Shop: Cabin 108 Banff

My address book is a collection of my favorite shops each is bookmarked and saved in dewy decimal categorical filling system. I like to shop, and I like style. Shopping at independent one of kind boutiques is an adventure: one, where you are never certain of the treasures you'll find. When ever I am in Banff, I make sure to stop by Cabin 108.

Cabin 108, is located in the Clock Tower Mall on Banff Avenue. The store carries fashion forward brands at reasonable prices. The store proprietor has a wicked flare for fashion and stocks her boutique with emerging fashion labels that can't be found in mall stores. Cabin 108 is a non-pressure shopping environment that allows you to loose yourself while browsing (just like summers at the cabin). 

Everything sold at cabin is wearable and affordable. The shop is the perfect mix of lazy day (in style) comfort clothes mixed with party dresses, jewelry, funky finds, and business casual. Both of my outfits below are courtesy of Cabin. 

Tank: Lovers And Friends, necklace Free Whistle; 

Dress: See you Monday.

Cabin 108 has a great selection of: Toms, Free Whistle, Alter Ego, Lovers and Friends, and See You Monday. A trip to Banff isn't complete with out a stop at Cabin 108. 

Beauty: DIY Ombre Nails

I love, love, love, ombre nails. The trend is both soft and funky. Ombre nails can be toned up or down depending on your mood and attire. I saw this nail idea in Glamour and had to give it a try. 

DIY Ombre Nails 

You will need:

2 nail polish colors (one light, and one darker).

Colors can complement or clash, (doesn't matter).

chip resistant top coat

A makeup sponge- (or any sponge that has a flat side.)

A plastic sheet (to mix the nail colors on, and to contain the mess)

Toothpicks

Get The Look:

1. Paint your nails with the lighter of the nail colors, and wait for nails to dry completely. For a bolder look double coat each nail. 

2. On a flat surface paint a liberal amount of both colors side by side on the plastic. (colors should be just touching)

3. Using the toothpick swirl the two colors together where the colors meet. This will be the graduation of color: mix to personal long/short preference.

4. Dab your sponge in the polish, and collect the color.

5. Dab the paint covered sponge directly onto your nails. Dab lightly and move it around slightly to cover the whole nail. 

( Repeat this step as needed, just allow each layer to dry before re-sponging to prevent smudging.)

6.  Add a layer or two of a topcoat, (the sponge makes the mani textured so you may want to even out the surface).  

7. Clean up the excess nail polish around your finger using a cotton pad/ Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover. 

...and enjoy your beautiful ombre mani!

Style: Litter

I feel in lust with Litter while watching Shark Tank. Litter is a jewelry and accessory company created and designed by a pair of California sisters, Mackenzie Burdick and Rachel Mann. The sisters stumbled into the jewelry design and manufacturing game by chance. Litter started when the girls were searching for unique jewelry to wear to music festival. They made a headpiece out of vintage chains and costume jewelry. Their unique adornment stood out amongst the crowd and with out consciousness they inspired demand for funky and original costume jewelry. 

Litter is jewelry for the whole body. The line encompasses fashion forward  arm chains, head pieces, ear cuffs, and leg cuffs in addition to the more conventional mediums of jewels. Litter is fun and experimental line of jewelry that will evolve and continue to push the boundaries of fashion jewelry. 

I love the entire Litter collection, and definitely want The Shoulder Chain, the Chain Garter, and The Walk Of Shame Shoe Chain.  (Think shoe jewelry is absolutely genius! With one accessory you can revamp your favorite and totaled shoes).  

Litter is sexy, fun, and designed with personality for the modern women. The brains behind litter have a sense of humor which is incorporated it into their designs like The Criminal. I am in awe of Litter because the brand is so creative, so unique, so unexpected. Litter is more than costume jewelry and accessories, It is a revival of style and the expression of self through fashion. 

Thank you Mackenzie Burdick, and Rachel Mann for designing with fierce creativity. 

