Tag Archives: how to mix prints

animal instincts

Posted on by

lean back

head to toe look by le chateau

snakeskin leggings and ankle strap pumps

You all know by now how much I love animal print, I pretty much wear it the first chance I get… that said I was jumping for joy over this entire outfit!  First up, the tee- I mean seriously how dope is this tiger graphic?   I’m loving the face, rather than just the print, it reminds me of the Givinchy dog tee.  Patent snakeskin leggings and platform pumps give it some extra kick –  I was a little hesitant to pair the snakeskin shoes and leggings together, but I just loved it too much to resist.  I wore this for a debauchery-filled girls night out on 17th avenue, an over-size envelope clutch and simple silver accessories finish this edgy look.   The panther bangle is a treasure brought back from punta cana, it broke when I got home (he swore it was real silver!) but fortunately for me, I have the worlds best grandfather, and he fixed it for me.

We are still having a lovely time together in Denmark.  Today, after 5 years since last seeing her, I am finally reunited with the beautiful Andrea!  We went for a walk along the beach tonight and talked as though no time has passed at all –  I wish we could see each other more often, but I love that we can keep up with each other through blogging!  Being here reminds me again and again how important family is, and how lucky I am to have such an amazing family around me.  Last night at dinner my great-uncle sang a tribute to his lost wife (my grandfather’s sister) and to the family he married into.  It moved me to tears as I felt so grateful to know that I am surrounded by the kind of love that spans generations.  That is what family is meant to be, and that is what we are.

xo, aiyanajane

on instagram @aiyanajanee

 

casual camoflage

Posted on by

camo print leggings and an oversized henley

A little bit inspired by St. Patrick’s Day, but more because it finally started to feel like spring is in the air! I paired two of the greatest prints and  the biggest trends coming up for spring -floral and camouflage.camo leggings and floral bralet, billabong henley, le chateau owl necklace, leather cuff and lace vest, aldo rings and bangles Lately I’ve been embracing my inner hippie with a feather earring worn in the my conch.  I cannot wait to have the long hippie hair to go with it! Over-sized sunglasses, an adorable little owl pendant, and a knock-off Hermes studded cuff, all available at le chateau. The rest of the accessories (other than the vintage wooden bangle) “love” thumb ring, open head-to-head skull ring, and gold studded stretch bangle are all available at aldo.

conch wooden feather earring, love ring, and hermes leather cuffI love camo print, mostly because I’m a big green fan, but it also just gives that casual cool touch to an outfit. I had a dope pair of camo shorts that I donated a little while back just because I had them for so long.. then naturally, camo starts appearing everywhere! I have been searching for the perfect fitting pair of camo skinny jeans that don’t break the bank. I fell in love with this current elliott pair, but not the $198 price tag.  So the search for the perfect camo pant continues, meanwhile I couldn’t resist these $7 leggings from Sirens to embrace the trend a little without busting the college student budget!casual camoflageFloral, an annual spring trend, has been my BFF forever- I’m a girly girl at heart when it comes to clothes! The bustier is also from Sirens, retailing at a whopping $12 – it adds just a touch of print and the tiny floral print is unobtrusive enough to mix with the bold camo print.head to toe details - floral bralet and camo leggings by sirens, rings by aldo, jewelery and vest by le chateau, henly by billabongOn top I wore this Billabong Henley  its one of my favourite shirts because its honestly as comfortable as pajamas and its such a pretty, subtle shade of green. I bought it in extra-large so that I could get away with wearing it with leggings. I love buying over-sized tops, although I have to admit, I toe the line a bit when it comes to the leggings-are-not-pants rule. To add some shape to the over-sized top, and visually elongate the look, I layered a black cotton and lace vest from le chateau over top. That baby cost me a total of $5 so I keep it even though I only wear it once in a blue moon.

lace trim vest, black leather ankle boots

The ankle boots are from le chateau as well, old season.  The day after I took these my roomie brought home the most beautiful over the knee boots that would have been perfect! Thankfully we have the same sized feet so I promise you’ll be seeing them soon!Sunglasses and feather earring by le chateau

when mixing prints remember the   MAJOR/minor  mix rule

A major print – something that can be seen at a distance, pairs best with a minor print- something that is only noticeably printed when viewed close up.

which SPRING TRENDS are you most excited to try?

let me know in the comments , and be sure to leave  a link to your blog as well, I love discovering new blogs to follow!

XO aiyanajane

snakes and layers

Posted on by

As promised here are the results of my first shoot with the lovely and talented Stephanie Dale.

Slither into something stylish with animal inspired print and easy layers.

- thats right, I pre-gamed it! -

 *

What I’m Wearing: 

tunic tank, scarf, shoes, bag & belt – le chateau 

Skirt – Suzy Shier 

I got the skirt for a steal of a deal (half price off of the sale  for only $7.50) its been a staple in my closet for awhile, but after forgetting to hang dry it just once, the dryer shrunk it to extra itty bitty. Now I’m all about short skirts, believe me! A friend of mine and I used to joke that our rules for wearing skirts is that if its not above the fingertips, then its NOT short enough! We aren’t mega skankasaurouses or anything, but short girls need short hemlines! I’m 5’5, so fairly average height, but I have very short legs (thanks to my mothers scottishness) and a longer torso.

To fake long legs I rep the high-waisted skirt all the time!

Wearing a high waisted skirt literally looks good on EVERYONE.

Yes, I said it, everyone.  

Since the skirt shrunk its too short even for my standards, so I turned to my favourite layering piece ever,  a tunic length tank. You can see it peeking out at the bottom and on top it looks like a regular tank top.

This thing makes it super easy to fake the longer hemline, and it acts as a slip because its TIGHT. I wear these (they’re available in legit a million colors) under all my shortest dresses, or even tunics or over-sized sweaters to cover the booty and bare the legs. Don’t pay the regular retail price of $25 either, hit up an outlet store because this is a staple piece and they just make new colors every season. Usually you can find them for about $9.99 on sale. There are le chateau outlets in almost any major city center and 4 in Calgary alone!

The key to making a high waist skirt look good is to position it so the waistband of the skirt is at the narrowest part of your waist. Its universally slimming and flattering, add a belt for even more emphasis.

Choose a skirt that fits your body type- super slim? Pick a pencil or a bandage skirt. Bigger on the bottom, try a tulip skirt (like me!) and curvy all over looks best in an a-line. Draping, pleating, print, rushing and ruffles all help hide anything unflattering.

While shooting on the tracks I found a garter snake, he was NOT stoked to be an impromptu prop but its too damn bad for him I’m a bad-ass snake catchin’ mo-fo.

The abstract print on the skirt is fun, but I was feeling a bit safari inspired and wild, so I added a pony hair leopard print belt.

Mixing prints can be tricky, keep color schemes similar and choose complimentary prints. The best way to know if it works is just by trial and error. If you aren’t sure, ask a friend! Or take a pic and message it to me! I’ll let you know what I think.

I did a smokey eye in two shades of metallic green. I used almost the exact same technique as I did here-
http://citystylecountrysmile.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/makeup-tutorial-what-i-wore-today/
 I even used the same dark green shadow, just replace the gold with a light green.

sssssee you ssssssssoon!

xo. a