Hi everyone!

It’s been a while since my last article but I have the perfect excuse. I have been traveling west coast this past month and living in Vancouver - Canada for almost 3 weeks. The weather here has shifted from a sunny warm autumn to a pretty cold late autumn, therefore I needed some new winter gear!

I am seriously insane about hats right now, which I find to be the ultimate winter 2012 accessory - besides scarves of course, therefore here are my top picks! :)))

The fedora hats are cool options whenever you want to add extra warmth to an outfit without making it too winter-ish. These types of hats are so chic and they add a soft bohemian touch to any outfit even in wintertime.

(Black hat by Rag&Bone / Nude Hat by Steven Alan / Chocolate Brown hat from Monsoon / Red Hat by Catarzi / Navy Hat by Rag&Bone / Camel hat from Friis & Company)

- Photo via ChicTopia -

My next craze focuses on fur hats or just as well faux-fur hats. These are the perfect glamorous and luxurious detail to any winter look. Their main strenght is not only that they looks so hot, but they are also so warm and soft and comfy. I tried on this fox fur hat in a shop and it just got me inspired. Hah! and that tail is so funny!

I found amazing fur trimmed hats or with fur detailing almost everywhere online. These are my favorite fur hats for this winter 2011 season.

1 - Ana Konder Exclusive For Asos Faux Fur Hat

2 - MARC BY MARC JACOBS Chocolate And Coffee Fur Beanie

3 -KEVANDBELLE Rac Bomber Brown Ushanka cap with fur detail

4 - Warehouse Faux fur trim pom pom trapper

5 - CANADIAN HATS Fox Fur Roller Hat

6 - Lanvin Fox Fur Hat

7 - Elizabeth And James Tanya Fur Beanie

The next type of hats are the casual ones, or the effortless-chic ones.  I believe all of you have this style by now, but an update is always welcomed. I found this amazing hat at Aritzia - it’s a Canadian multi-brand boutique and I absolutely adored it! It’s a sort of upgrade from the oh-so-popular beanie hats, but it’s thicker and sweater-like.

Of course you can go a little crazy and just see the fun part of when wearing a cool hat in the snow or if you go skiing! Winter should be “cool”, so make sure you enjoy yourself!

I love how fall coats give you the perfect opportunity to turn heads even if only focus only on one central piece. I think that by now you have your own statement coat - in black, camel, red, print or navy as these were some of the hottest trends for last year or you might have a “classic”. When I say this I am referring to the beige trench, the fur coat, the military coat or the khaki parka…all that I love by the way :)

This also applies for men styles as there are a lot of fall trends that are a great fit for gentlemen as well.  The suit style coats and khaki parkas are so popular and noticed there are tons of options to pick a great look if you decide to have a stylish boyfriend. Make him check out the mens coats at ellos.co.uk as they have really cool styles ! ;-)

I made some research because I myself, am planning to invest in a new coat for fall - winter 2011 / 2012 there are so many cool options right now! You can see the utilitarian look at Altuzarra, the cropped jacket at Jason Wu, the glamorous fur at Chado Ralph  Rucci or the suit style coat at Derek Lam.

Another great style which is becoming more and more popular is the poncho. Volume and freedom in movement seem to be the key elements for the future garments. See bellow 2 wonderful ponchos/capes from Alexander Wang and Cronejo, one more glamorous and the other more urban.

Even if the geometric designs and the bold color prints have always been in fashion, the designs have become a bit more classic and conservatoire. The 60s were a big inspiration for Rimondi - right, or Libertine - left and the looks are somewhat better structured and fitted.

Photos with my new coat soon! Am still browsing the stores for now! :)

XOXO!

My latest obsession is the leather dress. Once very bold, sexy and maybe too wild, the leather dress is starting to be less kitten-oriented and much more fashion-oriented. Leather has been the key fabric in all the latest designer collections but also in the shops which have been competing in getting the coolest leather jackets, skirts, leather pants and now dresses 0ut on the market.

I have taken a stroll around the shops and found lots of cool options, however not all of them were real leather, some of the fast fashion brands offered cool designs, but all fantasy leather :) What I liked were these 2 dresses I found at Mango - left or Guess - right.  Even if they are different styles, they really make this fall 2011 leather trend shine! I would wear the Guess dress with a soft cardigan and flat boots or flats just to dress if down a bit, as oposed to the Mango dress which can be accessorized with high-heels and some red lipstick.

What do you think? Would you wear them?

When I see this amazing photo of Sarah Jessica Parker, I cannot seem to get this one idea: In the winter a great coat is ALL, but ALL you need.

Yes,  you can accessorize it or wear an amazing outfit under it but that will only show up when indoors. But an amazing coat is the thing people see when looking at you during the cold season.

I think this is the best investment piece, where you should spend a little extra because at the end of the day, or at the end of the season it will be worth it.

The Bossy - YouHeShe.com, The Adorable - MissSelfridge - Nude Puffball Maca, The Love Bomb - Julesb.co.uk - Asymmetric Coat Vivienne Westwood  Anglomania , The Statement - Liberty.co.uk - Double Breasted Check Coat, Vivienne Westwood Anglomania, The Wild - Vintage, The Cherie - Mywardrobe.com - WOOL COAT WITH PRINTED FUR COLLAR MIU MIU.

Looks like Penelope Cruz and her sister Monica Cruz have embarked in a new limited collection for Mango for fall/winter 2008-2009. I love the autumn looks and they’re all available on Mango Shop. They’re so feminine and chic and they have that sort of Spanish-Latin sensibility. My favorites are obviously the evening dresses.

I love Envy and Dentelle. They can be perfect for any cocktail attire or if the occasion is not that dressy you can follow a more casual approach. I think that the Mango L.A. dress empowers chic and casual in the same outfit, while the Obsesion dress makes the look really fresh with the extra pockets.

Materials become more complex this season and they bring out a lot of combinations and accents.  Leather and suede or leather with patent leather are the main attractions this season.  Try them in different colors but remember that black and brown are most desired for this fall. No matter the occasion, these mixed materials will keep you on top of things because you can easily bring together a fabulous outfit by combining the 2 materials. I found these couple of boots from Miss Sixty, Nine West and a designer pair from Oscar de la Renta that are absolutely hot :)

What do you think?