C'EST LA "V"

Here's a look back at my favourite trends to hit the runway in 2014!

Colourful coordinates

I simply cannot get enough of this look! it's bold, classy and ultra feminine! 

Crop Tops!

This look had everyone working on their core this year. Best when worn with a high-waisted skirt, shorts or pants.

Fun Furs

Not for the fashionable faint of heart, fun fur (faux and otherwise) were the statement piece for winter 2014.

The Blanket scarf

This comfy, cosy piece is the must have accessory of 2014. Whether you wear it as a cape, scarf, or a blanket, it's the perfect piece to have for the Canadian winter! 

As we ring in the new year, I am excited to see what the fashionable future has in store! Have a safe and happy New Year! 

xo,

It’s easy to become addicted to low-cost products made abroad. We focus on quantity over quality, and continue to purchase new, foreign-made products, to replace ones that quickly wear out, or simply fall apart.  Speaking strictly price tags, it may seem like a no-brainer when choosing between made in Canada and made in China. So here’s closer look at what’s in the price when shopping local!

So what’s in the price? 

It all comes down to quality!  Made in Canada means; quality of construction, labour standards, health and safety standards, and environmental impact.

For me, quality is non-negotiable.  Each one of our garments is quality checked by myself before it’s shipped out to you. We have a great team of skilled seamstresses that I work with to produce your order from cut to packaging, ensuring your garment receives the utmost in care and quality production.

 On a mass production scale, the Canadian manufacturing industry is highly regulated, with strict health and safety standards, which are more strict than many of the countries your favourite brands import from.  These standards cover environmental emissions, quality assurance practices and even the materials used.

Canadian labour standards ensure the people who make your products are treated and paid fairly.  Meaning they are making at least minimum wage. Those costs go into the cost of your garment when you shop Canadian-made products.

 There are so many talented artists and designers in Canada! We work long hours and pour our heart and soul into our art. We do it because we love it, and we do it for a living. When you shop Canadian, you are supporting us and directly impacting the economy in positive ways by securing jobs and helping to create new ones! Thanks!

When you shop Canadian, the planet thanks you too! Not having to ship garments from overseas seriously cuts down on transportation, reducing our carbon footprint and making our planet greener! That’s something to feel good about.

 I am proud to say that all Jesse Rowes garments are made in Canada with quality and care! Thanks to all our customers who shop Jesse Rowes, shop local, and shop Canadian!  View our complete Canadian collection here!

 Xo,

Turn on the grown-up glitz in a little black dress that's anything but basic! This multitasking lace and faux leather dress is perfect for the holidays! Pair it with jewel tones for a pop of colour, and a bold red lip! Play with textures in your shoes and accessories, like suede and rhinestones. 

Short and sweet, our new CHELSEA shorts are the perfect layering piece for your winter wardrobe! Made from a thick flannel-backed faux leather, and featuring an elastic waistband and side seam pockets, these shorts are warm, stylish, and comfy! See the 4 ways I styled them below!

1. Leather and leopard print are the purrrfect pair! Treat the print as a neutral when styling to create a bit of drama in your look. Here I wore our CHELSEA Shorts with leopard print pumps, stockings. I like to keep sleeves and necklines higher when wearing a shorter hem, so I choose this long sleeve blouse which buttons up the back to play off the seaming on the stockings.  

2. The elastic waist makes our CHELSEA shorts naturally sporty. Play it up with a borrowed from the boys look! Here I styled it with stockings and over the knee, knit socks. I kept the sporty look literal with a vintage football jersey. I went with minimal jewellery, just a boyfriend watch and pendant necklace, and completed the look with black suede, lace-up wedges.

3. Dressing in layers is always best for winter, even when dressing for the evening. To dress it up, I paired our CHELSEA shorts with a beaded chiffon tank and cream satin blazer. I left the tank untucked for a more relaxed look, and chose black, sparkly, pointed-toe pumps for an edgy, evening feel.

4. Channeling my inner Bond girl, I went chalet style for this look. A heavy cable-knit sweater and printed stockings will keep you toasty. I opted for over-the-knee boots so the print isn't too overwhelming. Go for luxe jewellery with this look. Gold is especially opulent on a white sweater.  Again, I treated the leopard print as a neutral, and topped off the look with this faux fur head band. 

There are so many ways to wear our CHELSEA shorts! Let me know which looks you love, and get yours here!

XO, 

I think we've all gotten over the "no white after labour day" rule and embraced stylish winter whites! However, when it comes to florals some of us are believing the myth that they are only reserved for the summer sun. 

Our Chloe skirt is the perfect one to debunk the myth! Here I show you three ways to layer this festive floral skirt!

1. Debunking two myths at once, I paired CHLOE with winter whites and neutrals! For the first layer, a tan, loose-fit, knit sweater with a bit of silver thread woven through, which gives it a bit of sparkle. Paired with a colourful statement necklace for a pop of colour against the neutral. On top of of that is a wool motorcycle jacket paired with knit hat and scarf and tan,gold-tiped, almond-toe pumps.

You may think that adding layers may get bulky, but in this colour scheme the eye is drawn to the darkest colour,  the black faux-leather waistband, which sits at your smaller part-your natural waist.

2. For an extra chilly day, you'll want warmer layers! For this look, I Opted for a back v-neck, fitted sweater. Tuck the sweater in and add a belt with a bit of detailing to draw the eye to the waist. I choose lace ankle booties in black to really allow the skirt to stand out. 

On top of that I added an extra thick wool sweater with a large shawl collar, which can double as a scarf, and a navy military inspired coat to highlight the blue tones in the skirt. For extra warmth you can add stockings!

3. This look is perfect for going out to dinner or a party where you're just popping in and out of a car and don't want to get hot under too many layers.

