My city is currently under a heat advisory. I'm okay with this, though, because I've spent months waiting for the weather to warm up. I'm loving that now, I can sit outside, enjoy the sunshine (while wearing sunscreen, of course) and wear all the dresses that have been patiently waiting in my closet.
Summer is the most amazing season for a hundred different reasons, and one of those reasons is the ease of summer dressing. A little dress, a pair of flip flops, and out the door you go.
Okay, enough about that—we all love summer, and we all love the idea of dressing in something easy, comfortable, and stylish—especially on days when it's over 36 degrees Celsius out!
Here are a few of the dresses I love right now:
All The Dresses From Loft: Please don't make me pick just one, because I happen to love them all, and the fact that most dresses at Loft are 40% off right now is way too good an offer to not take full advantage of, right? Right! All the dresses I love are around $30.00 with the 40% off.
Ann Taylor: The first time I shopped in Ann Taylor I found the most beautiful turquoise dress to wear to my Bridal Tea. It's a dress I bought in 2002 that I could still wear today, (if it fit) because it's a look that hasn't gone out of style. I love the classic pieces at Ann Taylor, and am thrilled that Ann Taylor has come to Toronto. This pretty dress is currently $128.00.
Gap: I am pretty sure half my closet is currently owned by Gap dresses. This year, they have even more variety than ever before and I recently picked up these two dresses for under $100.00 each. The green striped dress is $59.95, and the white and blue striped dress is on sale right now for $49.99.
Old Navy: Old Navy is my go-to store to stock up on all my summer essentials. From dresses to tank tops, and even swim wear, Old Navy is so reasonably prized, it's impossible to feel bad when you're shopping. I also love Old Navy for children's clothes, especially for the summer season. I love this pink maxi dress, and it's just under $25.00. Amazing!
Nordstrom: In just a couple of years, Nordstrom will be in my favourite mall. I am beyond excited about this, because it is my number one most favourite place to shop when I travel to south Florida. The prices at Nordstrom range from completely affordable to through the roof, but the entire experience, right down to the amazingly helpful sales staff, makes shopping at Nordstrom a beautiful thing. I just found this dress on sale for under $50.00. Score!
Have fun shopping for your dresses, friends. And be sure to tell me if you find any amazing deals, because you know how much I love summer dressing... especially for dresses!
You guys, I've got some great shopping news to share with you.
For those of you who live in or near the Toronto area—lucky you, I'm so jealous!
For those of us who don't live in or near Toronto—lucky us, we've got another reason to take a little trip!
Toronto Premium Outlets will open on August 1st, 2013, in Halton Hills, Ontario.
With over 80 top designers and brands, there will be something fabulous to find for everyone, no matter how picky a shopper you may be! Also, going outlet shopping will no longer be a reason you'll have to use to when you want to take a trip south of the border. We'll no longer have to shop with passports in hand for excellent deals at our favourite designer stores, because we'll be able to enjoy outlet shopping right here at home!
Toronto Premium Outlets, developed by Simon Property Group and Calloway Real Estate Investment Trust, will provide a "unique shopping experience" unlike any other in Canada and will be the first outlet store for many designers and leading brands. It is Canada's first upscale outlet center. FINALLY!
Toronto Premium Outlets will feature a who's who of top brands, offering a wide range of high quality items 25% to 65% off every day. Amazing, right? The centre will be anchored by Hudson's Bay Outlet, in case, you know, you still needed another reason to shop.
The collection of stores include:
Banana Republic
Brooks Brothers
Coach
Cole Haan
Columbia Sportswear
DKNY
Dynamite
Eddie Bauer
Gap
Garage
Guess
J. Crew
Kate Spade New York
Lucky Brand Jeans
Michael Kors
Polo Ralph Lauren
Restoration Hardware
True Religion
And many more that will be announced soon.
General Manager Megan Johnson says the Toronto Premium Outlets will change the shopping landscape in Ontario: "It's exciting because for the first time in Canada, shoppers will have an impressive collection of outlet stores close to home. And not only will the center serve area residents, but will serve as a destination for area visitors."
I don't know about you, but I'm already making plans to be there for the grand opening. After all, I don't want to miss a single amazing deal at some of my favourite stores!
I am an adventurous girl when it comes to nails. I go from light pink, to hot pink. Okay, I'm kidding—I'm not adventurous at all when it comes to my nails, and I am not sure why—after all, no matter how crazy I get, it's not as if it's a lasting effect, right? A little nail polish remover, and we're right where we started from.
This year, the trend in nails is more outrageous than ever before. From the shape nails are taking (pointy and long) to the colours (every colour of the rainbow) here's a look at what's hot in nails right now:
Bright Neon: It's like, oh, my God, so rad! I'm totally having an 80s flashback, aren't you? Bright colours are very, very in. We're talking neon bright. From blue to pink to orange, your nails will be visible a mile away. You can buy Essie nail polish almost anywhere, including Shoppers Drug Mart, for around $7.00.
Nail Art: This is huge right now. Huge. I'm not a fan of doing anything funky like this to my nails, though. I think it's cute for the younger generation, certainly. I prefer my nails to be all one colour, with no designs on them. From zig-zags to hearts, nail art is so trendy right now. You can buy a nail art pen at any drugstore, if you wanted to give it a try at home. I like that Sally Hansen offers a step-by-step guide on their website, to help makes things easier for those of you doing it at home!
Luxe Efects: You love to sparkle, to dazzle, to shine? You'll love this, then: nail polish that shimmers! From gold to silver, your nails will glitter. I'd save this for a special night out. This polish retails for $8.00. Not a bad price for gold, huh?
Gel Nails: Gel nails last longer than the average regular manicure, and, if you don't have time to visit the salon, you can buy a kit to do it yourself from the comfort of your own home! This kit contains the complete gel manicure set: 1 Mini LED Lamp, 16 Gel Polish Strips, 1 Gel Top Coat, 2 Nail Cleanser Pads, a Cuticle Stick, a File, and a Buffer. The best part about gel nails is that there is virtually no dry time, and the polish can be easily removed with acetone polish remover. It also lasts a really long time. You can get a kit like this for around $30.00.
Shellac Nail Polish: For the last year, every time I've gone for a manicure, it's been for a Shellac manicure. I can choose from a huge variety of colours (even though I usually always go for Gotcha! which is a light, bright pink colour) and I put my hands under the UV light, and voila—dry nails in minutes! The best part? My polish lasts for weeks and weeks and never chips!
Colour: I love bright, happy colours for nails, especially in the summertime. I actually think bright blues and greens and yellows look great on other people, even though I'm not bold enough to take that leap, yet. Right now, when it comes to your nails, anything goes. The brighter the colour, the better!
Classic: Classic pretty nails will always be in fashion. A little nude colour, a light pink, a soft coral, and of course, the French manicure will always be "in style" no matter what the trends of the season are!
What looks are you loving for your nails this season?
Printer-friendly version