Fashion

A year in review: 2014

Happy New Years to you all!!

This is the time to reflect on the past year and look forward to new beginnings. This year has been such an exciting one for me. Of course there were ups and downs but thankfully we are ending on a high note. It has been a year since I discovered fashion blogs and started my fashion instagram account. I finally had the courage to start this blog a few months ago and it has been such a fun and rewarding experience. I am so thankful to all of you that are following along with my journey.

The biggest news this year for my family is that my husband and I are expecting our first child. We are so thrilled to welcome our little baby girl March 2015. Pregnancy has been a whirlwind of emotions for me. I am just starting my third trimester and can’t believe how quickly time is flying by. There will be many exciting changes for us in 2015

A Touch of Lace

One of my pregnancy staples is the sweater dress. I have always been a fan of them, especially with over the knee boots. There is something about that look that I find so sexy. The weather in LA has not been very conducive to wearing my OTK boots so I had to resort to my second favorite, the ankle boot.

As soon as I saw this dress I knew I had to have it. I love the translucency of the sweater and the lace slip that peeks through from the bottom hem. It is dainty and feminine which is in contrast to most sweater dresses.

I paired the dress with my Anine Bing ankle boots. I think the studs give the look a more edgy vibe!

Dress: Free People (Similar here and here) //

Glasses: Karen Walker //

Boots: Anine Bing (More affordable here) //

Bag: Celine //

The Poncho….this seasons staple!!

Christmas is quickly approaching….where did the time go!!!! I feel like this holiday season has just flown by. This is bitter sweet for me because its my favorite time of year but that also means I’m closer to meeting baby girl. After the holidays my husband and I have to kick it into high gear and start preparing for her arrival. So much to start figuring out!

I’m sure most have finished or at least almost conquered their holiday shopping. If you haven’t and need an idea, I propose a poncho!! They are that perfect throw to pull together any look. I love the one I’m wearing from Choices because it adds color to my usual neutral looks.

Poncho: Choices very similar (I also love these: here, here and here) //

Jeans: A pea in the Pod Maternity (Non-maternity here and here) //

Shoes: Converse (Also love the classic canvas) //

Bag: Louis Vuitton //

Its almost Christmas in LA and I’m wearing converse!! Definitely different than the freezing cold and snow that I will be encountering when I go home to Toronto for the Holidays. I must say I am looking forward to snuggling by the fireplace with a hot chocolate after a long day in the cold.

Heritwine Maternity Giftcard Giveaway

As soon as I got pregnant I started to worry about many things. One of my worries was, what am I going to wear as my baby bump gets larger? You barely see maternity clothing stores when you are out shopping….or at least prior to pregnancy I never took notice. I decided to do some research and found some department stores that had maternity sections. I was so excited to start looking for my “new wardrobe”, I already went shopping when I was only 8 weeks pregnant. To my dismay I was horrified.

The maternity section was stashed away in a corner, with items I would never be caught dead in. I’m talking about those horrid “mom” jeans, and floral shirts with empire waists etc. I can’t even remember anything else, I was so traumatized I must have blocked those memories. I was not going to let my fashion sense disappear just because I’m pregnant.

Thankfully I had come across other online maternity stores. One of those boutiques is Heritwine Maternity. I love when I can find affordable clothing that will make me look good. The Cardigan I am wearing is from this shop. We have teamed up to give one lucky reader a $25 gift card just by posting a comment below on why you would like to win. For an additional entry refer to my Instagram account (@withloveandrea) and follow the instructions there. With this gift card you have more than 60% off most items in the store. Many items can be worn for non-pregnant readers as well.

I love when Items are shipped with cute packaging!!

Cardigan: Heritwine Maternity on sale & an additional 60% off with the gift card //

Pants: A Pea in the Pod Maternity (non-maternity here) //

Boots: YSL Black Friday sale purchase (More affordable here, here and here) //

I have always worn a lot of black and neutrals. With my growing figure black always seems like a good idea. This Grey/gold cardigan is a perfect addition to add a little festive sparkle to my simple look. The best part about it is that I can wear it post pregnancy as well. I love when I find versatile maternity items.

Don’t forget to comment below for your entry. Contest closes Monday Dec 22nd 12pm PST.

With Love….

ANDREA

The Oversized Cardigan

I have always been a fan of the oversized cardigan and skinny jeans look. Its a way to dress comfortably without feeling overly frumpy. Keeping the colors dark and monotone gives an added slimming effect.

You can see the baby bump popping out in these two photos, but once you close the cardigan you can barely tell I’m 6 months pregnant.

I love the gold detail on these smoking slippers. I wore a gold necklace to complement the shoes and add some detail to the all black look.

Shirt: Equipment old (Similar here, here and here)

Cardigan: & Other Stories

Pants: J Brand Maternity (Non-maternity here)

Shoes: Guiseppe Zanotti (Similar here and here)

Glasses: Karen Walker

With Love….

Andrea

A day at the Library

I can’t mention enough how my growing body is making me venture out of my usual classic style. I love button down shirts and large sweaters. As the weeks go by and I am approaching my 3rd trimester I am slowly not able to button up my shirts, and I’m also starting to feel huge in my oversized sweaters.

Looking in my closet, I’m trying to put together some of my looser fitting pieces so that I don’t have to invest too much money on new clothes. There are obviously some maternity items I need to purchase, and I am happy to do so.

I found this cute summer dress in the back of my closet, and since LA weather has been so warm, I was able to wear it in December while giving it a fall twist. I added an oversized cardigan with over the knee socks and my favorite black boots.

