Must-Have Accessory: KNIT BEANIES

The knit beanie made it onto the Fall 2013 runways (as pictured above: DKNY, BCBG, Alexander Wang) and is one of the most wearable trends. I feel that the knit beanie is a must-have accessory for this Fall and Winter. It's practical, affordable, and cute. I bought this Wilfred Free Chemin Hat in Heather Toga Mix which I just adore. I love wearing my beanie everywhere (especially to the arena) and with any outfit. So so so cute. Instead of just wearing your beanie on the weekends or to class, follow this tip from Glamour mag: wear it on your way to work or to cocktail parties this holiday season. The contrast is part of what makes it so chic.

CHGF

Photos from style.com

Winter White

(Derek Lam + Proenza Schouler + Tommy Hilfiger)

(Valentino + Isabel Marant + Céline)

"Ignore the old rules. White after Labor Day is glamorous." -- Michael Kors

White was all over the Fall 2013 runways, as seen at Proenza Schouler, Derek Lam, Valentino, Isabel Marant, Céline, Stella McCartney, Elie Saab, and Nina Ricci. As Vogue Paris stated, "A reliable, instant pick-me-up, white invites itself into our wardrobe each winter and this year is no exception. It arrives bearing gifts in a soft, reassuring cream tint, as seen at Isabel Marant, Valentino, and Céline."

For those of you who are still convinced that you should not wear white after Labour Day, I have one thing to say to you: get over it. White is chic, and if it's worn correctly it can really make a statement. I personally love wearing white and cream colours in the Fall and Winter months so I do highly recommend breaking this silly fashion rule. (It's also super easy to assemble at any price!). I am so obsessed with white cozy knits like this Talula Boylston Sweater in Espace, but what I absolutely love are cream coats for Winter. Wearing a cream coat will really make a strong impression and your outfit will instantly look chic. I love this Wilfred Cocoon Wool Coat in Snow. The minimalistic look is so sophisticated and dare I say it again, chic. Just think about how amazing you would look wearing this coat to the rink!

Here are some tips to perfect the winter white look.

Tip #1 Stay away from lightweight fabrics and pick heavier fabrics and textures. Wearing white in a heavier fabric like wool is very winter-friendly.

Tip #2 Wear off-white instead of a bright white hue. While bright white hues are perfect for summer, they are too blinding for the winter months. Stick to off-white hues like cream or eggshell.

Tip #3 Accessorize. While you may not want to wear a lot of white clothing, you can still add white into your ensembles by accessorizing whether it be a scarf, beanie, or handbag. I love the Michael Kors Large Selma Top-Zip Satchel which comes in vanilla saffiano leather.

Tip #4 Pair white with leather! The leather trend is my favourite. Pair a white top with faux leather pants and some pointed toe ankle booties.

How do you wear this look? 

Comment below!

CHGF

Photo credit: Vogue Paris

GIFT GUIDE FOR HIM

1. Marc New York by Andrew Marc $278.64 2. Lululemon Core Hoodie $118 3. Fossil Grant Chronograph Leather Watch $105 4. Fossil Hale Traveler Wallet $45 5. iPad Mini from $419 6. Gongshow "Habit of Being Unreal" hat $39.99 (or any hockey apparel, Gongshow, Bardown, Sauce Hockey) 7. Bickley + Mitchell Merino/Cashmere Beanie $66.87 8. UGG Australia Men's Olsen $120 9. Burberry Check Silk Cotton Tie $160 10. Nordstrom Lambswool Scarf $55.17 11. Lululemon Studio Boxer Short $32 12. Apple TV $109

It's that time of year again to stress about what we're getting our boyfriends for Christmas. It seems like hockey boys already have everything, doesn't it? I hope the gift guide above helps you out a bit. I know my boyfriend loves getting (and I love buying) Lululemon clothing whether it be a hoodie, pants, tops, boxers or accessories. I think anything from Lululemon makes for a great gift. I know my boyfriend also loves his Apple TV which I bought him for his birthday one year. He can watch HD movies, play Netflix and YouTube videos, watch MLB or NHL games live or on demand, and play his music from iCloud. It's a perfect gift for when he's away at school (and it's only $109!).

