It Takes a Runway

Missed the fabulous event It Takes a Runway last week? Here are all the fun details!! 

AMHstyle and our neighbours, The Guest Room, were the venue for a charity fashion show event to raise money for the SOS Children's Villages. The event was organized and hosted by the lovely Betsy Leimbigler, a Miss Universe Canada contestant, who we have already voted the sweetest person around!

The night started off with the beautiful and classical designs of Emilia Torabi hitting the catwalk, showcasing her impeccable tailoring and flair for the upscale.

Jana Hanzel’s cocktail party inspired pieces followed with bright hews and intricate headpieces that are sure to steal the spotlight. 

Ottawa's do it all fashionista Erica Wark emceed the evening, asking Betsey skill-testing questions to prepare her for the Miss Universe Canada pageant, as well as giving out fabulous door prizes. 

The last runway shows of the night featured the unique and oh-so-stunning pieces from local jewellery designers: Leah Christina, Pish Posh, Mafia and Pica. All worn to perfection and the necessary spunk by our beautiful models. 

In the end, the event was a huge success. Everyone had a great time mingling and enjoying refreshments and most importantly over $500 was raised in support of the SOS Children's Villages. Thank you to everyone who helped out and good luck to Betsey!! We are behind you all the way!

Please visit soschildrensvillages.ca if you would like to make a donation to their cause.  

Too many clothes and no more excuses!

Recently at AMHstyle we found ourselves complaining about digging through closets and spelunking through mountains of clothes!  Since Ottawa's weather can be tempermental at times, we often find that our tank tops are right next to the sweaters we will be wearing the next day! As a result, our closets and drawers end up being packed to the brim!

Picking out your outfit each day should not be an extreme sport!

This week we decided to take spring cleaning seriously and here are our tips for you to give it a try!
1) First off start with a good attitude, don't dread cleaning and sorting your closet, get excited! If your closet is pretty cluttered, taking some time to go through it will actually be really fun and enjoyable. You are guaranteed to find something you had forgotten you even owned and in that way it's like shopping but better because there are no lines and no guilt!

2) Now that the weather is warmer, put really thick winter items higher up or packed away since you won't be needing these. Then put lighter layering items for cooler days together in one spot.

3) Sort clothing into different piles.
 Items you still wear should be placed into the closet or drawer in a way that makes sense to you, for example by categories like short sleeves, long sleeves, colour, etc.
Items you no longer wear should be sub-divided into three areas.

• Things in good condition to consign with AMHstyle  
• Things to donate/give away
• Things you don't want to get rid of quite yet --- The best way to figure out if you are actually going to wear these items, is to keep them separate and check over the next few months to see if you're getting any use out of them. If not, toss them to make room and if you do wear them, re-integrate them!

4) A little time now, will save lots of time later! Try items on to see if they are not only fitting but also in line with your current clothing esthetic.
A clean and organized closet will make mornings a lot less stressful, provide more time and energy for other things, as well as making it easier to pick out a killer outfit since you can see all of your fabulous options!*

*For more fabulous options come visit us at AMHstyle, we refresh our closet everyday!

The Building Blocks of Summer

 There has been construction going on in front of AMHstyle for the past few months and as a result of our giant windows, we see bright neon green, yellow and orange passing by frequently! Maybe it's the heat getting to us, but are the construction workers trying to emulate the Summer runways for 2011? Probably not, but nonetheless with Summer officially just a few weeks away its time to start integrating colour into our wardrobes!!

Something we saw a lot of this year and can't wait to try is colour blocking. Colour blocking is a bold look and is basically what it sounds like: wearing different blocks of colour. This can be done by wearing a dress with different sections of colour on it or by mixing up clothing pieces that are each a seperate colour. Since it's summer, the idea is to go with bold and bright colours.

This trend goes to the extreme on the runways, but there are ways to take the inspiration, subdue it and make it yours! Experiment with adding colourful accessories to your outfits or adding one colourful piece to neutrals, for example some pink shorts with a taupe top.

There are different levels to this trend and you can choose to embrace it and take it as far as you want.  Remember that some colour is key! Don't worry too much about matchy-matchy, the idea here is a couple of bold colours that are put together to scream summer!!

Summer Love: Cargo Pants

The skies may be grey but I found a ray of sunshine in my wardrobe: cargo pants. Three pairs later and I am still in love.

There is something wonderful about the balance of military menswear looking subtly sexy on a woman’s physique. The key to making these pants look stylish (as opposed to utilitarian and uniform issued) is the roll of the cuff. Pants worn to the ground completely covering your footwear look like you are wearing them for protection. Roll up the cuff (some cargo pants come with a wicked little tie to help you with this) show some skin,

and throw on a pair of heels. Instant impact!
 

The neutral colours of khaki, green, with some grey or black make mixing and matching really easy. Go bold or with pattern but please stay away from camouflage print!

Paired with a t-shirt or sparkles at night, cargo pants work. A refreshing (and comfortable) alternative to day-after-day in denim, cargo pants are definitely my new favourite.



All the extra little pockets are great too!

Rock it in your rain wear

The snow banks have melted and the wind chill has blown away. Spring is here and it’s time to enjoy! No more turtlenecks, down filled coats, mitts, hats or boots. But it’s not quite time to bust out your bikini either. In fact, the rite of passage to earn your sun-filled summer entails suffering through a week (or two) of rainy days. Don’t let the dark skies get you down. Challenge the weather and still look your best.




Wet and soggy is never a good look. If it is raining don’t try to ignore it. Work with it!

Step 1 – Get the Right Coat. For work a waterproof or water resistant trench coat is the best way to go.
Look for something that falls just above the knee, is belted and tailored. If you are feeling more relaxed or the rain is more intense, a good old fashioned rain coat is never the wrong choice. You can stay dry and stay stylish at the same time.
Step 2 – Get the Right Accessory. Not only is an umbrella practical (protects your highly styled hair from the rain) it is also fun! Pick something with bright colours or a great pattern to bring life to a drab day.
Step 3 – Get a pair of Rubber Boots. A few years ago rubber boots were available only at hunting, fishing and garden centres and they came in yellow or black. Now you can get fantastic boots ranging from designer to discount labels in every combination of colour and pattern. There is no excuse not to own a great pair of rain boots. You should never start your day with soggy feet.

No shoe, synthetic or leather, can stand up to the abuse of puddles and soaked sidewalks. Get yourself a great pair of rain boots and even on the darkest days they’ll put a spring in your step!

Alison Hughes AMH Style. Let me introduce myself:

I am a self-professed fashion addict.  Clothing, magazines, fashion shows, books, you name it, I love it. So what better way to get help and work through my issues?  Open a clothing store that offers the best in quality and trendy items at affordable prices!  

For as long as I can remember I have been helping friends clean out their closets, pull together outfits and shop for their ideal look. What I enjoy most is helping people solve their fashion dilemmas by finding style solutions.  

I am so proud and excited to invite you to come and visit me and my amazing team at AMH Style.  Sign up for our workshops, follow us for fabulous fashion advice or just come shop with us.  We look forward to seeing  you!