Thank you, Boa!

A quick note of thanks to Daphne of Boa who has posted me as her style Snap of the Month on her shop's website. Boa is a great little shop Uptown that has a fab selection of priced-just-right on trend items.

This pic was snapped at the Launch Party for The White Space....just goes to show, you never know who's looking! ;)

Thanks so much for making me your pick Daphne!

Ask Tamara: Cracking Wedding Dress Codes for Men

While on a recent Shopping Field Trip, a client asked me how to know what kind of suit would be appropriate for a wedding. He wanted to feel appropriate for the occasion without compromising his unique stylish flair.

So, what does a guy wear to a wedding?

The answer can be as simple as a classic dark suit, but for those who want to bring some personal style to their attire, there are many options that give men the chance to have just about as much fun getting ready for a joyous event as women do!

Many invitations will have the expected dress code already stated on the invitation. Classic dress codes include: White Tie, Black Tie, Black Tie Optional/Formal, while others become more creative (and confusing) by inventing their own. I've seen dress codes that have included: "Country Club Casual", "Beach Formal/Beach Chic", and "Festive Attire"... these ones usually illicit confusion and a collective "WHAT?"

The first step to decoding this language of dress codes is to note the season, location, and time of day of the wedding. These factors should help to narrow down the parameters of appropriateness. If they don't help enough, it is always OK to ask a member of the bridal party for help. The Bride & Groom are under enough stress, so try to accommodate that by feeding requests through their party who are there with the mission to help.

In the case of this client, the wedding is for a member of his immediate family. While he may not be in the wedding party, he will be a part of the event, and will have a certain amount of attention paid to him throughout the evening. The wedding is in summer, and will be a small evening affair, with a semi-formal feeling.

We decided to go with a linen blend suit in chocolate brown with a double black stripe, a lightweight black woven with woven tone-on-tone stripe shirt and chocolate brown tie with a black and white repeat pattern. A fantastic pair of cognac wingtip shoes and a matching cognac belt complete this funky formal look. While the outift fits the dress code, it will be anything but stuffy or boring! This is a suit look that can dance!

While the wedding is a few months away yet, the outfit ready to go and all that's left is to enjoy the celebration!

Elevate Reader Make-Over

It's out, it's finally out!

I've been waiting to share this with you, and now I finally can! The March/April issue of Elevate Magazine has finally hit the stands and within its pages is a fantastic Reader Make-Over featuring Reader/Winner Anna F. whose make-over gifted her to receive a variety of non-invasive cosmetic enhancements including smile whitening, hair treatments, dermatological facial treatments, and a full make-over session with Yours Truly.

Anna looked and felt terrific - a shining example of what 50 looks like today: modern, confident, and naturally sexy.

The White Space @The Bay - Contemporary Edge in a Canadian Dept Store!

I had the pleasure of going to the launch party for The White Space @ The Bay last Thursday night. It was a veritable Who's Who and What's What! Hosted by FASHION Magazine, the evening was full of excitement - dancing models showing off some of the new lines available, signature cocktails and candy, and an opportunity to meet the designers of some of these great new lines (Brandon Svarc of Naked & Famous, and Yara Flinn of Nomia, below).

For my clients a few of these lines truly stood-out:

I'm looking to McQ and Ian for great twists on suiting, the great dresses from Tracy Reese and Issa London for date nights, and Nomia, Naked & Famous Denim (a great line proudly made in Montreal!), and ADAM for off-time.

With 7,000 square feet, there is SO much more there to explore!

One of my personal faves:

How could I resist this Frock! by Tracy Reese dress? It's just so exuberant!

You know how much I love building versatility into a wardrobe. I love this dress because: it will work on it's own now with a black long sleeve T, opaque black tights & leather boots, in the Spring/Summer with a linen blazer and nude pumps for business, and on it's own with bright heels for evening.

Alas, I couldn't take the cute Trademark green chair home with me, since it belongs to The White Space's fitting room, so I've captured it here, for blog-posterity...

Ask Tamara: Splitting a Suit

I recently hosted a private shopping night and fashion show for the alumni of the University of Waterloo, that focused on creating a fun & functional wardrobe that is well-edited, with few items that could be worn in multiple ways. It was really fun night with lots of opportunities to ask questions and have some one-on-one time with me and some of the fantastic staff at Banana Republic Flagship Store on Bloor Street.

