Having the Confidence to Look & Feel Good! Part 2

With a new found confidence comes the attraction of others. Naturally, when we glow with self confidence, it acts like a magnet for the people around us. Your friends will gravitate toward you and your positivity, and of course, the men will too.

Dating and Relationship expert Lesley Edwards joined us at the Boutique on January 19th to give us some insight on what it takes to find our inner confidence and to share it with the world. Her goals are to help any struggling singles and unfulfilled daters attract the partner they've always wanted, whether they thought it was possible or not. The first thing she talked about was being able to pinpoint our sensitive areas and the aspects of ourselves that lower our level of confidence. As we carried the discussion around the room, each lady was able to point out an area of discomfort within themselves that often reflects in their outer confidence. Something that each lady had in common was that their lack of confidence was often brought on by a lack of trust in themselves.

Lesley has created her own definition of confidence that she kindly shared with the ladies at Lamania. "Confidence is the ability to trust yourself and be in control of your power." Many of the ladies could agree that if they were able to put more trust in themselves when they are lacking confidence, their outwardly look of discomfort would vanish. Lesley believes that once we can begin to put trust in ourselves, our confidence will glow and attract others. The first step in being a confident dater is being confident in yourself.

- Meghan Wels
Lamania Boutique

Having the Confidence to Look & Feel Good!

On Monday January 29th, the ladies of Lamania held a gala at the boutique. We gathered a group of fashion lovers for an evening of wine and discussion about finding confidence in our clothing. Some of the ladies agreed that they often will use their clothing as something to hide behind when they are not feeling overly confident. As fashion lovers, they also agreed that getting dressed should be fun, and not an experience that causes anxiety or discomfort. So it was up to the ladies at Lamania to show them how to mix up their looks so they can feel cozy and confident.

I started out with a simple question, what does your style say about you? Is it screaming confidence, success and happiness, or is it highlighting fear, confusion and discomfort? Everyone you come into contact with throughout your day will judge you within the first 10 seconds of seeing you, regardless of whether you speak or not. This is the main reason why style is so important in you everyday life. A perfect example, as told by Lamania stylist and young designer, Jessica Da Silva, is a woman trying to find success in her career, people you do business with, potential employers, and colleagues will often judge your work ethic based on how they physically see you. If you show up to work hiding behind oversized clothing, chances are people will find it hard to view you as a leader due to your insecure outwardly appearance.

In this situation, it is important to keep a few things in mind. For starters, be sure you are wearing clothing that is the appropriate size for your body. This goes for oversized clothing just as much as clothing that is too small. Just because you have curves doesn't necessarily mean we should automatically be reaching for a double XL. When you are hiding parts of your body that you believe to be flaws, you are also hiding parts of your body that are your greatest assets. Don't be afraid to emphasize the things you love about yourself. If you have great curvy hips and a nice butt, but you don't feel comfortable flaunting your mid section, why not mix some skinny jeans or a pencil skirt with that looser fitting top? Using your clothing to highlight your assets rather than something to hide behind will immediately bring out your inner confidence for everyone to see.

The first step in feeling confident, is looking confident. We can often attach emotions to our clothing that can create such a difference in our level of confidence. For example, if we say to ourselves "I try to stay away from this top because it makes my hips look huge" we are attaching negative emotions to a piece of clothing. Therefore, we probably won't be feeling all that great about ourselves the next time we put it on. It is important to take note of the pieces of clothing that we attach positive emotions to and focus on those pieces and how we can style them to boost our confidence to an all time high.

Sometimes all we need to do to add a little bit of the wow factor to our look is add a bit of colour, glitter, or shine in what we call a statement piece. Jessica was able to give us a glimpse of what a statement piece can do when she transformed her basic black and whites to a head turning look with a bright red cape from Lamania. With Valentines day just around the corner, it's important for us ladies to look and feel our best, whether we're looking to impress a special someone, or we're simply just looking to impress ourselves.

Thanks to all the lovely ladies who joined us at the boutique for this fabulous event.

Stay tuned our blog about the second part of our event where we discuss relationships and dating with professional dating coach Leslie Edwards.

- Meghan Wels
Lamania Boutique

Model of the Year- Mind & Beauty

Lamania Boutique promotes talented and beautiful models across Canada. Every year we'll choose  the special fashion personality that we had a pleasure to work with. Our choice of the year 2014 is Nikolina Granic.

