Fashionista Talk » Julie & Jack

the season of cashmere

lida — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:32:55 +0000

As it starts getting cooler outside, life gets cozier and cozier. These are my visions for upcoming looks this fall: (1) merging of feminine and polished sensibility with the ease of a favourite cardigan and (2) pleated chiffon skirts peeked out from hearty sweater dresses. Ummm…can’t wait!

What I’m wearing:

Cashmere dress by iisli (last seen here)
Cashmere cardigan by Julie & Jack (last seen here)
Silver multi-strand bracelet (last seen here)
Suede gloves by Alberta Ferretti (last seen here)
Heels by Modern Vintage (last seen here)
Leather bag by BERGE (as seen in here)

light monotone

lida — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:31:28 +0000

I’m visiting my family in Toronto and trying to savor every moment of it. I wake up early and go to bed late just to make my days longer here. My “day 1″ outfit in T.O. was comprised of a light silk top, cropped pants, and matching heels. I paired this combo with a Chan Luu necklace to break up the monotonality with some color and a touch of crystal. I’m always so inspired in this city…more to come shortly.

What I’m wearing:

Silk pants by YA-YA Aflalo
Silk top by Penguin
Silk necklace/scarf by Chan Luu
Heels by Enzo Angiolini
Cashmere cardigan by Julie & Jack (last seen in Oct. 20’10)
Large leather bag by Plinio Visona (last seen in July 23’10)

in time for spring

lida — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 04:36:45 +0000

I picked up this simple little dress at a vintage shop in San Francisco and it has become one of my library favourites. Conveniently enough, its fabric never seems to wrinkle and its loose fit makes it comfortable to sit in for hours. As the deafening silence of the library room and the double vision from excessive reading begin to shut down my senses, I can look down at the pattern of the dress and it completely finishes the job…leads to official loss of sanity .

What I’m wearing:

Cashmere cardigan by Julie & Jack (last seen in Nov. 24’09)
Leather boots (last seen in Mar. 10’10)
Sunglasses by MARNI (last seen in May. 21’10)
Leather bag by BERGE (as seen in Mar. 10’11)
Dress by Blue Bird
Bangles by Holt Renfrew

cardigan season

lida — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:50:25 +0000

I wore this casual look for brunch last Saturday. Fall in California is a beautiful thing because I can pretty much wear a cardigan over my summer clothes and call it an outfit. Its so refreshingly easy.

What I’m wearing:

Cashmere cardigan by Julie & Jack (last seen in June 18’10)
Cotton / Cashmere top by Opening Ceremony
Distressed denim mini by Abercrombie & Fitch (last seen in Nov. 16’09)
Necklace by Ben-Amun (last seen in May 27’10)
Men’s watch (last seen in Sept, 27’10)
Nude heels by Elie Tahari (last seen in Sept. 23’10)
Large leather bag by NICOLI (as seen in Sept. 23’10)

For my Russian Readers:

Я надевала это в прошлую субботу. Осень в Калифорнии тёплая и потому я могу носить кардиган с любой летней одеждой и считать это осенним комрлектом.

get your feet wet

lida — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 17:44:02 +0000

This post is in two parts and will be laid out similarly to Full Moon Shenanigans. On our second last day in LA, we continued to enjoy some of the best things it has to offer – its fresh seafood and lively beaches. Our good friend, Dima, flew in from Toronto to meet us here so while the boys played volleyball I immersed myself in my usual beach activities of reading and napping. In the spirit of enjoying the full experience, I would periodically walk up to the ocean in contemplation of possibly jumping in, but somehow my ambitious intentions were always reduced to just getting my feet wet and shamefully walking back to my blanket with my head down and a “maybe-next-time” look on my face. A few more such cycles of reading, napping, and ‘feet-wetting’ and it was time to drive back to the hotel.

