Author Archives: Chris

Casual Fridays

Posted on by
4

Casual Fridays in an office setting are such a nightmare.  Is it smart casual or business casual?  What do those terms even mean?  Should I wear my grungy jeans?  Are tees appropriate?  Can I come in with a faux hawk?  Fortunately, my office isn’t too uptight when it comes to dress code, so I define Casual Fridays as Comfortable Fridays.  However, the style culture of every workplace is different, so here are 2 casual tips to follow when you’re scratching your head on a Thursday night wondering how to present yourself on the chillest day of the week:

1. Minimal effort to get ready, put on and stay in

Dude, it’s Casual Friday.  Take advantage of it.  You don’t have to show up in a suit.  Besides, why bust out an iron when you don’t need to?  Let your hair down!

2. VIP-proof

Step away from those yoga pants (aka bane of my existence) and flip-flops.  The question is, would you want to be in the outfit if someone important comes through the door?  You never know who you will see during the course of your day.  A colleague of mine came in with a graphic tee, capris and dirty crocs on a Friday only to be surprised by a request to present to the Board of Directors.  Oops.

The only rules I like to follow are my own, so here’s a Friday outfit that is both easy and presentable.  In keeping with my style goal of going easy on the denim, I’ve ditched the jeans and put on something nauti. (ha.. ha…)

I am wearing:

Cardigan:  BCBG – This is one of my favourite pieces in my closet.  It’s super resort – kinda makes me feel like I am on an exotic getaway even when all I am doing is slave away at my desk.
Top:  Zara
Pants:  Urban Behaviour
Purse:  Vintage J&ANS Dolce & Gabbana purse from a family friend

Colour whirlwind

Posted on by
11

I hope I’ve drilled it into your brain by now that my love for fashion actually originated from an undying devotion to make-up art.  So yes, this will be another one of those posts where I go on and on about the artistic inspiration I find in strawberry sundaes, Mozart’s piano concertos, sunflowers petals, the laughter of children and silver unicorns.

Just kidding.  I did want to show you this look though.

 

I wore this to play a music gig involving an awesome musician from Hong Kong who does rock and electropop.  Quite genre-appropriate, don’t you think?  Can you believe that it was my brilliant counterpart Davis who came up with this colour combination?  I should ask for his input more often.

 

If you’re in Toronto and want some makeup done this summer, give me a shout!

I am wearing..

Brows: Shu Uemura Hard Formula in Seal Brown 02
Eyeshadows: Some pink eyeshadow from Inglot, MAC Rule (orange), MAC Copperplate (grey), MAC Blanc Type (off-white highlight), MAC Satellite Dreams (purple), Lise Watier Duo Shadow & Glitter in Smokey Silver
Eyeliner: MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
Lashes: Ardell #120

Time poverty, fashion poverty?

Posted on by
10

If time poverty is defined as having little leisure time as a result of working long hours, then fashion poverty would mean a wardrobe so consumed by work clothes that the proportion of leisure (aka fun) clothes becomes depressingly minuscule.  I don’t even know what to wear on weekends anymore.  Talking about minuscule, I was overcome by sudden urge to get my hair hacked off a few weeks ago.  Not sure what was going through my mind..  I think I forgot to eat oatmeal in the morning or something  like that.

I am wearing..

Blazer: H&M (I was surprised to see this at H&M.  The construction is solid and quality superb!)
Pants: Halston
Belt: BCBG
Silk Scarf: Pierre Cardin
Purse/Clutch: Street vendor in Hong Kong

Guide: X marks the stupid

Posted on by
11

Wipe that goofy grin off your face and focus on the words I am about to tell you.  I want you to drop everything you are doing and execute the following immediately.  Failure in compliance will result in a wack in the head with a Dr. Marten boot.  Trust me, it’s for your own good.