Style: WET Locks

So what if the "wet" hair look is somewhat unkempt, the style if effortless chic, laid-back, and sexy. The high shine wet look is iconic of what summer is meant to represent laze a fair days, and broken ACU's. My love affair with summer is and always will be a 90's inspired flirtation with grunge. In my mind summer is the International Date Line Hotel, in Tonga. The hotel built in another lifetime is slowly slipping into a state of disrepair. Summer is the state of disrepair where days are endless and nights forgotten. Summer is hot, humid, and wet. Why not embrace summer with the wet hair look seen on the runways. 

The look is ridiculously easy to replicate, even with out being a total grease ball. To get look apply gently rub a dime sized amount of coconut oil or argon oil on your hands and work into the hair.

 For a NYC version apply the oil close to your part and gently work the oil mid way down your hair. 

For a sporty version, apply the oil to the scalp and pull your hair up into a high bun or pony tail. 

   

For a morning after or I spent the night on the beach look apply the oil to the ends of your hair. You may want to double up product for this look. 

Cash Flow And your Your Wardrobe

Fashion has been an on going vice for me over the years. I love the richness of fine fabrics, and the shrill of high intensity prints. Financially, I am garment rich and cash poor. Fashion, might be one of those vices that you can just never seem to get enough of. Yes, I love my wardrobe, but there never seems to be a shortage of great fashion finds that I convince myself to need.

I was told once by the glamorous Sophie Trudeau that their is no point hoarding fashion. Clothes are meant to be worn. If an item sits in your closet, taking up valuable closet space for more than 8months without being worn, It is time to sell or donate the item.

When I drop major dollars on a garment, it can be hard to part with monetary loss. However most fashion related expenses are sunk costs. The money has been spent and the resale value has greatly diminished. No one buys full retail prices with the expectation of turning a profit. Straight up clothing donations to a good will or what have you are generous; and can give you a tax credit. However for high value clothing pieces there are a few great online vintage re-sellers that help you sell, market, and recover some of the expense you paid for the item while earning you more cash to make future fashion purchases.

Market Publique: Shop.marketpublique.com, sell high quality vintage clothing. Aspiring sellers take photos of the clothing and provide a detailed description of the clothing they wish to sell. Market Publique will do the rest for a $0.25 listing fee, and 5% commission.

Closet Rich: Closetrich.com, is an LA based company founded by Elizabeth Knott ( Rachel Zoe's protégée). If Closet Rich provides customer consultations, and if they like what you are selling they will manage the promotion and shipping of your goods for a 50% commission fee.

Yoogi's Closet: Yoogiscloset.com, buys an consigns purses, jewelry, and shoes. The company will evaluate the photos you send them of your goods and get back to you with in two business days. Yoogi's closet will then give you an option of an immediate buy, or consignment option. If you consign your clothes you are more likely to earn a larger return.

Plato's Closet: Platoscloset.com looks for contemporary teen and young adult fashion. Plato's locations can be found across the US, and Canada. The store will give you cash on the spot, for gently used clothing. The return is small, but $20 bucks is better than nothing.

Style: Mullet Hemlines

Billy Ray Cyrus can rejoice: the Mullet is BACK with a vengeance. The infamous haircut is swapping styling hair for chopping up hemlines and reversing the "party in the back business in the front" metaphor in a fashionable way. 

Mullet inspired tailoring had been seen in the past few years predominately in shirts and sweaters. This season, the mullet momentum has picked up steam and is charging into mass contemporary fashion. The mullet hemline in the perfect compromise in the maxi vs mini skirt debate. To quote Billy Ray Cyrus says: "A mullets just the best of both worlds." 

The trend unfortunately named the "mullet hemline," is a sexy twist to a modest look. The short front highlights toned legs; while covering more problem proved areas. The mullet hemline look is flattering on all body types. 

