HOLY SHIT, I MADE IT TO PART 3?

My past with fashion has been somewhat sordid. When I was 13, I wore the same pair of burgundy and hunter plaid pants all the way to, from, and during my family trip to Alberta [we drove]. I was the little girl who had the Cat Street Boys and Mice Girls sweaters from Northern Getaway. I wore baby blue wind pants a couple times a week for most of my grade 11 year, including the afternoon I lost my virginity. Looking back, I probably could have made a better decision about both the guy and the outfit; but that’s something 17 year old me had to learn the hard way. 

It took me 26 years but I finally decided to become an adult. In more ways than one. I opened a savings account, an investment account, and finally started budgeting so I could actually enjoy the quality of life instead of living my life paycheque to paycheque. After a while, it becomes exhausting to feel sick to my stomach about my bank account balance, despite how happy I am about all of the money I have hanging in my closet.

top: Zara
shorts: Zara
necklace: Brandy Melville
bracelet: Iron Plume  

I just never ever want to tally and figure out just how much that money would be. I think my stomach might fall out.

Especially since I still occasionally feel like I’m dying when I buy anything that costs upwards of $50 [like both pieces in the photo above]. I basically had a mini-stroke when I bought my Hunter boots - regardless of how good it feels knowing that they’re waiting for me when it rains. It just sucks when you find almost the exact same item at Sirens in the Dufferin Mall for $20. Which happens a lot more than you would think. Lesson learned. Ish.

I have made a personal vow with myself to only shop at Sirens and H&M from here on in. And almost exclusively at the Dufferin Mall because I basically worship it’s existence and the crazies that almost always haunt my visits there. 

And of course, accepting fabulous hand-me-downs from even more fabulous friends is always a good alternative to spending money.

top: Mendocino (I assume?) - thrifted from C
tights: American Apparel  
necklace: Brandy Melville (as per almost every otherphoto)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; when it comes to fashion mostly all I care about is comfort. When I’m actually trying to look good, that is, not when I’m laying around at home on a Sunday afternoon watching Storage Wars marathons with M.

I care about things that make my arms feel skinny and my cleavage look good. I like clothes that are loose fitting in the tummy area because I eat way too much and when I drink, I feel bloated. I hate crop tops and materials that cling to any and every  imperfection I think I have. That’s just how I am.

And one of the best secrets [that is not at all a secret] I have to feeling great in any outfit is to use my hair length [read: weave] as an accessory. My real hair has extreme separation anxiety when I’m not wearing my extensions. Not to mention that things just don’t look as good when my hair just sits around my shoulders and is pissed off at me for not taking an extra 10 minutes to clip in their weavy pals. 

dress: Sirens (Dufferin Mall)
bracelet: Iron Plume

I’m also kind of a fan of fake glasses. Look at me; fake, fake, fake. But for real. Sometimes a nice contrast to my everyday style isn’t a bad thing.

Every once in a while I like to do something outside my comfort zone. I often try new styles and feel okay about them - skinny jeans, collared shirts, etc. - but oh-so rarely will you catch me in pants. Jeans, sometimes but pants?! Never.

Until I found a pair of “slacks” that fit me in length, waist and derriere. I tried, verrrrrrrry unsuccessfully, to wear harem pants once and my bum was pretty much all over the map. Props to the girls on Google Images who wear harem pants like a BAWSE, but I am not one of them.

However, I may be a converted slack-wearer. So at least there’s something new.

top: Sirens
bottoms: H&M (the aforementioned “slacks”)
shoes: Ardene
necklace: Brandy Melville
glasses: Ardene

I also have a habit of buying something I like in 1000x different colours. Or in this case, 2, because that’s all they had, I think. Either way, it’s my favourite piece of clothing right now I think because it’s loose in the tummy, tight in the boobs, shows a teensy bit of cleavage, and is made of a nice enough material that it doesn’t look cheap and is also machine washable.

I’m so sick of buying things and realizing later that they’re dry clean only. Basically, I’m sick of everything at Urban Outfitters. 

top: Sirens
bottoms: Forever21
necklace: Brandy Melville
bracelet: Iron Plume 

I’m also not a fan of change. I like what I like and I have a hard time breaking old habits [although I did beat nail biting in 2012 so maybe there is hope for me yet]. I used to wear silver and only silver. I hated yellow gold like I hate people who say “apprish-iate.”

I used to think I would say “no” if my boyfriend proposed to me with a yellow gold ring. I always hated my mom’s wedding ring and couldn’t imagine having something YELLOW hanging off my hand. Now, I’m obsessed with gold. Yellow gold, rose gold; GOLD, GOLD, GOLD [fake, of course]! However, I can’t deny that some of my most awesome chunky/statement necklaces have silver chains or accents.

Meh. C’est la vie. 

necklace: Forever21
top: Sirens 

One fashion statement I’ve always admired was the ability to make a boy’s shirt look sexy on a girl. I’ve never been able to do it. I’ve seen it in fashion blogs and even real life and I just wonder how in the hell people make something so sloppy look so COOL. So I tried. 

And even though I looked slightly inappropriate and a bit like a hooker, someone told me they wanted my legs, which is a win in my books any day. And it wasn’t in like in a “I want to purchase them” kind of way but in a nice, complimentary way. And it made me feel warm, fuzzy, and a bit bangable inside.

Which is nice coming from someone who is both not your boyfriend and who is the same sex as you.

top: H&M
shorts: Forever21 (not that you can see them, but they’re black, high-waisted shorts)
socks/tights: Ardene
necklace: Drama Queenwatch: Canadian Watch Importers
shoes: Call It Spring (is that what it’s called now?)

Until next time…. unless I run out of things to say,
xoxo