Alyssa Benson Photography

Eh! I'm Courtney--musing fashion since 1992. Southern Ontario is my stomping ground... I choose to do so in a growing collection of footwear and clothing.

Adapting Style follows and styles the latest fashion trends, while chronicling the expansion of my closet and dabbling into the world of cosmetics. This independent blog is all original, so click "follow" for some fresh stuff!

Contact: adaptingstyle@gmail.com + @adaptingstyle



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Shoe lust of the day: Aldo’s WANETTE sandal

Excuse the racial stereotyping, but some of my friends tell me I must have some sort of oriental blood in me because of my talent for nails. I like to think of myself as a nail guru.

My nails are always painted, and if I don’t like how they look, I’ll change ‘em. If I do like how they look… I’ll wait a few days before I change ‘em. Needless to say, my fingers never really look the same and I like to try everything and anything I can get my hands on (I feel inclined to say “pardon the pun” here, but, no, accept it). Let’s talk about three of my favourite nail trends.

Perfectly Pointy
I’ve been consistently maintaining acrylic tips on my nails for roughly three months now, much due to my fan-girling of Nicole Guerriero. I love having faux claws on for two reasons:

  1. To be fierce like Rihanna.
  2. My nail polish does not chip off acrylics, making my manicures last longer.

The pointy part though—also known as the “stiletto” shape, has me obsessed. Forget about those square french manicures… I can’t get my nails pointy enough.

Loud & Proud
Nothing says summer or accents a tan (as if, I’m too pale to function) like sporting a bright colour on your toes and/or claws. I’m loving the American Apparel Neon line lately. I have the green, orange, coral, purple, pink and yellow (which is on my nails currently). The great part about AA polish is the colour payoff—after a few coats, I’m practically glowing in the dark. The downside, however, is the thick formula. It takes forever, and I mean forever, for it to dry.

Just Strip
I couldn’t resist an innuendo, I’m sorry. I recently tried a free sample of the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips. I had heard from a YouTube beauty guru that strips and stiletto nails didn’t agree with each other, so I was skeptical of the results. Surprise! They worked, and they look hot. The strips are easy to apply and last long (always finish with your favourite top coat).

What do you get when you toss these three trends in a jar, shake it up and stick your fingers inside?

Voila! My nails. Follow me on Instagram to see photos of my manicures as they happen (and other things, of course): @adaptingstyle

And don’t forget to LIKE Adapting Style on Facebook!

Hair, makeup and OOTD. Dinner and a show at the Mirvish tonight in the city. Oz, baby. ๐Ÿ’š

LOOK BOOK: Feelin’ Skirty

At last, a video! Today I have three different looks for you, using three different skirts: lace, floral and leather. I love dresses and skirts when the weather gets warmer. They’re breezy, comfortable and make your outfit look a little bit more polished. It’s like you’re trying even when you aren’t. My closet is also lacking shorts, which is an issue right now. Enjoy!

OUTFIT DETAILS:
Look 1…
Skirt - Suzy Shier
Top - F21+
Shoes - JustFab
Necklace - Aldo

Look 2…
Skirt - Thrifted
Top - Stitches
Jacket - Urban Behaviour
Shoes - Aldo
Watch - DKNY
Midi Ring - Urban Outfitters

Look 3…
Skirt - H&M
BOSS Top - F21
Shoes - Aldo
Necklaces - chain is Aldo, long pendant is Garage
Watch - DKNY
Bracelets - Aldo

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Meet Alyssa. Today she helped me shoot a lookbook video featuring a few different skirts in my closet (coming soon), and we took these photos of her in this ensemble! I’ve had a few requests from friends to be featured on Adapting Style, so perhaps you’ll be seeing some more new faces around here soon!

If you’d like to be featured in a Guest OOTD post, let me know!

OUTFIT DETAILS:
Crop top - ASOS
Skirt - ASOS
Hat - Somewhere in Dominican Republic
Sandals - Ardene
Necklace - Green Earth
Bracelet - Vintage
Ring - Chinese opalย 

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You may have heard of JustFab.ca from their suggestive television commercials. You know, a couple of ladies sit in front of a computer in a public space and cause a scene letting out various “ouuuu”s and “ugghhh”s as they swoon over sexy shoes. See below.

Or perhaps you’ve seen E! network’s show “Kimora: House of Fab”, starring President/Creative Director Kimora Lee Simmons and the rest of the JustFab crew as they give you a behind-the-scenes look at the brand.

If you still have no idea what I’m talking about, JustFab is an L.A.-based website providing on-trend shoes, bags, accessories and more at affordable prices (I’m talkin’ $40 a pair, here). Their heels and handbags have been seen on stars like Miranda Kerr, Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff.

Here’s how it works: You sign up, fill out a quick style survey, and you’re looking at shoes tailored to your taste. You get 20% off your first order. Once you complete your first order, you are in the JustFab VIP program, which means all shoes and bags are $39.95. From then on, unless you click “Skip This Month”, you are charged $39.95 each month and you select which shoes or bag they send you. That’s just $40 for a new pair of shoes every month (hello, heart eyes). It’s like a subscription, but you get to pick what you want.

I ordered my first pair of shoes from JustFab this month. My pick: the Tucson sandal in Coral.
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The shoes arrived just two days later. I was pleasantly surprised with how fast their shipping worked.ย 

And, like any other shoe-loving-gal would do, I immediately shared my purchase on Instagram. (@adaptingstyle)

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Here’s a breakdown on the shoes:

Quality: Stellar. The craft and stitching of the shoe is not cheap, which was a concern for how affordable the pair was.

Fit: True to size. As a girl with a large, wide foot, heel shopping can be hell. These sandals are even slightly big, much to my surprise. The width is fabulous.

Comfort: As expected. When you order a 5.5” inch stiletto heel, comfort isn’t exactly an option. I wore these to an event at the Royal Ontario Museum. After about 3 hours, I was ready to take them off.

Website VS. Reality: Exact. The colours are right on and what you see online is what you get.

In conclusion, here are my final thoughts (or the TLDR version) on JustFab:

  • Great, fast service and shipping.
  • Extremely trendy products.
  • Something for every style. I guarantee you will find something you like.
  • High quality products at affordable prices.
  • I would recommend this site to a friend. I already have, actually.

I’m looking forward to picking out my next pair of shoes in June!

Just purchased: Boss tee + Urban Decay’s Ammo Palette ๐Ÿ’œ

Asker Anonymous Asks:
hey courtney
adaptingstyle adaptingstyle Said:

Hello, anonymous person.ย 

I’ve been hat crazy lately, finding any and every excuse to buy new beanies, snapbacks or fedoras. Obviously a beanie isn’t the most practical choice in headwear when it’s 35 degrees celsius outside, but I can’t get hats off my mind (pardon the pun).

Scrapping the beanie, here are some styles that are beach ready for this summer. I’m picturing each of these with a cute bathing suit (future post? Stayed tuned.), denim shorts and flip flops.ย Pick whichever suits your style best and stay cool this summer.ย Add a couple Coronas and you’ve got yourself a party!

TOP: H&M, PANTS: Value Village, SHOES: Aldo, NECKLACE: H&M, WATCH: DKNY

I bought these light green grandma pants on a thrift adventure for just $6! I love thrifting.