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by The Backseat Stylers | April 26th, 2013 
Ania Boniecka of Ania.B, Victoria
Just when we thought we had the aesthetics of our favourite Canadian style bloggers all figured out, one of them trotted out a delightfully unexpected get-up.
Ania, who regularly serves up one fierce look after another, has a penchant for dark colours and leather, and whom we’ve never seen crack a smile on her blog, blew us away this week with one of the cutest personal style posts we’ve featured to date. In it, she’s grinning from ear to ear, wearing a watermelon sweater and floral print cap, and carrying a skateboard she adorably confesses to not knowing how to ride. Cute overload? Not a chance. In fact, now that we’ve seen this side of Ania, we’re hoping she’ll come out to play more often.
How about you, dear readers – new season, fresh look?
Anik Lacasse-Richard of Montreal In Style, Montreal
Krystin Lee of Suburban Faux Pas, Toronto
Bianca Venerayan of Kastor & Pollux, Toronto
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by The Backseat Stylers | March 1st, 2013 
Cara McLeay of A Fashion Love Affair, Vancouver
Who knew black leather could be so versatile?
This week, Libby – accompanied by the equally well-dressed Kate – looked super chic for a friend’s birthday in a black dress (or skirt?) with a perfectly fitted leather top. Vanessa, who it seems is never not wearing leather, paired her leather pants with an eye-catching flame-print shirt, while Liz braved the cold in a cute skirt.
Finally, one cannot speak of black leather without mentioning biker jackets. Ania wore hers over a minimalist black and white ensemble, providing a nice contrast to the pretty pastels on Lily.
Ania Boniecka of Ania.B, Calgary
Liz Clark of Elizabeth Victoria Clark, Toronto
Libby Winchester of House of Winchester, Halifax and Kate McLean of O My Heart, New Brunswick
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by The Backseat Stylers | December 7th, 2012 
Ivy Xu for Lookbook.nu, Vancouver
Canadian winters are worth enduring for one reason and one reason alone: boots! (And possibly layering opportunities.) This week, our favourite style bloggers showed off some fabulous cold weather footwear.
Jay’s Diesel black lace-up boots are too good to be true, and were made for his delightfully oversized camo jacket. While the mixing of black and brown normally makes me shudder, Anik’s two-tone stacked heels are definitely an exception to the rule. I’m also digging the gently scuffed look of the boots, which I’m thinking was either achieved during a holiday shopping excursion at an impossibly crowded mall or at a rodeo. Caillianne’s Balenciaga shoes aren’t exactly boots, but they’re not not boots, either. They simply defy categorization, and that in itself is something worth appreciating.
Anik Lacasse-Richard of Montreal In Style, Montreal
Kimberly Lyn of The Souls of My Shoes, Toronto
Liz Clark for Elizabeth Victoria Clark, Toronto
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by The Backseat Stylers | November 30th, 2012 
Vanessa Hong of The Haute Pursuit, Vancouver/Beijing
As temperatures drop further and further down the thermometer, the wardrobe rotations of Canada’s style bloggers are getting darker and darker. Out with the colour-blocking, in with the black. But when everyone’s wearing black on black on black, a vibrant pop of colour is an uplifting sign that we may be chilled to the bone, but our sartorial spirit refuses to be dampened.
Vanessa‘s bright yellow sweater, Caillianne‘s multi-coloured tie-dye pants and Nelia‘s emerald green statement necklace brightened up their ensembles this week, and put a smile on my face too.
Kimberly Lyn of The Souls of My Shoes (with George Antonopoulos) by George Pimentel, Toronto
Caillianne Beckerman of Beckerman Bite Plate, Toronto
Nelia Belkova of Style Blog, Toronto
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by The Backseat Stylers | October 19th, 2012 
Anik Lacasse-Richard of Montreal In Style, Montreal
How does one do a statement piece justice: by letting it be the centre of attention, or by mixing it with other equally singular pieces? This week, Canadian bloggers showed us that either approach produces fabulous results!
Anik carried an on-trend animal print briefcase, Gracie broke in her gorgeous new velvet and mother of pearl sculptural wedges by Tom Ford, and Lisa sported a bright tropical-print jacket from the Maarten Van Der Horst for Topshop collaboration at London Fashion Week. Each of these pieces was the star of their respective ensemble.
Meanwhile, Samantha was decked out in statement pieces that more than made up for the apparent retirement of her amazing blue hair. The vintage leather vest with the rock ‘n’ roll hand signs, the plaid Comme des Garçons pants, and the Isabel Marant Berry boots are all stand-out pieces that are even more brilliant together.
