TREND followers flocked to the new Loblaws City Market on Lonsdale Avenue mid-month to hear two Canadian style experts weigh in on what's hot for fall 2013.
Erin McLaughlin, editor-inchief at Style at Home magazine, and Jennifer Reynolds, editorin-chief at Canadian Living magazine, flew in from Toronto to discuss fresh fads in food, fashion and home decor. According to the pair, here's what's in vogue for the upcoming season:
Fashion Expect to see the "preppy look" everywhere, says McLaughlin, who attended the trend event sporting her own interpretation of the classic student style. In black corduroy pants with a cuff, nude pumps, a patterned top layered beneath a jean jacket and topped with multiple necklaces, McLaughlin said she was trying to blend preppy and Parisian esthetics to create a more personalized ensemble.
When it comes to colour, she said she is loving ink blue - a grey-blue shade and contemporary alternative to navy.
"We're looking at navy right now in a whole new way. Navy used to be that safe colour," McLaughlin says, explaining it's no longer a fashion faux pas to pair dark blue with black.
Animal prints are also popular, she says, but expect to see the typically loud motifs take a more subtle turn this fall.
Meanwhile, Reynolds showed up to the trend event in timeless black and white: a white collarless long-sleeved blouse, slim-fitting black pants and black and white pointytoed pumps. She added a burst of colour with a pair of pink chandelier earrings.
"It's interesting that pink keeps creeping up, even in the fall," Reynolds says, noting pink is now especially prevalent in the world of high fashion.
Both editors agree the best way to save money and avoid falling out of fashion in a matter of months is to invest in highquality basics and experiment with trendy accessories.
"It's all about personal style and pulling together your favourite pieces and rocking them," Reynolds says. "If you walk with the right swagger you can put together any outfit."
Home decor Preppy pieces and ink blue aren't just popping up in clothing stores, they can also be found in the home, says McLaughlin, adding that harvest-inspired hues such as rusty red are also hot for fall.
When it comes to interior decor, expect to find more non-traditional materials on the market.
"We're seeing a lot of mixtures of modern and contemporary lines in more interesting natural materials," McLaughlin says. "We're seeing a lot of bamboo now, which is great because it's more environmentally friendly."
She encourages people to play around with decor trends - without breaking the bank.
"Inexpensive things like toss cushions or even picture frames or a ceramic vase in different colours or patterns that you want to experiment with aren't a huge financial commitment," she says. McLaughlin reminds people: "The most important thing is to buy what you love, not what people tell you to buy."
As with fashion, Reynolds says it's OK to splurge on timeless essentials.
"In your closet it's that great black pair of pants and that really nice structured jacket and in your home it's that killer couch, it's those really good armchairs," she says.
Food Look for protein-packed Greek yogurt and the South American super-grain quinoa in your local grocery store this fall. According to Reynolds, these healthy and versatile foods are still riding a wave of popularity. In the produce department, check out the baby vegetable selection. They're nutrient-rich, fun to cook and kid-friendly, Reynolds says.
"They always look so pretty on the plate as well," she adds.
Pulled pork is a popular and economical family dinner.
"It's a cheap cut of meat," Reynolds says, explaining the shredded pork can be prepared in the slow cooker and added to pizza, burgers or even tacos.
McLaughlin, meanwhile, is noticing a health trend with grocery stores stocking more organic products and guilt-free snacks, such as kale chips.
"You used to see these things only in tiny health food stores so it's really great to see grocery stores bringing those things in because that's what people want," she says.
When it comes to holding dinner parties, Reynolds and McLaughlin both agree that today, the host needn't do all the work.
"We're definitely seeing a lot of ultra-chic potlucks," Reynolds says, "which is a really nice, refreshing way to entertain."
