Have dress, will travel

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/7/2016 (1449 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As my nearest and dearest know, I travel a fair bit for my day job — and by a fair bit, what I really mean to say is a lot.

I’m not complaining; I absolutely love what I do, but what I don’t love is living out of a carry-on. It’s bad enough having to try and stuff all my hair products, creams and serums into a tiny plastic bag, let alone a week’s worth of clothes, workout gear and shoes into a wee little suitcase.

And I know I am not the only woman out there with travel-wardrobe woes because I have heard the same complaints from colleagues and peers.

It’s always a fine balance. You need garments that hold well in a suitcase and can be worn for meetings, but still dressy enough to wear to an event — not to mention comfortable to wear since you are going to be in them all day.

A solution in this travelling fashionista’s humble opinion is bellaBALAS — a locally designed brand of clothing by twins Shawna Balas and Daria Balas Zmiyiwsky specially designed for women in need of a "multi-task wardrobe that works as hard as they do."

"BellaBALAS fashions takes women from desk to dusk, cubicle to cocktails and work to wine," says Shawna Balas.

The collection is made using a bamboo and Lycra-blended fabric that is milled and dyed in Canada and is ultra-soft, lightweight and easy to pack.

"There is nothing better than wearing a natural garment that stands the test of time of always looking professional. It is a wardrobe to build on, as that fabric does not fade, allowing garments to be purchased over time," says Balas.

What I love about the collection is that each piece can be worn in a variety of different ways, creating several new looks out of one dress.

Among my favourites are the Dress in a Bag teamed up with the Wrap Jacket for a more business look, and the Shoulder Top, which is actually more like a dress with about 10 different ways to wear it.

BellaBALAS is at 2-376 Donald St., or you can check out the collection online at www.bellabalas.com. The site also offers video tutorials on the many ways to wear your bellaBALAS garment.

Got a suggestion for a future column or trend worth following? Email Connie Tamoto at connietamotofashion@hotmail.com.