What I’m wearing:

Hat by “Marc by Marc Jacobs”
Cotton beach dress by “Marciano” (last seen in Vacation Clothes)
Cashmere cardigan by “Julie & Jack” (last seen in June 5’10)
Bikini by “Agua Bendita”
Chunky chain ring by “Luc Kieffer” (last seen in June 5’10)
Sunglasses by “MARNI”
Reversible cloth bag (beach blanket) by “Xpat” (last seen in June 3’10)

In the evening, the three of us drove up to the Redondo Beach Fish Market for dinner and shared some delicious, spicy (of course), shrimp fajitas. They might not appear very appetizing on the picture (the place is not big on presentation) but in this case looks really are deceiving because the shrimp was “finger-likin’-good.” I think the peppers might have had an adverse affect on my friend’s brains (they can’t handle that spice) because when they saw an arcade on the way out they couldn’t be stopped. It’s funny because it’s so no unlike them. There were all these young kids and my two over-sized friends playing the same racing games…lovely. Personally, the driving I do in Toronto is more than enough for me so I stuck to Deal or No Deal until they finished. In the end I won some prize tickets and as you can see, I had some beautiful pieces to choose from. A plastic flower pot or maybe a pretty dress for your doll straight from China. Yes, the decision was tough but I managed to find something truly worthy – sticker tattoos. Now I have something to adorn my back with the next time I wear my open-back Alexander McQueen dress to the opera; talk about a fashion statement…(lol) you know I’m kidding, right?

As we were finally walking out, Dima noticed the tiniest carousel in the corner of the arcade, and of course, they had to see if we could all fit. Well we did, and that carousel got a ride of its life. It must have looked like 3 giants in a clown car but thankfully all 4 of us survived.

pastel cloud

lida — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:29:16 +0000

The Revolve shoot was an interesting but insanely tiring experience. The idea was to have the four chosen bloggers style and model five outfits each for the Revolve summer guide. As soon as the guide is launched on their site I’ll post the pictures here and tell you the stories behind each look.

This little silk number is what I wore to the shoot. Because of its precarious length, I’m still not sure whether to categorize it as a long top or a short dress but indeterminate length is nothing to fear. My general approach to such pieces is to wear them as dresses with short shorts underneath – allowing me to feel comfortable without having to distort the silhouette of the garment or impose any kind of unnecessary heaviness (i.e. wearing it as a long top over jeans or leggings).

I only have a few more days left in California, so I’m off to the beach. Have an amazing day everyone!

What I’m wearing:

Silk top/dress by “twenty8twelve”
Nude heels by “Elie Tahari” (last seen in June 4’10)
Necklace by “Ben-Amun” (last seen in June 4’10)
Cashmere cardigan by “Julie & Jack” (last seen in Mar. 19’10)
Chunky chain ring by “Luc Kieffer” (last seen in June 4’10)
Vintage inspired leather purse by “Etienne Aigner” (last seen in June 4’10)
Vintage belt (last seen in June 4’10)
High-waisted shorts from “French Connection” (last seen in June 4’10)

On the Way to Cleveland

lida — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:33:41 +0000

My parents and I are driving out to Cleveland today for my first grad school open house. So far it has been a fun little road-trip, with periodic stops for tea refills and a few pictures for today’s post. My mom bought these handy porcelain travel cups (I’m holding it in one of the pictures) that we were eager to put to use, so now each service area stop perpetuates the next . In order to make it in time for the first scheduled event at the school we had to leave at 5 a.m. so, as you can imagine, I’m a little drowsy in these pics. Being comfortable is obviously the priority for a day on the road so I paired my new Lida Baday pants with a simple tank and a cashmere cardigan. The bright silk scarf was a substitute for a long necklace I would have normally worn with this combo. I wanted to add more colour and brightness to the look without having to chill in the back seat with a chain and pendant on my neck. The silk scarf was a comfortable, soft alternative that I’m now glad I chose.

As we’re driving on the highway for hours, passing stretches of gorgeous vineyards and fields, the vastness of it all is astounding. There is nothing better at shaking off the restlessness and hustle that the city invariably inspires than a good road trip. It literally and figuratively takes you out of your element and reminds you of the world outside your own. For this reason, I think periodic trips like these are helpful for keeping things in perspective.

I also found it rather amusing that the last exit before entering Pennsylvania on I90 highway is called Barcelona. I can now say that we travelled from Barcelona to Pennsylvania in less then 10 minutes J .

What I’m wearing:

Twill cropped pant by ‘Lida Baday”
Tank top by “Theory” (as seen in Sequin Dresses)
Shoes by “Guillaume Hinfray” (as seen in Mar. 7’10)
Cashmere cardigan by “Julie & Jack” (as seen in Feb. 13’10)
Silk scarf
Ring by “Club Monaco”

Patent It!

lida — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:18:17 +0000

I really patented-it-up for this look-of-the-day. I’ve been waiting to wear this jacket for a while now and today’s decent weather finally permitted the materialization of my modest desire. I generally love large, high collars and I especially appreciate well-constructed ones that stay up as intended. The texture of the patent leather allows the collar on this jacket to stay in place regardless of how high you want it. I paired it with high, patent leather gloves, as I had done in the Gloves video. Once I decided to complete the look with the patent, Pierre Hardy boots, I kept the rest of the garments simple. The shine of patent leather was enough of a statement in itself so I went with a plain sweater and jeans to balance out the glam. That is basically all there’s to my ‘patent’ story .

