The Sweater Dress

Lately, as the temperature have dropped, I've been lusting over sweater dresses. I've been drooling over the cozy knit dresses on Shopbop this week. I can see myself belting these dresses and wearing them with tights and riding boots. Here are my absolute favourites.


DKNY Turtleneck Sweater Dress, $145.

MM6 Maison Martin Margiela Shawl Collar Sweater Dress, $378.


Helmut Lang Cowl Neck Sweater Dress, $345.


Cheap Monday Blair Sweater Dress, $80.

All photos courtesy of Shopbop.

I can't justify the price on most of these dresses, but a girl can always dream, right?

Xray

Jeans: J Brand 'xray' skinnies, boots: Frye, t-shirt: Snow Patrol concert tee, jacket: Danier.

These are my favourite jeans to wear when I want to add a little edginess to an outfit. I threw them on earlier this week to head out to a movie. With the leather biker jacket, leather boots and acid washed jeans, I was going for a rugged, casual look.

Banana, Chocolate Chip and Skor Muffins

One of my favourite dessert combinations would have to be banana and chocolate, which is interesting since I don't actually like bananas themselves. Something about the texture of bananas turns me off, but I love anything flavoured with banana. I decided to try a new recipe for banana chocolate chip muffins and settled on this one. I was short on chocolate chips so I substituted skor chipits for half of the required chocolate chips, and the muffins turned out to be delicious. Now I have a tasty snack for the rest of the week!

Mustard and Sequins

Dress: Dex, sequin blazer: Matty M, boots: Frye, tights: Urban Outfitters, necklace: Topshop, wool cap: ? (my grandma bought it at a small boutique somewhere).

One of my favourite colours this season is mustard yellow. I love how it adds a nice pop of colour to an otherwise neutral coloured outfit. I actually received this mustard wool cap from my grandma for my birthday last year, but at the time I didn't think I was bold enough to pull off wearing such a strong colour. I rediscovered the cap in my closet recently and have worn it several times already this fall.

Transition to Fall

Dress: Kensie, tights: Topshop, cardigan: Joe Fresh, belt: Charlotte Russe, boots: Botkier, pendant: Hilary Druxman.

The weather here has been warmer than average for most of October, but when the sun goes down or the wind picks up it can be quite chilly, so I've been dressing in layers most days. I last wore this dress here, and added a cozy cardigan and boots to make the dress more appropriate for cooler weather.

I'm challenging myself this fall to stick to a budget in terms of clothing shopping, so I've been trying to stretch my wardrobe by remixing my clothes in as many ways as possible. It's been fun and challenging at the same time, and I now realize that I can live with buying way less clothing than I may have in the past. I've been fairly successful at sticking to buying only items on my wishlist, as opposed to impulse buying.

Do you stick to a strict budget for shopping?

Lace Up

One of the items on my fall wishlist is a pair of lace up boots or booties. Above are a few of my favourite pairs that I've been lusting over online. Do you own a pair of lace up boots? Which type do you like best: flat, wedge or platform heel?

1. Joie Refugee Waxed Lace Up Boots, $535.
2. Forever 21 Buckled-Up Combat boots, $42.80.
3. Jeffrey Campbell Everybody Riding Boot, $112.
4. Acorn Wedge Ankle Boot, $170.
5. Nasty Gal Deserted Wedge Boot, $58.
6. Sam Edelman Effie Suede Wedge Booties, $130.
7. Seychelles Romance Lace-Up Boot, $144.
8. Dolce Vita Joelle Platform Booties, $244.
9. Jeffrey Campbell Loggins Lace-Up Boot, $168.
10. Nasty Gal Ridge Shearling Boot, $58.

Peaches n Cream

Skirt: Topshop, tank: Michael Kors, blazer: Silence and Noise, motorcycle boots: ? (old), necklace: Forever 21, sunglasses: Oliver Peoples, tights: DIY.

One of my favourite colour combinations lately has been neutral tones such as peach and soft pink paired with black. In the past I rarely wore neutral colours but recently I decided to try to add new colours to my wardrobe. I decided to pair this cute feminine skirt with an all black outfit and toughen it up a bit with motorcycle boots. What colour palettes are you experimenting with this fall?

Fall Staples

Cardigan: Joe Fresh, t-shirt: LAMade, denim leggings: J Brand, boots: Botkier, pendant: Hilary Druxman, necklace: ? (old), sunglasses: Oliver Peoples.

Do you have an item in your closet that you just couldn't live without? That's how I feel about these boots. I usually swear by Frye boots, but I took a chance on these Botkier boots on an end of season sale last year and couldn't be happier. The rich chocolate brown leather is buttery soft and I love how they are slim and sleek but have a touch of toughness with the metal chain. I practically live in outfits like throughout fall and winter: drapey cardigans, denim leggings, and riding boots. What are your favourite fall staples?

Eyelets and Eggplant

Skirt: Topshop, top: Alternative Apparel, wedges: Steve Madden, belt: Winners, necklace: ? (old), sunglasses: Rayban.

I ordered this eyelet skirt from Topshop a while ago but hadn't worn it yet because I didn't know what to wear it with. I finally settled on pairing it with this casual eggplant top to add a pop off colour and black and gold accessories. I can also see myself wearing this skirt with tights and boots this fall and winter.

Apple Crisp with Toffee Sauce

My absolute favourite dessert is apple crisp. To me, it is the perfect treat to enjoy while sitting by the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate on a cold fall or winter day. Fall has officially arrived here and I turned on the heat in my house for the first time yesterday. In honour of the declining temperature I decided it was time to whip up a batch of apple crisp. The recipe I used can be found here. This recipe also includes a delicious toffee sauce for the apple crisp, which I didn't make on this occasion because I felt I didn't need the extra calories after a weekend of unhealthy eating; but trust me, it is amazing with the crisp!

Wild Thing

It would be an understatement to say that I've been loving leopard print accessories this fall. I've been looking to add a leopard print piece to my wardrobe that will give any outfit an instant 'pop'. I've been leaning towards a pair of ballet flats or a belt. Do you have any leopard accessories in your closet?

Top Row:
J.J. Winters Crossbody Stud Bag Chain Strap, $85.
Maurie & Eve Fantasies Wedge Heel, $275.
Forever 21 Vintage Leopard Bag, $29.80.

Middle Row:
Forever 21 Lightweight Leopard Scarf, $8.80.
Jeffrey Campbell Frankie Leopard Boot, $170.
Citrine by the Stones Leopard and Gold Disc Earrings, $125.

Bottom Row:
Vigo Leopard Mesh Pumps, $36.
Topshop Leopard Print Jeans Belt, $60.
Topshop Leopard Print Beret, $30.

Black and Blue

Blouse: Joe Fresh, tank: Gap, skinny jeans: J Brand, ballet flats: Coach, necklace: Hilary Druxman, biker jacket: People's Liberation, sunglasses: Oliver Peoples, scarf: gift from my grandma.

This is what I wore to work yesterday. The dress code is very casual at the school I teach at, which can be both good and bad. The good part is that I can wear jeans and a blouse every day, the bad part is that when I get dressed up in a skirt, dress, heels, or add a piece of statement jewellery, at least one co-worker asks "why are you so dressed up today?". This question usually results me in feeling self-conscious for the rest of the day, wondering whether everyone is looking at me funny. I'm starting to get better at taking it as a compliment, but it's been difficult. Does this ever happen to you, at work or in another environment? What is your response?