FASHION FRIDAY - edition 1

How many of us are guilty of buying outfits for a trip, to end up wearing those outfits while shopping on the trip? I think the whole concept sounds crazy to an outsider (non travel/fashion lover). Well if no one is going to admit it in my comment section below, I will be the first to admit I am guilty. Prior to going to any new city I strategically think about what I want to do each night and imagine, then purchase the perfect outfit. This may be completely foreign to others but honestly the best part about going on vacation is planning the fun outfits you will get to wear. I purposely search opentable.com to find restaurants that would work with the outfits I want to wear. Prime examples below:

Resto-lounge =printed mini
Brunch = cap sleeve A line dress
Dessert bar = knee-length jumpsuit

I know what you’re thinking, but I live in Canada remember? We have 2 months of fabulous weather and the rest of the year is pretty much panty hose, wool jackets, and turtlenecks. Travelling allows me to truly expand my wardrobe and wear different pieces.

When shopping for a trip, it can get very frustrating if you need certain apparel for your adventure and you cannot find it. With limited days before a trip it can get quite stressful having to shop for a bikini, shorts, or a dress and not find something you like. My Tip for today is: Plan ahead and always be on the lookout. For example, if you know you are going to the Caribbean in October, you will only find fall gear in store, so plan to buy your outfits during summer end of season sales. I’ll buy outfits for trips I don’t even know I will actually be going on - now that’s thinking ahead.

What I thought I would do to entertain you all each Friday is share specific outfits that are currently available online for different adventures. I think you will find the faux adventures just as entertaining as my outfit selection.

Outfit 1: Wine Tour in Tuscany– Jill below is wearing a printed silk crossover jumpsuit. She plans to wear this while bike riding on a wine tour in the country. In the event she gets too tipsy during the wine tour, she will avoid any Britney Spears like paparazzi mishap, by wearing a short jumpsuit. She can freely tumble or peddle carefree. Check out http://www.bebe.com/ if you’re interested in purchasing. Bebe online is having a Veterans Day sale with up to 70%off until Sunday November 14, 2010.
Price: $98USD

Outfit 2: Bazaar shopping in the Caribbean – Melanie below is wearing a camel satin drop sleeve dress. She is quite the frugal shopper so whatever she wears always has multiple uses. When she heads to the Caribbean this holiday season she plans to wear this outfit as she bargains with the many jewelry shops. She then plans to wear it as shown below (minus the hat) as she transitions from Friday work wear to dinner with her friends. If you want Melanie’s outfit check out http://www.asos.com/.
Price: £28.00
Direct link: http://www.asos.com/Women/Dresses/Casual-Dresses/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=8834#parentID=-1&pge=3&pgeSize=20&sort=-1

Outfit 3: Basking in the sun, on the beaches of St. Barts. Naomi has made it clear with her most recent purchase that beaches don’t have to be about skimpy bikinis and tanning lotion. This rust coloured safari cover-up allows you to mix and match with multiple swimwear. The back perhaps may be the best part, throw a cross strap bikini top and you got yourself some classy beachwear. Naomi loves that the tunic is sheer enough to still look quite alluring (as she has been working on those abs for months), and dressy enough she can wear it with shorts and strappy platform sandals to Chez Maya, a celebrity frequented chic beachside restaurant on the water’s edge in Anse de Public. You can find this outfit at http://www.bluefly.com/ under designer A.B.S by Allen Schwartz. Today only Bluefly.com is having their OMG SALE, 25% off all reduced items!
Price: $50.99USD (reduced from $76.00)
Direct Link: http://www.bluefly.com/ABS-by-Allen-Schwartz-rust-sunset-safari-v-neck-cover-up-tunic/cat20030/306404701/detail.fly

Outfit 4: Dining in Paris with her two best friends. Sarah is wearing a light pink frock with pearl shoulder accents. Sarah came to Paris to eat, drink, and find love. Sarah and her two best friends decided to dine at Le Grand Vefour which overlooks the Palais Royal Gardens. As she dines at this 18th century building she hopes that a Parisian Prince will enter and whisk her away. The chances of this are a gazillion to 1, but tonight those odds just got better.
Visit http://www.modcloth.com/
Price: $79.99USD
Direct link: http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Dresses/Effervescent+Evening+Dress

Outfit 5: Drinks in the meatpacking district in NYC. Gina is wearing a white tank with a statement necklace and a black lace pencil skirt. She loves travelling but always ends up in the most cosmopolitan of cities, so her vacations are go-go-go. The best part about this outfit is she can transition from drinks at a bar to club hoping on little west 12th street. The skirt is from Mango and available at http://www.asos.com/ to purchase, the statement necklace is available at http://www.aldoshoes.com/ in both gold and midnight black.
Necklace Price: $18.00USD

Direct link: http://www.aldoshoes.com/ca-eng/accessories/womens/necklaces/81619058-farer/98
Skirt Price: £37.90

Direct link:http://www.asos.com/Mango/Mango-Lace-Pencil-Skirt/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1371452&cid=2639&sh=0&pge=1&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Black

Please note: As time passes the direct links above may change or no longer lead to the correct item.