Points for Versatility

Outfit 1 (Forever21 top, Wilfred blazer, h&m skirt, Rachel Comey booties)

Outfit 2 (Forever21 top, Zara jeans & heels, Rebecca Minkoff bag)

I've been wanting to do this kind of outfit post for a while. Don't get me wrong, on the rare occasion I can definitely be an indulger and splurge on an uber trendy piece with a bold print or crazy colour. But more often than not, I go for more versatile pieces with neutral tones. Pieces I can work with. Pieces that I may be able to get away with rocking twice in one week without having that daunting fear of co-workers whispering, "Oh. Em. Gee. She totally wore that on Tuesday!" hahaha. I know, I'm crazy.

Having recently moved out, I've been trying my absolute hardest to be a smart shopper and hunt down items that are far from being considered 'one-offs'. 

And here you have it. Exhibit A, let's call it. Haha. This lovely top is one found at Forever21 a few months back. And I'm loving the many different ways I can wear it. I decided to do a quick blog post on two fav ways I've styled the top recently; nothing groundbreaking. Just simple and perfect for work, a night out, etc. It's a soft cotton material on top, with a sheer panel across the bottom. Loooove.

xoxo, Ally

Earth tones

(Rachel Comey top and booties, Gap jeans and hat, Zara blazer and bag, F21 bracelet)

Hey y'all! Just a quick post here with an outfit I wore this past weekend when we got some awesome sunshine :) Love these polka-dot denim ankle grazers from the Gap, and the fedora is another favourite, also from the Gap!

Rachel Comey will most definitely always be one of my favourite designers -- from her footwear, to her clothing, she constantly creates pieces that are comfortable (most importantly), yet still chic and sophisticated. Love this silk top by Rachel Comey that I bought a while back from Aritzia. It has a lovely subtle print that adds a little somethin' to the neutral coloured silk. And of course, had to finish off with my Penpal booties.

P.S. Have Corinne Bailey Rae playing in the background as I do this blog post. Absolutely love her voice and music... I went to one of her concerts in Toronto years back, but forgot just how incredibly talented she is. I love re-discovering music that I was once hooked on...

xoxo, Ally

Birthday Girl

(Birthday outfit - Zara blazer, clutch & heels, Club Monaco skirt and silk tank)

I celebrated my 25th birthday this past Saturday with my closest family & friends! First was dinner at an amazing Japanese spot in the Leslieville area (for the Torontonians that know it!) called District Bistro. Delicious a la carte rolls.. Mmmm. Then family & friends came over and hung out at my new place! We fit quite a big group of people in my 700-ish square foot apartment. And of course, the night consisted of a lot of drinking and red velvet cake. Could not feel more blessed to spend my quarter of a century birthday with such amazing people!

I know this year will be EPIC.

xoxo, Ally

Love at first stripe.

(Rag & Bone jacket, Zara skirt, clutch, and heels, H&M top)

Close-up of jewelry I'm wearing:

(Forever21 bracelets, Odette NY ring)

My friends would be able to tell you that I'm a STRIPES kinda gal. The forever-classic look is something I will always be drawn to. You can catch me in the classic navy + white striped tops on most of my laidback days. I have a drawer full of 'em! Onto this outfit that I wore last night for dinner & drinks with a friend (as soon as I stepped out, I headed back in to throw on a pair of tights :( Damn it, Spring, what's taking you so long?!?) I really adore everything about this skirt. The material is just perfect to wear either dressy or casual, and the maroon & navy combo makes me think 'varsity chic'. Haha. Sometimes I think up random styles in my head - but really, you get what I mean, right?! Wore it with a cream silk top with a peter pan collar, and my favourite moto jacket by Rag & Bone. Pls don't mind the not-so-grea fuzzy quality of these pics - my bf and I were playing around with the settings 'til we got fed up and settled with what you see above. Hah.

(P.S. peep the little bit of my new rug peeking through in each pic ;) Love it so much!)

xoxo, Ally

Tomboy.

(Isabel Marant sneakers, Proenza Schouler bag, Zara jacket, top and jeans)

Felt kinda tomboy-ish this past Saturday when I threw this outfit on, along with a fuss-free bun before a long day of antique furniture hunting - I knew I had to wear something comfortable! I bought these Isabel Marant Bekkets during the holidays. They are literally the comfiest shoes ever (and the subtle wedge is a huge plus - for those of us who find at least a little heel or extra height, necessary)! And though they fall into the wedged-sneaker trend at the moment, I can undoubtedly vouch for their comfortability! And I seriously just love themmm. You can rock them with a Summery dress + jean jacket once it's gets warmer (for those of us that are experiencing the final weeks of cold weather).

The purse is a Proenza Schouler beauty that I was literally eyeing on the Barney's website for what felt like a very, very long time. Haha. And I watched the price get reduced once, then a second time, and I snatched it.  I love the duo-colour, and the navy suede + gold buckle that wraps around. I am such a huge fan of PS's purses. They brilliantly create items that are timeless, yet still have a subtle edge to them, that so many girls look for in investment pieces! The ideal investment piece is one that is classic, yet still has some 'unexpected' and unique elements that make it stand out. 

P.S. As you can tell my back door needs some lovin'. That's another one on my to-do list as soon as the Spring weather officially hits!

P.P.S. My new place is slowly coming together - I was in search of THE perfect rug. Initially I had my eye on one at West Elm that I felt may not have been worth the (BIG) splurge. So I spent a good week  or two stalking so many different navajo, persian, oriental, both vintage and new, rugs on eBay. And I found the perfect one. When I saw it, I just knew ;) Anyways, here's a pic I posted on instagram yesterday! I may do one big general blog post on my new place once I have most of my furniture and what not, but if you'd like to see more frequent updates, follow me on instagram @AllyAsis 

xoxo, Ally

Paisley chic.

(ALC blouse, Zara heels & jeans)

I wanted to do a really quick outfit post on two new pieces that I've been loving - these gorge heels from Zara and this lovely ALC top I bought off matchesfashion.com. I'm naturally drawn to any piece with a paisley print; I find it'll always give off a subtle vintage vibe. When I found this top on the Matches website I fell in love with the paisley aspect, of course, but I loved how the sleeves had a different regal-like print. The juxtaposition of both prints make the top so unique, and uber chic. The heels are just perfect! I've been in search for heels like these for a while but because I have sort of a wider foot, it was hard to find a specific style that helped 'disguise' that fact, ha! And because of the mesh-like detail at the side of each shoe, these worked out perfectly for me. Happy weekend everyone!

xoxo, Ally

New Chapter

I recently moved into my first place in the city and the process has been such a whirlwind that I've had to put a few things (including this blog) on hold! (My apologies). The craziness has just begun to settle though, which means I'm gradually going to get back into this! I'll be starting to blog more often, and about a slightly wider array of topics: fashion, food (cooking will always be one of my passions!), lifestyle, etc. 

I'm so excited to now be writing and blogging from a different perspective (with the new move), and am just as curious and excited about what posts I'll be putting out (as I hope you all are)! Above are two quick snaps in the new space. If you follow me on instagram (@AllyAsis) you've already seen several other photos of the place, recent meals I've cooked, etc!

Thanks for following this blog thus far, and stay tuned for upcoming posts!

xoxo, Ally