Samantha Beckerman of Beckerman Bite Plate, Toronto
Lily Nguyen of Bleed For Fashion, Vancouver
Kimberly Lyn of The Souls of My Shoes, Toronto
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by The Backseat Stylers | August 25th, 2012 
Justyna Baraniecki of Chameleonic, Ottawa
Denim, denim and more denim took over the Canadian street style blogwaves this week. While jeans are year-round fare, the ensembles featured have a distinct transitional feel to them. Fall is just around the corner, but perhaps it’s not all bad news.
Dani donned a full-length denim jumpsuit that was all kinds of amazing, amplified by a gorgeous statement necklace and stunning hairdo. Zoe and Julia kept things simpler, but no less chic. Zoe’s blue denim shirt and pink jeans combo and Julia’s colourblock sweater and black denim pairing are getting us excited for fall dressing.
It seems that the solution to end-of-summer blues just might be a new pair of jeans or two. See you at the nearest Gap?
Dani Roche of Kastor & Pollux for Lookbook.nu, Toronto
Ania Boniecka of Ania.B, Calgary
Julia Monson for Lookbook.nu, Toronto
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by The Backseat Stylers | August 21st, 2012 
Me, Kimberly, LOFT Store Manager Dyanne and Nelia
It’s the last segment of our #StylishRoadTrip saga! To refresh your memory, Kimberly Lyn (of The Souls of My Shoes) and Nelia Belkova (of Style Blog) and me made an easy 4-hour trek to The Somerset Collection in a swanky yellow Ford Focus a few weeks ago. I’ve already chronicled the damage we did at INTERMIX, Saks Fifth Avenue and Madewell, among other stores, but we obviously couldn’t leave Troy, Michigan without a sneak peek at two retailers arriving in Canada for the first time later this year, Ann Taylor and LOFT.
From what we saw (and shopped!), the two sister specialty chains, both owned by Ann Inc., will be more than welcome additions to the Canadian retail market. The way we see it, Ann Taylor has us (yes, petites included!) covered from Monday to Friday with its chic office garb and cocktail party-ready dresses, while LOFT has all the cute casual wear we’ll need for fun weekend outings and date nights.
Nelia, Kim and I all took full advantage of the opportunity to raid both boutiques before they open up shop in Toronto in a few months. At LOFT, we each bought the exact same striped sweater. Fashion blogging triplets! For the record, I found the sweater first, but who’s really keeping track? At Ann Taylor, it was the accessories that caught our eyes. The neon necklaces and easy-to-wear cuffs made for fun pops of colour, and we couldn’t leave Troy without taking some home with us.
Now that we’ve had a taste of what LOFT and Ann Taylor will be bringing with them north of the border, we can’t wait to shop their new boutiques in a few short months! Check out the gallery below for more photos of what’s in store for us, Toronto, and start getting excited.
    
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by The Backseat Stylers | August 14th, 2012 
INTERMIX is one of my favourite shopping destinations. Whether taking a stroll through Yorkville in Toronto, window-shopping in Soho in NYC or browsing online, I never pass on the opportunity to intermix (definition: to shop until one drops at an INTERMIX boutique).
Such was the case as well on my recent road trip to Somerset Collection in Troy, Michigan. When Nelia Belkova (of Style Blog), Kimberly Lyn (of The Souls of My Shoes) and I drew up our shopping plans, a visit to INTERMIX Somerset was high on the priority list.
And for excellent reason. We arrived at the store to find a whole gaggle of cheerful, friendly staff waiting to welcome us, with champagne and Godiva chocolate-covered strawberries at the ready. Assistant Manager Irene Yeldo and her lovely staff had also pulled aside their top picks of the new fall arrivals for our perusal, helpfully suggesting pieces that would fit our respective styles. In short, they spoiled us (thank you!). We weren’t complaining, but our pocketbooks were on high alert.
With gift cards generously donated to the cause (i.e. my fall wardrobe) by Somerset and INTERMIX burning a hole in my pocket, I scoured the expertly-curated offerings for pieces to bring back with me to Toronto. There were plenty of worthy candidates: a gold tone lacy cuff by YSL, an indigo Proenza Schouler PS1 (a bag that’s been on my wish list since I first laid eyes on one), and a pair of strappy B Brian Atwood snakeskin booties.
In the end, I decided that the one item I just couldn’t live without was a pair of exclusive rag & bone/JEAN for INTERMIX white skinny jeans with black tuxedo stripes. In fact, they fit me so well that Nelia pointed out, in an impressed tone of voice, that I didn’t even need to get them hemmed. To which I replied, “That’s because they’re supposed to be capris!” Hashtag shorty problems.
