The roaring twenties were a time of fearless fashion. Drop waist dresses, sequins galore, T-strap sandals and bedazzled headbands are just a few of the Art Deco inspired pieces that are popping up in retail once again with the much anticipated film’s release.

What kind of pieces work with this theme?

If you’re wary of looking dated, don’t go retro all over — opt for a pretty Art Deco tank like the one below. Pair it with a pleated skirt for a full-on Daisy Buchanan effect or wear it with dark denim for a more casual feel. A leather clutch with Deco detailing is also a great way to work this trend in a subtle way or go full-out with a sequined pleated dress.

Clockwise, from top left: Sequined embellished top, $45, sequined and accordion pleat dress, $80 and quilted leather clutch, $80, all winners.ca

We also like this stunning lace look from Zara below. It’s sweet and timeless but also plays with a vintage vibe.

Lace dress, $100, zara.com. 

When it comes to fancy footwear a T-strap and gold accents fits the bill like this pump from RW&Co.

Colour block peep toe pump, $90, rw-co.com. 

For great accessories you can go big or you can go costume with danglers like these from Forever 21.

Other brands jumping on The Great Gatsby style train? We can’t forget to mention that Catherine Martin collaborated with Tiffany & Co. to create and source Daisy Buchanan’s amazing platinum headpiece (showcased in the film). All of the inspired Jazz Age collection by Tiffany is glamour at its finest.

We can’t wait to see all of the other vintage fashion inspiration in stores this season.

Me sporting a bright orange matte lippy.

But orange can be tricky. To be christened an absolute orange lip colour it needs to abide by a few crucial guidelines. First off, nothing too shiny. In fact, the more matte the better. It can’t be too light in colour, otherwise it will start looking dated and cheap. The hue needs to have a fine balance of true orange and a dash of tomato red. Finally — and this is a no brain-er — steer clear of over the top or bright eye shadows. If you insist on wearing a green or a blue shadow with your coral lippy restrain yourself and try a liquid liner in said colours instead.

My orange crushes: 

1. Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro in Tibetan Orange, $32.
2. Stila After Glow Lip Colour in Tangerine Dream, $23.
3. Aveda Nourish Mint Lip liner in Barberry Bloom, 16.

I’ve since became a little friendlier with the romantic prints. Rather than wearing it on dresses I opt for a structured trouser in vibrant hues, it’s almost become my spring uniform. This season we’re seeing blooms being offering to us in photo prints. Which I’m all about! It gives the whimsical print some realness which makes it a little more cool and a little less grandma.

Alwear, $104, ASOS.

If you’re weary about flowers being featured on your fabrics — like I once was — a great way to lessen the femininity is by wearing it on anything other than a dress or a skirt. Try it on a jacket, a blazer, cropped pant, shorts or a top. I’m loving this Alwear smoking jacket from ASOS, done in a digital photo print in moody purple, blue and black colour palette. I’m also really into these style below — now this is how you should wear petals for spring 2013.

FLOWER POWER

1. Print Mac coat, $49, Joe Fresh.
2. J.Crew Collection Liberty of London topcoat, $610, J.Crew.
3. Talula Kent blazer, $95, Aritzia.

 PETAL PUSHER

1. Jessica Simpson cropped pants, $30, Hudson’s Bay.
2. Black and white cropped pants, $80, Zara.
3. Floral pants, $28, Target.

PUT A BLOOM ON IT

1. Wallis top, $62, Hudson’s Bay.
2. High neck flowy blouse, $22, Forever21.
3. Sleevless shirt, $13, H&M.

Which ones your favourite?

And Clinique is definitely on board. This 100 percent fragrance free and allergy-tested brand has now come up with a nail enamel that’s formulated to reduce reactions on your skin, nails and eyes.

(Clinique quotes a stat in their press release saying the average person touches their face 200 times a day. Firstly, ew, you’re spreading so many germs. Secondly, if you have nail polish on it can cause a facial rash called periorbital dermatitis that you might not even know is coming from your polish.)

