Currently viewing the tag: "JNBY"
{ Wearing: scarf from Le Chateau, Soleone t-shirt (c/o), JNBY fancy-pants sweatpants (c/o, and that’s not their official name), Converse sneakers, Fossil watch, Bfrend bracelet (c/o), H&M aviators, Marc by Marc Jacobs necklace }
Last week I received this very soft white, oh let’s just get technical: organic eco-friendly bamboo basic! from Soleone Luxury Basics. And oh yes, it is indeed a luxury basic. Perfect for a casual and comfortable working morning at the local Starbucks (we have yet to have our internet set up at the apartment). My first thought when I received this T was to give it my twist: how would I style a plain white t-shirt? So I gave it a go with a fur chubby, skinny faded denim and court heels. The end result, while fashiony, was that I looked something like the QBs we’ll be watching this Sunday: top heavy and overly padded. So those photos were nixed and I decided to give “my take” on the T a more organic approach: how would I do comfy casual? And here ya go. Dressed up sweats and a colourful scarf! How do you wear your white t-shirt??
See that little “classy” button?? That was a treat from an event last night at The Bay’s The Room downtown Vancouver. The Room hosted Derek Blasberg to fete the launch of his second book: Very Classy. The event was really a fabulous production: the fashion elite came out in all their expensive shoe glory (I got on this train, sporting my forever-favourites, these Spring 08 Chanel heels), big hair (seriously, those mamas go big) and mega-tron cameras (no doubt the easiest way to spot a blogger). The fashion was eye-candy, as were the displays. And those stacks of yellow books! Derek was kind enough to sign each and every one of ours, generous on the hearts. To get your own taste of Mr. Blasberg I HIGHLY recommend following him on twitter, he writes the most concise 140-character witticisms I have ever seen.
Pre-”Very Classy,” Alicia of Alicia Fashionista, Monika Hibbs of The Doctor’s Closet and Jen Tam of Her Waise Choice and I met for drinks for blog photos and drinks! Alicia snapped this shot of Jen and I. More outfit photos to come. Wearing: Zara coat, Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch, H&M tights & Chanel heels.
Mon snapped this gorg instagram shot of the to-die-for necklace above.
So. I spotted Leigh Lezark of The Misshapes and nearly fell off my chair Chanel heels. Fashion darling of Karl, total “it girl” and definitely stylish. I awkwardly (emphasis on awkwardly) walk over to her and offer something like: “IreallylikeyournecklacecanItakeapictureofit??” (With a very heavy undertone of: “Oh my god I am such a fan dork I love you please oh please can I blog about you?!!”) So then she stood there for me to snap my pic and I lost all camera control. Give me your usual Hollywood celeb and I don’t bat an eye, give me fashion industry insiders and I fall all over myself. (Did I ever tell you about the time I waited for an hour outside the Conde Nast building in NYC’s Times Square just hoping to catch a glimpe of a Voguette??)
{ Wearing: Cynthia Rowley blouse, Zara skirt }
Upon meeting Derek I asked him if he could give me a “classy” tip for our photo op, his response? “Keep your shirt on.” That I will Derek, that I will.
Jen and Mon have their books signed. I think we’re all in love.
Okay, that was a big post. My earl grey tea is getting cold. Au revoir!
This morning I tweeted about this magnificent “prop” (a.k.a. a borrowed Mercedes G55), used in today’s shoot. I was on a mission to capture a couple specific images for an upcoming digital feature and happy to report we did just that! I won’t be able to share all the photos for about a week (they’re burning a hole in my pocket laptop!), but here is a little peek!
{ Wearing: JNBY blouse (c/o, S/S 12 – currently available), H&M pants & aviators, Franchi clutch, Fossil watch, wrapped leather bracelet purchased from a street vendor in NYC’s SoHo, pendant necklace from Holt Renfrew, nameplate necklace was a gift }
What does your weekend look like? Hopefully you’ll have some downtown to read, take in a movie or cook at home. All of those things seem like pure luxury to me lately, seeing as I’ve been living between three apartments the past week and am mid-DIY-paint-project. (I can never figure out where I left my phone charger, my camera or my curling iron.) Thus far this weekend is shaping up to be one of work; Saturday and Sunday will both be spent giving our new apartment the last needed coat of off-white and packing up my old apartment in the West End. (I haven’t even started that yet… thinking about it makes my head hurt!) Despite the craziness, life is pretty gosh-darn awesome, largely due to you readers, so here’s a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who visit me daily. You are the cherry on my sundae(s). XO.
