We at The Backseat Stylers wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas filled with great company, good food and fab outfits!
xx, S and T (she’s behind the camera!)
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When you receive an invite to a guerilla fashion party from the boys of Greta Constantine the week of Christmas, you’ve got to get your priorities straight. Open bar with Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill, or buy presents for the kids? This one’s not even close. I dropped all the holiday prep last night and headed to Toufik Sarwa‘s Amber for NAUGHTY OR NICE: A Fashion Extravaganza, with my frequent partner-in-crime J in tow. It took me all of about 5 seconds after I’d stepped into Amber to realize this party was going to be one of EPIC proportions. My jaw hit the floor when I spotted twins Dean and Dan Caten of DSquared2 standing mere feet from me. OMFG. Confession: When DSquared2 threw a fashion show at Much Music headquarters in 2008, the younger Backseat Styler T and I were standing front row…behind the railing (incidentally, we’re in the Fashion Television episode covering that event, for a few seconds). Who would’ve thought that just 2 years later I’d be chatting Dean up – at a party hosted by the superstar fashion duo behind Greta Constantine, no less. Total fangirl moment.
Dear Santa: Hope all is well with you, Mrs. Claus, the reindeer and the elves up in the North Pole! I know we only just saw each other at Mr. Backseat Styler’s company Christmas party last week, but I thought I’d write to you to remind you of our discussion at the time. As you know, I’ve been a tad overindulgent this past year, so I probably only deserve a lump of coal in my stocking. However, should you decide – in all your infinite, jolly wisdom – to give me a free pass this year, I have taken the liberty of listing out what I would most like to see in my stocking. In the unlikely event that 3 days is not sufficient time for the elves to cobble together these items, I’ve also included where each item can be purchased. The prices I’ve listed don’t include the Kris Kringle discount though – I’m sure you could do much better.
This season’s holiday pop-up shops are rocking my world. The newest one on the block, hosted by Shop Bicyclette, is chock full of fabulous clothing, stunning handmade jewelry and chic cold weather accessories to take you through the winter and then some. Located at 972 Queen St W in downtown Toronto, the shop was well worth the westward trek for me today. It was all work and no play though, so I’m going to have to head back to the shop for a few pieces I’m eyeing – a $20 faux fur snood, a gorgeous statement necklace by Lauren Elan and a pair of very chic white fur earmuffs. You have 2 weeks to shop the pop-up and only 8 shopping days left before Christmas, so what are you waiting for? Get an idea of what’s in store via the Facebook pages of Shop Bicyclette and Lauren Elan Collections. Our readers outside of Toronto can join in on the fun too! Shop the Bicyclette online store here. xx, S
From Dec 9-14th, 2010, Lord & Taylor is holding its holiday Friends & Family Sale. Get an additional 25% off your purchase of almost everything, including regular and sale merchandise, and get 10% off cosmetics and fragrances. Shop online with code FRIENDS or in stores with this coupon. Great opportunity to get some holiday shopping done at a discount! xx, S
Recently, I had the privilege of dining in my local Swarovski boutique during a black tie fundraiser. Throughout the evening, I was alternately stuffing my face and admiring the bling all around me. I made a mental note at the time to return to the store at a later date to pick out a piece that perhaps Mr. Backseat Styler could gift me for Christmas, but hadn’t made it back yet. Change of plans. I will now be sending the Mister to our local ALDO Accessories store instead, since the ALDO x Swarovski Holiday 2010 capsule collection just hit stores – and it looks gorgeous! Carried at ALDO Accessories stores in limited quantities, the Winther Necklace and the Gudinas earrings retail for $180 and $60 respectively (via Nitrolicious). I’m all over the statement jewelry these days, and both pieces look perfect for the upcoming holiday season! I’m definitely going to stop by the store asap – word on the street is the collection is selling out fast! UPDATE: I checked out the pieces in store and have decided they’re a no-go. I was intrigued by the necklace based on the stock photo, but in person it’s less substantial and regal looking – not worth the $180 price tag in my humble opinion. For those of you interested in nabbing a piece, quantities are even more limited than I thought – less than a handful per store. Good luck! xx, S
Last week, I professed my newfound love for TOODLEBUNNY Designs, a Vancouver-based jewelry line I’d just discovered at this year’s One of a Kind Christmas Show & Sale. On my first visit, I snagged a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind charm necklace, but I knew I wanted more. When I returned to the show for round #2 yesterday with my OOAK pals P and A in tow, I was on an official hunt for my second TOODLEBUNNY piece. Despite all the wonderful offerings in that booth, it didn’t take long for me to decide, because I’d already been eyeing this stunning cameo brooch the week before and had been daydreaming about it all week. Having left it behind once, I wasn’t about to make the same mistake again. I’m dying to give new life to a basic black blazer with this beautiful piece! If you haven’t paid the OOAK show a visit yet this year, today is your last chance! Get your Christmas shopping done while supporting Canadian artisans – show info can be found here. xx, S
With the holiday party-planning in full swing and the annual scramble for the perfect cocktail dresses and matching accessories well underway, Zara‘s latest evening wear collection offers the chic partygoer a range of fabulous options. From the LRD to the white rosette dress, I’m loving every piece. I already added two new Lanvin (hearts) H&M cocktail dresses to the closet earlier this month, but I’m sure I can make room for a few more. At the very least, I have my eye on that superb (haven’t used that word in a while!) velvet dinner jacket. I haven’t posted a Zara lookbook in quite some time, because after a year-long addiction to the chain and their particular brand of fast fashion, I started to find their offerings rather boring and repetitive; it’s safe to say that this lookbook has brought me back into the fold. More photos after the jump!
If you’ve been following The Backseat Stylers for even just a minute, you’ll already know all to well that I have an incurable and almost unhealthy obsession with all things Phillip Lim (see here for the evidence). If he designed it, I probably covet it. The latest item I’m adding to the list I’m currently compiling for Santa (aka Mr. Backseat Styler) is these velvet shorts from the Holiday 2010 collection. I never thought I’d want to don anything velvet ever again after some serious fashion missteps in my youth (hindsight is 20/20, isn’t it?), but here I am longing for a pair of shorts (most impractical for a Canadian winter) in the most festive of fabrics. Mind you, the perfect shade of sapphire blue that they come in certainly helps the cause. So who’s with me – are you bringing velvet back into your life, or does the mere sight of the crushed goodness make you shudder? xx, S  |
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Copyright © 2013 The Backseat Stylers | Toronto Fashion & Style Blog - All Rights Reserved
Header image credit: Vogue Italia March 2011 "Close-Up" editorial, as modified by The Backseat Stylers.
The Canadian Street Style Lookbook banner image credit: STREETFSN, as modified by The Backseat Stylers.
The Backseat Stylers by S & T image credit: George Pimentel, as modified by The Backseat Stylers.
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