If your boyfriend is a Detroit or Leafs fan like my boyfriend is, then you may want to check out the NHL Winter Classic Gear for some gift ideas as well. And if you want to stick to a lower budget this year, then I would also suggest making a "man bouquet." Get a bucket of some sort and fill it with little things your boyfriend would love! 

Happy shopping!

CHGF

Leather, leather, leather!

You all know that leather was huge for Fall, especially the leather skirt. I love wearing my faux leather leggings and my leather jacket that I bought in Rome, Italy a few years back. A little punk has never looked so chic. And based on the Spring 2014 shows, your best fall buy is a leather moto jacket. This look will continue to go strong throughout the next seasons (pictured above: Louis Vuitton Spring '14). There's nothing like a great leather jacket.

CHGF

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THE ROW FALL 2013 RTW

For those of you who don't know, THE ROW was established in 2006 by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The brand has expanded into ready-to-wear, eyewear, and handbags and reflects a sense of relaxed and timeless elegance, focusing on fine fabrics and the perfect fit. via Now I've been obsessed with the Olsen twins since I was five, and it's no secret that they're style experts. They continuously show the chicest, most to-die-for clothes season after season. I love everything about their Fall 2013 ready-to-wear collection from the statement outerwear to the fisherman knit. I am also SO obsessed with all of the Fall 2013 leather goods. There is not one leather bag that I wouldn't consider buying. My two faves are definitely #2 and #4.

Here's what Nicole Phelps from Style.com had to say about the Fall 2013 RTW collection. It's everything I wanted to say, perfectly written.

For Fall, Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen rented an empty Upper East Side town house and filled it with an eclectic array of furniture and objects. For an idea of how complete a world they conjured up for The Row this season, consider this: When the last model click-clacked her way up the stairs on her red mules, her imaginary dinner party over, the soundtrack was filled with children giggling at the return of Mommy. Here's another example: The foundation of each layered outfit was a ribbed knit onesie that peeked out of necklines and at the hems of cropped pants, a delightful indulgence that customers in colder climates just might take them up on next fall.

The Olsens care deeply about the details. Close study of the clothes revealed not just those underpinnings but pearls suspended from the collar of a black and white mink coat and brooches, from a Sidney Garber line designed by Brooke Neidich, sprayed across the revers of a single-button jacket. The designers developed many of their own fabrics this season. The white foulard silk jacquard they used for a V-neck sack dress was subtly spectacular.

But the duo also sees the big picture—probably because they wear the collection. More so than in recent seasons, they've begun to propose clothes for life beyond the office, cocktail, and dinner party circuit. In the mix were pieces that women will reach for again and again: a substantial fisherman knit with exaggerated sleeves, another great sweater with oversize proportions, statement outerwear like a heavyweight black leather jacket with a white Persian lamb collar and inset detail on the back.

"Without it being easy, we wanted it to be easy," Mary-Kate said afterward. A koan for the ages, but when you got to thinking about it, she summed up this collection's considerable appeal perfectly.

CHGF

Photos from therow.com

GREEN MOVEMENT

Reed Krakoff fw13

Phillip Lim fw13

Michael Kors fw13

Green is in! Just like navy this hue is having it's fashion moment. I personally love wearing a deep, rich shade of green because it really makes my eyes pop. From outerwear to dresses, tops, pants or accessories, you can't go wrong picking something up in this colour for Fall/Winter. And here's a bonus - this hue looks great on all skin tones.

"Who knows, maybe one of your looks will inspire a fellow fashion comrade to turn a little green herself, figuratively speaking." .. Love that.

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XO CHGF

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STATEMENT OUTERWEAR

(Altuzarra + Jason Wu + Marchesa)

Tom Ford FW13-14

"A great coat is the fastest way to chic this winter." -- Michael Kors

Outerwear came in every shape, colour and volume imaginable this season and really made a statement on the Fall/Winter 2013-2014 runways. The reasons to splurge on a great coat are the same with shoes - it will instantly take your look to the next level, and you can wear it more than once a week!