{ Wearing: Marvin Richards coat, BCBG long navy sweater (c/o), American Apparel leggings, Cougar Pillow Boots (c/o), Zara bag, Aritzia mittens, C.C Exclusives angora beret (c/o Barefoot Contessa – which has new Valentines LOVE + MARK’D cards in stock! }
Thoroughly enjoying a few days away in Whistler’s winter wonderland. Everything is white (much the same as Vancouver right now!), and there are enormous icicles hanging on rooftops. Women are dressing up their cozy looks with cute hats, fabulous scarves and chic winter boots. I’ll take this over a beach any day.
This Tuesday at 7:30am catch me on Breakfast Television for a fashionable segment on how to dress thin – find the right fit for the right occasions! Just after me will be our Mayor, Gregor Robertson!
{ Wearing: Tevrow + Chase jacket, Zara cardigan & bag, H&M t-shirt, Aldo accessories necklace, JNBY pants (c/o), Michael Kors boots, New Era Yankees cap }
{Wearing: vintage fur vest (once belonged to Mum), Talula army jacket, JNBY sweater dress (c/o), Fidelity denim, Converse sneakers, bag from Aldo. Yankees hat by New Era, aviators from H&M. Nameplate necklace was a gift.}
Spending the day attending appointments, a Main St. meeting and making cards. One fab thing about my line of work: everyday can be casual Monday, or dressy Wednesday – it just depends on what the boss says (me).
FYI – The next and last shipment of LOVE + MARK’D Christmas orders will mail on Thursday, arriving in the Vancouver, Lower Mainland area by Monday, Dec. 21.
The Christmas festivities are well underway: Saturday night was spent at Stanley Park’s Bright Nights Christmas Train! See picture tweeted here. (Wearing pink fur earmuffs from Holt Renfrew, coat from H&M.)
P.S. In case you missed it on Friday, here is my #FF feature on VanCity Buzz!
P.P.S. I wanna know, would you wear this outfit? If not, how would you wear the pieces? Tell me! Above, where it says comments. I dig your input.
{Don’t be fooled – the blouse is just doing what its cut and pleats mean for it to do: give me the “I’m carrying” look. (It’s misleading shirts like this that keep US Weekly in business.) Wearing: Zara bomber jacket w/ DIY fur trim, Bedo blouse, JNBY pants (c/o), Michael Kors shoes & small purse, Marc by Mac Jacobs bag (similar here). H&M aviators, Holt Renfrew necklace. Dior Serum de Rouge 640.}
My version of athletic wear: chic sweatpants (no longer the oxymoron it used to be), a bomber jacket and a gym-esque bag.
The above mentioned fur trim DIY circa 2009.
Blair Eadie, of Atlantic Pacific has a thing for customized stationery.
{Barefoot Contessa soy candle (c/o)}
{I’ve been searching for some sort of pen and pencil holder lately, and this packaging for the Barefoot Contessa candle works perfectly! (And by works, I mean matches, aesthetics tend to trump functionality at this haus)}
{New make up brushes c/o Joe Fresh – I’m particularly delighted with the lipstick brush, as I accidently smushed a good portion of my Chantecaille lipstick into the cap. Don’t you just hate that?? Especially when it’s about $15 worth of lipstick smushed into the cap…}
{My fascination with nutcrackers grows. My Christmas decorating is done in two ways: 1) with nutcrackers and 2) with all things winter wonderland ie: white, crystal or frosted}
{A miniature moose head for the wall, currently sitting on a side table, from Front & Co, home of some of the best window displays in town!}
{Dior heart-shaped bowl (a crystal version here) with mini candy canes and my new favorite accessory: Social Experiment ring (c/o)}
{Pink fur earmuffs from Holt Renfrew – another fabulous pair here - lucite hook rack from Urban Barn}
{A delicious vaseline based lip balm by Perfumeria Gal, c/o Barefoot Contessa, hand towel from HomeSense}
{Making plans – a moment before heading out to last night’s London Drugs Revlon & Almay event at Sugar Studios – picture tweeted here! They sent a white stretch limo to pick us up… I could get used to that! Wearing: JNBY sweater dress (c/o), La Senza stockings, Zara boots}
Oh, and have a look at this: APT with LSD featuring Aerin Lauder – hello glamorous.
