For those of you that enjoy a glimpse of the future, here is what’s on trend for the upcoming F/W season from Express 😉
Dale Hodder
Ecco Men’s Spring Preview for 2015
Nothing excites me more than getting to see what is in store for the upcoming Spring 15 season. I have to admit what I am about to show you will shock you!
A little while back I was invited by the amazing team of Brill Communications to see the new line from Ecco, and I am beyond words with their attention to detail throughout the entire collection… many of which I can see being added to my extensive collection.
First up is the ever classic and making a huge return to men’s footwear is the Monk Strap. Known by the iconic double buckle and wide leather strap that covers the upper vamp meant to be quick and easy to put on hence the lack of laces in its design. The monk strap dates back centuries in European history as an alternative for the sandals normally worn by these historical clerics. Before it used to be very confusing for men on what to pair these shoes with, as the strap can be seen as casual and not worn with a suit, but too dressy for casual wear. But like all things in history… everything sees its revolution, and those same rules apply here! Mix it and pair it any way you want, just don’t let me catch you wearing them with shorts, as this style of shoe would be too heavy to offset bare legs on summer attire.
Next up and totally on trend is the perforated and zipper combination. This is the shoe to watch for when it hit shelves as it will be your new best friend in spring/summer style. This shoe will satisfy your casual needs, they look great with shorts, jeans and even a nice light weight suit for summer. Perforations have been popular for a very long time and is usually an element you see on the toe of a mens Oxford, and now decades later you are seeing them shifting from the toe and becoming style details for the new fresher man. These tiny little holes are great for getting air flow to your feet during the hot summer months, but I would avoid wearing them on rainy days 😉
One of my favourite designs from the Ecco collection is the Camo Distorted Digital print on their ultra sports shoe. Nothing got missed in the creation of this attention grabbing piece, and that includes the comfort! This handsome little guy is a great alternative for a running shoe to get you up and motivated for you morning run… Yes that’s right, they are full of technical detailing that delivers and unparalleled level of comfort and support like no other product I have seen before… but hey, take a shot and hit up and Ecco store and try a pair on to see what it is I am talking about, you will be glad you did! Oh and did I mention they are cleated on the bottom for sports like golf or anything that gets you out on the grass?!
Well guys, that’s it for my men’s Ecco preview of what’s to come, and be sure to hit up Ecco and sign up for their newsletter so you don’t miss the lauch date or your size!
Shut Up and Dress Me with The North Toronto Mom’s
Hey all,
Recently I invited to host a chat with the North Toronto Mom’s and instead of telling you about it… here’s the video!
The European Sample Sale is Underway!!!
As a personal stylist I am always looking for the best price for my clients, and one of the best kept secrets for this is SAMPLE SALES!!! If you have never been to one, here is what to expect, and why they happen.
Two or more times a year, designer collections are brought in by buyers to show to retailers so they can plan their upcoming collections for their stores, and once the purchase season is over, now its time to get rid of the shown pieces instead of paying the shipping to send them back to the designer, they sell these pieces off… and for wholesale prices.
Today I stumbled upon the ICO Sportswear sale, which carries superb brands including one of my favs….. Bark!!! While I shopped around, I snapped a few pics of my top choices to get you inspired… so enjoy!
But first, here’s where to go…. Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm located at 624 King Street West on the Third Floor in Downtown Toronto. Tell Donald, that Shut Up and Dress Me sent you 😉
Good luck and have fun!!!
Shut Up and Dress Me stops by the Guess preview
Recently we were invited to the prestigious Thompson Hotel for the launch of the upcoming Guess collection for Spring 2015, and from the moment we arrived you could see the country influence in the gingham filled decor. Are you ready for a country picnic on the beach?
However, the brand certainly took on a new life for the upcoming line, with delicious coral piping on jackets and flavourful prints in pants skirts and dresses… was enough to get this celeb stylist excited about how and who of my list will be wearing these soon! Here are a few of my favs:
The one thing that always tickles my fancy is the movement in garments, and the 70’s inspired fringe vest really got the country bumpkin in me excited!!! The floral print and the crisp white background made this a piece that can easily inject into any collection, whether you’re going two stepping at a local pub, or singing your lungs out at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville… this will be a staple!