I received this question from one of the attendees:

Tamara:

I was at the [event] and wanted to ask a question about one of the looks. You had one of the models wearing a full suit, and the other one wearing only the jacket. I was always under the impression that you shouldn't split a suit, and that suit jackets are to be worn as suit jackets only and not as sports jackets. Are there any 'rules' for breaking up a suit?

Great presentation, by the way. My wife and I really enjoyed it.

Thanks,
Dave

If one person had this question, many must have the same question. So it has become the inspiration for a new blog feature called, ever so originally,: 'Ask Tamara'.

Dave:

The question you've asked is a good one. While some may feel awkward splitting a suit, it is actually ok to do so, as long as you're choosing fabrics that go together.

When splitting a suit to use the jacket with a different dress pant, aim for a dress pant in a fabric that corresponds to the jacket in terms of fabric weight and composition. For example: a refined, smooth wool jacket with a herringbone or stripe in the weave would work well with a pant of equal fabric weight and in a colour that picks up on the main colour, or a colour within the pattern of the jacket. (let's say our jacket is grey with a black herringbone. you could safely choose a solid black or solid grey pant, if the grey is similar to that of the jacket). The modern way to do this centres on choosing plainer jackets rather than a larger pattern like a glen plaid, which would look dated split up.

Splitting a suit to wear the jacket with jeans can become trickier as many suit fabrics do not naturally relate in terms of level of refinement/formality. If you want to try this look, choose a suit jacket that is more casual and on the trendier side, with a slimmer fit and either a more casual fabrication or a more novel fabrication - like a 'sharkskin,' corduroy, moleskin, or twill - to go with a darker, dressy denim. Both Banana Republic and JCrew have great examples on their sites.

Here are some examples from JCrew:

As a suit:

Just a Jacket and Jeans:

What fashion question have you been dying to ask? Write to me and I'll put it up on the blog!

Golden Globes Trends

I admit, it's taken me a couple of days to digest the fashion extravaganza that was the Golden Globes. So many beautifully dressed celebrities, nevermind the award speeches!

As I reviewed the red carpet photos, on Women's Wear Daily I saw that this time around the red carpet trends extended beyond formal wear and reflected some of the major trends we'll be seeing this spring/summer.

1. Nudes - a huge trend for spring/summer 2010, I'm looking forward to all the renditions of this colouration from ivory to blush nude tones, particularly beautiful in flowing or shimmery fabrics will be a key look. My favourites were Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Morrison, and Christina Hendricks.

2. Assymetric Shoulders - another beautiful trend, which has been on-going over the past year, was seen in brights as well as neutrals, shine as well as matte. My faves for this trend were Sigourney Weaver, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Marion Cotillard.

3. Deep Decolletage - Normally we see one, maybe two red carpet wonders who attempt to pull off this trend while looking stately and comfortable. It's particularly daring! This time though, at least 4 starlets sauntered down the step and repeat baring cleavage down to their navels. A veritable trend. It worked on Anna Paquin, Lisa Edelstein, and Olivia Wilde.

Happy New Year!

A fresh new year is like opening a new notebook. The pages are crisp and just waiting to be filled with new adventures, realizations and commitments. It's also a great time for a make-over!

I am a firm believer that thought leads to action. I believe that getting your mind on board first helps to get your body, your spirit and your life on track naturally.

Make your 2010 make-over a success:

1. Outline two or three goals in each area of your life (some could be: relationships, work, image, spirituality) that you would like to accomplish this year.

2. Write each goal down in a positive and active voice. In the area of image, for example: "I have a great wealth of self confidence!"

3. Write them down again, this time with details. What do you really want to happen? For example: "I am proud of my body, I have a wardrobe I love to wear and I have a self-care routine that is effortless to maintain. Other people notice how confident I am in my own skin. I am happier than ever!"

4. Get a calendar - one you look at all the time - and write down each goal on the date you want to achieve them. For our example, your ultimate goal might coincide with a special event (reunion, return to work etc), and intermittent goals could include items like fitness goals or a series of make-over program appointments with your Style Coach.

5. Write down the small, daily steps it will take for you to reach each goal. Breaking down large goals into easily achievable steps is key to your success. For example: "Start my day with a healthy breakfast that will make me feel great", "Go for a 20-minute walk after dinner" or "hire, and have a style consultation with, my Style Coach."

6. Make appointments for those baby steps to make your goals a reality!

What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Trademark has a lot of goals for 2010 too, with many changes ahead to bring you more exciting content and services! I look forward to revealing them as the year progresses.

Happy 2010 everyone! It's going to be an exciting year!