The look is a little edgy, funky, and totally sexy. If you have mixed feeling about the trend ease in slowly. Start with a neutral colored skirt: that can be dressed up or down. Pair the skirt with a simple tank for a casual look or dress it up with a blazer. Once you comfortable dive in deeper and choose more extreme mullet hemlines paired with vibrant neon's. 

Try it out-  I dare you!

Splash of Neon

Winning the lottery, or discovering a new element is a pretty big deal; unless of course you are Sir William Ramsey. Sir Ramsey made the discovery of five new elements in the 1890's, all of which bear a strong family resemblance to helium. The elements discovered by Sir. Ramsey: are all gasses, all odorless/colorless, and all nonreactive. Sir Ramsey coined his gasses, "the noble gasses." (Argon, Neon, Krypton, Xenon, and Radon).

Neon was discover in 1898. The word "neon" is  Greek  for: new one. Ramsey and his team discovered that neon burns in bright crimson. The neon glow sparked a trend. Neon, became the symbol of new. The electric colors are shocking and playful.  Neon, in still a novelty today.  A splash of neon can add vibrancy to any outfit or room. If some of the neon fashion trends are too flashy for you wear; think about adding new life to an old picture frame.

Neon spray paint is to find, and available at most hardware stores. Before you get started wipe down the frame to remove any dust. 

Take out the glass, and the back of the frame. 

And to avoid hefty fines lay down some old news paper. 

Shake the cans vehemently- and liberally over the frame (both front and back).

Allow at least an hour of dry time between layers and sides. 

Up-cycling old frames into new neon statement frames is a risk free way to enjoy the neon trend. 

- Enjoy the New!

Style: maxi-evolution

From our humble prehistoric ancestry, men and women have evolved to the sophisticated and politically correct beings that we are. Our capacity to rationalizes on a pc level is the rabbit in the race against the turtle, genetic evolution.

(Bill Blass)

From our hunting and gathering days; men and women have evolved to see differently. Women; tend to gravitate to color. Presumably from our need to find colored berries and root vegetable. As women, what we notice first about a style, decoration, or look is the color. We tend to like neutral colors with a pop of color. Like a nude face, with a bold lip.

 In contrast, men from their days of hunting, see movement before color. In order to hunt efficiently, men needed to be able to instinctually  react to muscle twitches. Many sports psychologist believe that the male ability to see movement in action is the reason why male professional sports play at a higher level.

(Calvin Klein Spring 2012) 

When it comes to fashion, men are attracted to how fabric hangs and moves on the body. Think: Oscar De La Renta, Jason Wu, Karl Lagerfeld, Calvin Klein. Male designers, design with movement in mind. Clothing that flows effortlessly on and around the body is elegant, sexy, and beautiful.

(Mulberry Spring 2012)

Mix in some flow to your wardrobe with flowing skirts, blouses and dresses. The maxi look is dominating summer fashion. To keep the maxi look fresh, stick to rental pastel colors like nude, and mint; or bold on trend prints.

Style:Where to Invest

A convenient truth about modern fashion, is that almost every high end look will inspire millions of well tailored knock offs with virtually no wait time. With the quality improvements of cheep imitations items the designer looks often get liquidated to consumers through wear-house sales and discount sites. My closet is a collection of vintage gems, athletic wear, and funky trend pieces. I like to buy quality pieces, pieces that I know I will wear for more than one season.  Some trends are short lived, and others timeless. When investing in your wardrobe it is important to consider both the timeliness of an item, and the cost per wear.

Cost per wear: Price of the garment/number of  expected usages

Your best, and most valued fashion accessories and garments should always be; Your purse, your coat, your boots, and your glasses. These fashion essentials, have low cost per usage and can instantly vamp up any scruffy look.

A purse

Cost per use: Lets say you are like me, and dream of owning a  Channel Tote  which costs approximately $2,500. You know that you use a purse every day and will use the bag until it disintegrates. If you were to use the purse for 5 years straight (1,800 uses) the cost  per use of the bag would diminish to a meager $1.39. 