OVERSIZED ROUNDED SHOULDERS

This look carefully softens strict winter silhouettes

(Gucci + Proenza Schouler + Balenciaga)

POWDER PINK COATS

These soft rose hues transport us to a world of romance and whimsy for next season. Love love love

(Christian Dior + Miu Miu + Carven)

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XO CHGF


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THROWBACK: Who Invited the Trash?

There's a reason Regina George dressed up as a slutty bunny for Chris Isen's Halloween party.

It's true, even Hollywood directors dress girls like bunnies in order to make it clear just how slutty they want her to look. No disrespect to Rachel McAdams (I love her) - a good Canadian girl who loves her hockey. (Note how I didn't say hockey players). But this whole "puck bunny" thing has gotten out of control. Why would any woman want to be referred to as a "puck slut" or bunny? Doesn't mean their IQ is low. God knows their effort is there. Their taste in clothing is usually heinous - but I think it's more about their lack of self-respect. So to all of you bunnies out there, this is not only my opinion of you, I'm just the only one saying it.

Puck sluts hang around the rink with their boobs hanging out all in hopes that some guy on the team will take notice and bring them home. These girls literally spend their time dreaming about railing most members of their local hockey team. Can you say trash? They usually hang around in groups and give us girlfriends death stares as if they think they're intimidating. In our minds we're actually laughing at you because really, you don't personally know anyone on the team yet you're spending your Friday and Saturday nights at the games. Don't you have a f*cking life? Like somewhere else you could be? Us girlfriends are actually here to support our boyfriends and his team.

As long as you know you don't have a shot with a boyfriend, your existence doesn't bother me as much. But don't brag to your friends if you so happen to stumble into one of the single guy's pants on the team. You're just another war piggy that he's taken down and he uses you at the punch line of a joke to boost team morale when they're down.

Seriously though, this whole puck slut status baffles me. I remember a few years ago when puck sluts came to be. They first started out as puck bunnies, which was acceptable. Local girls in small towns trying to get some D and the most attractive alpha males you can find are on the hockey team, I can deal. But this puck slut business, you sluts breed like rabbits. Ever since Gongshow became a monopoly and more "beauties" came around, the bunnies multiplied and mutated into these disease infested creatures who act like they want it, but really don't even know what to do with it. I mean seriously, if you want to go degrade yourself in a public bathroom with a single player in order to tell your friends a slutty story, be my guest. Just don't black light yourself. And just know that us girlfriends are having great sex in the comfort of his home. Because he's not embarrassed to bring us there.

What exactly do these girls accomplish? Besides winning a contest for having the most STD's. And do they seriously not realize that the boys actually do not like them? That they're just being used for sex? So many puck sluts say how they're "the girl that all the boys love, and the one that all the girls hate." No hunny bunny, you have it wrong. All the boys do not love you, and us girls do not hate you as much as we are embarrassed for you. You don't see any professional hockey players marrying the trashy girl who f*cked every guy in the league. They marry the classy women. And no, there is no such thing as a classy puck slut.

Remember: hunnies over bunnies. No one wants to hang around the trash.

XO CHGF

GORGEOUS GRAY

Hermes

Celine

Michael Kors

Reed Krakoff

Proenza Schouler

Theyskens' Theory

 From charcoal to dove, shades of gray were all over the Fall 2013 runways as seen at Céline, Proenza Schouler, Alexander Wang and Michael Kors.

Gray offers a softer approach to the classic yet stark black and white, and it can also be paired with everything this season from pale pastels (think of a powder pink coat) and autumnal shades (like a rich green hue). Seen in the biggest Fall and Winter trends - oversized coats, over-the-knee boots and menswear fabrics - gray is a go-to colour for the season and should be considered the new neutral.

