Fall Fashion Inspiration

A great way to extend your light coloured chambray into fall with a leather jacket & maxi skirt combo

Fall really is the best time of the year for fashion in my opinion. I love that on Friday’s I can wear my favourite jeans and heels, and all I need to throw on is a blazer when I run out the door, and I am simultaneously comfortable, pulled together and hopefully chic looking, all day long.

I have been trying to find new and creative ways to wear things that are already in my closet, by finding fresh ways to mix them and of course Pinterest always comes through with great ideas and inspiration to style your closet different ways. Here are just a few of the looks I am loving for fall, and here is to wishing for a nice long fall here in Toronto, before the snow settles in for good.

A high waisted, light coloured wool skirt would work amazingly well with any blouse in your closet

Plaid, leopard and camo mix is unexpected but fun

Big cowl necks and a classic grey long coat always look chic

Leather and stripes paired with classic black accessories and an olive coat is perfectly timeless

Black on Black in various textures is the perfect go to on mornings when you can’t decide what to wear

For days when you need a pick me up, you can’t go wrong with a gorgeous statement coat and classic casual jeans & a t-shirt

Worn in jeans, a great bag & shoe combo and the perfect fitting leather jacket are the best fall uniform if you ask me

One of my favourite go to fall looks from here last year – a classic tweed blazer

{Images from here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}

Falling For….

Hello my lovely LL&L readers, it is so nice to be back. I don’t really have any major reason for the departure from the blog of late, other than it has been a wonderful summer, and it just seemed natural to take a bit of a breather and reassess some things.

However, I have to say, with the slight turn of the weather this past week, and all of the fall fashion in full force in the stores now, I can definitely feel a pull back to the blog. I miss sharing my favourite recipes and outfits with you and of course connecting with my lovely readers, so I am hoping to get back to a bit more of a regular posting schedule in the next little while.

In the meantime, here are some of the things I am currently obsessing over for fall. A few of these items I was lucky enough to snag when J.Crew was having their seemingly endless sale at the end of July, and I am waiting patiently to wear them, but it is nice to get a few things ahead of time and now I think I need to do a serious closet overhaul (I think I have been thinking about doing this for the past 6 months – procrastinate much?) and see what I actually want to invest in this fall.

What are you on the hunt for this fall?

1. Madewell D’orsay Flat $130 –  These are literally at the very top of my list, I love the two tone colour and D’orsay shape of these flats – would love for any of my American readers to fill me in on the fit, since sadly we are still waiting for Madewell to make their way up to Canada

2. Clare Vivier Foldover Clutch $225 – The colour, texture and size of this clutch are all perfect in my book, if I could get one bag this fall, I think this would be the winner

3. Tory Burch Robinson Triangle Tote $525 – I have always loved the Robinson collection, but this slightly unexpected navy takes it to a whole new level, such a great untraditional neutral for your everyday work bag

4. H&M Coat with quilted sleeves $70 – The price point is almost unbelievable and I love the colour combo. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but it looks distinctly more expensive than it’s sticker price in real life (I saw it in the store this week) and would be a great coat to get through those fall months before you need to bust out your wool coats up in Canada

5. H&M Chiffon Blouse $30 – I bought this exact blouse in white back in the spring and I have worn it a ton, love the collar and simplicity of it, and looks like they re-released it for fall in some nice, seasonally appropriate colours

6. Anthropologie Kallista Bracelet $48 – Love this statement cuff, you wouldn’t need to wear much else and it could dress up even the most simple outfit without breaking the bank

7. J.Crew Ankle Cuff Pumps $225 – I can’t stop with my love for the ankle strap, and I snagged these during the sale last month and can’t recommend them enough. They seem to continually pop back into stock randomly online, so if you like them, I would suggest you check back often and you might get lucky – However, there are so many great ankle cuff options out this fall, you won’t need to look far to find the perfect pair for you

8. J.Crew Toothpick Jean in Dark Wash $125 – Like I said, I did extremely well with the sale pieces that will transition to fall, but these are a  J.Crew staple and I have them in the light wash (seen here) and the white (seen here) so I knew I couldn’t go wrong with a nice dark version for fall – and an added bonus, they work great with an ankle strap pump

9. J.Crew Merino Tippi Sweater $100 – This lightweight knit is the perfect transitional piece for the cooler nights over the next little while, and I love how even though it is patterned, it will still work as a nice neutral piece in my wardrobe

10. Anthropologie Drop Rung Earrings $34 – Such an easy piece to pull together any outfit, the colour was something I wanted to add to my wardrobe, but in an easy and wearable way

Toronto Fashion Week Fall 2013

Entrance to the fashion week tents at David Pecaut Square

If you happen to follow any Toronto bloggers, Canadian Magazines, or other Canadian fashion insiders, you are probably well aware that Toronto Fashion week has been going on all week. I had the chance to attend my very first fashion show last night, and while it was definitely a dream come true, as I was chatting with another blogger buddy (more on that in a moment) we definitely agreed that is was nowhere near as “glamorous” as we might have expected. The shows are much shorter than you imagine them to be, and while you try very hard to appreciate the details, materials and craftsmanship that has gone into the pieces, it all happens so fast. Truthfully, I think I was suffering from a little bit of sensory overload. There was some fun star-gazing in the front row, and checking out everyone’s outfits was definitely a highlight, but it all felt very blink and you will miss it.

However, having said all that, I can’t wait to go back for more. The best part for me was connecting with a blogger friend (most of you would know her as Jenny from Crazy, Style, Love) in person, and learning some insider tricks from her and some of her other friends on how to navigate the insanity of fashion week. I already have a plan of action for the spring shows (which we agreed will be more exiting simply because of the injection of colour) and I still saw a couple of coats at the Rudsak show tonight that I would love to get my hands on this fall (sadly I was not in position to take any great photos to share with you, but I still wanted to give you an honest look at what it was like from my view).

Here are a couple snaps I remembered to take despite being a little overwhelmed, and a few of my favourite looks from some of the other collections that have already been shown this week. Have a great weekend!

Stargazing and big furry hoods

Final Line Up at Rudsak

The Joe Fresh Show was presented almost all in black and white – I am loving this striped sweater and pleated skirt

Mackage brings some drama with this floor grazing coat – love the camel with black leather accents

Beautiful fall florals from Pink Tartan

Men’s Fall Fashion

Camel coat and a pooch (any man with a dog is good in my books)

I have several friends of the male variety who are nice enough to support my blog, but in all fairness I haven’t really geared much of the content towards them, unless you count getting to eat some of my recipes. So in their honour, and because there is nothing like men’s fashion in the fall, here are some of my favourite looks. I simply can’t get enough of the luxe fabrics, layering, elbow patches and overall manliness of all of these looks.

Scarves and Blazers

Elbow Patches

A Pocket Square and leather gloves

Layers upon layers

Casual Sunday with man’s best friend