I love reading fashion blogs (and I know I’m not the only blonde who does!) but I don’t often think to write about my own fashion. I love clothes and dressing up or dressing fun, but my fashion sense is not overly keen or groundbreaking. I like clothes that are comfortable and cute, as well as easy to wear. I love finding unique pieces, and finding clothing at secondhand stores, and especially clothes that are surprising.
I’m hoping to do more of this (especially as springtime arrives) and encouraging my sisters to do it as well!
Sweater: Groggy - from a store in Calgary that is no longer open. //Scarf: Gap // Flower necklace: Forever 21 // Bracelet: Micaela’s dresser // Leggings: Jacob // Boots: Ecco, from another store that is no longer in existence (thanks, economy).
Also, I’m a giant. Okay, I’m 5′10″ but this photo very much accentuates my height.
Messy hair! I kind of like it that way …
A photo that didn’t turn out too well, but I still liked it.
I found some amazeballs boots for Micaela that day and forced her to buy them so I hope she blogs about them soon! (Hint, hint)
Thanks for reading! Did you know you can get Five Blondes delivered (semi) daily? Just click for our RSS feed. See you soon!
Lately I haven’t been loving shopping like I once did. I guess it’s a variety of reasons, for one, I didn’t have a very good job for a while and before that was in school so I didn’t shop much. Now that I’m out of the habit I’m finding it hard. The big reason is probably that there are SO many nice stores here in Toronto that have beautiful clothes in the windows and draw me into them, but once I get inside I realize that a t-shirt costs $150… I can’t do that.
Another bad habit I have is only buying clothes that are on sale. This probably sounds like a good habit, but for me it’s not. I looove finding a really good deal (who doesn’t???) but in my case if something is 50% off I seem to think it’s okay if I like it 50% less than the clothes that aren’t on sale. This leaves me with a closet full of things I only like 50%. Buying clothes that aren’t on sale is really hard for me, but I’m trying.
My last problem is that I’m just plain picky… and that the things I like in stores aren’t always what I actually want to wear in everyday life. I’m drawn to black and white, but when I’m looking in my closet for thing to wear to teach, black dress pants and a white shirt feels so boring. I’m picky when it come to colour though, and am generally not drawn to prints. I just don’t seem to love most things out there right now, but I need some nice clothes for my new big girl job.
Today while wandering around the mall, I decided that there should be one perfect brand for me that would never let me down. One designer who, it feels like, shares the exact same style as me. Their clothes would be girly and flowy with lots of floaty top and dresses, and not overly cheap or expensive. When I needed something new I would just know that this designer wouldn’t let me down and I wouldn’t have to look anywhere else unless I really just felt like going shopping.
Interestingly enough, today in The Bay I found a designer – Rachel Roy,that might fit the bill. I definitely don’t love everything, but the ratio of things I like to don’t like is much higher than in most stores. This shirt feels like it was meant for me – flowy, casual, different colours without having a print:
(I think part of the reason for my frustrated state was that I was rocking messy hair and no makeup with tights and a sweatshirt when everyone else at the mall looked so good.)
I’m looking at the Rachel Roy website now and there’s a bunch that I like:
Now that I’ve looked at everything on the website, lot of it is much more funky/edgy than what I would wear but I looove these especially the second and last photos I posted. I don’t think she’s my perfect designer after all, but these are definitely perfect for me. Although I didn’t realize my first pick was a romper until I’d already posted it. I don’t know if I could do that without feeling like a 5 year old. My legs are pretty long. Maybe?
What’s your approach to shopping? Is there a store or designer that never lets you down or do you like to look at everything?
As many of you know, I used to be a downhill ski racer. But let’s be honest here, we live in Southwestern Ontario, aand let’s just say our hills are about the size of a bump in the road in Whistler. But that didn’t stop me from excelling at ski racing, and even beating all the kids from the “big” hills in Ontario. Yep, even the guys. I would look forward to every weekend in the winter when me, my two best friends, and our team would travel as far as 4 hours up North to go to a race and clean up the podium. I loved, and definitely still do love, speeding down a steep, bumpy terrain, and even if for a second I’m holding on for dear life, clutching my poles as hard as I can, and trying not to crash, it is the biggest thrill I have found yet in my 20 years. Which brings me to my next subject, which is ultimately money. Or some would say, opportunity. Ski racing is an expensive sport. Remembering, of course, that I’m the youngest of five, from a family of pig farmers. Not exactly ideal. My mom, being the seamstress she is, sewed my first downhill suit. Usually these downhill suits are thin, super tight, and cold. Mine? It was bright pink, and lined with fleece. Not exactly the most aerodynamic, but the most practical suit we could think of for a 13 year old girl. As I mentioned before, ski racing is an expensive sport if you want to go to the Olympics. Most camps cost hundreds of dollars, and to compete at the FIS level it can cost upwards of $20 000 a year, and this is without all the equipment, such as skis, poles, helmets, downhill suits, etc. This, of course, brings up the question. Are the athletes competing in our Olympic ski races there because they have the funds and hills that are necessary in our country to be great? If our family had the resources to send me to good downhill camps, or travel around with me to Quebec or BC would I be able to make it to the Olympics? I know it sounds like bitter Lau, just upset because she wanted to be in the Olympics, and yea, I’ll admit that it’s a bit of the reason I’m writing this. But I honestly want opinions on this sort of thing. We don’t know that our athletes are the best in their sport in Canada. With a little (ok, a lot) training, maybe I could be better.
Yes, I realize that there are exceptions to my opinion. Many ski racers come from poorer families. One in particular is Picabo Street, an American ski racer from the 90s. She was born on a small farm in Triumph, Idaho, where they sometimes couldn’t even afford to fix the windows in their house. She describes herself as “a poor kid in a rich kid’s sport, a girl among boys, a free spirit among hard-asses, an American in a sport ruled by Europeans.”, and it’s definitely true. Alsoo, check out her book, Nothing To Hide. It is one of two books that I can finish reading in about 2 days, and right as I finish the last page, turn right back to the beginning and start reading it again.
That all being said…whoever wants to start a fund to get me headed to Russia in 2014 can go right ahead. I’m not stopping you!
Did you know that us blondes grew up on a farm? A pig farm to be exact. I (who currently resides in Calgary) am home in Ontario for a week and promised my parents, who are on a cruise celebrating this girl getting married, that I would help Scottie in the barn. (Scottie McHottie is our farmhand, who rocked the traditional story of farmhand-marrying-farmer’s-daughter when he asked our Kate to marry him years ago).
My best friend is in broadcast journalism school and asked if she could make a video of me doing chores in the morning for a project and of course I agreed. Hello, what great blog fodder and who doesn’t love a vlog? HUGE thanks to my bff Leah – yes, we have the same name – for doing this!
So enjoy taking a peek into my current life, and also what life was like when we were kids and had to go to the barn when we misbehaved.