I paired CHLOE with our matching crop top for a dressier look and tall black, leather boots, to compensate for the short sleeves.

On top, this Chanel inspired blazer gives this look a sophisticated, evening appropriate feel (since evening now comes at 4pm).

CHLOE is the perfect skirt to style for winter florals! Get yours at here!

Xo,

The CACEY skirt is the chameleon of all skirts! You can style it preppy, chic, fun, flirty, edgy, simple, sophisticated...  There are so many ways to wear it, I couldn't actually stick to styling it just three ways! It can go with pretty much anything in your existing wardrobe! Believe me, this is the skirt for you!

For this first look I paired our Cacey skirt with a sheer printed blouse, and the most adorable bow belt. From Top knot to ankle booties, this look screams fun!

For an edgier look, I went black on black on black..on beige ;) I paired our Cacey skirt with a tailored boyfriend-style vest over a camisole, and kept it cosy in fleece-line Knee-highs (did I mention the Cacey skirt is also fleece lined?). I lightened the look with a pair of lace-up, high-heel, wingtip oxfords!  

For my final looks, I went cropped! You really can't go wrong! Cacey pairs perfectly and effortlessly with all the tops from our F/W14 Collection! Pictured clockwise from the top are our Chloe, Cara, and Cali tops! Cacey is perfect for pairing with coloured or printed tights and stockings, go black on black or add a pop of colour. Wear tall boots, short boots, flats, or heels, the possibilities are endless!

Get your Cacey skirt at www.jesserowes.com!

xo,

Our Cara skirt is anything but basic! It's made from super lux embroiderd leatherette. You can dress it up or dress it down. It will be the most versatile statement piece in your closet!  It creates an amazing silhouette and the textured fabric does all the work for you, so it's super simple to style!

To keep it casual, I paired it with a cotton v-neck. And my fav pointed-toe pumps. 

Cara is fab for the office. Pair it with your favourite button up and kitten heels. I chose a chambray top, because I love the denim and leather look, and for a pop of colour, these almond-toe kitten heels.

You can totally transform the look of this skirt by pairing it with our CARA top. Obviously they were made for each other, and for a smokin' night out!

Get yours at www.jesserowes.com and show us how you style it!

xo,

Fashion trends come and go, some we love, some we hate and some are just plain scary!  These trends have haunted us for too long! Its time to send them to the grave!

1.Acid wash jeans:  This resurrected trend should never have been dug up in the first place. 

2. Way too short-shorts:  I think as a general rule your shorts should be longer than your underwear, I dunno, call me old-fashioned. Made even worse when Frankensteining them with this trend…

3.Mom Jeans- Offensive to moms and just plain visibly offensive. It’s unflattering on everyone. Yes, including you. Your friends are lying to you.

4. Flatforms- It’s a flat! It’s a platform! No, it’s an unflattering, enormously, clunky kind of footwear with no arch support. If you don’t look good and you’re not even comfortable, what the heck is the point?

5. Boots with the fur: When did that song come out? I’ll leave it at that.

6.Uggs: ugh!

7. See-through leggings- Just because you can fit into them, doesn’t mean they fit. Bend, stretch, phone a friend, make sure, that if you’re going to wear them as pants, that at the very least, they aren’t see through. It’s horrific for all of us.

What trends would you like to send to the grave? 

Happy Halloween!

xo

It’s National Boss Day today, which got me thinking about the past seven months of being my own boss. Here are the top 10 things I've learned! 

  1.Everything is your fault

You are in charge so, inevitably, everything points back to you. Every decision, good or bad, reflects on you.  People love it, its your fault, people hate it, it’s your fault. Really, everything is your fault.

  2.Your alarm clock becomes more of a suggestion than an actual call to action

You silently negotiate with your alarm, knowing that you can just work late to makeup the extra hours. I mean really, are you going to fire yourself?

  3.Your friends often wonder if they missed the news of your funeral

It is not uncommon to receive texts like “Are you alive?” “Where are you?” “Is everything ok?” because they haven’t seen or heard from you in 2 weeks which to you felt like 2 days because you’ve just been working so much, you lost track of time.

  4.You long for home-cooked food

You are usually so busy that the thought of cooking doesn’t cross your mind until you are already way too hungry to actually make food. So its McDonald’s again.  And you’re dreaming if you think you have time for the gym, so thank God for good metabolism!

5. You don’t actually know when the weekend is

You can’t differentiate between a Wednesday and a Saturday.  You’re building a brand here, the week ends when the work is done.

  I know for some of you I’ve probably painted a pretty grim picture of life as the head of a startup, but for those of you that are in my boat you aren’t seeing the above list as negatives because:

  6.Most days, work doesn’t feel like work.

You are doing what you love to do. You are doing what you’re good at. It’s not necessarily difficult. It just takes time!

  7.You have friends and family who support you

Whether they understand what you do all day or not, they are there for you when you need them…sometimes with food, They will celebrate your victories with you and help you through your hard times.

  8. You can make your own schedule

You can work whenever you want from wherever you want.  After all, you’re the boss.

  9.People begin to recognize your work

There is no better feeling than when hard work pays off. And it will! When it does, you forget about every all-nighter you pulled, every frustration and failure you had, and they become a badge of honor, which simply says, ‘you’ve earned this!’

  The number one thing I’ve learned that makes being your own boss, the best job in the world is that:

  10.You are building your dream!

I think Tony Gaskins summed it up quite nicely when he said, “If you don’t build your own dream, someone will hire you to help build theirs.”

Being my own boss  has been hard work. It has meant sleepless nights, sewing injuries, major mess ups, major accomplishments, inspiring achievements, amazing opportunities,  building great connections and having a whole lot of fun. I love my job.

xo,