winter style: an unofficial guide

If you're like me, winter is your natural style enemy. The cold suffocates me, making me dizzy enough to believe that all I can wear for the next few months are cable-knit sweaters and boots.

My best outfits are generally for warmer weather days, so winter is a definite roadblock for me. I fear that I'll need to pack up my crop tops and sundresses, and unbox the oversized sweaters and leggings. (An outfit combo that was all-the-rage in 2013) Though, a lot of you who know me, know this is not how I operate. 

"The weather doesn't determine what I wear." A quote by me; a guideline set for me, by me. Generally if I say that, it's because a friend has asked why I'm wearing a crop top in 40° Fahrenheit weather. While I will probably always live by that rule (being that I'm too stubborn to not), that is not what I'm recommending in today's guide.

So, what are this season's essential pieces to keep warm without looking frumpy?

A quick overview of what this includes:

For the Romantics and the Street Stylers:

• Ascots, soft bandanas, and neck ties. (not those kinds of neck ties)
• Soft floral prints
• Big cardigans
• Sweaters!
• Basic tees and graphic tees
• Faux leather
• DENIM
• Velvet. Yes, velvet. The 90's just keep regurgitating onto the scene. 
• Embroidered decals, fabric patches, embroidered design
• Blouses
• Capes
• Long coats

And on the accessory side of things...

• Block heels
• Sneakers
• Caged flats
• Novelty loafers (not a trend I love, but I'll roll with it)
• Berets
• Broaches
• Cameo Necklaces
• Soft statement rings
• Decorated bags

And now, for some visuals.
p.s. I made these myself, and it took one million years.

Romantics: Soft, floral, and flirty. A style that is constantly evolving to keep up with trends as well as create them. This is the main trend for this month. Cape coats keep the Romantic vibe while keeping you warm outdoors.

Sweaters: The honourable mention of this post. Graphic sweaters are out, knit sweaters are in. Keep the neck lines interesting. Sweaters don't have to be the afterthought in an outfit. 

Jeans: High waisted, embroidered, black, blue, patched, or clean. Denim jeans, per usual, are in. Don't be afraid to up-cycle either. Grab the old jeans you have stuffed in the back of your drawer and embroider some floral on, or hand stitch some patches. Mix up the styles, too. Add some baggy boyfriend jeans into your wardrobe, it's comfortable and stylish.

Layering: THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. Just because it's cold doesn't mean you have to pack up all of your tee shirts for the season. A denim jacket or a bomber added to any tee can keep your "summer shirts" in use through all seasons.

Essentials: Mixing and matching is a life saver in the winter season, and thanks to jackets, coats, and cardigans, there seem to be endless pairings. Get a few basic long cardigans to add overtop any shirt or dress. To keep a laid-back vibe, use Neutral with an Accent as a guide when pairing colours this season.

Stay warm, stay cool.

Click here to find all of the pieces from this blog post! (my Polyvore account)

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trends for august 2016

"Hanna, it's almost September. Why are you doing an 'August Trends' blog post?"

Forgive me, for I have sinned. In the rush of getting ready for school, I have neglected this blog.
I am back, though, and ready to present you with the most current, fresh, up-to-date trends.


Denim.
Dark washed, regular waist, skinny jeans are great. A classic. But this season we're focusing on varied lengths, light washes, loose forms, and waist emphasis. 
Pair with a simple tee, and clean sneakers for this re-vamped 90's staple.

Thick cuffs are also a stand out style.

Jean jackets are always in, but while we're focusing on denim, it must be brought up. 

You can wear a jean jacket with virtually anything. Full on, all out, Canadian Tuxedo. No shame.

Personalize your look with some pins.

Light-weight knit dresses.

It's a cute way to feel like you're wearing pyjama's without the guilt. 

Shift style or a form-fitting knit, it's a forgiving on-the-go outfit, and it's even easier to dress up.

Pair with any type of sneaker or bootie. You can also add a jean jacket, or faux leather jacket.

Dad hat!

SNEAKERS.

Stan Smith Adidas returned to the scene this summer, and they're here to stay. In fact, any sort of sneaker similar to Adidas is on trend. Pumas, Nike Roshes, Yeezy's (It's okay if they're fake. No one can afford real ones), Vans Skater Shoes, and of course, Chuck Taylor Converse's. 

I own these and am currently trying to break them in. SOS

Other shoes

Booties: Block heel or flat, suede or faux leather.

Oxfords: Matte, suede, or metallic in every colour of the rainbow.

Caged flats: You know, the lace up flats. You know the one's I'm talking about.

Birkenstocks: Forever and always.

Other Tops

Tee-shirts: This is great because you can buy a $5 tee-shirt and create a runway-worthy outfit.

Mock necks: The polar opposite of round necks, and we're not mad about it.

Thick knit sweaters: Prepare for the transition to fall and pair this with some Mom Jeans.

So here it is, a short and sweet trend post for the last few days of August. And of course, these trends will survive into September, but next month will be quite a different story. Stay tuned.

