It’s what’s on the outside…

February 23, 20159 Comments

Until very recently, it felt like I hadn’t been thrifting in ages. I used to thrift at least once a week for my shop, but I’ve sort of put shop updates on the back-burner for a bit while I try to find a better schedule for photographing items and figuring out the overall aesthetic of my shop – do I use a dress form? do I continue modelling the items? should I just hang them?…I digress…all this to say, my thrift store hiatus ended recently because in preparation for a new designers first lookbook I styled and modelled for this past weekend, I headed to a few thrift shops last week to pick up some accessories for the shoot, and of course I found myself getting side tracked and looking for things I’d like to purchase for myself (I’m so bad for this). Sometimes you go thrifting and come away with nothing, and other times it feels like a gold mine. This time around it was a gold mine. I found this vintage houndstooth coat and these shoes (not very weather appropriate, but we weren’t going far and they matched my tights…so sue me) for what felt like mere pennies. It may seem silly to be buying coats this late in the winter game, but I almost never ever say no to a coat if I love it, no matter the season. I truly believe when you live in a climate like this, where it’s cold more often than not, one can never have too many coat options. Since my coat normally covers my outfit, I’d like for my outer layer to speak for itself and reflect my personal style as best it can…and wearing the same thing everyday gets boring, so, coats!!!

What items can you never say no to? What articles of clothing feel like essentials where you live?

*photos by Ryan
Coat: thrifted vintage
Sweater, hat, purse, tights: H&M
Skirt: Common Sort
Blouse: vintage via Penny Arcade
Shoes & scarf: thrifted

Suit Yourself

February 16, 201514 Comments

With temperatures under -30C it would be ridiculous to even fathom the idea of heading outside to take photos, which is just as well, because I don’t think I could do this outfit justice under layers of scarves and coats. This 70s suit jacket is one of those articles of clothing I bought just because of it’s print and cut, but I did not give much thought to what would pair well with it, so up until very recently it had been collecting dust in my closet. I had very close to forgotten about it when I spied it with what felt like fresh eyes, and I instantly thought of pieces that would look perfect with it. There are not many things in my closet I have trouble styling, this jacket was one of the few that stumped me time and again. I guess when I had bought it I just didn’t own anything that looked right with it. I know a ton of bloggers suggest not buying something unless you can think of several ways to wear it, but I’m of the mind that if I feel the piece is special and unique (and fits me right), then I will buy it and find a way to make it work. I’d rather have my closet full of pieces that are dear to my heart and make me think outside the box in terms of styling instead of just playing it safe.

What about you guys? Do you have a set of rules for yourself when purchasing new pieces? Do you just pick whatever feels right and go with the flow?
Suit jacket: vintage via Public Butter
Blouse: thrifted
Skirt: vintage via Odd Finds General Store
Socks: H&M
Shoes: Seychelles

Light of My Life

February 14, 20157 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day dear friends! Valentine’s Day is not one of my favourite holidays, but I am a blogger, and bloggers (for the most part) love to do holiday-inspired posts, however they choose to interpret them. So I felt I may as well pay homage to the holiday in my own way – no real fuss, just one of my favourite dresses that feels very appropriate for this love-filled day, what with it’s romantic length, red and frillyness.

—

Love, in all it’s forms, is incredibly important to me. Love is what drives me, always. In the past, present and future I have always imagined my life full of intense love, something I now realize is one of my greatest weaknesses and strengths. This desire for love, in all aspects of my life, in it’s purest of purest form, is unattainable. When something is that important to you, it will undoubtedly let you down – the expectations are just too high. That kind of love, the one I am talking about, is fleeting. It exists momentarily in our lives, magnificent and bright, but it fades to dull, eventually. All this may sound sad, depressing even, but I don’t mean for it to be. Quite the opposite. To allow love, of any kind, to come to you is to be brave and open. To acknowledge the extent to which it can carry you, but also drop you, and to just say, “I don’t give a fuck. I’m giving it my all”, is one of my favourite qualities in a person. It means fear does not limit you. My expectations may be too high, it may be the reason for much sadness, but I’m glad that love is what drives me…good things have always come from love, not love masked as fear, but real, pure love.

