What I’m wearing:

• Dress by Foley + Corinna 
• Heels by Report Signature 
• Crystal necklace by Dabby Reid 
• Cashmere scarf by Nightcap by Carisa Rene
• Crystal stud earrings and ring

*I wanted to thank dear Alexandra of To Vogue or Bust for the sweet feature she did on Fashionista Talk.

By the way, have you guys seen Sex and the City 2 yet, and if so, what did you think? I went to see it with a friend while I was in LA and I’m curious to hear your opinions.

What I’m wearing:

• Mini skirt from “Forever 21″
• Cashmere / modal cardigan by “Line”
• Nude heels by “Elie Tahari” (last seen in June 5’10)
• 18 bangles by “b-side by ken & dana” (last seen in May 29’10)
• Vintage belt (last seen in June 5’10)
• Tank top from “H&M”
• Vintage coral necklace (my mom’s)

If you live in the Toronto area, I would strongly recommend seeing this show; and I’m pretty picky when it comes to my theatre.

Today I’ll be doing some more application stuff, going to yogalates, and then my friend and I will be trying out a new fitness class in the evening (kama-aerobics), which supposedly “focuses on the female pleasure center” or something…we’ll see .

This is what I was wearing yesterday.

• A skirt by “Pinko” (2-piece skirt;1st piece is slightly sheer, multi-layered, and tutu-style, 2nd piece is wool)
• Tights by “Holt Renfrew”
• Shoes by “Pierre Hardy” (super comfortable)
• Leather gloves by “Floriana gloves”
• Cashmere long-sleeve sweater by “Julie & Jack”
• Cashmere cardigan by “Inhabit”
• Headband with a large feather from “Urban Outfitters”
• Clutch by “STEVEN by Steve Madden”

Oh cashmere…how I love you so!

As most of you probably know I live in Canada, which means I need to get through a long, tedious winter each year of my life. Thankfully, I have come to learn that there are a few things that I can do to make winter a bit more enjoyable, such as: vacations in the Caribbean, the sauna, hot-chocolate, and cashmere dresses. I even gave winter sports a shot last year, which tragically ended with my knee-injury while downhill skiing. So unfortunately I can’t add winter sports to the list quite yet. Ok, back to cashmere…

Some of you might be wondering what the big fuss is about and why it has to be so expensive. I did some research and along with the answers to these questions, I’ve discovered some interesting facts.

While this material carries the name of its land, Kashmir, some refer to it as “soft gold,” which I think is appropriate on many levels. The production of cashmere goes as far back as the 16th century in Mongolia. I though it was kind of interesting that the first European appreciator of cashmere was Napoleon Bonaparte, when he brought Josefina a pashmina from Egypt.

Many of those who feel unimpressed by cashmere are often unaware that the source of this mild hostility stems less from the merit of the material itself as it does from the wide accessibility of low quality pieces. These mass-produced items have little in common with “real” cashmere, despite the claims of their manufacturers. The amazing thing is that high-grade cashmere pieces can be worn for over 10 years and – similarly to best wine – only improve with age.

Cashmere is comparable to wine in another regard; the quality of material is dependent on a highly specific climatic conditions (long, cold winters with temperature as low as -40C and short but hot summers of +30C). In these conditions, the goats survive through the production of a fleece undercoat beneath the fur. Can you believe that the thickness of the hair in this undercoat is 6 times thinner than the strand of a human hair? In a year, a goat only produces 100-150 grams of this fleece, so no wonder it’s so pricey. The highest quality cashmere is produced in East Kashmir and Mongolia. However, it’s also produced in Iran, Afghanistan, Australia, US, and China, but this goat fleece is considered lower-grade and is rarely used by manufacturers of exclusive cashmere products.

After learning how difficult it is to extract this fleece and how little of it the poor, little goats produce, it makes me appreciate cashmere even more. One of the things that makes the lower-grade cashmere inferior is that regular wool is mixed in with the fleece, while the label can still officially claim that its 100% pure cashmere (a little deceiving don’t you think).

Of course to most of us it is difficult to differentiate between its quality simply by looking at it or feeling it. Even if this ability does improve with time, knowing with certainty whether the cashmere is pure is improbable. So what can we do to determine whether the cashmere is worth purchasing? Tip #1: My biggest advice is just to go with its feel. Do you sense any itchiness in the material? If so, be conscious of what that means. In my personal experience with cashmere of different brands I’ve noticed that they vary widely in the way they look after repeated wear and a few dry-cleanings. To give you an idea I have compiled a list (from best to worst) of what I have found.

