is to add a funky colour clutch. I think for those that aren’t as comfortable with head to toe colour blocking - a stylish clutch is a must have! I found this store on ETSY made by k.slademade. Gorgeous.

Check out her shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/kslademade

3.  Accessories

And last but not least another easy way to add colour is with accessories. And when I say accessories I mean BRACELETS! LOTS and LOTS of BRACELETS!

There is a wide range to choose from, bangles to friendship bracelets like this one from ESTY shop Zzaval check out the shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/zzaval

And a nice tool to keep handy when trying out this colour trend is to have the good old standard colour wheel.

So how it works is if you pick a colour from one side of the wheel make sure to have the compliment colour from the other side of the wheel. Or pick neighbouring colours like Red and Orange.


Ready to infuse your life with a little colour? Have fun!! 

Thanks so much Christine, I really love those GAP jeans....can't wait to read your post for next month!