Ottawa Fashion Week S/S '12: Day 1 recap

The most beautiful week of hell is back.  I say this because I do a lot more running around (more mentally than physically) in preparation for Ottawa Fashion Week, but it's always worth it.

To kick off this new season, we had Birds of North America with a beautifully adorable collection with a tasteful refinement.  I could totally see myself wearing one of their dresses to the office, then taking a quaint stroll in the park.  Definitely a practical collection.  Except for the bandages on the models' mouths, eyes, and legs.  Excuse the fact that I'm not artsy enough to understand this.  Next up was Amber Watkins with a hot swimsuit collection.  High-waisted swim shorts and cutouts? Yes, please! I'd pretty much just sit around the pool to show off my swimsuit instead of actually swimming if I owned a piece from this collection.  Valerie Dumaine finished up the first set with her feminine collection of mostly neutrals and darling dresses.  The structures of her dresses are what impressed me most.  As a friend point out, "I could totally see this whole collection at H&M or something".

The second set began with Micalla, a unique jewelry designer.  Sparking chains and chunky necklaces caught my eye with their luxurious allure.  Next up was Anomal with an edgy collection of structured cuts and daring metallics and patterns.  I love how they rock the black, but it was a great change seeing blush tones being added to the repertoire.

UK designer Simon Ekrelius was a crowd favourite with his eccentric collection that featured tinges of orange and red in interesting structures.  After seeing his collection, it's no wonder one of his clients included Lady Gaga- this stuff was definitely tastefully weird.  Last for the night was Rud by Rudsak who gave us practical outerwear in neutral tones.  I could see every one of their pieces being a great staple to any closet.  Classic leather and trenches made it easy to fall in love with this collection.

Favourites of the night: Birds of North America, Valerie Dumaine, Rud by Rudsak.

*Photos were taken by me, but belong to Ottawa Fashion Week

You are red, violent red

Sometimes, I feel like I'm playing dress-up.  It gets interesting when it's too the point that an experimental outfit starts to lose its hint of "me"-ness.  As you may or may not know, I have a mild self-diagnosed case of face blindness where I find it super hard to recognize faces.  So with that, it really messes me up with even a simple change like dying hair or putting on a pair of glasses.  As weird as this sounds, I kind of don't recognize myself in these photos.  I mean, I KNOW it's me...but if you were to bring in a bunch of Asians, put them in the same outfit, give them huge glasses, and tie their hair up, I'm not sure that I'd be able to pick myself out of that crowd.

Somehow, the glasses paired with the hair triggers (or doesn't trigger) something in my brain that makes it difficult to realize that this is me.  I'm so used to my long hair down and a glasses-free face that this combo just feels unnatural to me.  It's a very strange sensation.

Or maybe I'm just bitter about the fact that this shirt was incredibly uncomfortable.  The slightly ruffled neckline was itchy.  Thank goodness it was only $5 so I don't have to wear it again.

What I'm wearing:
-Red cardigan
-Polka dot shirt
-Black shorts
-Black wedge booties

PS. This is my first blog post as a .com! Yay, no more .blogspot!

Maybe I'm a different breed

So I tried a little social experiment this week.  Earlier, I said that I would totally wear sunglasses indoors if it was more socially acceptable.  Then I got thinking...screw social acceptableness.  If I want to wear sunnies inside, I will.  It wasn't that bad actually.  I dress out-of-the-ordinary as it is, so an added oddity is barely anything to notice.

With this outfit in particular, I felt quite pretentious prancing around campus in a blazer and pearls while everyone else was in jeans and flip-flops.  So sunglasses indoors is just the cherry on top of an already eccentric outfit.  I can definitely deal with a few extra stares.  Would I do it again?  Sunglasses during lectures is a tad impractical, but if it really goes with the outfit, I won't say no to grocery shopping with some shades!

On a side note, I think my subconscious kicked in again and I was channeling my inner Paris Hilton with the headband/blazer/braid/sunnies look.

What I'm wearing:
-Navy/white striped blazer
-White t-shirt
-High-waisted blue shorts from Forever 21
-Red ballet flats from Zellers

By the way, the title of this post was taken from my current favourite song, 'Sail' by Awolnation. I'm sporting a nautical look today.  Nautical...Sail...get it?

Mama said don't play on the tracks

I'm going straight to blogger Hell. I've committed another blogger sin.  Last week, it was reusing an outfit; this week, it's posting an outdated photo of something I didn't actually wear today (gasp!).

So this photo was taking 2 weeks ago while I was back in Toronto.  The good kid in me had a certain unsettling feeling about playing on the train tracks.  It was a good thing that I was near one of the railroad gates where bells and lights go off as trains approach- this photoshoot was actually briefly interrupted by a train swiftly passing by.  Anyway, this was one of the dresses that I asked my family to bring me back while they went stateside shopping without me.  This will probably be the last white/creme dress I ask for because it's a complete dirt magnet.  I don't think I'm responsible enough to own a white dress.  I'm usually a pretty neat eater, but it's like the chocolate I was eating just enthusiastic jumped to blemish the dress!

What I'm wearing:
-Creme dress from Forever 21
-Jean jacket
-Black gladiator heels

In other news, the interview I had with Threadbeat, an Ottawa-based street style blog is up! Go give it a look- I babble and sound kind of silly, but I'd still like to think I have some valid opinions.

Finally, I get to blow a paycheck again

I started this segment in the summer where I would hypothetically spend all the money from my last paycheck.  Well, after paying tuition, I didn't even have any hypothetical money to spend.  But the account balance has finally recovered and I'm back for more hypothetical spending!

Ottawa Fashion Week is soon approaching.  As a staff member, I'm required to dress in all black. Sure, it could be fun mixing and matching skirts, pants, and blouses...but I'm kinda lazy and would rather just throw on a dress so I don't have to think. These dresses from The Outnet particularly caught my eye.  Especially the last one.  I wouldn't wear it to the shows, but there are a few media parties I'd be happy to attend in that!  Also, as much of a fan as I am of the classic LBD, I enjoy the little edgy uniqueness to this set, whether it be in the texture or straps.

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And I would have $42.33 left of my paycheck if I spent my whole paycheck on all these dresses.  Usually I try to spend all of it, but even the thought of hypothetically spending everything scares me.  Gotta stray away from being an actual starving student!

Distance is never on my side

"She called it recycling an outfit? Isn't that just wearing clothes?!"

I overheard that once, and I couldn't agree more.  It seems as though there's this unspoken fashion blogger sin of *gasp* re-using pieces in outfit posts. I don't know about you, but I don't own 365 pairs of shirts, pants, or shoes.  And hey, if I like an outfit, yes I will wear the exact outfit again. If it worked once, it's good for another go around.

Like my outfit today.  I actually didn't really think when I put this together.  It was my last day at home before going back to university and I had most of my clothes already packed up in my suitcase.  So I threw on a random shirt, a new pair of shorts, and a blazer in my closet that I've worn once or twice.  The end result was better than I expected, so I have resurrected the exact outfit with a few minor additions.  In other news, I feel ridiculously overdressed for school.  But that's like a blogger rite of passage, right?

Hello, my name is Sabrina and I reuse outfits.

What I'm wearing:
-Powder blue jacket
-Lace shorts from Forever 21
-Gold necklace from Forever 21
-Sheep ring
-Wedges from Nine West