…And I’d Like to Thank The Academy!
All dramatic, teary on-screen speeches aside, I appreciate a praise-filled award acceptance almost as much as the dazzling gown that is sure to be worn by the said award accepter. Humbled by others who have helped these stars accomplish their status, goals and achievements always makes me pause for a moment and (in all my faux Oscar glory) reflect on all the people and things I’m grateful for, if not for an award, but for helping me work towards my ultimate goals, too.
Although I’m not quite in Meryl Streep territory in comparison to the fashion journalism world, there are still many people and things that have helped me up to this point. Mainly, apart from an endless supply of glossy, glorious fashion magazines, online stores, sites and blogs inspire me on a daily basis. Here’s a roundup of my top sites; all the thanks, sans a bit of the glamour (My shout outs are done in cutoffs, a far cry from a thank you done dripping in Dior).
BEST ALL AROUND:
http://www.elle.com/ and http://www.ellecanada.com/
Truth be told, I subscribe to a shamefully sky-high pile of magazines monthly. Getting lost in pages of spreads in exotic and faraway lands swept with dreamy designers’ latest offerings has been a longtime pleasure of mine. While all magazines offer fantastic spreads, columns, horoscopes and beauty news, ELLE and its Canadian counterpart serve up the best online alternative to the real deal. I adore ELLE’s fashion dedication; while some magazines teeter on the lifestyle category, elle.com has true fashion lover’s cred with its runway tab featuring the latest haute couture and RTW shows as well as videos. The site’s clean, sophisticated aesthetic is easily navigated from fall’s favourite lipstick shade to the trés chic street chic photos, pleasingly arranged by style or event.
ELLE Canada’s site, a hometown favourite, never fails to consistently, miraculously post the exact articles I’m looking for. Likewise, articles I didn’t know I was looking for until I wandered the site (like summer’s 8 best bronzers… thank you, Terracotta Sun in the City, and ellecanada.com for that Fiji Island glow) never fail to appear on the sub-tabs I am forever excitedly discovering. Bonus points for fun colour coding and the shop section, a designer discount flash site partnership with Beyond The Rack. Warning: It’s a dangerous jungle out there. Don’t say I didn’t warn you (and your Visa).
BEST CASUAL COLLECTIONS:
Nasty gal’s do it best. With badass Betty Davis lending as inspiration, insanely cool pieces from sexy mint cutout bikinis to tough spiked crop moto jackets to the notoriously perilous Jeffery Campbell platforms litter this pink and delicioulsy tough/ pretty combo site. Accessories, lingerie, outerwear and every item of clothing in between can be found.The best part? Everything is affordable. Nasty Gal x MINKPINK lace shorts for $60? Yes, please!
BEST STYLE INSPIRATION:
http://www.whowhatwear.com/website/home.php
This mega popular style blog is tops for good reason: current trends, lust inducing labels, the latest tips in styling, guest celebrity editors and the original ‘what was she wearing’ (celebrity outfits exposed!) posts allow for endless style scouring. Another major feature? Items blogged about have links to buy at the bottom of each post, because the only thing better than falling for a pair of Shourouk crystal earrings is being directed to net-a-porter.com where with the click of a button, you can call them your own.