And one more thing that makes me happeee happy: a card, that along with five others, is on its way to San Francisco to the home of a favourite fashion blogger… (Get yours here)
{Quick pic as I’m in full cozy-party-planning mode getting ready for a whole lotta ladies to come over tomorrow! In the works: mini cupcakes galore, fall themed treats and of course oodles of cards – new designs too! Wearing: Neff hat (c/o), Jay Manuel Attitude sweater c/o Sears, JNBY pants (c/o), Prada mary-janes from Bergdorfs! Oh how I miss NYC…}
A few of my favourite new LOVE + MARK’D card designs: (click on each to review on Etsy!)
Back to work! Have a great weekend!
When I got out of the bath this morning afternoon (the luxury of working from home!), I felt inspired to try out a DIY eyebrow/eyelash tinting kit from Beauty Mark in Yaletown. I thought it wise to forgo the eyelash colouring – I have a tendency to slip up those kinds of close-to-the-eye things, like putting on mascara – and just stick to the brows. I’ve always wanted darker brows. Here’s my documented adventure with Depend Instant Colour kit.
Depend eyebrow/eyelash colour-tinting kit
The before brows {towel from HomeSense}
Slicked petroleum jelly onto the skin around my brows to prevent the colour from bleeding
Waiting for the colour gel to do its thing - scary...
The results are darker than I had anticipated, but I’m thinking they’ll likely fade after a few washes. For now I’m quite enjoying having dramatic brows after suffering for years of too-light-brow syndrome.
{Wearing: JNBY Fall 2011 sweater (c/o), skirt from Bang-On, Boots: brand unknown (Balmain copy cat!), Fossil watch, leather Zara wallet, “William Tell Me About OPI” OPI nailpolish, Depend eyebrow tint c/o Beauty Mark}
I’ve got to make a note about this sweater: it is fabulous. It’s that perfect piece to throw on when I want to look polished but not have to try at all. Last night I wore it to dinner with a pair of dark, waxed, flared jeans and felt quite chic, like the Angelina Jolie brand of chic: she seriously owns the loose casual sweater, aviators and minimal make-up look.
It’s raining here in Vancouver, you know what’s good about that? Hot teas in to-go cups, cute umbrellas and soggy dogs.
{ Wearing: Zara leather jacket, New Look white tee (London), JNBY fall 2011 pants (c/o), Zara heels, vintage leather bag (once belonged to my Dad), Accessorize necklace, Stella & Dot ring, aviators from Paris }
Ready for Fall! No posts this past weekend, I spent the weekend away with my boyfriend on my Dad’s boat on the east coast of Vancouver Island.
{ This is by no means a fashion shot, it’s boat-wear: Talula army jacket, H&M mens’ sweater & white tee, Dynamite leggings (not worn as pants as my sweater and jacket cover everything), Coach sneakers, New Era hat, no make-up (Eeek.) }
{ A quick pic of me at the Global Party last Thursday night at Opus in Yaletown. This was taken in the Penthouse suite. Wearing: Diane von Furstenburg dress, Marc by Marc Jacobs Clutch, Fossil watch, Chanel silver heels (link includes a Chanel DIY fix-it, which I used the day of the Global Party!). More pics to come! }
{ Quick stop on route to Piccadilly: “Hello? Operator? Yes, hello, I’d like to place a collect call to George.” … “What do you mean you don’t know who that is??” Wearing: JNBY shirt dress, vintage Pierre Cardin clutch, Christian Louboutin cork sandals, crystalized friendship-style bracelet from New Look – I hear those are all the rage now. }
Exactly one week ago today we were off for a night out in London! Our destination? The infamous, glamorous and most fabulous lounge and club; Mahiki’s, which just so happens to be across the street from The Ritz! We love that. (Check out Mahiki’s celeb gallery!) We enjoyed a delicious dinner with cocktails in their very polynesian lounge and had boozy smoothies in hollowed-out pineapples before moving downstairs to the club. Just before we left I met a very interesting person; Marco, a VP of womens’ wear for Burberry London. He offered a tour of the Burberry office for the following week, which we would have gladly accepted had it not been for an early train on Monday to Paris. Darn train. Très, très triste.