In contrast, a cheep "target" purse may look cute on the rack but will likely collect dust as it does not compliment your wardrobe to it's fullest potential. A good purse must go with your wardrobe, and can pull any look together in a seemingly effortless way. Designer purses often come with a manufacturers warranty that will repair damages cause by use. ( I have a well loved Louie Vuitton wallet that I have had for 7 years, and is being fixed by the LV).

A Coat

If you live anywhere close to the 49th parallel you are well schooled in the extremes differences of the seasons. A good coat can transition through the seasons, and can be used for a lifetime of winters. A fashion coat is not a ski jacket.

Nothing says instant glam better than a trench coat and big shades. Coats and jackets, like a purse have a low cost per use, and are often the only piece of clothing we frequently take off while in company.  A nice coat says something about your character.  A coat is one of those fashion pieces, that can act as a  social cue.

Boots

 Pretty much a no brainer in my mind. Go for something comfortable, and easy to walk in. Boots are great year round. They can be easily dressed up or down, to fit the setting. Good quality shoes are important for injuries. 

Glasses

 You might not be able to justify blowing $5000 of a Tom Ford coat, but you may be able to splurge $250 on a pair of good shades. Sunglasses are useful year round and fit wonderfully in your purse. In addition glasses are relatively affordable in contrast to other designer goodies. A sassy pair of shades can again like a purse and coat instantly lift your look and your mood. 

Shop around as you look for your statement pieces. Manu designer goods can be found for less on line and through sample sales. 

Vanity and the Facts

In the age of heroic chic and strung out beauty (early 90's) size 0 was introduced into the retail fashion market. The sizes told a story of a shrinking mass majority. The decreasing sizes flattered the market and woman shopped happily in the belief that they were actually shrinking and fitting into the coveted teeny tiny sizes of whimsical ideals. 

When Size 0 entered the market it was seen as ridiculous. Now Double and Triple 0's stock warehouses. Sizes are getting smaller. And on the contraire, we as a society are not getting any thinner. Vanity sizing is the act of cutting roomier petite sizes  to trick the general public into feeling giddy about how tiny a size they are. 

In 1937 a woman with a 32" inch bust would have worn a size 14, in 1967 that same woman would have worn a size 8, and today she would wear a size 0.  Marilyn Monroe, Today is praised for her plus sized beauty, the starlet wore a size 12-16. However, Marilyn's waist was only 25,"  today she would easily fit a size 2.

Vanity sizing fools us, it is an optical illusion. The question though is:

Do we want to be fooled, into believing we are something that we are not?

Pant sizes are based on inches. I wear a size 25 jean. When I take a measuring tap to the waist of my jeans the inch sizing does not match up. My jeans have a waist of 29" a 4 inch size difference. Now I understand that my jeans are fashioned to be worn low, but all other measurements aside; inches are not suggestions they are units of measurement. 

For many woman who don't keep a scale in the house or take measurements the tags on clothing is how we keep track of our waist. Vanity sizing is a dangerous illusion that can easily trick the mind into believing falsified facts. 

We as a society are not thinner, and we are not healthier in 2009 it was estimated that 1/4 of all North American woman are over weight. Vanity sizes nicely conceal the flaws in our physique with a discrete complement. As a society we are in denial, it is hard to place blame on retailers, who in truth are just meeting customer demands.  Vanity sizing works, because it woos us into believing fantasized facts. 

The numbers on the tags of our clothing define us, and impact our ego. We are glamorous and beautiful in sizes 4's, 2's,and 0's. Sizes may lie, and hold no truth, however a measuring tap does. Fitness guru Tracy Anderson advises clients to take weekly measurements of their body to help track progress. Witnessing your body transform and shrink through measurements is a motivating and honest achievement. Style advisers are now insisting to clients to rip out the size tags, wear what fits and flatters and to only believe actual measurements.