Smart Buy Glasses | Why Not YSL?

In my YSL 6374's

SmartBuyGlasses.ca got in touch last week and asked me to pick out a pair of designer glasses from their site in exchange for an honest review. As someone who breaks everything, I often opt for inexpensive shades to avoid the crush of disappointment which will inevitably come when I scratch/drop/step on/sit upon them. Many $20 shades have come and gone but in my 30's, I've realized that I deserve designer shades. I can take care of two children - I should be able to handle a pair of sunglasses, right?

I waffled between Ray-Bans and Persols, trying to decide between Wayfarers and aviators. I could not have gone wrong with either. But when Yves Saint Laurent gets thrown into the mix, my philosophy is that you always choose YSL. 

I opted for the YSL 6374, a vintage-looking cat-eye that I knew would give me a glam little lift leading into the hols but also fell for the YSL BOLD 2. Each pair retails for around $230 which, for something I'll wear all year, I feel is totally justifiable. 

My glasses just arrived in the mail and as expected, I love YSL shades. They're solidly built, beautifully designed thanks to the interesting frame detail, and instantly flattering. I opted for tortoiseshell but if I didn't already own so many pairs of black sunglasses, would have loved them even more in black. 

Looking for the perfect gift for you or one of your favourites? Be sure to check out the Smart Buy Glasses Christmas Gift Guide. Aaand, since sunglasses are so deeply personal, a Gift Card always fits.

Love this site! Even if I am a little biased...

Yves Saint Laurent 6374 Sunglasses, $224, SmartBuyGlasses.ca

Yves Saint Laurent BOLD 2 Sunglasses, $234, SmartBuyGlasses.ca

Still undecided? Check out these YouTube vids below before you buy:

The All New Jean Machine

I love the idea of jean shopping but in practice? Let's just say it can be overwhelming. A few weeks ago, Jean Machine asked me to be one of the first to come in and shop their newly remerchandised store at Toronto Eaton Centre and since I hadn't set foot in the store in a few years, could not wait to check it out. After all, I bought my first pair of Silvers at Jean Machine with my first real paycheque and picked up many more pairs throughout the years, so we have a long history of hits and misses. Oh, if those changerooms could talk...

The invite to check out the new Jean Machine store came with a few exciting promises: a new and improved product mix (curated with the help of famed fashion/creative director, Susie Sheffman), a little personal shopping help from Jean Machine's expert in-store stylists, plus a $200 credit to pick out a full look. Um, yay?!

I showed up at Toronto Eaton Centre and right away, noticed the super cute campaign styling and a slightly more airy feel to the space than before. I was greeted by the team of Jean Machine beauties, eager to help me find my perfect pair. I let them have their way with me. 'Size me up, show me what's new. Only one thing: no blue. I want black.'

I passed loads of jeans, all beautifully organized by fit to make the jean-shopping process more manageable and was thrilled to see some of my favourite denim brands in stock throughout the store plus other labels I love like Soia & Kyo, ONLY, and Vero Moda. Beyond jeans, I saw loads of gorgeous coats, some super pretty dresses and fashion-girl musts like felt fedoras and oversized plaid scarves.

The girls picked out a dozen super pretty pieces (mostly black) and I had a super fun try-on sesh. While one Jean Machiner was rooting for an emerald blouse and body-hugging leggings, it just wasn't me. So we agreed that I should go for all black with loads of texture to keep it interesting. Being a mom can make you feel too good, if that makes sense. I needed some pieces with edge.

I ended up with a Guess faux-fur vest which I LOVE, a pair of perfect faux leather joggers from YDE Studio and a fun textured black tee. They look great together but I especially love that I'll be able to easily mix each piece into my wardrobe this winter.

If you haven't had the chance, be sure to check out the new Jean Machine. You'll love what they've done with the place.

BLACK FRIDAY '14 | Shopbop's BIG EVENT

If you're a serious shopper like me, you already know that Black Friday is our Superbowl. We wait for this day. We dream of this day. And since I'm not a huge fan of elbows to the face or all-nighters, I'm thrilled that you can now score the best Black Friday deals online.

Since Shopbop is one of my fav online obsessions, I have to share the site's BIGGEST Sale of the year that starts today at 7:00AM and goes all the way until Mon, December 1st at 11:59PM (Pacific Time Zone...need to be precise here. It's the big game after all....)

Now here's the crazy part. There are NO brand exclusions with this sale, meaning you can finally score yourself a SMYTHE, get that 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli you've been eyeing and pick up a few other designer treats for your sister/mom/friend while you're at it. Oh, and the more you purchase, the better the savings - so it's a great idea to team up with your friends on this one. 

Head on over to The Big Event HERE. This is your time. xx

WELCOME TO NEW YORK: My Pics from the WHBM Spring '15 Press Preview

My ready-for-takeoff #OOTD, incl. NY-ready choc. brown nails and leather joggers.

When White House Black Market, the kind-of-a-big-deal American retailer, offers to fly you to NYC for their Spring '15 preview, the answer is obvious. And so I told them 'no'. I mean, I had already promised my daughter that I'd go along on her field trip to the symphony that day and had committed to a few events in Toronto that night, and I always keep my promises. I told my husband, expecting him to give me a big super-parent high five, but all he gave me was an 'Are you Craaazy??' face and shook his head. My daughter was equally perplexed, 'You get to fly to New York City?? That's so cool! Can you just bring me back something from American Girl?' So, I backpedalled and said yes, only to find out that not only was WHBM going to fly me to NY, but they'd also arranged car service and a hotel room in the Fashion District. Um, sweet?