I felt cute and flirty in this look with the added bonus that it was very comfortable and flattering to my changing body.

Dress: Brandy Melville summer (Similar here, here and here) //

Sweater: Small shop in Italy (similar here, here and here) //

Socks: Free People //

Boots: Sergio Rossi old (Similar here and here) //

Sunglasses: Karen Walker

I suggest pregnant or not, take a look in the back of your closet and pull out that piece that’s been sitting there for a while and try to incorporate it into your next look. Its like getting a new item all over again.

With Love….

Andrea

Denim daze

I have always been a pants and shirt kinda gal. Even as a little girl I never liked to wear skirts and dresses. My mom likes to remind me of this when I wear them occasionally now!!

With my pregnancy I have started to take more interest in dresses and you will see more of them in future blog posts. I love the way they can camouflage or accentuate your curves depending on the style desired. There is a level of comfort and freedom with a dress that makes it perfect to wear during pregnancy.

I love this Gap denim dress. I liked it so much that I bought it in two different colors and patterns. You can see how I styled the other dress here. I have seen denim and plaid button down dresses in multiple stores this season and I think they are a great casual piece for anyone especially pregnant women.

I paired it with brown boots and a blanket scarf. I have had these boots for 6 years and I love their worn and vintage feel.

Dress: Gap (Similar here, here and here) // Scarf: Zara last season (Similar here, here and here) // Boots: Steve Madden (Similar here) // Bag: Louis Vuitton

With Love….

Andrea

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I would like to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!! There is always so much to be thankful and grateful for and I love that we have a day where we can celebrate this.

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. I love the traditional Thanksgiving meal…and anyone who knows me, knows that food is always one of my top priorities. Today I am so appreciative for my family and friends. I feel so lucky to be doing what I love with my loving husband who is my best friend. I have wonderful supportive parents who have always supported and encouraged me to dream big. Life may not be perfect and there are always things we wish we could have but lets remember to be happy with the blessings we have.

I’m wearing one of my favorite Rails plaid shirts. I love the colors and the the inner lining. The quality of their plaid shirts are amazing and when not pregnant the fit is perfect. Since I can barely do up the shirt with my growing bump I opted to wear it with a simple gray tank. They are having their Black Friday sales online starting Friday with 30% off everything so be sure to check it out!!

Plaid shirt: Rails 40% off on sale (Similar here, here and here) // Tank: Forever 21 // Jeans: AG Maternity (Non-maternity here) // Sunglasses: Ray-ban // Espadrilles: Chanel (Similar here and here) // Bag: Goyard

Thank you to all of you who are reading this and sharing this journey with me.

With love….

Andrea

LA Tropical

The weather in Los Angeles has been all over the place. Most days this fall, it has still felt like summer. Thankfully these past few weeks we are starting to get cooler weather. I have been waiting for the crisp weather so that I can wear my plaids and fall layers. Unfortunately I think I will have to wait a little longer as this weeks forecast is in the mid to high 70’s ( 20’s for Celsius). I guess I can’t complain since back home in Toronto there is already snow!!

Todays look is a mix of summer and fall. This equipment shirt definitely has a tropical vibe. To make my outfit more seasonal appropriate I wore dark tones and layers.

I have had this cardigan for years. I love when you find something in the back of your closet and it was just what you were looking for to complete the outfit. Having classic pieces in neutral colors always come in handy.

Shirt: Equipment (Similar here and here) // Cardigan: Banana Republic old (Similar here and here) // Jeans: AG Jeans Maternity (Non-maternity here and here) // Hat: J Crew // Shoes: Repetto (Similar here)

Hope you all have a great weekend.

With Love…..

Andrea

Leopard and stripes & everything nice

The farther along I get in my pregnancy the harder I am finding it to dress the bump without wearing my usual leggings and baggy shirt. I am slowly learning how to style my changing body and I know this is only the beginning since I still have 19 weeks remaining and my belly will only get larger.

Thank goodness for a Pea in the Pod. I am so thankful I found their store in Beverly Hills. When I initially started looking at maternity wear I felt like a lot of the items were out of date and frumpy. Not something I would normally wear…so why would I want to invest and wear something that I wasn’t excited about?

As son as I entered A Pea in the Pod, I knew I had hit the jackpot. They had every brand of jeans you could imagine and all with the stretchy pregnancy waistband!! Other known brands were in the store as well, from dress pants, dresses, sweaters and more. I was finally excited to purchase maternity clothing.

Lately, my looks have been a mix of maternity and non-maternity wear. I am trying not to buy too many things that I will only wear for a few months. I have also bought some non maternity clothing that is looser or larger and will fit my growing belly. I make sure these are items I will still wear post baby. I have gone up a size or made sure the cut would work with my growing bump. Thankfully I love wearing oversized shirts so I can still stick with my usual style! I also have been finding it helpful to look at other pregnant fashion bloggers and instagrammers for inspiration.

Todays look is something I would wear prior to pregnancy. I love leather pants and thankfully with the belly band I am still able to squeeze into these. Something about leather that makes a woman feel super sexy.

Adding a blazer always makes a look elegant. I think its a good addition during pregnancy as its a way to feel sexy and chic with your growing body.

Leather Pants: JBrand (More affordable here, here and here) // Boots: Anine Bing (Similar here)

Black gray and white are my usual colors of choice. The mix of patterns brightens up the look and gives it some depth.

Shirt: A Pea in the Pod (Non-maternity here) // Blazer: Theory (Similar here) // Scarf: Banana Republic (Currently they have 40% off with online code CHEER)