My Aversion

March 16, 2016March 16, 20166 Comments

To mid-rise jeans

I have never felt particularly comfortable in skinny jeans. Non-skirt wearing people always assume wearing a dress or skirt is uncomfortable, but that has never really been the case for me. Physically, yeah, a skirt probably could feel uncomfortable to some – depending on it’s length, fabric and silhouette – but for me, they have always been the garments I feel most comfortable in. Comfort when it comes to clothes doesn’t only have to be about the physical aspect, certain garments just make us feel better mentally, and for me, dresses and skirts have always maintained that level of comfort in my ol’ brain. Pants, and particularly skinny jeans, have never made me feel all that comfortable, mentally speaking; I have always likened my legs to sausages when I wear them (we are all mean to ourselves sometimes). But then high-rise pants/jeans rose to popularity and my comfort level with jeans moved up a couple notches.

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For over a decade, when it comes to pants, I have exclusively worn high-rise. So, it’s weird that I bought mid-rise denim jeans, right?! V weird. To be honest, I brought them into the fitting room thinking they were high-rise, but once I tried them on, and quickly realized they were mid-rise, I didn’t totally hate them. I’m kind of forcing myself to try new things…like wear mid-rise jeans, even though I’ve had an aversion to them for years…you know, just little things, but things I have abstained from for a long time because I felt like they didn’t suit me or my style. If I’m being honest though, I don’t love them as much as I would if they were high-rise, and even while editing these images I felt myself wincing at the way I looked in them. So I don’t know what conclusions to draw from this experiment in personal style and in a way, self acceptance. I was initially drawn to these jeans because I like indigo denim, a lot, and for that reason alone I wear them often, but I don’t think I’m totally sold on mid-rise. And that’s okay. We all have our preferences, and sometimes it’s good to try something different; maybe we can change our own minds, or maybe it’s a reminder of the reasons why we prefer what we prefer.

Have you ever tried a particular piece that you have strayed away from for years? Did you have a change of heart? Hate it? Let me know in the comments below.

– WHAT I WORE –
Blouse c/o Larmoni (similar) | Jeans: H&M | Belt: vintage
Larkspur Vintage | My Aversion

A Little Contrast

March 11, 20164 Comments

never hurt nobody

I originally tried to shoot this dress last weekend, but it was far too cold and windy and I ended up with no decent images to work with. Some outfits never see the light of day (of this blog) when that happens (although, it doesn’t happen much), but I knew I had to reshoot on a warmer day to get some good shots of this dress, and you can probable see why. It’s such a simple and classic idea – black dress with contrasting white collar – but it has some details about it that really make it stand out, imho. I had been searching for a dress like it – that’s to say, an easy black dress with a white contrast collar – it felt like a no brainer that I would pick this one, but what really sold me on this piece was the trumpet sleeves and peplum hem. Trumpet sleeves are fun as heck! But rather impractical in the winter when you have to bury them under layers. I’d been waiting quite awhile to shoot this one, so as to avoid needing a coat while shooting, which I obviously jumped the gun last weekend and paid dearly for it (I was just really cold. I’m dramatic). But clearly I lived to tell the tale and was able to share this dress with ya’ll.

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Olive has some pretty awesome pieces in their shop and I’m happy to be able to share this brand with you because I love, I think, almost every piece they have available in their shop, which is rare for me (that sounds gross pretentious, but I’m picky). Be sure to check them out!

– WHAT I WORE –
Dress c/o Olive | Tights: old | Shoes: H&M
Larkspur Vintage | A Little Contrast

Outfit: Beatnik

March 1, 2016March 1, 201610 Comments

gimme a beat

Unintentionally, this outfit ended up seeming quite inspired by the Beat Generation – Breton stripes, beret, turtleneck, loafers, whole lotta black – a term coined by Kerouac in the late 40s to describe his group of non-conforming literary peers. To be honest, there was no real uniform for this subculture of “beaten down” youth (read: hipsters) of the 50s-mid 60s. The outfits likeness to this subculture is only really inspired by a caricature (read: stereotype) version of a beatnik. But it’s kind of a fun and interesting style trope none the less. Fun because it looks so damn cool, and interesting because it’s so universally understood; even if you know absolutely nothing about beatnik culture, it’s “style” still influences many outfits and trends today.

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Aside from any perceived influence this outfit may have, I mostly wanted to showcase my knapsack, which I have been carrying around with me everyday since I got it. It’s pretty wonderful to have full use of both arms while out and about, a feeling I didn’t realize I was missing all these years being a religious purse carrier. Now I’m hoping I can find a wee bit smaller one, of similar style, in black…so if you spot any on the wide web (or in store), please let this gal know!

Outfit: Who Wears Short Shorts?

February 23, 2016February 24, 201610 Comments

in the GOLDEN HOUR

I’ve owned these navy shorts for many years now and never been able to part ways with them – they always make the cut (kind of a pun?). They are lightweight, made of a super soft cotton, and have a dressy feel to them, similar to many of my high-waisted trousers. I love them as much as the day I got them, however, being put in the dryer one too many times over the years, they have become really short, we are talking bum cheek peeping out when bent over short. Until recently I had never considered pairing them with black tights, which would totally solve the bum problem…like maybe these could be cold weather shorts instead of summer shorts?! I guess the reason I had never considered it is I actually kind of dislike shorts with tights, or rather, light coloured (including denim) shorts with black tights (but only black tights, this does not include dark coloured tights…picky picky, I know); I do not like that specific contrast. Without thinking about it too much I had written off shorts with tights altogether without considering that a pair of dark shorts, navy perhaps, would actually look okay with black tights…it might even look kind of awesome.

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Aside from this revelation, it’s a bit funny how people react to wearing shorts in the winter. Last night Zach and I went out for dinner and when I got out of the car he was surprised to see I was wearing shorts. He said something along the lines of “shorts?! it’s cold!” He knows I wear dresses and skirts year round, and if you stop to think about it, shorts are absolutely no different, at in least in terms of warmth or lack there of it. It just goes to show how much people really consider shorts a warm weather garment. I am a shorts and tights convert, although I don’t think you’ll see the contrast-y pairing any time soon…I can’t see that disdain budging any time soon.

Modelling for Birds of North America SS ’16

February 17, 2016February 18, 20163 Comments

ROMPERS AND CO-ORDS AND SUNSHINE, OH MY!

A few months ago – well before being bare-legged and coat-less would be deemed insane – Arden, Amber and myself (ha! triple A) got together to shoot some pieces from Birds Of North America SS ’16 collection for Victoire’s web store. This was the first time being in front of Arden’s lens, and it was every bit as wonderful as I thought it would be. There are some photographers I just feel instantly comfortable with from the get-go, and Arden is one of them. As for Birds, well I’ve been following Hayley’s label for awhile now, and I think this is my favourite collection yet. I’ve made it no secret that co-ords are what I would love to be wearing come warm weather, and this collection is full of those and so much more. So! Come on Spring! Get here already!

Photography: Arden Wray | Styling & Modelling: Alex Spence | Clothing: Birds of North America
Larkspur Vintage for Birds of North America SS '16