Mix some gray into your wardrobe this season whether it a basic tee, chunky knit, skinnies or leggings, a coat, skirt, over-the-knee boots, or suede pumps. I love wearing my Talula Claremont Pant in Heather Charcoal, and I also love wearing a dark, charcoal gray knit or gray tee to change up my all-black ensembles. But the one gray piece I own that I am so obsessed with (and I mean SO obsessed) is my Community Ionic Cape from Aritzia. It's a must have, seriously.

SHOP THE LOOK:

1. Wilfred Maison Wool Coat $325 2. TNA Wickiup Scarf $50 3. J Brand Jeans 4. Kate Spade 'netta' bootie 5. Talula Claremont Pant $60 6. Rag & Bone pocket tee $115 7. Community Ionic Cape $70

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XO CHGF

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Should you wear a jersey to your boyfriend's game?

No. Class always wins. Wear a chic coat instead.


I have this Babaton Howell Wool Coat in black.

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XO CHGF

How to Survive a LDR: Hockey Girlfriend Edition

Guest post written by: Peyton - @p_townn33 on twitter

I still remember the first time I saw him. I had dropped my honors chem class and transferred into regular chemistry three days into sophomore year. There he was in the second to last row of the classroom, he caught my eye because I didn’t recognize him but immediately I knew that he was one of those hockey players I had been hearing about. And wow he was cute. Then by some miracle I got assigned to the table behind his. “Can I borrow a piece of paper?” was his oh-so-smooth opening line, and so began a school year full of shameless flirting. But I had a boyfriend who I just couldn’t let go of at the time, so the flirting stayed friendly and eventually tapered off when spring came and this cute Canadian hockey player was in class less and less and then all of the sudden he just stopped being there at all. Of course this was because playoffs were over and he had gone home for the summer. I had almost gotten him out of my head when the next school year started and I saw him with some of his friends at lunch and he looked even better than I remembered. Six months, more shameless flirting, and one break up later, we started casually dating. Another month after that we were official…just in time for playoffs. I lived in Washington and he is from Manitoba so I knew that once his team lost out of playoffs he would leave for the summer. I had no idea how hard goodbye would be or how hard a long distance relationship would be, I wasn’t even sure we would last. The goodbye was hard. The summer apart was miserable. We didn’t see each other for four months, but we lasted. And here we are still together four years later.

                I can honestly say I was not overly optimistic going into that summer and really had no idea what I was getting myself into. That summer ended up being a pretty hard time for me with my family, and he was there for me the whole time even from 2,000 miles away. We made it through the summer even though I wasn’t able to go visit him and when he came back in August for training camp things were better than ever.

                We have been together for almost four years now and up until this school year we have been lucky enough to spend every hockey season in the same place and only four summers apart (with me coming to visit every June or July- I love Canada!). Of course we have had our issues (trust issues mostly) and about a million and one fights but we’re making it work. Trust is one of the biggest issues in long distance relationships, and it is definitely our biggest problem. A little over a year into our relationship, the second summer we spent apart, my boyfriend met a slut at the bar one night and made a stupid choice (gag me). I didn’t find out about it until almost a year later and broke up with him (duh). For about a month I screamed at him and cried and tried my best to hate him with every ounce of myself until I calmed down enough to listen to him. I decided to give him a second chance because people DO make mistakes and they can learn from them. And it was obvious he was hurting too (like crying in the locker room before pracy type hurting or so say his teammates) so I decided we might be able to work it out. We did work it out. It’s been almost two years since I found out and we have had our rough patches but we really are better than I could have ever imagined. Some people tell me that I’m an idiot for forgiving him and that people can’t change. But he is proof that people can change and learn from their mistakes because he isn’t the same guy that he was then and I know that. And trust me, it made me crazy enough that I would have found out if he had done it again. But let me tell you, long distance is hard enough until you mix in trust issues. That’s when you get a whole mess of crazy.

                I’ve seen distance ruin even the best of relationships, so when people hear about me and my boyf and what we’ve been through they always ask what our secret is. There is no secret but there are things that make being part a little bit easier even on the worst of days.