This polish, called A Different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skins, took three years of research, is quick-drying, and comes in nine limited-edition summer shades and 12 permanent shades.

Some of my favourite shades?

Black Honey, the best-selling Almost Lipstick shade is now a nail colour.

Limited edition 70 Degrees and Sunny (the yellow on the bottom right) is a fun beachy shade to paint on as it heats up.

Find the nail enamels in stores this May for $18 or at clinique.com.

Four Canadian designers took their Fall/Winter 2013 collections to the stage to show off their hard work for the chance to win $25,000 and the opportunity to collaborate with Target for a collection landing in stores next year.

The benefit, for the Toronto Fashion Incubator, a non-profit organization promoting and growing the Canadian fashion community was full of fun moments and exciting Canadian design by the likes of Sarah Stevenson, Paria Shirvani, Christopher Paunil and the duo behind SEVENTHIRTYONE.

Here’s a few of their looks to enjoy! Scroll down to see the big winner.

Paria Shirvani: (Stand-out looks include fabulous jackets and a unique jumpsuit in this collection.)

Christopher Paunil: (White and black body con dresses with cut-outs were mixed in nicely with feminine creamy pink dresses like the one below.)

SEVENTHIRTYONE: (The designing duo Defne Husrevolgu and Maiko Suzuki impressed me by coming out in Sens jerseys to celebrate playoff season. Serious hoods on jackets and ponchos stood out on the runway.)

 And the winner was: Torontonian Sarah Stevenson‘s collection!

The collection was inspired by Dutch still life paintings from the Baroque period and each piece included stunning patterns and prints. The runway beauty, done by P&G Beauty and Grooming, had a very classic ornate feel to it to match the ensembles.

We can’t wait to see her collection in stores next year.

All photos courtesy of George Pimentel. 

It may be cold but stores are stocking up on spring and summer staples so even if it requires some serious optimism, now is the time to invest in some summer gear. If you’re like me and have a love/hate relationship with shorts (they’re always too short, too long, too unflattering) then you’ll be happy to see that there are some gorgeous pairs in stores this upcoming season. (Especially loving the Joe Fresh ones I snapped in store the other day.)

Here’s a few of my favourites:

Lace shorts: Joe Fresh, $29. These are a great length, have a flattering flat waistband, don’t have the usual hip-enhancing pockets and come in a bright lime green (seen above).
Floral shorts: Loft Geo print Stretch Cotton Walking Shorts, $60. These would work for a casual day off or in the office with a blazer and heels.

Graphic print shorts: Here’s a snap of a pair coming out this summer also from Loft that I spotted at their preview — I will definitely be buying these:

Boyfriend shorts: Gap Boyfriend Roll-Up Shorts, $45. These casual shorts are perfect for a summer day, are a great length for every body type and come in a fun variety of colours.

I’ve also spotted some fantastic shorts at H&M, Zara and Club Monaco.

Stay tuned for ways to get your legs “short season” ready. (Hint: it takes a bit of self tanner and a good razor.)

Old Navy skirt, $25.

Embrace the feminine, polished silhouette of a pencil skirt. This cut works on most body types, pick up a wild printed one on the cheap like this denim skirt from Old Navy — a steal for $25 dollars. Or invest in simple great-fitted leather piece for some edge. Modernize the look by juxtaposing the sleek classic bottom with a slouchy tee and leather jacket. This skirt requires heels (so please try to ignore the shot above in flats), be they pointy-toed pumps or strappy wedge sandals.

We got tips from Boldijarre Koronczay, President and Founder of Éminence Organic Skin Care and Master Esthetician on greening your beauty routine this upcoming Earth Day on April 22nd.

Go Green:

1. Use your products wisely

Running out of your favorite moisturizer in just a couple of weeks? Too many of us slather our product on thinking “the more the better”. But in actual fact, you really only need a dime sized drop.

2. Skip SLS

Those foaming suds we love are often due to the sodium lauryl sulphate in our cleanser. But they end up in our oceans and not only present harm to aquatic wildlife, but take too many years to biodegrade. Plus, repeated exposure is proven to have serious effects on our health and may even be linked to cancer. Skip the suds, says Koronczay.

3. Choose multi-tasking products

Multipurpose products mean less waste. Whether it’s using a face oil on your cuticles or a moisturizer to soothe fly-aways, try products that can work in more ways than one.

4. Try organic alternatives

Instead of using retinoids and benzoyl peroxide products which can be hard on the environment, try alternatives such as chicory and tara tree root, or a skin-clearing probiotic mask.

Oh and did we mention you can win a lovely prize pack from Eminence?

For your chance to win this Éminence Biodynamic Gift Box (with nine products from the Beyond Organic Collection that uses certified biodynamic ingredients worth $118), please leave a comment answering the following question: How do you green your beauty routine?

One comment will be chosen at random a week from today.

CONTEST CLOSED. Congratulations to our winner!

We’ve rounded up a few of our favourite sophisticated brands just for you:

H&M Conscious Line: Like this dress seen above (made with 85 percent organic cotton), the conscious line by the Swedish retailer has taken eco-fashion up about a million notches. They’re the number one users of organic cotton worldwide and have a full sustainability report each year to let consumers know about their latest projects and impact on the environment (or lack thereof).

Nicole Bridger: This Canadian clothing designer’s eponymous line had us hooked before we even knew it was good for the planet. Made from ethically sourced materials and dyes, it’s ninety percent manufactured in Vancouver (with the rest being outsourced to Fair Trade factories overseas).

Soop Soop: This Toronto online vintage retailer sells reformed clothing and hand-picked previously loved items. Besides recycling and reusing by just wearing this brand, you’ll also notice a recycled theme when it comes to their business cards, clothing tags and shipping in recycled, plastic-free packages.

Sustainable Style: Founded by Fashion Takes Action, a Canadian non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in the fashion industry, this online fashion boutique launched in March. With great designers such as Ayla, Aime Luxury, EcoBling and Ferhn (pictured above) it’s a great site to check out some independent talent and local green fashions.

Dear Frankie: If you’re looking for eco-friendly lingerie, Dear Frankie, created by Allicia Martin, is designed and manufactured in Canada using mainly eco-friendly fabrics like modal and bamboo. Nothing’s sexier than going green right?

When it comes to accessories here’s a few we recommend: 

Mala Collective: Made in Bali by Aum Rudraksha Designs and imported by a Vancouver-based company, this jewellery is made from rudraksha seeds. Fair traded and sustainably harvested, these beads, traditionally used in prayer help promote your inner zen.

Erin Templeton: This line of recycled leather handbags are made from vintage leather finds by Erin herself, a Vancouverite with a great eye for style.

And don’t forget these great eco-friendly clothing brands:

Miik

Lav & Kush

Edun

Stella McCartney

Mountain Equipment Co-op

Lole

What are your favourite eco-friendly fashion retailers? Are they vintage stores? Are they local or online? We’d love to hear from you!

Kiehl’s
In celebration of Earth Day,  Kiehl’s is collaborating with Canadian singer Alanis Morissette in support of Evergreen. A hundred percent of the sales from their special edition Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream ($56) will go to Evergreen (who will use it to facilitate sustainable green projects across the country). Plus, it’s one of my favourite face creams because it’s free of parabens, silicones, dyes, fragrance and it’s super moisturizing.

Kiss My Face
This pure olive oil bar soap is how the whole line called Kiss My Face came about. The founders, Canadian Bob MacLeod and Steve Byckiewicz were selling this soap out of their car because they really believed in natural products. What began with a simple bar of soap developed into multiple lineups of products including oral care, hair care and a kids line. Created without animal ingredients and free of parabens, pthalates, SLS, gluten and artificial fragrances, there’s something from the brand for every type of green consumer.