As she rings in the new year, Lamania’s Model Of The Year, Nikolina Granic, has an amazing 2015 to look forward to. All of her wildest dreams and aspirations seem to be coming alive in front of her eyes as she prepares for one of the biggest moves of her modelling career, and life. The long legged beauty will be on her way to Milan in early January to focus on her career and her studies. Much more than just a pretty face, Granic is a whiz at math and is a business mastermind. When she’s not strutting down the runway she’s working hard in school working on her Bachelor Of Commerce, specializing in marketing management, economics, and of course, fashion.

At only 20 years old, being a jack-of-all-trades purposes many life choices for Granic as she begins to build a career for herself. “I’m good at math and marketing, but I also have a love for blogging. I could even see myself potentially being a designer,” says Granic of her many interests and talents. It is obvious that Granic works hard to be successful. Her inspiration for hard work and dedication to what she loves comes from one of her biggest inspirations, Naomi Campbell. “I admire her for her strength and personality. She is the 21^st century power woman,” says Granic.

As she prepares for Milan, her modeling goals and aspirations are at the forefront of her mind. “I want to pursue runway, that’s why we’re going to Italy,” says Granic. “I’m excited to open up some networking and build my book.” A big push to go international came from her beloved agent and jewelry designer, Mario Velocci. “He really focuses on the models and their goals rather than his own. He’s helped me explore different sectors of modeling,” she says of Velocci.  According to her agent, she’s got just the look and the spunk that Italy is looking for. “Toronto was a great place to get a start in modeling, but the fashion industry here is lacking. Im excited to explore what Milan has to offer.”

An obvious touchy subject in modeling is always the stuff that goes on behind the scenes in regards to body image and intense industry standards, but Granic seems to have it all figured out. As a intelligent business student, Granic has got a great head on her shoulders and is not afraid of being pushed around by the industry. “As a model and business student, I am my own product and my own brand. I’m driven by my passion for modeling and not by the negative standards of the industry. No one should ever put themselves in harms way for something they’re passionate about.” Her hope for the future of the industry is that models are seen with more positivity and not so much criticism.

As far as 2015 fashion trends, Granic is already looking forward to seeing what looks hit the runway. “I want to see a take on contemporary minimalism, but to an extreme. More leathers, pastels and grunge.” One of her favourite eras for fashion being the 80’s, she wants to see the looks take it one step further with the bold prints and chunky heels. Looking back on 2015, Granic says she was most impressed by Alexander Wang. “I love the sport looks. Who says you can't be athletic and stylish?”

Looking ahead to the future of her career, we may see the runway queen takeover Europe. “In one year from now I see myself in London or Paris. Maybe even Asia! Those are the three main markets I see my face trending in. No matter what, I’ll definitely be travelling,” says Granic. One thing is for sure, she will be sure to shine wherever she goes.

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2014 Model of The Year, Nikolina Granic!

http://modelnikolinagranic.wordpress.com

Happy New Year and best wishes Nikolina!

Meghan Wels
Photographer: Natasha Reddy
Lamania Boutique

Christmas In Paris

Here at Lamania, we're celebrating a Paris inspired Christmas with our cozy eiffel town embroidered sweater, perfectly matched with our blue harlem-style pant for a laid-back look that goes great with hot chocolate by the fireside. 

We completed our Christmas in Paris look with an infinity scarf and knitted beanie. The basic knits add a sense of "warm and cozy" to the look. To take the look from fireside to "out on the town", we dressed it up with a european-chic fur hat straight from Paris with love. A bit of fur adds a little "OH LA LA" to our Parisian inspired outfit. 

On behalf of the ladies at Lamania Boutique, Joyeux Noel de Paris!

Meghan Wels

Lamania Boutique 

Fall In Love with Lace

Lace is feminine and yet sophisticated. It's girly and yet classy. It's the IT thing in fashion right now and Lamania is here to show you ways this elegant fabric works in every outfit!

Lace is a delicate detail that allows any outfit to soften up a bit. For instance, you've seen the leather and lace look. Pairing the two together will allow each other to stand out and balance each other out at the same time. It isn't too angelic and it isn't too grungy. Sometimes lace is what makes the whole dress and sometimes it's just a small part in a sweater. Regardless, it adds beauty and posh to a beautiful outfit for a beautiful you.