All I’m really trying to say on this Hallmark holiday is to let love into your lives everyday…whether that be love for yourself (super important), your family, friends, partner, art, animals, objects, religion…whatever it may be, be in love with it every single day. You’ll quickly see how beautiful this complex world is in all it’s simplicity.Dress: vintage via Public Butter

*want to try this hairstyle?! you can find a tutorial here.

Snow Day

February 9, 2015February 9, 201518 Comments

Lately It’s been cold…real cold, and snowy, which is fairly normal when you live in Toronto, but that doesn’t mean I’ve ever fully gotten used to it or have any desire to spend time embracing it. On the weekend I was supposed to be styling a shoot with Gerald in Brantford, but the morning of the roads were just too dangerous to drive on. I had to admit defeat and accept that styling a shoot was just not worth the possibility of a car accident (I’ve been in several car accidents, which is probably why I have never learned to drive myself…ya, I’m 26 and I can’t drive). I spent the majority of the weekend in doors watching Netflix, eating tasty things and cuddling the dogs. However, Ryan and I did venture out Sunday afternoon to shoot these photos. While the winter may be cold, and I don’t much care for snow, it does make for really pretty pictures, and I thought my new dress would look perfect against an almost all white background. I don’t own many shapeless, drop-waist dresses like this. My person is quite small, so I find really boxy silhouettes to be a bit too much for me – I just sort of drown in them. But I love this dress. It’s so comfortable and it’s the perfect item to wear if you just want to lounge around. I liken it to a nightgown of sorts, which obviously pleases me. And this coat, oh this coat! I love this coat! It’s hard to tell, but the tartan on it is in mustard, white and blush pink, and the inner lining is a beautiful blush satin. It’s a bit oversized for me and thus looks strange buttoned up, but I had to have it just based on the colour scheme. So here we are, stepping out of my comfort zone and embracing the shapeless life.

How do you guys feel about shapeless, oversized clothing? Yay or nay?

*photos by Ryan
Dress c/o Larmoni
Coat: vintage via Common Sort
Hat & mitts: H&M
Boots: Samantha Pleet x Wolverine
Bow tie: handmade

Giveaway / Meraki Vintage

February 4, 2015February 4, 201510 Comments

It’s no secret I’m a vintage negligee, lingerie and loungewear enthusiast, so when Nikki of Meraki Vintage sent me this adorable powder pink dressing gown to add to my already booming collection, I was over the moon. While these garments may feel rather impractical in that their purpose is mostly to remain indoors (I have styled a nightgown for outdoor wear though), they are still pieces that feel very important in my closet. Wearing something at home that feels both pretty and comfortable is a must for me. I’m a homebody through and through, and I often feel no desire to get dressed in my outdoor garb if I’m just going to be sitting around the house all day, so these pieces are the perfect option that make me feel less like a frumpy lazy butt, and more like an adorable lazy butt.

Meraki Vintage is filled with pieces that span the 50s-90s, with a penchant for fun and colourful prints, which I absolutely adore. It’s a shop filled to the brim with varying styles for most anyone. I had an awfully hard time trying to pick just one piece since so many of them called to me. Lucky for you today I’m hosting a giveaway with Meraki Vintage! One of you could win $25 to her shop so you too can have an equally difficult (but actually fun) time picking from the assortment of loveliness!

How to enter:

Check out Meraki Vintage, and comment below with a link to your favourite item (don’t forget to leave your email)
For an extra entry follow @merakivintage on instagram and favourite her shop on etsy (and please let me know that in the comments below)

*giveaway runs until Tuesday, Feb 10th. The winner will be contacted on Wednesday, Feb 11th.