Fashion Friday :: Mad for Hats

[trip style = any]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

I've accumulated a handful of hats over the years---straw hats for summer, wool toques for winter, ball caps for weekends and my absolute favorite, wide-brimmed fedoras for any d*mn time I please. While working as a television stylist and wardrobe consultant, I learned that there are generally two types of people when it comes to hats: people who think they look ah-mazing and people who think they look TERRIBLE. If you don't think you're a hat person, I challenge you to try some on, and then some more, like you're trying on sunglasses---super embarrassing until you the find the perfect style and fit.

Hats are memorable. They don't just make you and your outfit memorable, they also remind you of the times in your life when you wore them, like a favorite song or band. I can tell you about all the trips I've taken with my Steven Alan Janis Fedora like I can tell you about all the road trips I've taken listening to "Viva La Vida" or Milo Greene.

Here are a few more benefits of hats:
- They're better than dry shampoo for bad hair days.
- They give you an air of mystery.
- They stave off the cold.
- They automatically create a "look."

Trip Styler Tip: Don't pack your felt hat in your suitcase---wear it on the plane to avoid a "crushing" discovery upon arrival.

When looking for a hat:
- Forget trends and go for one that makes you feel fabulous.
- Try it on in person.
- Know your hat size.

Check out my nine picks for timeless toppers that will change your game at the drop of a ... hat.

1/ Rag & Bone wide brim fedora, 2/ Janessa Leone lucy, 3/ Shade + Slouch the alexandra fedora, 4/ Janessa Leone vera, 5/ Iron and Resin ranchero hat, 6/ Catarzi for ASOS classic fedora, 7/ Free People matador hat, 8/ Etudes unisex midnight hat, 9/ Federica Moretti torero hat

More Fashion Friday
Celeb Travel Must-Haves
Make a Statement
Red and Green Reimagined
Shop Seattle

[b&w photos via because i'm addicted, ascot friday, tommy ton for gq, janessa leone]

Fashion Friday :: Red and Green Reimagined

[trip style = any]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

There's something endearing about even the tackiest Christmas light display---blow-up snow globe on the lawn, reindeer on the roof, blinking lights and all. I feel the same way about Christmas sweaters, battery-powered Santa brooches and Frosty the Snowman ties. December is the only month we can get away with wearing red and green together. My favorite way to dress festively is to take those colors and move them a little to the left {to the left}. Let's call them olive and cabernet. Those are my Christmas colors---reimagined---and also my top holiday meal... These looks are perfect for a cozy cabin getaway, hot chocolate date, après ski, or wherever your plans take you this holiday season.

Now What To Wear?
Men (clockwise from top left)
J.Crew homespun henley, Gant by Michael Bastian the mb down vest, Wallace & Barnes cpo jacket, New Balance mustard 574, Billy Reid military chinos

Women (clockwise from top centre)
Pendleton the portland collection north plains tunic, Aritzia dennis hat, Current/Elliott the vintage sweatpants, Madewell driftstitch sweater, New Balance high roller 574, Artizia meribel vest, Corgi for J.Crew cashmere socks

More Fashion Friday
Santa, Style Icon
Shop Seattle
November in New York

[graphic by @heatherlovesit]

Fashion Friday :: Shop Seattle

[trip style = urban]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

I must confess that I've been cheating on Seattle with Portland for the past few years, but the Emerald City has been calling me back. While Portland has tax-free shopping and killer restaurants, its larger neighbor to the north has more to offer than Nordstrom and corporate coffee outposts. Here are a few neighborhood picks -- shops and eats -- away from the established shopping zones of Downtown, Bellevue and the U District, where you'll find unique clothing and lifestyle goods for the discerning, fashion-forward shopper.

Capitol Hill - 10th Ave
Totokaelo makes an impact even before you've set foot inside its doors. It's the kind of shop you can't just walk past; it calls you in. The store has three separate spaces for women, home goods and, most recently, men. Beyond the incredible selection of items from designers like Dries Van Noten, Acne, Rachel Comey, Apiece Apart and Henrik Vibskov, Totokaelo {pronounced toh-toh-kye-oh} sets itself apart with impeccable customer service. Cruise your favorite items online before coming in and save them in your online account to try on in store. Buy a few items and get a beautifully designed card in the mail to follow. It's details that these that keep me coming back -- especially during sale season!

{More great shops on Capitol Hill's 10th Avenue: Elliott Bay Book Company and Nube Green}

Trip Styler Tip: Rest and refuel at Oddfellows Cafe & Bar next door and Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream Shop around the corner.

