Bazzul SS15 pants // Gap t-shirt // Nine West shoes // Ray-Ban Wayfarers // Nella Bella bag // PANDORA rings + earrings
To those two gentleman who engaged me in a stare-down on Bloor St. last night, hissing under your breath, this blog post is for you. Toronto is a small player in the global fashion scene for many reasons. First off, we are just a young city still going through our growing pains. (You’ll see what I mean if Uber gets banned thus revealing all the flaws in our transportation infrastructure on Day 1 of the Pan Am games). We need Uber – we also need to be more inclusive when it comes to fashion. If two boys wearing Stüssy (head-to-toe) carrying a pink Holt Renfrew bag think it’s OK to laugh at a fashion blogger who is trying to push the envelope of street style (and dare I say this outfit is even that), how can we ever expect to compete with the likes of Milan or Paris?
It starts on the street. Now I don’t really know whether these boys were making fun or giving props – but it certainly didn’t feel like the latter. I know what the latter feels like, a lot. Instead maybe they thought I was trying to “be somebody” in my all-blue ensemble. Or maybe they were trying to “be somebody” by heavily critiquing my wares. My point is, if we continue to gawk at anyone and everyone with even the remotest idea of a fashion sense we’ll be forever relegated into the subsidiary Canadiana that only a small group of visionaries are now beginning to see as detrimental to our success. We’ll always be “Made in Canada,” and not in a good way.
Try wearing heels on the subway for starters. Men, women and children will stare at you as though you’ve got your skirt tucked into your knickers. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we are progressing, we’ve come a long ass way since I started all this blogging-meets-pontification, but those two gentlemen on the street yesterday made me realize – we still have a long ways to go. As soon as I was within the parameters of a fashion event, everyone praised my ensemble as though it was an ingenious pairing of ice blues. But on the streets, it’s still a tough gig wearing the same coloured t-shirt as your pants.
How do you guys feel about this? Do you notice that Canadians are so not adventurous with their street style because they might be afraid of getting shunned? Have you ever experienced “fashion-on-fashion hate”? Follow me on Instagram and tell me all your secrets.
What! This outfit is absolute fire, and I bet you were carrying yourself with such grace and strength. I think it’s very cool and I admire that you actually wear out what you post on the blog/instagram.
I’m from Vermont (right below good ol’ Canada) and it’s all hipster-flannel chic. Wearing a tight, skimpy, going out to the bar outfit with heels on cobblestone won’t really get you any looks. But wearing nice denim and smart heels during the daytime will make you standout! You would think you had your skirt tucked into your undies…
I definitely think sometimes people don’t want to stand out here from the sea of duck boots and flannels, but I also think people aren’t comfortable giving compliments. People don’t often say stuff about what I wear, but I’ll occasionally get a “I’ve seen you around town- I love your style!” (okay, this is a small city- I’m not THAT cool :p) but people keep thoughts to themselves. Which is why I try to openly compliment people on their outfits or accessories, especially if they aren’t the norm. The more we make genuine statements/validate someone the more confident they’ll feel wearing what they like.
That being said, do I like everything people wear? Of course not. But no sense snickering about it! Just keep the thoughts to yourself, meanies!
Jocellyn
Hey Jocellyn,
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment! And can I say – I couldn’t agree more with you!
I always like to compliment people who have gone above and beyond with their style (especially if I want to find out where they got those fabulous pair of jeans…) And it’s nice to know that someone noticed the time and effort you put into getting dressed.
I mean, yes, we should all just “dress for ourselves” but if that was the reality, then fashion blogs wouldn’t be so popular. I think we do dress for other people, or at least for other people to appreciate the careful planning that goes into a great outfit. It’s like admiring a work of art – value can only be attributed by the perception of others. As with everything in life there is a fine line between a healthy appetite for fashion and then hashtag obsessed…
It’s too bad that unfortunately, lots of people still equate dressing up to being materialistic or vapid. It’s too bad really. I was subjected to the same ridicule at grad school in Toronto. People thought I was like a dumb fashion-obsessed girl who had a rich father with no culture or brains. (All of those things are untrue). I came from a middle class family and am quite the nerd – sure, I am obsessed with fashion – but in the good way. I elevate it to a culture industry akin to art or music or film.
Anyway enough about me, just wanted to say: YES, I FEEL YA!
xo
Justine
I couldn’t agree more Justine. I remember returning from summers in Italy with new acquisitions. Pieces that nobody had seen back home. Brands, trends, street style that Toronto, now years later, still hasn’t embraced.
Keep celebrating your style and embracing your own look and esthetic!
Hopefully, our city will one day be a leader in the industry.
Hey Alessia! Hope you’re well. Thanks for the sweet comment and yes, those were the days!! Now all the stuff in Italy is so readily accessible worldwide – you’d think that would make Toronto more accepting of fashion. Slowly!!!!!!