I remember trend forecasting for this season 2 years ago, and here we are- everything I could have hoped for in fashion is here. God bless the Fall/Winter 2014 trend that is 'Allegory'.

To give you a bit of insight on this glorious season and fabulous trend, here are some textures that will be seen more than an Uggs wearing girl drinking a pumpkin spice latte:

It's no surprise that Fall is my favourite season (at least, it shouldn't be a surprise...) so at the first cold day chance I got, I figured it was time to break out the leather paneled pants!

For a classic, Fall appropriate look, I paired my black denim & leather Buffalo jeans with a beige chunky sweater, and leopard print pointed toe booties. A new accessory I picked up is this beautiful (vegan) leather & fringe backpack- which is an accessory trending this season.

I'm sorry, Vegan leather?

Yes, Vegan leather. And no, it isn't just a fancy term for pleather. Let me explain:

When I first ran my fingers across this bag, the softness was a feeling like no other... the feeling of buttery leather which is indescribable. But then I saw the tag- Vegan leather. Which sort of threw me off, because the feeling and scent of real leather is so distinct, and I swear this bag fooled my senses.

So, Vegan leather:  Not all synthetic leathers are made from polyurethane or polyvinyl, which is a less eco friendly material used to produce a leather look alike. Vegan leather uses materials that are durable, like real leather, except without the use of any animal hide or harsh chemicals. Substitutes for real leather to produce Vegan leather would be harvested cork which is tree bark from "The Cork Oak" aka Quercus suber, an evergreen oak tree, as well as ocean plants such as seaweed and kelp.

Beige Sweater: Max Studios at Winners

Black Denim & Leather Jeans: Buffalo at The Bay

Black Vegan Leather & Fringe Backpack: Deux Lux at Winners

Leopard Print Booties: Dolce Vita at The Bay

There's nothing we all love more than a complete pumpkin overload once the first day of Fall hits.

While some people spend the last few days of summer counting down until Starbuck's infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte hits stores (which is pretty darn delicious by the way), I count down the days until Fashion Week (which is on it's last kick in Paris at the moment), and Fall clothing.

For a very simple, first day of Fall outfit (especially on a Monday...) I opted for something very casual, comfortable, and of course, stylish. I am going on a bit of a boyfriend jean kick because I like how relaxed, yet versatile they are in the sense that they can easily be worn casually, or dressed up a bit.

I paired light washed, cuffed boyfriend jeans with a loose(ish) black turtle neck sweater, and black round toe (open heel) booties. That look on it's own I thought was very classic, however, for a bit of extra weight, and to add layers, I paired a beige fur vest with this Fall ensemble for a cozy/chic look.

Jeans- DIY project- Tommy Hilfiger jeans, tapered, hemmed & cuffed

Black Turtle Neck Sweater- Lord & Taylor at The Bay

Beige (Faux) Fur Vest- H&M

Black Leather Booties- Marc Fischer at Designer Shoe Warehouse, NYC

For me, spending time in my room is incredibly relaxing simply because it is my safe haven. Everything is white and beautiful, and very calming. But I think my favourite part about my room, is my closet... actually I think that's my real safe haven.

Unfortunately, it is also my own living hell, when it gets out of hand of course. (which is almost always). As a clothing enthusiast (that's a fancy term for shopaholic) my closet is filled to the brim with every type of clothing you could imagine. And it's actually stressful. Not only can I not fit anything else on the hang bars, but I have 6 boxes on the top shelf full of seasonal clothing (ex: sweaters. Lots, and lots of sweaters. Actually, just sweaters). So every once in a while, I have to "break up" with some of my pieces, so to speak. And it's hard. There's an emotional attachment- you've spent so long together, but at some point, things start to 'fall apart at the seams' and you have to learn to let go. You've had some great times together, but you just don't 'fit' each other any more. Somewhere, something has changed, a new style has come along- something better- that makes your heart skip a beat or two, and the other pieces are left; forgotten. They go months without seeing you, stuffed in the back of your closet somewhere, hoping that their style will make a come back- but it wont. It never does. "It's not you, it's me", I've changed, and grown- matured. My 'type' is different, and I need to de clutter what doesn't suit me anymore.

Which brings me to my day of closet cleaning.

{There's just something about leaving your closet doors open after a day of reorganizing}

By no means is this a completed project yet. There's still more boxes, and more things I need to "break up" with- but for now, everything is neat and orderly, which makes me pleased with my job.