Capris or not, kudos to INTERMIX for filling a hole in my closet I never even knew existed. And please be sure to keep a YSL Arty ring (yes, I need a second one) and one of those Equipment blouses with the snakeskin print trim aside for me. With fall just around the corner, I’ll be back for them very soon!
Me with the lovely INTERMIX Somerset team
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by The Backseat Stylers | August 13th, 2012 
We’re always reporting on the most stylish looks at the swankiest shindigs in Toronto, and we finally have the opportunity to do the same for our own inaugural event, Three Years of Style, co-hosted with Nelia Belkova of Style Blog and Kimberly Lyn of The Souls of My Shoes on August 7 at the Thompson Toronto Rooftop Lounge. With $650 worth of prizes on the line in our style contest, guests showed up in their Tuesday evening rooftop party best, and we just couldn’t stop snapping.
Attendees brought their sartorial A game, and we’d expected no less from the most stylish blog readers and supporters out there. Glam Canada Editorial Director (and grand prize winner!) Aya McMillan‘s Clover Canyon printed pairing was a unanimous favourite, but the decision wasn’t easy with runners-up Jessica Chiu in fierce neon orange Christopher Kane and Liane Fong in a lovely mint green, pleated confection.
Also showing up in style were Hamilton-based blogger Jentine Gootjes of My Edit in a lovely lace frock, The Genteel Editor-in-Chief Mona Chammas in a geeky chic get-up, and PR extraordinaire Vanessa Morcom in a fabulous coral ensemble. Rocking impressive arm parties and sky-high stilettos, ours was one of the most stylish crowds the Thompson rooftop has seen.
Admittedly, that put a bit of pressure on us as hosts. What do we wear to throw one of the biggest blog bashes of the year, to be attended by many of Toronto’s most sartorially gifted? After much deliberation, S donned a summery white frock by Judith & Charles, and accessorized with Marni for H&M jewelry and – what else? – Christian Louboutin pumps. T stuck to her staples for this summer: green skinny jeans, a crisp white shirt and sharp burgundy brogues.
What did you wear to Three Years of Style? Check out the gallery below for 28 style snaps from the Thompson rooftop – you might just spot your stylish self. Missed out on the fun this time? Give our event recap a read and start counting down until next year’s soiree!
   
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by The Backseat Stylers | August 7th, 2012 
I’ve never been one for road trips, mostly on account of the guaranteed bout of carsickness and bad memories from childhood bus tours. But when it comes to shopping, there isn’t much I’m unwilling to endure, as you know (case in point: that bitter cold wait for Lanvin x H&M), so when Kimberly Lyn of The Souls of My Shoes and Nelia Belkova of Style Blog suggested a shopping road trip, naturally I was in.
As for the destination? I decided it was high time my fellow Toronto fashion bloggers were introduced to one of my absolute favourites: Somerset Collection in Troy, Michigan.
Me, Nelia and Kim with our sunny Ford Focus
After an easy and smooth 4-hour drive from Toronto to Troy with Kim behind the wheel of our sunny yellow Ford Focus (what a trooper!), the three of us checked in at a local hotel and readied ourselves for a good night’s sleep in preparation for what would turn out to be an epic 10-hour day of shopping at Somerset. Yup, you read right: 10 hours!
Somerset Collection is clearly no ordinary mall
How do 3 shopaholics spend 10 hours at one mall? Quite easily, actually. Especially when said mall is Somerset Collection. With two glorious boutique-filled buildings separated by a street and connected by a bridge, Somerset’s over 180 stores range from Neiman Marcus, Intermix and J.Crew on the North end to LOFT, Madewell and Nordstrom on the South side.
Lacoste shoes (gifted) for our epic day of Somerset shopping
In short, more than enough stores to fill an entire workday’s worth of shopping, and then some. What kept us going during our marathon Somerset visit were the sustenance from J. Alexander’s (the fish tacos are highly recommended!), our cute and comfy Lacoste shoes and, of course, our iron will.
Oh hello there, Neiman Marcus shoe department
Detailed accounts of our escapades will follow, particularly our visits to Intermix, Ann Taylor and LOFT, but suffice to say our day at Somerset was a resounding success, thanks to the well-curated store directory, incredible customer service and excellent timing on our part (the very end of sale season!).
Incriminating evidence of a shopping expedition gone a little too well
As impressive as Somerset was the Focus’ ability to hold three shopaholic fashion bloggers, our suitcases, enough road trip snacks to feed the Canadian women’s soccer team, and all of our shopping bags. Somerset Collection x Ford Focus turned out to be a road trip made in heaven. I simply can’t wait for round #2. So, who’s in?
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THE BACKSEAT STYLERS BY T & S
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