                I go to school in Arizona; my boyfriend goes to school in Prince Edward Island. There are exactly 3,330 miles and a three-hour time difference between us. We are almost complete opposites, so much so that on paper you would probably never think we were compatible. But it’s like he is my other half, he completes me and makes me a better person. Being without him is hard and not knowing when I will see him next is even harder. So that’s my first tip, plan your trips to see each other as soon as you can. It gives you something to look forward to instead of being sad because you miss him so much. As cheesy as it sounds, even though you are one day further from the last time you saw each other, you are one day closer to the next time you’ll be together again.

                There are times when you just can’t plan a trip to see each other any time soon because of busy schedules or overpriced plane tickets (I’m talking to you Air Canada). Right now, I don’t know when I will see my boyfriend next. So on the days when I miss him more than usual, I think of all our best times that we have had together and think of how great it will feel when we do finally get to see each other again. I hold on to our memories and look forward to making new ones. But when that doesn’t work, FaceTime and Skype can always make me feel a little better. Because we are three hours different in time zones (four when it isn’t daylight savings) and we both have busy schedules some days we don’t get to talk very much so we will have dates over FaceTime. Every so often, we will pick a meal on a day when we both have about an hour or so of time and we eat together over FaceTime and act like it’s a real date. It sounds silly but it makes you feel connected even from miles apart. You both slow down for a bit and just forget about being apart for that hour.

                Now as much as I love my boyfriend, he drives me crazy sometimes. Seriously, like insane. And like I mentioned before we are polar opposites so him driving me crazy is to be expected. But to top that off, I have trust issues. When it comes to fighting, we are pros. We can scrap like you’ve never seen before. I am also really, really good at holding grudges. I’m working on that. But when we fight, even over little things it always gets blown out of proportion. The best thing you can do when it comes to fights, no matter how big or small, is to take a step back and calm down. Don’t talk to each other until you’ve cooled off and you can talk about whatever caused the fight rationally. You can avoid saying things you don’t mean out of anger and making things worse. Obviously this is way easier said than done. So when you do blow up at each other, say you’re sorry. Because your relationship is more important than your pride, trust me on that.

                Undoubtedly, everyone in an LDR will experience trust issues at some point. And in my experience (which is A LOT) it’s best to calmly talk about it and to keep the accusations to a minimum. Starting off with an accusation is a really, really good way to make him mad and to start a fight. As hard as it is, you have to follow your heart and be reasonable at the same time. Have a little faith in love but don’t let yourself be a doormat. But people screw up and you have to be smart. The first time can be called a mistake depending on the circumstances but the second time it’s a choice. Respect yourself and make sure he respects you. It’s a two-way street though so if you expect him to be faithful and respect you, you have to give him the same in return. When you don’t live in the same place, trust is the only thing you’ve got to go on to make it work.

                I’ve seen a few LDRs get ruined by a lot of different things; cheating, excessive fighting, no trust, not being able to be apart, but those are all to be expected. Something that you wouldn’t expect to see ruin a relationship is getting too eager to plan for the future. When you set overly high expectations too soon, you can just be setting yourself up for disappointment. Talking about being together in the future is awesome and can make you feel good but it can also create an unnecessary sense of urgency and it can make you hate the time that you spend apart. If you really love each other and are really meant to be together, you will be. Just be patient. Find out who you are on your own before you try to build a life together. The time apart may seem long, but if you’re going to be together for the rest of your lives--you can wait another year or so. Because the rest of your life is a very long time and it will put the short time that you spent apart to shame. And honestly, the time apart will make you stronger; not just as a couple but as individuals. What is meant to be will be.

