Faith Style

Montreal Designer, Lea Desrosiers is one of the rising star booths I visited last week at the One-of-a-Kind Show. Her beautiful silk constructed flowers are delicate, elegant and feminine. Her line consists of headbands, brooches and scarves and prices range from $50-$125. All handmade and hand-stitched. Lea is a wonderful spirit with a fabulous personality – visit her at booth G-48 to discover your feminine side.

Chic By Sha is a lovely e-boutique based out of Australia whose signature designs are the Vintage Lace, Chic prints and Mini pettiskirts that are 100% fabulous.

Shasmah Anderson, mother of two is the founder and designer behind this wonderful and spirited collection of clothing, jewelry and accessories. Her designs are unique, the feeling is special and the outcome is nurturing style to the generation. The best part is, her sizes go up to ladies! (One-size-fits-all!) I can’t wait to place my order, how amazing would that be to show up to my next party in a lovely skirt that embodies the essence of chic.

Fall in love with Chic by Sha, as I have and pick up something uniquely different whether for yourself, your daughter, niece or friend. Life is about embracing the beautiful.

I learnt about coco+kelley a few weeks ago and I’m absolutely hooked. I love it because it’s real, authentic and her style & approach is unique and elegant. Cassandra Lavalle, founder and creator of coco+kelley combined her talent for interiors with an eye for fashion and design, into the lifestyle company coco+kelley in October 2008.  Her desire to guide clients in discovering their personal style as a part of the design process became the essence of the coco+kelley philosophy: Life is in the details. Style accordingly.

With a background in public relations and event design, Cassandra’s first styling experience came with a serendipitous stint as a Market Editor for a local home and garden magazine. Reinspired to follow her passions, Cassandra launched the style blog, coco+kelley, in 2007.

Image from coco+kelley

Exploring trends in fashion, decor and color, the blog quickly grew and began receiving praise from national magazine editors and loyal readers who described the content as chic, charming, and original. After several readers approached her to design their own homes and weddings, Cassandra seized the opportunity and officially opened coco+kelley for business.

Image from coco+kelley

Bringing a fresh and sophisticated eye to homes across the country, coco+kelley’s interior design process encourages clients to discover their personal style by defining their everyday inspirations and translating them into spaces they love.

Whether mixing vintage pieces full of character with clean modern lines, contrasting organic textures with glamourous accents, or pairing up unexpected color combinations, the outcome is always an original and cultivated space that reflects the client’s inherent style.

What a better way to express your personal style than through your home, ensuring that you are true to who you are in every aspect of your life. I get great pleasure from reading Cassandra’s blog and draw inspiration from her talent, passion and authenticity.

The Philosophy of Erin Tracy Designs is Simple Elegance: jewellery that is born from a clean solid aesthetic, coming alive with the passion of its creation as the strength of the materials are softened by the human form. Consciously designed through choice of materials, quality craftsmanship and an emphasis on the human element, to create a relationship between the individual and the work that inspires a sense of unity and balance. Erin Tracy Designs has been attracting attention from people all over the globe with excellence in craftsmanship and innovation in material use and combination. As owner and head designer, Erin Tracy continues to push Erin Tracy Designs to expand the boundaries and definitions of modern jewellery design. Moving within art and fashion circles as well as commercial and retail trade shows, you will find Erin Tracy Designs popping up around the world. With completion of a Bachelor of Design at the renowned Ontario College of Art and Design, Erin Tracy’s love of form and style in combination with her passion for designing continues to be the motivation behind her work.

Inspired by the simple elegance of Japanese design, Erin places importance on the process of designing and creating pieces that have a presence on the body and that allow for an individual connection between the wearer and the work. Her natural ability to transform a complex concept and a simple form into a beautiful object is what sets her apart. Her abilities have been recognized by the Ontario College of Art and Design as a four-time award recipient, and a leader in design excellence. All jewellery is hand made by Erin Tracy Designs, using sterling silver sheet, gold, and platinum, in contrast with stone, wood, and acrylic. All pieces are soldered shaped, forged, cut, heated, and sculpted by hand to create the desired forms. Excellence in craftsmanship and attention to detail is an important part of the philosophy of Erin Tracy Designs, believing that the process is an integral part of the end product. Much time, thought and care goes into the creation of each piece.

You can visit Erin starting today at The One-of-a-Kind Show Both J-35

Online Series: Use the web and Faith Style’s coveted resources to stretch your budget and you’ll be the smartest, most stylish shopper around.

Support Unknown or Local Designers at www.etsy.com, you’ll be able to save money while enjoying exclusive designer merchandise.

I believe at my very core that there is more to image that meets the eye and what your style says about you is a intimate journey of self-discovery.

Style has been in my blood since I was a young girl, I dressed to suit my mood and my personality. I wore what made me happy and insisted on being different.