**Side note: The wooden jewelry holder with crown and diamond shaped mirror was actually made by yours truly!** 

Considering the dramatic print in this one piece, it was only right to keep the rest of the outfit relatively simple to let the vest speak for itself! I wanted it to play the role of a good statement piece which is why I paired it with  a grey long sleeve turtle neck, which was tucked into my black asymmetrical skort. I scrunched the sleeves up a bit on the long sleeve, and threw a relaxed grey belt with some hardware, and cut out booties. I absolutely loved this look because first off: it was very comfy.. and comfort is a very important thing when you are in school for 12+ hours! And second, I am all for statement pieces! They just make an outfit more fun, and visually appealing!

Graphic Vest: Vero Moda at 8th & Main

On a Monday, almost nothing feels or seems effortless... especially when it comes to picking an outfit. I have Monday rules: Whatever I wore Friday, cannot be worn on Monday, and whatever I wore last Monday, I can't wear this Monday. It's like repeating an outfit. For some reason, on Monday's, my brain just doesn't feel like putting an outfit together... mainly because it's the start of the week and everything seems more difficult.

We all hate Monday's, and believe me, if it was socially acceptable to wear a fleece onsie to school everyday, I'd be all over that. But it's not. So I opted for the next best thing on this incredibly hot Monday- the infamous knit dress.

I'll let you in on a little secret. Remember how I told you I love layering? Because it adds more visual appeal? Yah? Well, I also enjoy layering that you don't actually notice.

What am I talking about you ask? Well, I didn't feel like wearing the knit sweater dress as a tank top, so I layered a similar grey long sleeve underneath, and slouchily rolled up the sleeves a bit for a very relaxed, casual look. To take this plain grey canvas and amp it up, I wore a multi coloured somewhat tribal print scarf in earth tones, and brown suede ankle booties for contrast, and kept my jewelry very minimal.

Scarf: Aritzia

Grey Knit Sweater Dress: Zara

Grey lightweight Long sleeve: Vince

Brown Suede Ankle Booties: Dolce Vita

I like taking opposite types of garments and pairing them together. For example, pairing a more casual, relaxed piece, with a piece that has a more refined, and dressy look to it.

This black bomber jacket is a very versatile piece; it can be totally dressed up with a pair of trousers and blouse, or dressed down, like it is here. I feel that this jacket has a more refined feel, which is why I decided to pair it with my DIY ripped boyfriend jeans. To keep the look casual, I paired a textured light grey sweater underneath the jacket, and partially tucked the front in showing off a black leather belt with a gold buckle.

Bomber Jacket- Loft

Grey Sweater- Brandy Melville

Boyfriend jeans have been in style for a while... and now the 'mom jeans' are starting to make their way into our stores. As a student on a budget, and a relatively creative person, I decided to go right to the root for my "mom/boyfriend" jeans... my moms closet.

Places like H&M, Topshop, and other retailers, are selling these re-vamped version of mom jeans, and boyfriend jeans, and let me tell you, most of them don't come cheap (because they are in high demand). So I made my own! I asked my mom if she had any pairs of jeans she no longer needed in her closet, and if I could use them! She gave me 3 pairs, and I tried them on to decide which ones would be perfect for my DIY project! (Now some of these jean styles were from back in the early 2000's when the flared jean was a thing.... needless to say, no one can salvage those).

I decided to use a pair of Silver Jeans from Off the Wall. Here is what they looked like before going under the knife... and sewing machine.

I tried them on and made a marking of what I wanted the length to be. I cut the excess fabric off, and tapered them a little to make them less boot-cut. After tapering them and serging the edge to finish it, I cuffed them up, and pressed them in place. Next, I took a pair of scissors, made small incisions, and just ripped the material.

And Voila! Fini

I paired my jeans with a simple black leather belt, with dainty gold buckle, an oversized white sweater and cuffed the sleeves, and brown open toe, chunky heel booties. The combination of the ripped jeans, oversized sweater, and brown heels, keeps the look very casual, but also put together. And it was very comfortable to wear!

Now with school in full swing, finding time to blog is a little trickier, and as much as I want it to be a priority, my 5 courses are taking the lead.

