Ladies clad in colourful head scarves, leopard print tights and faux fur lined up to meet and greet with the original Man Repeller. Leandra Medine, the creator of the wildly popular blog that dishes over trends that women love and men hate, was in Toronto to celebrate the launch of Holt Renfrew’s new blog, Holt Muse. There’s much to be learned from Ms. Medine, and as it turns out, it’s not really about repelling men. At the end of the day, she says, you’re dressing to be creative (think: fashion as art) and to make yourself happy.

Here are five things we learned from Leandra:

Lesson One: Have yourself an “arm party,” that is, the term she coined for piling on accessories in all shapes, sizes, colours and textures. Take cues from Leandra here. Her favourite accessories brand is Dannijo.

Lesson Two: Mixing prints, especially animal prints, is a must. “Man Repellers like to unleash their inner feline,” she assures.

Lesson Three: Don’t be afraid of colour, especially below the belt. Leandra is a huge fan of coloured denim. J Brand is our pick, available at Holt Renfrew or Aritzia.

Lesson Four: Ankle boots for fall… or always. Repellers are all about big, bold, statement shoes. We like Jeffery Campbell, find them at Chasse Gardee or Browns.

Lesson Five: And finally, never take fashion too seriously, it should be fun. Her favourite piece of fashion advice: If it feels wrong, it looks right.

By: Kayla Chobotiuk, Toronto

You should follow me on Twitter @oh_kayla.

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