  1. Run to your closet
    Even if you’re not at home, you’ll just have to run back.
  2. Gather all coats, jackets, skirts or tops that sport a slit, vent or pleat
    Some common places to look include the tail of a coat and the side of a skirt.
  3. Identify any threads in the form of an X holding the slit together
  4. If you find said dreadful X on a garment you have worn out in public, proceed to hang your head in shame
  5. Snip the thread off with a pair of scissors at once
    Use your teeth if you have to.  Seriously.
  6. Remove any remnants of this mark of stupidity
  7. Vow to cut every X out of your life
    Hey, I sound like a relationship advice columist!

The loose X stitch is only meant to keep the slit or vent flat so it doesn’t get wrinkled during shipping or display.  Once the garment reaches your home, the X will have served its purpose in life and should go on to die a glorious death.

You might think I am causing a big fuss, but this seemingly innocent X can do a lot of harm.  A well-suited man wearing Ferragamo shoes and a Rolex can look like a fool in a second the moment he turns around and reveals the tack stitch he didn’t remove.  A classy lady sporting a beautifully-fitted pencil skirt would not be able to walk gracefully if the stitch were still holding the slit together.  No matter how polished the rest of you looks, the X will undo it all.  Danger danger! Threads are threats!

If you are X free, extend your arms so I can give you a virtual hug.  Friends don’t let friends leave their threads uncut and you are certainly a friend of Tiny Tines!



When Tiny Tines met Tommy and Anna

Posted on by
8


Justine and Christine met Tommy and Anna!

In case you’ve been living under a rock (well, that rock had better be chic and speak French), Tommy Ton is the photographer behind the noted fashion blog Jak & Jil and Anna Dello Russo the editor-at-large and creative consultant for Vogue Japan.  ADR, aka the boldest, fiercest and baddest chick in town, is known for her overstated fashion sense and numerous outfit changes at any single event.  She is the very definition of maximalism and never fails to turn heads with her flashy lavishness.  If she were a dessert, she would be a 7-layer triple chocolate cake with a more-than-generous portion of fudge sauce served on a plate made out of chocolate to be consumed under a sea of chocolate sauce.

On April 25 2011, a colourful miracle happened here in Toronto in the form of a photo exhibition hosted by The Room @ The Bay on Queen Street displaying Tommy’s images of his muse Anna.  As if that’s not exciting enough, Anna and Tommy actually landed on the ground of our humble city and Tiny Tines seized the opportunity to meet and chat with them.  Overjoyed we were, at the chance to break free from the torture of final exams and a boring life of a 9-5er.

Justine got a good shot of the shoes!  What a Tommy shot.


Justine’s Anecdote: When we approached the table for autographs, I asked Tommy what was his favourite lens. His answer: a 18-200mm zoom to be ready for anything.

You’d think that someone who dresses in million dollar outfits and owns 4,000 pairs of shoes would be snobby and hard to talk to.  Not at all.  She greeted all her fans with warmth and as much sincerity as she puts into her every ensemble.  Many who attended the event put on fun outfits to welcome Anna which was so quite refreshing compared to the everyday street fashion of Toronto.

We were thrilled to finally meet Tiny Tines’ long-time blogger friends such as Laura of For Those About to Shop (left) and Sharon of Backseat Stylers (right).  Photographs to document this monumental moment were in order.

It’s worth noting that the sweet guy who took the picture of Tiny Tines and Backseat Styler is Rui Amaral, the mastermind behind the concept of this brilliant event who approached the Hudson’s bay company to make it happen.  Rui, you genius you.

“Fashion is a MUSE, you must seduce her.”

Oh Anna, I think you do more than just seduce her.  You and her have become one flesh.  Thank you for inspiring Toronto to jump out of its rut of humdrum into a world of endless fashion dreams!

 

Aren’t you suite!

Posted on by
11

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret.. One of my and Davis’ favourite pastimes is watching the Disney Channel together.  I know, so romantic, right? Seriously, who doesn’t love corny humour, unnecessary havoc and uncomplicated “issues” that resolve within a half hour? Life should be such!  Now that the cat is out of the bag with regard to my choice of dates, I might as well tell you that while most of the fashion blogosphere enjoy Gossip Girl, I have a soft spot for The Suite Life on Deck.

