Black Out

I know I said that I have no intentions to stop wearing white just because it’s past Labour Day, but if you know me by now, then you’ll know that I’m just as much of a fan of black. That monochrome life right? And in true fashion rebellion, I included some white into the outfit as well. Life’s more fun when you’re breaking the rules.

I’m also excited to announce that I’ve joined Bench. Canada’s ambassador program, where I’ll be styling an outfit a month using Bench. pieces. I’ve always thought that Bench. was very much so a sportswear oriented brand, however my recent obsession with athleisure wear has kind of changed my opinion on workout clothes.

Besides workout clothes, I found out that Bench. also designs and produces casual everyday clothes with a sporty-twist. When I stopped in this past weekend to check out their new Fall/Winter collection, I happened upon this ribbed sweater dress and immediately fell in love with it.

The hem of the dress itself was a little bit short, so I lined it with my white side-slit top to create the illusion of a longer dress. A girl’s always got a couple of tricks up her sleeve. I’ve long since played this game of making my dresses look longer with some light slips underneath and it’s always worked in favor of the dress still appearing short but demure.

I’ve also been on the hunt for a minimalistic and structured leather backpack and was surprisingly pleased when I stumbled onto this one at Bench. as well. I can assure you that I absolutely was not expecting to find anything beyond duffle bags and travel packs.

Another aspect about the bag that I loved was the fact that the branding was a little bit more discreet than others that I saw in the store. I’m not much of a person to want logos splashed all over my clothes because it’s funner to play guessing games with people when they ask me where my clothes are from. A simple metal plaque did the job and was the perfect size and shade for blending into the rest of the bag’s design. Simple and to the point – my favorites.

Since the weather has gotten a little bit cooler lately, I decided that it was finally time to bust out out the booties. These Forever 21 ones have taken quite the beating over the past year and I’ve begun looking into replacement options. But while they’re still holding up, I intend to get every last use out of them as possible.

Since there wasn’t much accessorizing going on, the hardware on the booties acted as my “jewelry” along with these $5 sunnies that I picked up on my recent trip to NYC this past weekend (more on that another day). I can’t wait to share my looks featuring Bench. so make sure to come back each month to find out how I style their pieces with my own aesthetic! 😉

Top – Forever 21 | Sweater – c/o Bench. | Booties – Forever 21 | Backpack – c/o Bench. | Sunglasses – NYC