Xo SS
This is what I will likely wear when I am 30-something and busy with tots: wet hair pulled back into a low chignon, a loose, silk blouse, cuffed denim, flats and a ladylike tote. Perfect for running errands and tending to antsy little ones (or so I assume). Except for that I’m 23 and I want to wear it now. (Minus the kids – the closest I’m getting to mothering any time soon is caring for my kitten, Marie.)
Wearing: JNBY blouse, Sirens denim, Zara flats, Kate Spade tote. I was just too darn lazy to do the whole hair-blow-dry production this morning, hence the easy hair style, and lack of accessories.
This shot reminds me of the time (x3) that a friend’s Mom asked me when I had broken my nose. I have never broken my nose. (And she figured that out when my face turned sour in front of her). Thank you father for passing down this unique and at times frustrating Lovenmark trait. I say frustrating because pictures can be tricky, in certain lighting it does indeed look like a broken nose – like I was a hockey player in my past life who had a penchant for fighting. At least I have all my teeth.
I love this JNBY (Just Naturally Be Yourself) shirt dress. It feels professional and preppy, but totally man-friendly at the same time (think: thrown-on boyfriend’s over-sized shirt). I recently wore this outfit (sans clutch, but with my pink Kate Spade bag), to meet and talk with my high school fashion teacher’s grade 11/12 sewing class. (Which was fantastic! And they have an upcoming fashion show that I’m excited to attend! Ohhh memories!).
I mentioned a little while back that I recently wore this dress out for dinner to my favorite Greek spot here in the West End. That time though I paired it with cobalt blue suede strappy heels, a darker blue version of this Marc by Marc Jacobs purse, no belt and messy hair (it was man-approved!). As with all JNBY pieces, this dress is incredibly versatile and can be worn in more than one way!
Wearing: Gifted JNBY shirt dress, vintage pony hair leopard printed belt (from Darling in NYC’s West Village), Marc by Marc Jacobs purse, Michael Kors watch, rose gold bangle from Blue Ruby, suede Rockport boots (I’m really having a moment with these boots right now), vintage Ray Bans, Cargo lipgloss (thanks to the fabulous people who put the Guess party swag bags together!).
A casual stroll in English Bay, hellloo spring time!!
This dress was a wonderful gift from JNBY, many thanks! Their wonderful head visual merchandiser Raffaele recently took me through a look of the Spring 2011 collection and it is fantastic. Lots of amazing casual shirts and jackets just waiting to be dressed up with a belt and a great little skirt or printed leggings. I think I’m going to have to go back for one of their very original origami-inspired skirts too!
Find JNBY on South Granville, West 4th, or in Metrotown!
Ta-ta,
Xo StyleStruck
Spring, are you here yet?? I only just got this BCBG MAX AZRIA vest last week (as a result of my BCBG Max Azria spring 2011 collection preview – many thanks!!), but am already OBSESSED with it. Last Thursday I wore it to the office with a white shirt and jeans, I have plans to pair it with a fitted BCBG Max Azria red dress and today it felt right with this lovely Jason Wu S/S 2010 silk pleated skirt (the skirt that was originally $1635 – obviously NOT what I paid).
Wearing: BCBG Max Azria vest, vintage skinny gold leather belt, Jason Wu skirt, Poetic Licence heels, red OPI manicure & pedicure.
I’ve been learning how to better use my camera! These pictures are the result. My cousin was in town visiting this weekend and he informed me that I’m likely using 5% (or less) of my cameras capabilities. Naturally.
As Sunday night comes to a close, I’m reflecting on what a lovely weekend it has been thus far: Friday night was spent at Goldfish celebrating a girlfriend’s 25th birthday and Saturday night resulted in a delicious dinner at a local Greek restaurant, for which I dressed the part: a white JNBY shirt dress (pictures coming soon!) and towering blue suede heels.
Tonight I did my taxes. But at least I did my taxes while wearing Prada.
Tomorrow is the dreaded Monday, find a way to make it special. Perhaps a favourite coffee in the morning, slicking on a deliciously bright lipstick or just checking in on your favorite blog on the way to work for inspiration.