Here at Lamania, we have many lace pieces. How about going for a cropped high-low lightweight pullover which is perfect as a layering piece over top a dress. It's perfect for those simple dresses you've gotten tired of wearing so many times. It can transform the dress into something entirely new once you throw that lace top over it. Or try pairing it over a tank top with a high-waisted pencil skirt. Put on some red lipstick and everybody will be taking you seriously!

Of course, white lace takes the cake! It really does look like something on top of a wedding cake. It's gorgeous and regal. By adding, a pearl necklace or gold earrings, the look really comes together. It's perfect for a brunch with your best friends, for a family reunion dinner, and for an important business meeting. 

If you aren't the wild type, you can dim it down by adding lace intricacies and details within pieces of the outfit. A lace pullover may be too much for you or you may feel you just don't like lace that much. That's alright! Lace doesn't have to be the focal point of your outfit. But by adding a little bit of lace, it will make all the difference and add texture instantly. It turns your look from boring to eye-catching.

This all black everything outfit is chic in it of itself, but the lace top adds a pop of flare and a dimension to the outfit. It makes the look interesting! If you are unsure how to rock the lace trend, wearing a simple lace top is the first step. It isn't too much because it's supported by the leather-quilted jacket and a showstopper cheetah print hat. The outfit is a sure-fire way to get the party started! Switch up black heels for a pair of black leather boots and you've taken a dinner outfit to an outfit ready to hit the town!

For more inspirations visit Lamania Boutique located on 2109 1/2 Yonge Street, ON, Toronto.

- Melanie How

Enjoy Fall fully!

Straight from the chic streets of Paris, Lamania Boutique is excited to share with you the missing piece to your Winter wardrobe! The sweater dress collection. It's your favourite sweater and dress made together as one. So now, you can have your cake and eat it too. The versatility of the sweater dress is self-explanatory as far as its name goes - which is that it's a sweater that doubles as a dress. Could it get any better?

Oh yes, it can!

This cozy knit comes in the form of an elongated sweater. And ladies, we all know what that means. They give the perfect amount of coverage to wear with black leggings! Black leggings or opaque tights give the ultimate slimming illusion. But if you're worried about the harsh cold weather, try out our fur-lined leggings (in store now) that will be sure to keep you warm and cozy outdoors. To finish the look, try adding a tuque to the look to play out the knit fabric even more. With some combat boots or heel booties, you can easily dress the sweater up or down.

With zipper detailing at the front and back, you'll be exuding sophistication at your Christmas Party or at the office. It's oversized, yet has a feminine design with fitted sleeves and a v-neck cut that is embellished with a zipper you seriously cannot miss, you will wish you could wear this everyday.

Good thing you can! Lamania Boutique has the Parisian sweater dress available in different colours. Stop by now and treat yourself this holiday season!

- Melanie How

Wrap Yourself In Style

On Tuesday November 18th, the lovely ladies of Lamania participated in the Wrap Yourself In Style Pre-Holiday pop up party hosted by miss Patrice McDonough of Inside Out Image Consulting. The event was held at Sip Wine Bar and featured a wine tasting, make-up tutorials by the talented Wendy Huang and a winter fashion workshop that featured some of Lamania's favourite pieces for the season.

For this event, we featured our gorgeous mid-length winter floral dress with a cute cropped black jacket for a gorgeous evening party look. The red on black winter florals are a perfect colour combo for any holiday party this season. The mid-length dress is an elegant way to stay warm and look your classiest at all of your holiday events.










The next look we featured is a bit more playful for the holidays. The classic black cocktail dress is brought to life with Lamania's gorgeous houndstooth overcoat and a bold statement necklace to top it off. This look is great for a night out on the town this holiday season.

The last look we featured is a perfect combination of sexy and elegant. Our sleek black and gold mid-length dress is a jaw-dropping piece from Lamania's winter collection this year. With a strip of mesh running up one side and down an arm you can show just the right amount of skin while still keeping it classy with a bit more leg coverage and a high neckline. This dress will certainly turn heads at your holiday mix and mingles this season.

We are so pleased to have been featured in the Wrap Yourself In Style fashion workshop and would like to thank Patrice and Wendy for hosting a fabulous party.

Meghan Wels

Lamania Boutique