1. Loro Piana (amazing)
2. Dolce & Gabbana (amazing)
3. Bamford England (amazing)
4. Inhabit (amazing)
5. AKRIS Punto (amazing)
6. Autumn Cashmere (amazing)
7. Michael Kors (great)
8. Alisha Levine (great)
9. iisli (good)
10. Marciano (questionable)
11. Julie & Jack (questionable)
12. Beth Bowley (questionable)
13. Club Monaco (questionable)
14. Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent (would not recommend)
15. Dex Luxury (would not recommend)

Basically, after considering the list for a few seconds a definite pattern begins to emerge. The higher-up the list, the more expensive the items tend to be. This brings me to tip #2: when buying cashmere, its original retail price is usually an accurate indicator of the purity of the cashmere. Tip #3: just because the tag says 100% cashmere does not mean that it’s pure.

I am going to quickly comment on the dresses in the video because this is getting a bit long. For the first dress, by Alisha Levine, I mentioned that I would accessorize it with a long chain necklace. Imagine wearing it with a tiny chain or a small necklace over the collar, it wouldn’t work because it would get lost in the fabric and look out of place.

The second dress, by Autumn Cashmere, can work with a belt only if you place it right on the lower horizontal line, in which case it will look like a tiny skirt in the bottom and would be kind of cool.   However, it’s difficult to keep it in place and I prefer the necklace for that reason.

The third dress has an elaborate sequin design in the front and it would be wise to keep the accessories to a minimum so as not to overdo it.

Tip #4: Cashmere dresses are worth the investment because they are easy to wear, cozy, comfy, and look fabulous. They are the kind of pieces that love you back by keeping you warm and happy.

Thanks for reading.

What I’m wearing:

• Skinny jeans by “Joe’s”
• Suede sleeveless coat by “Isaac Sellam”
• Cashmere cardigan by “Julie & Jack”
• Wooden necklace by “Kenneth Jay Lane”
• Long leather gloves
• Leather boots

Click here to view the embedded video.

Welcome to my first video-blog on Fashionista Talk.com!

Every video-post will be accompanied by an article that builds on the ideas discussed in the video.  The following is both a written reiteration of, and an elaboration on, what I speak about in the video.

Today’s topic is the “Sequin Dress.” It really is one of the most glamorous statements in the history of fashion.  Who would have thought that shaped plastic pieces stitched to fabric could produce such a strong effect; especially when done right.

What initially attracted me to sequin dresses was how elaborate and detailed they seemed to be.  I came across my first sequin dress about 3 years ago, when I stumbled upon it at Marciano.  They weren’t even “in” at the time when I saw it sadly hanging on the sale rack; just waiting for someone like me to come along and adore it.  The poor little dress was “ahead of its time”; unappreciated and misunderstood.  Well, that day we both got lucky.

The first two pieces that I talked about in the video were the TopShop top and the Foley dress. I’ve included some pictures of me wearing the Foley dress to my friend’s birthday party.  As you can see, I tried to keep the light, airy quality of the dress by accessorizing it with equally light shoes, bracelets, and ring.  I know that I didn’t exactly follow my own advice of “keeping it simple when it comes to sequin dresses” but I felt like being really dazzling that night.  And the party did have a princess theme after all.

The next two items were the Foley + Corinna top and the Marciano dress (the one that started my collection of sequin dresses).  I included  pictures of me wearing it on different occasions.  When I wore it to the wedding, sequin dresses were so rare at that time and it was so different from the dresses of all the other guests, that it made quite an impression.
The Foley + Corinna zebra-print top served me well on my trip to Cuba.  I wore it with the shortest black shorts so that the top looked like the tiniest little dress.  I find that, on vacation, I am always more experimental and daring when it comes to my outfits.  The top is quite loose, which balances out the shortness of the shorts.  Had the top been form-fitting, wearing them would have produced an entirely different effect – one that might have made some of the more conservative guests a little uncomfortable.

The last four dresses were serious contenders for the position.  There was the black Foley dress, the two Alice & Olivia dresses and my new, gold Jay Ahr dress.  I’ve worn both of the Alice & Olivia dresses before, the black one to a dinner and the checkered one to the opera (picture included).  I love the square shape of the sequin pieces and how neatly they overlay.

My tip, when in comes to sequin dresses, is to keep it simple with everything else.  If you really feel like accessorizing it, make sure not to introduce an element to the look that visually competes with the dress.  I noticed that in some fashion magazines they do exactly that – attempt to intensify the look of a sequin piece my adding clashing bangles or heavy, leopard-print shoes.  It may look interesting in pictures of a magazine but I think it should stay there.  This approach may seem  “fashion-forward” in theory but looks disastrous in practice.

I also wanted to add that, in winter and fall, the sequin dresses can be worn with skin-tone or beige thights as well.  Better yet, if you complete that look with beige high-heel, platform shoes it will visually elongate you legs.

I hope this was helpful and informative.  Stay fabulous and have fun!