Xo StyleStruck
p.s. APRIL 6th IS THE GUESS PARTY ON ROBSON ST. – MAKE SURE YOU RSVP!
Fresh faced and fancy free, ruffled play clothes and loose, sheer blouses; SPRING IS IN THE AIR. I wouldn’t venture out in this outfit just yet, but come late April I sure will. As for today I just couldn’t wait any longer! (So I wore it around my apartment.)
Wearing: Gifted JNBY silk/cotton blouse, Sirens ruffled skort, Rockport suede buckled boots.
This blouse is one of the most interesting pieces in my closet, being from JNBY (the new spring collection!), there are multiple ways to wear it (the majority of their clothes can be worn in more than one way). Here I have it tied back (it has two ties that be worn across the front, or in the back) so create a fitted silhouette, with the top buttons undone to create an open neckline. I’ve also tucked it in quite a bit so that my little ruffled skirt/shorts show, untucked it could be worn as a tunic. I adore multifunctional clothes! One day I’m feeling feminine, the next more androgynous and the shirt moves with me. The little skort is one of those pieces I refer to as play-clothes because you feel youthful wearing it and it evokes a mood of playfulness – perfect for warm nights. When the warm weather comes I tend to forgo a fully made up face in favor of a little bronzer and light lip gloss (this gloss, by MAC, is “man-friendly”: not sticky, light in pigment and sans sparkles).
Warm days are just around the corner!
Xo StyleStruck
P.S. Meow. I mean, tweet, tweet.
P.P.S. An adorable little song
Mid-December photographer Jamie Hodge and I made a special trip to Squamish in search of locations exactly like this. The weather was ideal for the mood of the photos. My favourite part of the day? Aside from running around the yard shooting with Jamie, was our drive up, Jamie and I always have a great chats.
Wearing: JNBY navy sweater, vintage faux leather pants, black knee-high suede boots from NYC’s fashion district. Mussed hair courtesy of Squamish’s rainy weather.
Photos by Jamie Hodge.
You like what she does? Obviously, the girl is majorly talented! And I have a new years surprise for you! THE Jamie Hodge is offering offering a SPRING PHOTOSHOOT SPECIAL for groups of friends. Check out her site to find out more: JamieLauren.ca
Xo StyleStruck
Tuesday afternoon Jamie Hodge and I ventured up to Squamish for some photography. Well, she did the photography and I did the climbing and playing over parked trains, old tracks and the occasional slippery rock in high heels. The parts of Squamish we chose really were beautiful messes, from the old train yard to a mucky look out point that we navigated as the sun quickly set. Above is the first photo I’ve seen from our little trip, many more to come! I just love her style, see more at Jamie Lauren Photography!
Wearing: JNBY wool sweater.
Back soon,
Xo StyleStruck
This past week I visited JNBY on South Granville to check out their holiday collection. The store is quite amazing, no piece is ordinary at all. The amount of thought and detail that goes into each piece of clothing is astounding. Like this cardigan I’m wearing above, it looks like a pretty innocent little cardigan, but the sleeves are asymmetrical, and it can be worn in a few different ways. JNBY is all about allowing you to wear their clothes how you see best. What I liked about the collection is how you are able to change the silhouette of so many of the knit garments by simply adjusting a button, or finding a new hole to put your head through. Try it out for yourself. (Editor’s note: I have certainly made my stance about leggings not being pants. Lyndi (of Lj PR) and Raff (JNBY’s head visual merchandiser), convinced me of the awesomeness of these pants, er, leggings, and in this case, I really liked the effect. There is a ton of seaming around the thigh-knee area that really makes these, umm, pleggings? look different. PLUS I had a long top on. I kind of want to go back to get the grey ones for myself… yikes. What do you think? Do these count as leggings-as-pants? I vote no.)
Above: You know I’m a sucker for a mens’ style shirt. The belt was a take-home piece, yay! Thank you JNBY!
Wearing: All JNBY. Boots: Browns, Michael Kors watch, bracelet from a shop in SoHo, NYC.
The Shop:
JNBY (Just Naturally Be Yourself) in Vancouver: West 4th, South Granville and Metrotown. JNBY.ca.
Xo StyleStruck