Every once in a while, I will put together a 'blog worthy' outfit and make sure I MAKE time to blog it. These 'blog worthy' outfits aren't guaranteed to happen every day simply because when you accidentally sleep in until 6 and have 15 minutes to get ready, an outstanding outfit is never the outcome.

However, this outfit took more than 15 minutes to plan out, and I was quite pleased with how it looked. With Fall on my mind, I get a little a head of myself. I want sweaters. And boots. And scarves.... and lots and lots of coats. But with a hot streak of weather, I'm not necessarily feelin my wool coats yet. So I have to get creative and wear the best of both worlds.

Right now, I'm all about layering. If I don't have multiple layers, my outfit feels incomplete. I just think adding layers adds visual appeal to the overall look because there is more to take in!

I paired my classic black asymmetrical skort with a black and grey subtle print blouse with black piping around the cuffs, placket, and collar, and threw on an olive green utility jacket over top.

I also think accessories are a huge part of an outfit! As Olivia Palermo says, "accessories are a way to add your own personal touch to an outfit". So I added a black, white, and grey, statement necklace over top of the blouse, and pinned a silver dangly brooch to the jacket. I also wore my studded cuff, and black leather watch... and of course, black cut out ankle booties.

Blouse- Loft

Jacket- Loft

Skort- Target

Statement Necklace- Plenty

Shoes- H&M

My 20th birthday was spent in a very special place- the Fashion Wing at KPU. And there's no other place I'd rather be to celebrate it.... no, really.

I have been saving a particular outfit for this particular day and didn't want to spoil it by wearing any of these pieces before hand (which was very difficult, especially when you see this certain piece hanging at the front of your closet every single day.)

I have never really been much of a yellow or green wearer (unless it is specifically a forest green, then I'm all for it), just because I felt the colour was too overwhelming. But I'm 20 now, and I've gotten much bolder and more outgoing and felt I could pull off this daring chartreuse colour in a modest style of dress. And I absolutely love it!

Dress- Loft

Shoes- MIA (found at Macy's)

To get back into the swing of things, I figured I'd start with a small makeup post about a few products I purchased recently.

With makeup, I go back and forth between different products, and different routines. For the longest time, I would never go a day without wearing eye shadow... then all of a sudden, a large chunk of time passed where I preferred to keep my eyes clean and only dress them in a thin line of liquid liner, and a few coats of a light mascara for definition. My main reason for taking a break from eye shadow was because of the way it would end up creasing throughout the day, and just looked messy.

However, there is a solution for this, and it is not just called primer!! MAC paint pots are probably one of the best things invented... other than their pro long wear concealer (and puppies). 

Paint pots are a dual purpose product; they come in different colours and some even have a shimmer or sparkle to them, and you can use them as a primer, and you can also wear it on it's own where it will appear as a subtle eye shadow. The best part a bout these little guys is when they are used as a primer, and then layered with eye shadows, the paint pot actually prevents the shadows from creasing throughout the day! I bought this paint pot in the colour "PAINTERLY" and love wearing it on it's own, as well as layering very, very subtle neutral shadows over it, with a bit of a sheen to them.

While I was milling around the MAC store, I couldn't help by wander over towards the lipsticks. I found a gorgeous berry coloured lipstick, one that I had never seen before, I was obsessed, but hate paying over $20.00 for a lipstick. So I put a quick swipe of the lipstick colour on my hand, and headed off to target for no other reason than to find a dupe!

I can't tell you how long I spent trying to find the PERFECT dupe for the MAC colour I wanted. There are few people in this world who have been lipstick shopping with me, and they can probably all agree that it is the longest process of their lives (sorry...). With at least 15 different lipstick colour swatches on my hand, I settled for 2 very close, and practically identical colours from 2 different brands. The lipstick on the left is by Covergirl, and it is the colour RICH (295), and it has more of a red undertone to it. The lipstick on the right is by NYC and it is in the colour Berry Me (442), and it has more of a blue undertone. 

I would recommend to check out drug stores for duplicate colours, not only in lipsticks, but in other product as well. Especially if you are on a budget. There is a lot to be said for spending $9.00 on 2 lipsticks, rather than $20+ on 1 lipstick... when the drugstore, and 'designer' colours are quite similar! I love this berry colour for Fall! I think it is more subtle than a bright red lip, and to me has more of a neutral vibe to it. It's bold without being dramatic- which I really love!

Check out MAC to experience the glory that is the Paint Pot! Your life will forever be changed!