From Sharetv.org

The character of London Tipton, played by Brenda Song, inspires me to be adventurous with fashion. She can get quite costumey (borderline disco ball) on the show, but her confidence allows her to execute each outfit with so much pizzazz. Every episode is an expressive and interesting look!  I fully identify with the philosophy that fashion should be fun.  Do you agree?

I am wearing..

Silk scarf: Vintage
Silk top: Club Monaco
Skirt: Mom’s closet

snap CRACKLE pop

Posted on by
17

I find myself frantically trying to wear all my velvet items as often as humanly possible before it gets warm again.  Oh yes, you remember correctly, I was also the wuss who complained about the cold weather just a few weeks ago.  I can’t seem to make up my mind about many things in life, including the following:

I picked up this bottle of China Glaze Crackle (Cracked Concrete) a couple of months ago when the collection first launched.  These work the same way as OPI’s Black Shatter if you are more familiar with that product.  The nail polish, once applied, will automatically “crack”, revealing the base colour you wear underneath.  To be honest, I only purchased it for novelty reasons.  I actually didn’t like most of the pictures I saw online.

So I tried it for the first time last night on top of OPI’s Birthday Babe (an aluminum-like silver), and I was pleasantly surprised.  I don’t hate it!  I am not completely convinced that I will use it a second time, but at least I haven’t removed it yet.

 

I am wearing..

Top: H&M
Necklace: Forever 21
Skirt: Hong Kong
Belt: BCBG

Is that old skirt new?

Posted on by
14

I am about to make a shocking confession.  Brace yourself.  Are you ready?  Okay I’m just gonna blurt it out..  I’m not a fan of vintage shopping. There, I said it.  It was blasphemy to your ears, wasn’t it?  This skirt is one of the very few vintage purchases I’ve made in my life, and I only picked it up because I felt like I needed “vintage” experience as a fashion blogger.  Davis was also there to give me an extra boost.  I absolutely adore clothes from the past eras, but I can’t get past the smell of vintage stores and the thought of putting on something previously owned by a stranger.  Thank God my mom was a stylish woman, otherwise I would forever be deprived of beautiful things of the past.

I must say though, after wearing this skirt a few times, I’ve gathered up a bit of courage to give this vintage thing another try.  In the name of fashion, I shall prevail!!  Gahhhhh Justine, I need your help.

What are your honest thoughts about vintage shopping?  Perhaps you have some tips to help me appreciate this “art”?

 

I am wearing..

Blouse: Mom’s closet
Belt: Mom’s closet
Skirt: 69 Vintage Store (on Queen St W, Toronto)
Shawl Cardigan: GAP

Marching to the bohemian beat

Posted on by
22

 

Is March 2nd a special day?  Apparently, there are 6 people in my life who are having a birthday today.  I honestly believe a substance gets emitted into the atmosphere at precisely 00:00 on the second day of the third month every year to make all babies pop out at once.  Said substance is also responsible for my bohemian look of today.  I usually don’t do no boho, but I am telling you it was the something in the air.  The government just doesn’t want you to know.

Now that I’ve let out classified information from the pentagon, I am sure the FBI will be launching a series of investigation.  It is my only wish that special agents Mulder and Scully would be handling the case.



I am wearing..

Top: Forever21
Pants: Initial (from Hong Kong)
Purse/Clutch: Mellie Bianco
Necklace: Urban Behaviour

Purple dinosaur

Posted on by
13


I am wearing..

Foundation: MAC Face & Body
Base: Urban Decay Primer Potion & MAC Gracious Me Shadestick
Eyeshadow: Some pink eyeshadow from Inglot, Young Punk Mineralized Eyeshadow, Purple from Ben Nye Grande Lumiere palette, MAC Yogurt, MAC Fascinating eye kohl
Brows: Shu Uemura Hard 9, Purple from Ben Nye Grand Lumiere palette
Cheeks: MAC Pink Swoon
Lips: Benefit Hollywood Roll
Lashes: MAC #2s

Tell me about your V day look!