Authentic style is a look that is all your own. It is your way to express yourself through your own combination of tastes, desires, passions, inspirations and lifestyle. It’s unfortunate that in today’s world, many people are influenced by society, media, trends and celebrities and as a result all look the same! Part of my style process is embracing your essence and history. Everyone has a story, where you grew up, how your parents influenced you, what your budget was and now is and how you have evolved as a person over the years.

When your authentically styled you feel it in every bone in your body, you stand tall and feel exhilarated when you walk out your front door in the morning. By exposing yourself to all kinds of influences and dressing with an open mind, you will both discover new things that will inspire you to change and embrace the parts of yourself you already love. Building your Style (a.k.a Self) Confidence is good for your soul.

I’m not a certified image consultant and I did not go to school for it. Like I mentioned early image and style are two very distinct things. One I believe to be superficial and the other I deem to be authentic. I’m an expert in Style because it’s been the one constant in my life from a very early age, I went to school for Fashion to pursue my passion but like a lot of people I let society dictate the direction of my life and ended up in Marketing. Now I’m determined to do what makes me happy and what comes naturally to me and that is working with amazing women to bring out their true beauty in an authentic and inspiring way.

My only interest is being me.

Sometimes its what you put on before you get dressed that makes an outfit feel sexy and gives you a boost of confidence. Lingerie serves two very important yet different roles. First, the right undergarments can lift, hold in, smooth out and enhance your body’s natural attributes. And second, lingerie can make you feel prettier, sexier and more feminine. And I give my personal guarantee that when you feel great, you look great. So take some time out of your overscheduled life to shift through your overstuffed drawers. Then see which bras, panties and shapewear you might need, from everyday essentials to the sexiest little something’s.

Bras

This may come as a surprise to some, but bras, worn regularly have a shelf life of about a year. How long since you changed out your bras?

1. Trial and Error. Are the straps stretched out? Have the cups lost their shape? Is the lace torn? A “yes” means you need to say bye-bye to the bra.
2. Fit. When was the last time you were measured for a bra? How do you know if you have a good fit? Is your bra comfortable or are you just used to the way it fits? Does it ride up in back, indicating it is too large? Does it create bulges, indicating it is too tight? Are your shoulders indented from the straps, indicating that the straps are carrying the weight of the bust? A bra is an engineering work of art. Support comes primarily through the band and cup construction.
3. The best place to start is to find a small specialty store where you can get good, personalized service and, most importantly, where the owners and employees know how to properly fit a bra. Department stores generally have a large turnover of employees, most of whom are only working part-time. It is hard for them to know the merchandise, and few have been trained in proper undergarment fit.
4. Flex Your Shopping Muscle. Once you have your nude and black go-to’s consider ways to liven up the work week. Gray, navy and forest green can also be worn under dark garments.
5. Bra checklist – t-shirt, strapless, special occasion and plunge.

Two great lingerie boutiques that offer free bra fittings with no appointment required: BEESTUNG Lingerie de Femme they are conveniently located at 2504 Yonge Street (north of Eglinton Ave) and/or The Bra Boutique at 5867 Leslie Street (north of Finch).

Bras are like shoes — they all fit differently. Size varies by style and manufacturer. And the size is not as important as the fit. If it fits well, feels comfortable, and looks good, then this is the size for you.

Panties

Of course you have your cotton pairs for the gym and your sexy, lacy ones for, well you know. The real revolution is in the underwear you put on for work. New seamless bottoms that create a sleek fit for any cut clothing is now easily accessible and promises no visible pantie lines.

1. Miss Match. Even if you select the world’s tiniest G-string, if it’s white, it will be visible under a white skirt or pants. White is never completely opaque. Choose a colour instead, that’s close to your skin tone.
2. Boy shorts are a great alternative to the thong under dresses. There’s no risk of indecent exposure or of having your dress “get caught” when you sit.
3. Panty checklist – thong, bikini, boy shorts and briefs.

Don’t discount shapewear, there are a variety of great products out there that will make you look and feel fabulous. My favourite line is Spanx! I own at least 6 pairs from full slips to bottom & legs. You should have at least one!

Remember the sexier you feel in your unmentionables the sexier and confident you’ll feel when you add the extra layers of your outfit. Opt for silk and lace slips, a stretch lace bodysuit or a lace and tulle bustier for some instant sex appeal. One of my favourite lines is Strumpet & Pink: they create knickers that are a complete concept. Exploring a woman’s sensuality and sexuality and making manifest her desires and fantasies combining concept, innovation and beauty. Their knickers are experiential and focus on feeling rather than objectification. Each pair is handmade with exquisite attention to detail, combining pure silk fabrics and cut on the bias in such a way as to accentuate the whole figure, tracing and disclosing the female form.

Here are a few fabulous sites that will help, to get you in the mood, answer questions and get you excited about taking your clothes off:

Faithful Tip

Want to feel instantly sexy? Wear those pieces you save for you know what and pair them with your everyday clothing. I bet you’ll notice a skip in your step and seductiveness in your smile.

Brian Atwood – His collection fuses elements of art, fashion and culture through the use of historic, luxurious and unusual materials and designs.