STYLE: JORD Maplewood Fieldcrest Watch + Giveaway

In today's day and age of phones, the wrist watch has become less and less common. Even more uncommon is the handcrafted JORD Canadian Maple Wood Fieldcrest Watch (S129 USD with free shipping worldwide) - Giveaway Details at the Bottom.

OVERVIEW:

Pros: Natural wood stands out from the sea of leather and metal watches, time chips glow in the dark, lightweight, handcrafted, unique

Cons: Difficult band adjustment, very light, can feel cheap, susceptible to water damage

FEATURES:

The JORD Fieldcrest Maplewood Watch is a unique piece that combines fashion and function. A butterfly clasp opens easily and gives plenty of space to slip this watch on when you're in a rush and glow in the dark time chips ensures you'll know the time even at night. 

MAINTENANCE: 

Having a watch that fits you perfectly can be the determining factor between whether you wear the watch or leave it behind. 

JORD will size it to your wrist for an additional $10 but those not willing to pay might come into trouble. The watch store I brought it to in London, ON. would not work on the watch because previous wood watches had been taken there and broke using their traditional tools. Their solution was to ship it off and have it done for $30+ and would've take weeks to have adjusted.

Mine was too tight so luckily my Dad (who works at a Mold factory) brought back a tiny carbide chip that was used to knock out the lugs but resulted in a small dent in the wood (circled in the photo below).

STYLING:

Although I would stick to a leather or metal watch for formal events, the JORD Fieldcrest Maple Watch is very unique and easy to style for these reasons:

- Metal detailing adds a more premium look and feel

- Round face keeps it easy to pair without feeling too bold

- Lightweight allowing for ease of use without feeling weighted 

- handcrafted Maplewood gives a warm and unique aesthetic to the watch.

Below I styled it with 3 different outfits.

OUTFIT DETAILS:

- JORD Watch

- Green Army Jacket

- White T-Shirt

- Black Denim 

- Black Sneakers

DESCRIPTION:

Here, the JORD watch pairs with the bronze coloured detailing on the jacket and stands out as the lightest detail of the outfit.

A black and white pairing of jeans and T-shirt gives a simple contrast that allows for the attention to go towards the jacket and watch.

Optionally, because the Maple watch is of a neutral colour, you can pair it with warm coloured accessories such as a brown leather backpack and a maroon coloured snapback for a casual look.

A warm colour palette paired with the JORD Maplewood Fieldcrest Watch

OUTFIT DETAILS:

- JORD Watch
- Blue Denim Shirt
- Grey Stripped V-Neck
- Black Denim
- Black Sneakers
- Feathered Key holder

DESCRIPTION:

Here I pair the JORD Maplewood Fieldcrest watch with a cooler colour palette and another neutral colour.

The JORD wood watch is the only warm coloured piece and stands out because of it, especially when paired against the cooler colour of the denim shirt.

OUTFIT DETAILS:

- JORD Watch
- Grey Knit Sweater
- White T-shirt (Layer)
- Black Denim
- Black Sneakers
- Brown Leather Bag
- Feathered Key Holder

DESCRIPTION:

Despite the obvious pairing of two neutrals (Maplewood Beige + Knit Sweater Grey), this outfit is in the details.

The feathered keychain holder brings another level of black to the bottom half (which without any breaks in the figure, creates a longer silhouette so you look taller) and the cuff detail pairs nicely with the chunky detailing on the watch band.

What are your thoughts on the look of a wood watch?

Giveaway Details

I'm giving away one of these watches (the JORD Maplewood Fieldcrest Watch) through a giveaway in collaboration with JORD. 

The prize for this contest is a $129 E gift certificate that the winner can put towards any watch rather than making it a specific product (although I chose this model) and will be live for 1 week. The 7 ways to enter are:

1. Follow on Instagram

2. Fill out the JORD form

3. Like the YouTube Lookbook Video

4. Subscribe On YouTube

5. Comment on the YouTube video which watch you'd like to win (check out JORD's website here)

6. Comment on this blog post what what your thoughts are on the watch

7. Follow JORD on Pinterest

Wooden Watches by JORD a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winterwear: Steve Madden Boot Review (Highly Praised)

Overview

The Good: faux fleece lining for warmth, good tread for winter, flat laces for snug fit, low price

The Bad: The back of the ankle area is a tad on the short side

Conclusions: A great ankle boot that I would recommend to anyone. It gives you: warmth with the faux fleece lining, a snug fit with flat laces to keep heat in and snow out, stability with the reasonably thick tread in the sole for walking on snow and ice, and style with distinctive details. However, while the lowered back section of the boot makes slipping your foot into the boots easy, it also makes it easier for snow to get in if not tied tightly.

Aesthetic Criteria	Score /5	Performance Criteria	Score /5
Overall Style	4	*Warmth & Comfort	4.5
*Versatility	4	*Traction	4.5
*Design Workmanship	4.5	Ankle Support	4.5

 An (*) indicates the field is discussed in more detail below on the received criteria and score.

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

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*Criticisms*

(Versatility, Workmanship, Warmth & Comfort and Traction)

Versatility - While the brown leather looking boot might look great on the streets, the detailing keeps it from being worn in a formal setting. Why?

• The ankle area: the extra padding by the ankles makes it look like that it's meant to be worn with the pant leg tucked in. Unless you want to look like the Michelin man with a puffed out ring by your ankles, I'd avoid trying to wear the pant leg over the padding. (See photo above)

• The rugged textures: mixing fleece like fabrics and trims into the design of the boot takes away from the chic leather look commonly worn to fancier events in the winter time - a more appropriate choice would be a sleek leather Chelsea boot. (See photo below)

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Design Workmanship - I've got to say the detailing on this boot excites me in a very meticulous way. If you do a side by side comparison of this budget Steve Madden boot to a more expensive pair bought at Callitspring, you can see the difference in how wear is shown on the boot. 