Now no fashion story would be complete without a look at some accessories, and I’ll leave the opinions to your savvy eye to decide what you think…. so post your comments!!!
Overall it was a cute collection that has taken a step away from its roots of motorcycle and leather, to a softer consumer friendly approach. And I will be using some of this on my clients in the upcoming season ahead.
Oh, and stay tuned…. next post we’re visiting Bench!!!!
Jacelyn Holmes is interviewed by Real Tv Films
Shut Up and Dress Me Stops by C. Eaton & Co.
For those you of you that know me personally, you know about my obsession with scarves, so when I got the invite to attend todays preview from Brill Communications, I just couldn’t say no!
C. Eaton & Co. offers a beautiful collection of prints inspired by the wing span of angels and modern art, all made with luxurious high quality cashmere and silk. One thing that surprised me, considering how oversized they were, once on the body they compress in size and doesn’t look bulky… making them perfect for vacationing. Whether you need a surrong for the beach or something to keep you warm in the often too cool cabins of most 747’s.
This exquisite line will be available in The Room come Autumn and run in the price range of $300.00 to $500.00 dollars, but if you want to get your hands on some of the styles already available for spring summer visit C. Eaton & Co.
Stylishly yours!
Dale
#EXPStyle at Drake Skyyard
Tonight I had the most amazing time at Camp Express as Express clothing launched their new fall line at the Drake Hotel, one of the hottest event places here in Toronto!
To start off as I walked through the door I was offered the most delicious ginger cocktail followed by camp style smores…. yum!! If that wasn’t enough as I made my way to the “tuck shop” disguised as a candy bar to charge my phone a plethora of food continued to pour out, every thing from home made white sauce pasta to tomato grill cheese and mini bugers.
Even though the food was super delicious, so was the collection offering something for the trendy man and woman. Guy’s style based on the Express impression was a mix of casual and dressy, over the past several seasons we have seen the old man cardigan, but now the mix involves drop crotch track pants along with the cable knit toggle sweater offers a carefree and effortless style to counteract the metrosexual of yesterday.
Women on the other hand have a fun mix of pattern and print make women’s style a thing of the future! Classic combinations of black and white mixed with a strong palette of reds, blues, tribal patterns and florals deliver ladies a comfortable and more eclectic use of textures as the fall season is comes into play several months from now.
And of course no event would be complete without a list of media personalities like Natalie Deane, Veronica Chail and even the style co-ordinator Matthew Owens flew in for this well received event put on by the wonderful team at Brill Communications! So impressed!!!
Shut Up and Dress Me on The Morning Show Today!
With the wedding season upon us, deciding what to wear can be a challenge, especially if you don’t want to upstage the bride. Today we feature Montreal designer Arti Gogna offering women solutions on a softer colour choice but focusing on details and a cut breathes new life into the typical bridesmaid dresses. Shoes are from Zigi Canada.
http://globalnews.ca/video/1353974/bridesmaid-glamour
Enjoy!!
Dressing for the Petite Woman Solved!
This is often the number one issue women have while putting an outfit together, and today we are going to shed some light on how to elongate your body while still being fresh and trendy.
The first rule is to always look for clothing pieces that offer a vertical running lines as they naturally cause the eye to move upward, which in turn creates visual length. This detailing can be found in many ways including pin tucks and appliqués that have an obvious south to north movement over the body.
As you can see by the illustration below, I also reccommend working with lighter toned shoes like nude, ivory or gold. This is where most people go wrong and head directly for black or brown, these darker shades weigh down an outfit and cuts off the natural flow… which is a big no no for the not so tall woman.
Lastly, accessories should also communicate with the lighter parts of an outfit even touches of gold can add a little trend but not interfere with the clean shape you have now created 😉
Stylishly yours!
Dale Hodder
Shut Up and Dress Me Inc.
p.s should you have any style questions please feel free to submit them and be sure to follow me, as we will post responses and would not want you to miss out!!
Shut Up and Dress Me 