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peep those mom jeans (B.P.)

shoes, summer, and belt bags

I went to City Creek Mall in Salt Lake City today and found myself very excited about a lot of the shoes I saw in Nordstrom's shoe department. 

Trends:

Block heels 

Suede 

Lace-up heels 

Oxfords

Monterey-style Birkenstocks

Anything Vince Camuto or Steve Madden (or knock-offs, if you're like me) 

The very first picture are shoes I now own(thanks Mom). Vegan Birkenstocks are great for two reasons. You don't have to feel the guilt of wearing real leather, and you don't have to feel the buyer's remorse of purchasing real leather. 

And then I found myself in the Nordstrom Swimsuit section. 

      Solid & Striped                                 Becca by Rebecca Virtue

Summer suit trends I love:

Cut outs

Lace

Low cut backs

Halter-tops

High waisted bottoms

Colour blocking

One pieces! As a dedicated two piece girl, I never really gave a singles a chance. But this season is coming out strong with edgier styles.                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                                       A must have for this swim season is of course, a cover up. This cover up is by Surf Gypsy. Cover ups have made a great transition this year by going from basically a towel sewn into dress form into an entire chic outfit.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Another Summer trend I love is one that used to be a joke. 

Belt bags. More commonly known as fanny packs.  

left to right, top to bottom: Herschel, H&M, Frye, Kate Spade   

A fun, casual camping accessory was recently adopted by designer brands like Frye and Kate Spade, turning it into an instant classic. But if you're not willing to spend $228 on a leather belt bag, a $17 version from H&M will do just as well. 

Beauty Recommendations

A moment of silence for this Tre'Stique Mini Matte Lip Crayon in Florence Fig, for I have run out of it. Something that has never happened to me before. 

I used it like I use to use chapstick. It was a go-to. It looked like a light matte lipstick without drying out your lips or bleeding as the day goes on. It was essentially smear resistant, and got through almost everything.

If you can't afford Kylie Jenner's lip kit, like everyone else in North America, this next recommendation is the perfect alternative. 

NYX Cosmetics Liquid Suede cream lipstick. Another great product from NYX's lip care line. The only con about this product is the texture. It doesn't necessarily dry your lips out, rather it feels like you have a thin coat of acrylic paint on your lips. It's worth it, though, for the look and easy maintenance. I've also noticed it makes your lips look insanely full. 

Muted tones are really in for lips this season, and it's easy to experiment when you can buy great products like this from your local drug store.

Colour: Soft Spoken

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trends: hanna approved

Taking a look at some current trends I've tried and approved.

Mock necks

The late 80's and early 90's trend is making a comeback, whether you like it or not. The identity confused mock neck plays as the love child of a turtleneck and a crew neck, and fits well with almost any outfit.

Glitter Everything

2016 is the break-out-year for arts and crafts (for your face). Your face is now the canvas, and I can guarantee putting some sort of glitter on it will create a pretty strong focal point.

I usually use a much finer glitter than this, but it gets the point across. 

"Hanna, where would you put the glitter?" Why, good question.

• under eyebrows
• on eyelid as eyeliner
• on cheekbone to replace highlighter
• in hair part
• on eyelashes (you can buy mascara with glitter, or do what I did and get clear mascara, then fill it with sparkles.)

Not all at once of course, but it is a fun look to mess with.

Phhhoto account: hannavanfleet

This is a gif, but apparently you can't insert gifs on blogger, so I separated it into three frames.

Anyway, don't do that unless you like coughing up glitter. 

My eyebrows also have glitter lined under them, but the lighting isn't A+.


Bandanas and handkerchiefs

A great statement piece. They're also really cheap, so go wild.

phhhoto

Thrift Shopping

If it's a rarity that you have money- like it is for me- spend some of that cold hard cash on some gems from a thrift shop. It may take a long time to find anything, but I promise you will.

www.tagsthrift.com/

Hats 24/7

Hats! Part of the trend I'm seeing where accessories are anything but jewelry.
I own this hat and wear it frequently.

Banana Republic

DIY ripped jeans

I was given these jeans as a hand-me-down- they were a size six. They were clearly too big for me, so I turned them into boyfriend jeans. I used sandpaper, scissors, and my hands. Super easy, super worth the mess of fabric fuzz all over.

(I usually cuff the bottoms)

Overalls

I just bought these chambray overalls from Madewell, and I love them. I usually wear it with a striped crop top and the flat brimmed Banana Republic hat that was pictured above.

Madewell

90's: All grunge, all the time

Dust off your mom's Doc Martens. They're back.


Non-traditional hair styles and cuts

Do something crazy with your hair! It's 2016. Whether it's for convenience (I have an undercut because my hair is pretty thick) or just for a change.
Get those bangs you wanted! Dye your hair pink! Get a pixie cut! 

Messy space-buns featuring my undercut and crazy eyes.

Try some of these trends and tell me how you like them.

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