(Scuff mark comparison)

What you're looking at is how scuff marks show up on the boot. With this pair on the left, the scuff marks aren't shown as easily against the surface on the boot because the slight thickness of the stitched fabric trim around the boot hides marks better. (See detailed photo below)

(Trim Detail)

Additionally, looking back to the first photo in this section, you can see that the 7 shoelace holes extends further along to the the front of the shoe for the pair from Steve Madden. What this does is provide a tighter fit all along the feet with flat shoelaces to keep your feet held flush and warm.

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(Faux Fleece Lining)

Warmth & Comfort - In the same comparison against the boot from Call It Spring, you can see that the extra padded faux fleece lining is thicker and better made to keep in warmth. This boot is the ideal candidate even at a cheaper price point. (Steve Madden $40 : $60 Call It Spring)

(Direct comparison of Steve Madden on left and Call It Spring on the right)

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Traction: this pair of boot has a detailed and thicker thread than the conventional boot from common retailers now at a similar, if not slightly higher, price point. Traction is very important, especially in the winter when you're running to catch a bus and walking/running over slippery patches of ice and snow. You can see a detailed comparison against the higher priced black pair from Call It Spring below where again, Steve Madden's boot provides better practicality, function and fashion.

(Direct Comparison with Steve Madden on the Left and Call It Spring on the right)

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Final Thoughts: A great pair of boots at a great price with all the function, fashion and practicality for casual wear for consumers of all ages.

Disclosure Information: I have no material relationship to any brand mentioned in this post. I was not asked to write anything about these products and was not provided compensation of any kind. All opinions I express regarding Steve Madden's and Call it Spring's products are my own.

Mix N' Match Mondays: Bronze and Silver

On Mixing Bronze and Silver: 

• The silver charms have been distressed showing the darker metal underneath 

• This creates less contrast with the bronze chain

• A long-sleeve henley gives a white backdrop for the necklace to stand out

• A distressed coat with studs match the necklace and create an urban feel

• And a beanie adds warmth 

Get the look:

There's a lot of stigma around mixing silver and gold/bronze jewelry but I say leave that stigma behind and do it. I mixed two charms (a silver ring + some sort of tooth) and with a bronze chain. The look works because I got the charms from a Guess necklace ($35) and the chain from my old roommate but I'd make one for less than $20 with charms and a chain from Michael's Craft Store. 

To get the distressed look, keep the charms in your pocket or bag with your keys and let them get knocked around. The distressing process should wear away polishes, bits of metal and could take a while. 

Comment below with what unlikely pairings you wear! :)

March 8th, 2015

I'm Wearing

Sweater, Shirt and Shoes by H&M

Jeans by Bluenotes

Jacket by Bianca Nygard

Old man winter seems to be moving aside for some warmer weather! Leaving the heavy winter coats behind and trying a more feminine silhouette, I grabbed my Mom's coat from and headed on a photo shoot.

A brown or beige coat can be so versatile in getting through the winter spring transition. Not owning one, I got creative and borrowed a earthy brown wool jacket to offset the light blue and beige while brown accessories keeps the look together. 

Horizontal stripes are great for men because the lines give the illusion of a broader figure. Tapered pants give the body a "v" line while the tighter fight of the pants will direct the eyes towards your shoes.

Styling Tips:

• Clothes will usually tell you what looks good with it. You just have to check the lining and what colours are on the clothes themselves.
• The light blue inside the stripped shirt tells you to wear it with a blue in a similar shade

• 
  

Colder Weather and Longer Jackets

KNOLL

I'm Wearing:

Chelsea Boots by Kenneth Cole Reaction / Hudson's Bay Company

Trench Coat by HBC / Hudson's Bay Company

Dress Shirt by Merona / Target

Sweater by Urban Planet

Dress Pants by H&M

Gloves by Danier

Socks by Roots

DIY Scarf

Styling Tips:

• Pair an army green with a shade grey

• A beige scarf goes well with anything (most outfits)

• White dress shirt + Black pants = Timeless combo

• add a(n) _______ coloured sweater = easy ways to swap outfits 

The black and white pant and shirt combo is a timeless one. You can swap out sweaters on top of this look for so many different looks that are easy and stylish. With the release of 50 Shades of Grey last week, I paired the army green trench coat with a sweater in the darkest shade of grey I own. Army green and any shade of grey is a colour pairing I love to resort to. I add wear a beige scarf (because beige goes with everything) to match the colour of the coat buttons for those extra windy days and dress the outfit up with a sleek winter boot.

360 View

Whoa! I'm getting diz-z-z-y..

Stitch

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I'm wearing:

Jacket by Urban Heritage / Medium / Urban Planet 

Knit Sweater by Merona / Small / Target

Dress Shirt by H&M / Small 

Trousers by H&M / 29 Waist 

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About:

Target became one of my favourite places to shop in 2014. So with their withdrawal from Canada, this post focuses on my favourite piece from their stores - the green bear printed sweater. In my opinion, their clothes and sweaters were cheaper than my usual H&M ($35 vs. $25), felt equal in quality if not better, and their styles were refreshing to see - I mean who uses a print of a bear head wearing a knit sweater? The bear is so stylish, I want what it's wearing.

So how do you wear it? Well I took the colours I associate with Earth and chose to pair the forest green with a denim blue and light beige bringing this piece together with black details from top to bottom. The straps on the jacket adds a nice touch and a black knapsack to boot since I'm a student and would wear this outfit to school.

Dress it up by wearing proper fitting beige trousers (mine are too long) and going with a sleek boot or dress shoes and a jacket made from higher quality materials such as down or fur.

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Thanks for checking out my blog!