Ballard - Ballard Ave
Prism is a retail and art space I came across this summer on one of my favorite streets in the city, Ballard Avenue. This restrained yet gorgeously curated lifestyle shop carries home goods, jewelry from local designers like Iacoli & McAllister, apothecary items from Blackbird and both new and vintage mens and womenswear. Only a little over a year old, Prism is the sister space to Capitol Hill's Cairo. On my first visit, I couldn't help but leave with two necklaces, the bangles shown above and a list of must-buy items for my next stop in town.

{More great shops on Ballard Avenue: Ketch and The Palm Room}

Trip Styler Tip: Take a load off and get your eat on at The Walrus & The Carpenter, La Carta de Oaxaca and Hot Cakes.

A Few Other Seattle Gems
- E. Smith Mercantile {Pioneer Square}
- Les Amis {Fremont}
- Hammer & Awl {Madrona}

More Fashion Friday
Falling for Portland
High/Low Fall Trends
Make a Statement

[photos via visit seattle, totokaelo & prism, collages by @heatherlovesit]

Fashion Friday :: High/Low Fall Trends

[trip style = any]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

If you're going to get one piece this season, get a big coat. That's the advice of FLARE Magazine's senior style and market editor, Truc Nguyen, who was in Vancouver this week presenting fall fashion trends at the FLARE World Runway Tour Presented by TRESemmé.

The clothing trends seen on the runways for fall/winter were mid-century silhouettes, pastels, oversized coats, 90s revival punk, new structuralism, strapless or off-the-shoulder, jumpsuits and plaid. The accessory trends included novelty bags, thigh-high boots, functional flats, t-straps, short leather gloves and fur mittens.

Think of trends as something fun, not something prescriptive you have to follow. But also know that we're usually following trends whether we know it or not. There's a great scene in The Devil Wears Prada where second assistant Andy Sachs laughs at a few editors deciding between similar-looking belts until she---and her sweater---are schooled by fashion editrix Miranda Priestly:

"You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and select, I don't know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back, but what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not lapis; it's actually cerulean.... It's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry, when in fact you're wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room."

Here are a few of my picks for the season, at both high and low price points, inspired by the three things to remember for fall: Big coat! Cool flats! Fun bag!

Big Coat

An oversized coat may feel like a burden when you're travelling, but it never has to fit inside your luggage. Wear this coat style with a fitted silhouette underneath, like skinny jeans and a t-shirt, along with one of my own favourite trends of the season: sneakers. from left: ASOS oversized wrap front coat, Rick Owens Lilies quilted sail coat, Zara masculine coat, Forte_Forte coat

Cool Flats

Here's the perfect excuse for not packing heels in your carry-on. Instead, bring along interesting, functional and comfortable flats. left column: Isabel Marant lilo ballerina flat, Dieppa Restrepo laura oxford, Pour La Victoire zandra monk strap flats; right column: Urban Outfitters t-strap flat, Topshop mave metallic points, DV by Dolce Vita monk strap oxford flats

Fun Bag

Novelty bags are meant to add whimsy and colour to an outfit, and they're not meant to be an investment item. They're great treasures to bring home from your travels that will always take you back to wherever you bought them. clockwise from top left: Alice + Olivia zebra clutch, Zara iridescent messenger bag, Santi pom pom clutch, Kneeland Mercado Meché Correa lucky milagros bag

More Fashion Friday
Western Spirit
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[graphics assembled by @heatherlovesit]

Fashion Friday :: Make A Statement

[trip style = any]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

The best-kept secret in packing isn’t the scarf---because everyone knows to pack a scarf by now {FYI - scarf tying 101}---it’s the statement accessory. OK fine, your statement accessory can be a scarf, but you have lots of other options to make your basic travel staples POP.

A simple long weekend packing list of jeans, a couple tops and a sweater can be complemented by a hat, a statement necklace, a pair of bold socks or stockings, great eyewear and a bandana that doubles as a pocket square. Just like that, two outfits turn into four.

This approach to packing has significantly reduced my suitcase real estate. I can actually pack for a weekend in a weekender bag now! {Except for shoes, but that's why God invented oversized handbags...right?}

Now What To Pack?
Target limited edition wool rancher hat, Norse Projects wool 6 panel cap, Y's by Yohji Yamamoto triple layer stole, Kenneth Jay Lane turquoise stick necklace, Strathcona Stockings turquoise roses trouser stockings, Apolis washed linen bandana, D.L. Eyewear frames, Ladies & Gentlemen bloc necklace

More Fashion Friday
Scarf Tying 101
Western Spirit
The Summer Staple

[graphic assembled by @heatherlovesit]