Sweater Season

Posted on by barbara solomon

As soon as the temperatures begins to dip in mid-September, I get excited to pull out my sweaters and begin layering them to stay cozy on those cool early fall nights. As we are now in mid-December, most days I’m rotating between chunky knits, oversized cardigans and soft turtle necks.

So when UNIQLO reached out to share their new collection of sweaters I jumped at the opportunity to try them on and style them for the season. Although this post is sponsored by UNIQLO all opinions are 100% my own.

What I look for in my knitwear is very specific and I always gravitate to whites and cream knits, (I have around 10 white[ish] sweaters that I love). It’s likely because they are so easy to style with any print, pattern and colour. I’m obsessed with the texture and cut of this 3D Lambswool sweater, that has the perfect V-neck in the front and a mini one in the back and cocoons out in shape allowing it to be ideal for layering.

 

For the past few years, I’ve lived in turtle necks. Tight and tucked-in or oversized and chunky; turtle necks are one of the ideal cuts for sweaters. And it was love at first sight when I tried on this fine Merino wool turtle neck. The fabric is super soft, fine and fitted but not too tight.

After wearing it twice, I downloaded the new UNIQLO CA App, picked it up in two more colours and had them shipped directly to my door. I’ve worn it tucked into jeans and track pants, under overalls and dresses and layered with a chunky cardigan for a sweater on sweater look. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen me in them via my stories and feed for the last month or so.

 

 

With the holiday season officially starting, a great way to take knitwear into a more formal setting is with a sweater dress. Because knitwear could add a little bulk, I like to keep things more fitted when it comes to dresses allowing the material to hug your curves. This Extra Fine Merino Wool dress is a great fit and flare cut, making it super flattering. I added simple statement earrings to help highlight the mock turtle neck, adding a touch of glam to the look.

Having cozy and effortless basics to turn to makes getting dressed in the dark easier and the luxurious knits at UNIQLO are going to continue to be the go-to piece for the upcoming winter season.

Sweater, Turtle neck and dress: UNIQLO Canada, Glasses: Clearly.ca
Jacket & Pants: Banana Republic, Boots: Zara, Jeans: Target, Shawl (actually a blanket): Vintage, Shoes: Nicholas Kirkwood for Erdem

Holiday Sparkle

Posted on by barbara solomon

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It’s hard to believe that the holidays are right around the corner, which also means we are in the final countdown for Baby Negin. Being in the third trimester, with this giant bump, I’m limiting how many holiday events I actually plan to attend. But it will be nice to celebrate and go out, a few more times before #theNegins go from two to three and I spend my days and nights breastfeeding and changing dirty diapers. 
 
While picking my holiday style this year I focused on dressing up while showing off these growing curves but also ensuring that I can remain comfortable at all times. When I found this bright and bold blue dress by Ripe Maternity, I knew it would be the perfect dress for the season and take me from an office holiday party to an evening gathering filled with friends, while being one of the most comfortable items I could possible wear thanks to the knit’s stretch.
 

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Strong and bold accessories will help glam up this look and add seasonally appropriate sparkle. These pink cat-eye Friday frames from the new Main + Central Tortoiseshell collection paired with beautiful earrings compliment the outfit perfectly. When choosing frames from my collection to wear, I always look for a shape and colour that add interest to an outfit.

Shopping for glasses online, you may find it hard to choose which shape works best for your face, but Clearly has an amazing part of their site which helps you pick the best frame for your shape. I’ve always been drawn to the cat-eye shape and haven’t taken this pair off since I got them, as I love feminine shape and perfect colour.

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Don’t forget to shop at Clearly using the promo code BARBARAANN20 for 20% off frames and lenses (some exclusions apply).

Dress: C/O Ripe Maternity from Carry Maternity, Frames: C/O Friday Frames by Main & Central from Clearly, Earrings: Michelle Ross,  Watch: C/O Daniel Wellington, Shoes: Zara (old)

Baby Blue

Posted on by barbara solomon

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One of the unexpected fashion struggles I’ve recently been faced with, while growing this little nugget in my stomach, was planning for a formal event. Typically I shop early and plan ahead when attending a wedding, gala or something that requires a new gown. But when you are unsure of how big you’ll be at the time of the event, it creates an extra level of difficulty and stress.

For my cousin’s wedding a few weeks back, I began my search online, looking for local stores that would carry something formal and fun and that would fit a me at 25 weeks. I kept finding myself on ASOS browsing their huge selection of dresses. Having only shopped on their site once before, and not too pleased with the sizes (or duties) of the items I had purchased,  I found myself hesitant to order, but I finally came around a few days later when I felt that there weren’t other affordable options that would really work. I picked out a handful of dresses with two in mind for this event. Two would provide me choice, given the inability to try it on, or knowledge of how big my bump would be at the time of the event. When the order arrived, this off-the-shoulder blue dress was the clear winner, as the other option could fit a bump double the size and a bust half the size.

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I do love this dress and it had caught my eye on their site super early during my pregnancy, when I was researching flattering silhouettes. The body-con shape leaves nothing to the imagination and shows the world your beautiful growing bump.

The struggle is definitely real shopping online, especially on sites that you don’t often shop on. But the task is even harder when your body is going through daily changes. I still hope I can find an occasion to wear the other dress as it’s stunning, or at least fit into it to properly to share with you on the blog.

Dress: ASOS Maternity, Shoes: 424 Fifth, Bracelet: Swarovski, Necklace & Earrings: Vintage