I wore this outfit for a sushi-lunch (on Queen St.) with a friend that I hadn’t seen in years.

p.s. Thank you for the sweet emails. Your support means a lot to me.

What I’m wearing;

Jeans by “Denim Birds” (as seen in Jan. 1′10, Nov. 10, Dec. 11, Dec. 24, Dec. 28′09, Feb. 15’10)
Cashmere sweater by “Julie & Jack” (as seen in Jan. 13′10, Nov. 25′09, Feb. 15’10)
Patent leather jacket by “Elie Tahari” (as seen in Gloves, Let it Rain (Rain Clothes))
Patent leather boots by “Pierre Hardy” (as seen in Jan. 20’10)
Bag by “Renato Angi Venezia” (as seen in Nov. 10, Nov. 21, Dec. 3,Dec. 4′09, Jan. 8′10, Feb. 22’10)
Crystal heart long necklace by “Cristal de Sèvres” (as seen in Jan. 8′10, Jan. 16’10)
Patent leather gloves by “Fownes”(as seen in Gloves)

Tuesday on the Road

lida — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:50:13 +0000

My day so far has largely consisted of getting myself back home to Toronto. I am finally sitting in my condo, with a latte in my hand, writing my daily post. There isn’t much that you can say in relation to travel attire other than the obvious – “comfort comes first.” I used to interpret this comfort-related, three-word-rule as a limiting nuisance. A stifling kill-joy that inhibits our creative instincts and freedoms. But I now realize that it doesn’t have to. On the contrary, I’m beginning to enjoy putting together looks for very specific purposes (such as travel) because its many limitations present something of fun challenge. As long as you keep in mind what the day requires of you (mostly sitting, waiting, and trying to get comfortable with little leg room and so on) then it quickly narrows down your possibilities. Through my previous experiences I’ve learned to layer, wear stretchable, comfy pants, and to bring a big bag for all my travel stuff. Everything else is a matter of the fashionista’s vision.

What I’m wearing:

Jeans by “Denim Birds” (as seen in Jan. 1’10, Nov. 10, Dec. 11, Dec. 24, Dec. 28’09)
Boots by “Sam Edelman”
Long necklace with crystal pendant by “Robert Verdi” (as seen inDec. 4′09, Feb. 15’10)
Asymmetrical cardigan by “Goddis”
Tank-top by “H&M”
Fur coat by “AlixK” (as seen in Jan. 22′10, Jan. 30′10, Feb. 14′10, Feb. 15’10)
Cashmere sweater by “Julie & Jack” (as seen in Jan. 13’10, Nov. 25’09)

A Lovely Weekend

lida — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:57:26 +0000

I just came back from having a day of fabric searching on Queen Street. A friend of mine, Liliana, had this interesting idea of us designing and making dresses together as a hobby – sort of an extension of my already existing fashion obsession. I think it’s beginning to consume my life …what do you guys think? What started as an appreciation for beautiful things has metamorphosed into the hobby of (a) collecting them, (b) blogging about them, (c) and now making them. It’s exiting though because we’re full of design ideas and this creative process is adding a new dimension to my appreciation for “the art of it all.”

In today’s look-of-the-day I was planning to tell you about my theatre experience last night but it was quite mediocre. I would rather not bore you with something that’s just “okay.”

Today’s look is of what I wore to meet with Liliana.

What I’m wearing:

Cashmere dress by “iisli”
Belt by “giogio”
Cashmere slip by “Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent”
Cashmere cardigan by “Julie & Jack” (as seen in Dec. 9’09)
2 different wild-pearl necklaces (as seen in Dec. 9’09)
Pearl/silver necklaces by “Peyote Bird” (as seen in Feb. 9’10, Dec. 9′09, Jan. 12′10)
Pearl/gold 5-strand bracelet by “Mirale & Aya” (as seen in Dec. 9, Jan. 4′09, Feb. 9’10)
Leather vintage boots by “10 Parks” (as seen in Nov. 17, Dec. 9’09)
Tights by “Givenchy” (as seen in Feb. 12’10)