Our small but lucky group of Canadian bloggesses met at YYZ, airport style at the ready and coffees in hand. WHBM knows how to pick 'em: Gracie Carroll, Robin Edwards, Susan Liberatore, Iva Grbesic and (thank goodness I said yes) me. Doug Ford was directly in front of us at customs. Ominous. But nothing could rattle us now. We were en route to New York. This was a good day. We sat down at our gate and, perhaps to shift the balance of our Ford Nation run-in, in walks Robert Pattinson! He was underworldly pale, had a toothpick stuck between his teeth, and looked like he hadn't showered in a month. Swoon... We had maybe 25 people on our little plane and 1 of them was R-Patz. These were good odds. Our jazz hands, loud mentions of our blogs and even Susan's attempts at a pic for her teenage daughter were met with, well, nothing. Over it.

We landed at La Guardia and drove into the heart of NY to stroll and shop. We made our way to the much-buzzed-about Café Cluny, a gem of a place in the West Village where the city's most fashionable flock and where the wait staff all wear Saint James. Waris Ahluwalia sat beside us and Derek Jeter sat behind. You have to go.

At night, we headed to the main event: the White House Black Market Spring '15 Preview at the so-hip-it-hurts Jack Studios. Picture pink, black and white-clad mannequins and massive green topiaries spelling out WHBM, set against the backdrop of an all-white space inside and the NYC skyline beyond. Breathtaking. We met the entire WHBM crew, mingled with other US editors and caught up with a few other Canadians including Afiya Francisco, Carolyne Brown of Loulou Magazine and Flare's Tyler Franch. My picks? The athletic separates which I'll sport both in and out of the gym, the ultra-feminine spring frocks in florals and pastel solids, and the flattering oversized sunglasses which I will definitely be picking up when they hit stores. Count me a super fan, as biased as I might currently be.

The next day was spent shopping (and shopping, and more shopping) but given our crazy celeb karma on this trip, I wasn't totally surprised when Iva whispered, 'Isn't that Olivia Palermo??' And there she was most unmistakably, my fav street style fashion icon, walking directly ahead of us on 5th Ave. I sidled up beside her and in my most humble voice said, 'Olivia, we're fashion bloggers from Canada. Would it be possible for us to take our pic with you?' OP looked genuinely flattered (not a hint of Robert Pattinson's 'tude at all). Her sweet mom grabbed my phone, snapped a few pics and we headed back to La Guardia, exhausted, overwhelmed and completely happy.

See what can happen when you say 'yes'? Thanks so much White House Black Market for an incredible time. Can't wait to shop your collection when our Canadian snow thaws.

Scroll down for my trip pics...

Robert Pattinson's rear view. Would I joke about something like this?!

Big yellow taxis: the 2014 version.

Good company: Iva Grbesic, Robin Edwards and Susan Liberatore on our NYC stroll.

When in the West Village...

This not-so-subtle selfie of us with Derek Jeter that almost got us kicked out.

Chunks of decadent dark chocolate for dessert. Loved this idea...

One can only stand in killer heels for so long.

The stunning display at the WHBM Spring '15 preview.

Athletic wear done right.

A walk in the park.

WHBM never looked so good.

A room with a view.

Note to self: WHBM makes the BEST oversized sunnies.

Our Canadian Crew including (left to right): Shop with Robin, Crazy Style Love, Ava Grace's Closet, Me, The Style House and Falling in Style.

The new super pretty party dress collection coming to stores next spring.

Jenny snaps a pic of the Empire State Building.

New York's finest.

Nobody does store windows at Christmas like New York.

Requisite shopping selfie.

Our fortuitous run-in with our fav fashion icon, Olivia Palermo (!!!)

M'Oticons: DEL TORO x ALISON LOU

#drunkinlove loafers. Photos via M'oda 'Operandi

Every once in awhile, a collection comes along that's so stupid cute that you just need in. If you remember the super popular Charlotte Olympia astrological collection from a few years back, you might recall that 'should I, shouldn't I?' feeling. Well, here we go again. This time, it's all about emoticons jumping off your smartphone onto your lobes and loafers thanks to the new exclusive courtesy of Del Toro x Alison Lou at Moda Operandi. Pardon me while I swoon. Part of me feels like this collection came about 10 years too late (or I arrived 10 years too early) but the other part of me is like 'screw it'. I use emoticons on the daily. And I use words like 'on the daily'. If anything's going to keep me feeling young and carefree, it's buying useless crap like these shoes. And I will be able to take the BEST #fromwhereistand pics on Instagram.(sneaky link, thanks for the follow, owe you). 

Now, the only question is which pair? Help, please. Here are some of my favs, not including the also very cute emoticon studs. Trunk show is currently on for pre-orders at M'oda 'Operandi for the next 13 days should you wish to indulge in a pair for yourself or as a (most perfect and personal) Christmas gift. The loafers are spendy ($340) but, 'tis the season... Yup. #drunkinlove

happy fri!

#bombshell

#eyeofthetiger

#ido blonde (also avail in brunette)

#dramaqueen

#hammertime

#jetsetter

#gaypride

#partyintheusa (I LOVE THESE)

#rockstar

#smokinghot

#selfie

#puppylove