Travel Style Diary: Florence, Italy

Ciao from Florence! In case you haven’t been following along on Instagram, I’m travelling Europe for 3 weeks right now with some of my best friends right now, exploring Italy, Switzerland, France and England. We’ve spent 4 days in Florence, eating our hearts out and drinking wine for the most part.

Our hotel was blocks away from the famous Ponte Vecchio, which is lined with Florentine gold shops selling all kinds of jewellery and watches. Just on the other side of this bridge, we discovered this beautiful arched walkway to take some photos. The walkway lines the side of the Arno river and have a beautiful view of the buildings that line the river on the other side. It was a great little spot! Also just blocks away from the best panini shop, according to one of our group, who lived in Florence for 6 months. It was one massive panini, let me tell you. We also joined a Chianti wine tour and headed out into Tuscany visit two wineries in the area. The vineyards had amazing views of the countryside, and it was neat to try wines specific to the region, including the Black Rooster. You can check out my day in Instagram photos below!

The weather has been phenomenal in Florence, with temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius, so coats were definitely not necessary. I wore my super-comfy high-waisted pants with a cute blouse I picked up from Simons before the trip. I love styling black, white and camel! It’s always a winning combo. The pants are quite long, so I needed to wear heels, but with the old cobblestone roads I wasn’t sure how I’d fair in high heels. I ended up wearing my chunky-heeled leather ankle boots and they worked just fine. You just have to watch your step!

Stay tuned, I have another day of photos from Florence coming next week, and then we’re on to Switzerland.

Shirt - Simons (similar) | Pants - Forever 21 | Purse - JustFab | Boots - Zara (similar)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

The Wide Leg Pant: How to Wear this Spring

When doing some clothes shopping a few weeks ago, I started to notice wide leg pants everywhere I went - culottes are still definitely a hot item too, as well as flared pants, but boy were there a lot of wide leg trousers! I ended up picking up a couple of fun pairs like these camel trousers and these nautical-style navy trousers, but I thought these pastel ones from last year would be the perfect way to start wearing this style for spring!

I recommend wearing wide leg trousers with pointed toe shoes, so that they poke out of the bottom hem just slightly. I perfect this look over rounded to shoes, which tend to hide underneath the pants, giving the "invisible shoe" look. It's not really a problem, but I just prefer having them peek out a bit!

And the pastels don't stop at the pants! My favourite lip colour of the moment is this NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in the shade Power from London Drugs. Just like the name says, the formula is super creamy and comfortable to wear, and the pigmentation is great. Definitely it's not for everyone, but it's a fun look that fits great with a pastel outfit.

Sweater - Betty Be Good | Necklace - Olive + Piper | Pants - Forever 21 (similar) | Heels - Spring (via Value Village)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Vancouver Fashion Week FW2016: Day 2

Well folks, this is officially my 13th season covering Vancouver Fashion Week! Pretty crazy. Day 2 of the Fall/Winter 2016 runway shows brought all kinds of fabulous new designers into the spotlight, including my personal favourites Lesley Hampton, Saint Jesus by M. Jesus Ponce, and Street and Saddle. Keep on reading below to see a few runway shots and my thoughts on each of their collections!

Fashion Week is always a great opportunity to step up your fashion game. Lately, fashion weeks have become notorious for the "circus" they create - bloggers dressed up in ridiculous outfits just in order to be photographed. I think that just becomes silly, but I must admit fashion week creates a wonderful opportunity to dress up more than you would on a normal day - because let's be honest, in Vancouver, there are only so many opportunities to wear these wonderfully comfy floral wide leg pants (from Target!) without getting weird looks. It's the one week twice a year where anything goes, and you're among equally fashionably flamboyant friends! Hence my chance to wear these wide leg floral pants, my favourite cape blazer, and a giant statement necklace. Oh and an avant garde pastel purple lipstick from NYX lipstick that I've been dying to wear. What better time than fashion week?

Designer: Lesley Hampton

I'm fully aware I'm attracted to shiny things. Sequins are a no brainer, so this collection from Lesley Hampton definitely caught my eye with its mirrored scales. I loved the shape of this dress in particular, how the scales really accentuated her curves and how the black inserts gave the arms and waist more definition. The exposed zipper also gave the dress a nice edgy touch. By the way, if you've ever wondered how to rock black lipstick, this is a perfect example. A killer outfit from top to bottom!

Photo by Ed Ng Photography

Designer: Saint Jesus by M. Jesus Ponce

I was a big fan of the sheer skirt when it became a big trend last year, plus I've always loved the retro vibe of high waisted bottoms. So naturally, Saint Jesus caught my eye. The geometric detailing on the sheer skirt is what made it really unique. It's certainly not a design for the faint of heart, but something that makes a fierce fashion statement!

Photo by Dale Rollings

Designer: Street and Saddle

Equestrian style has been a staple part of my fall wardrobe for a few seasons now. I adore the preppy look associated with Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, and now I think I have some new inspiration thanks to Street and Saddle! I love how it even incorporated one of my favourite styles: the cape! I loved the riding pants and other equestrian-inspired pieces of this collection as well, but this cape jacket/dress (complete with a wrangler belt to cinch) was by far my favourite. Especially with the added touch of the pearl necklace, the look is so classic but with a modern twist thanks to the cape slits and structured neckline.

Photo by Dale Rollings

Blazer - Lavish Alice (via Asos) | Shirt - Meiling Couture | Earrings & Necklace - Nobis & Grey | Pants - Merona (via Target) | Heels - Aldo (thrifted)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta