Fall Trend Forecast

I am by no means a trend forecaster, nor do I claim to have any skill in the area. But after very meticulous personal research of the August issues of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Teen Vogue, along with my obssessive (and slightly embarassing) penchant for making ridiculous amounts of lists, I've produced what I call the Fall master-list.

1: Dresses. Obviously mini-dresses aren't going to be going away anytime soon. I'm stocking up on dresses as we speak, such as the French Connection one above. You can't get much better than FC for some quality Marc Jacobs-ripoff-style dresses.

2: Tights. Pretty self-explanatory. Kind of necessary. My $4.99 drugstore variety started ripping as soon as I got them, so I'm taking the plunge (deep breath) and getting my hands on a pair of Wolfords.

3: Acid brights. Walking across the floor of my nearest Zara, my eyes are partially blinded by oh-so many different bright hues greeting me every which way. After getting over the initial shock though, I'm thinking an acid green knit under a satin blazer with some excellent heels.

4: Menswear. The fall 'trend' that wont go away. Vogue dictates that this season women's menswear is more tailoring and colour than the lace and tweed of last year. Satin blazers? I'm in.

5: Tees. After spending such extravagant sums of moolah on dresses and jackets, it seems that there's not much left for shirts and the like. So let's all hit up our local Salvation Army and vintage stores and get ourselves some fricking awesome t-shirts. I'm already excited to wear natty rock t-shirts under a $100 jacket. Rock on.

As to the rest, your fall mainstays will be enough. Flat boots, basic knit sweaters, jeans, black flats. After all, expensive dresses and jackets take a toll on any budget - especially a sad non-existant one as mine.

Depths of Gloom

Why wont this hideous sun go away? I long for cloudy, windswept skies. Weather that'll let me wear oversized sweaters and tights.

Have you ever had the feeling of utter depression when you realize you have, actually, nothing to wear? Looking through my closet, I experienced it. I rifled through the racks and the shelves, but all I had were ill-fitting and/or yawn-inducing tops. Naturally, I went shopping.

- fabulous straight-leg jeans
- black patent flats
- green t-shirt that I regret buying. Why do stores make shirts and tanks so fucking long?
- gorgeous orange dress with beading and embroidery. Is a bit short and sheer, but who cares?

Sadly the whole trip did hardly nothing for my wardrobe. Still don't have any tops for summer. Oh, fall, why wont you come sooner?

Because there's nothing better..

There's more to Vancouver fashion than yogawear and fleece... If you go down to Robson St. it's crazy; all your mall standbys in a stretch of two blocks. But beyond your chain-store staples, it's a veritable mecca for vintage and consignment shoppers (ie. me). My favourites:

1. Mintage - Amazing little place on Commercial Drive. They have a crazy collection of vintage and limited-edition for super dirt cheap prices. When they have a sale though, that's when you want to go. You can snag pieces for $1. No joke.

2. Shine - It's a tiny little boutique on West Broadway. Chock-ful of printed tops and the most beautiful selection of dresses. Not the cheapest, but sometimes it's worth it. (Ahem, designer denim for under $30)

3. TrueValue Vintage - A little hidey-hole basement down from Robson. The entrance is a little intimidating; a grimey little staircase with a boombox pumping music from above. Past it though, is a huge basement with vintage stuff all the way back to the '20s.

4. Changes Consignment - Not so much consignment as local designers. Obviously a lot of consignment, but nothing much more than mall-store offerings for cheaper. The real diamonds are the local designer wear; I always find great collections and jewelery from here.

5. Mecca - The name pretty much explains it. Not cheap at all, but if you're looking for high-quality items for less, this is where you go.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a little Salvation Army love..

My thoughts on the Libertine collection for Target: meh. I will admit that there are some nice pieces.

The beige top (jacket?) with the prints is admittedly cool, but what is with the acid green? I'm mostly confused about the collection as a whole, however. Libertine's designers were supposedly influenced by the whole 'preppy meets Victorian' vibe, but I don't see it. There's no continuity whatsoever, at least to my eyes...

But you know what? I'm still going to haul my ass down to Seattle. It's summer break, and now I can go see the collection instead of lusting over it online. (not that I'm lusting over it.. but you get my point)

pictures are from fashionista.com