                When you’re a hockey girlfriend in the same place as your boyf, you know how temperamental they can be when it comes to their career. My least favorite time of year was playoffs, not just because when they were over he would be leaving but also because of his ridiculous pre-game superstitions that were like an ALL THE TIME THING. Oh and the playoff hair/beard situation. Last year it was bleach blonde hair, the year before it was all black and my boyf is always a huge fan of the mullet. But of course I was supportive and even dyed his hair for him. But not being together during hockey season is an issue because it’s a little harder to be supportive from so far away. I like to do nice things like send him care packages with his fave things that he can’t get where he lives and time them with stressful times in his schedule. He got suspended earlier this season (ps, he totes didn’t deserve to be suspended) but I surprised him by booking a plane ticket to spend New Years together. Now obvi, that was a little over the top but it was his Christmas present as well and I was feeling romantic and financially irresponsible. But do your best to be supportive even from far away in any way you can!

                We do our best to make each other feel special and make each other happy even from far away. One of the only personality traits we have in common is that we are both complete goof balls so we are big fans of making each other laugh by reminding each other of fun times together or telling stupid jokes or sending each other pictures of things we see throughout our days to make the other person laugh. We try to stay connected even though we are so far apart. He’s my best friend and has been there for me through a lot of hard times. He was there to hold my hand when my mom lost her battle to cancer. He has let me cry on his shoulder when I can’t handle not having her here or when my life gets too overwhelming.  So I do the same for him, I am there to listen to him when he gets mad about hockey or stressed about school (he isn’t very scholarly) and I do anything I can to make his day better. We make sure to talk about things when we are bothered and we are honest with each other, even when it’s something we probably don’t want to hear; like when he tells me he doesn’t really want to hear about the fifth pair of shoes I’ve bought this week. Rude! But for real, honesty is important. Like the most important thing. It builds trust and it gets any problem out in the open so that they don’t build up over time until you blow up at each other.

                As hard as it is to be away from the one you love just remember that love is powerful. You can make it work if you both try hard and want it enough and even if it doesn’t work out, just know that it was an experience that you can learn from and use to make yourself better. But when you’re having a rough day, remember nothing beats a girls night…wine, food, shopping, etc. Enjoy your time together; take as many pictures as you can because they can help you through the rough times. Say you’re sorry and forgive as much as possible. Be faithful and respectful and make sure that you get the same in return. Dating a hockey player isn’t easy-especially in college- but if you’re still together now, it’s probably worth it. Distance is hard but you can do it. If me and my man can make it through everything we have been through, then so can you and yours. Good luck girls, stay strong and you can totes email me if you need advice!!

“Distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold. It is for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It is for those who know a good thing when they see it, even if they don’t see it nearly enough.”

XOXO

-Peyton aka @p_townn33

{4 year veteran hockey gf

Somewhat LDR expert}

Want to write a guest post for CHGF's blog? 
Email me at collegehockeygirlfriend@gmail.com 

COZY CHIC

Céline FW13

Chanel FW13

The Row FW13

Theyskens' Theory FW13

Dries Van Noten FW13

It's time for cozy fashion and laidback simplicity - sweater weather is here! I absolutely love wearing oversized chunky knits. I'm all for the simple, comfy chic look.You'll even catch me wearing knits in the summertime because I'm always cold, and people will look at me as if I'm nuts. But you can never go wrong with an oversized knit sweater, right? Right!

I would consider an oversized cable-knit sweater to be a must-have for this Fall/Winter. One of my favourite outfits has to be an oversized knit paired with my black faux-leather Matte Wet Leggings from Guess, my black ankle booties, and my Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C in black.

Zara and my go-to Aritzia have tons of oversized knits that I just adore, and Forever 21 also has a lot of options to choose from. Pair your chunky knits with a slim pant like leggings or skinnies to balance your look out. Or if you want to try something different this Fall, pair your chunky knits with a flirty skirt or a leather skirt - because Fall 2013 is all about the leather skirt.

TURTLENECKS

(Carolina Herrera + Donna Karan + J.Crew)

Remember in high school when you wouldn't be caught dead wearing a turtleneck? Maybe you still wouldn't be caught dead wearing one. But despite their not-so-cool reputation, plain turtlenecks are totally wearable. They keep you cozy warm without adding any bulk - perfect for the arena! Wear this look under a heavy-fabric coat this winter.

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XO CHGF

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