BOF Street Style

Coat and Tights: H&M / Scarf: Joe Fresh / Hat, Gloves and Booties: Vintage

I know we've been hating on winter lately but today I took a moment to appreciate some of my best vintage winter accessories. All the finishing touches on this outfit are 100% vintage and I love the way they add interest. I also wanted to show you guy's last week's two-sided scarf in action, doesn't it look cozy? Well, I'm out now, time to enjoy the weekend!  

The Perpetual Montreal Winter

Photos by Kyler Kelly

Aldo headband/RW&Co coat/Simons shirt and mittens/F21 cardigan and skirt/Winners leg warmers/Spring boots/Kate Spade handbag

I know, I know, you're all tired of all this WINTER-WOE-IS-ME!! thing.....believe me, so am I.

What can I say? It's getting really hard to ignore how awful it is in Montreal right now. It's the end of February and still -30, with a fresh pile of snow on the ground. It's as if the weather report is just taunting us. I always check that 14-day forecast and near the end of the two weeks, they always say the temperature is going to creep up there to the single digits below 0, but as the days pass, the numbers drop and they renew their 2-week promise, never to be fulfilled....

Those bastards.

You would think I'd get used to these long, hard winters here but no, not me. Every February is brutal because it's the coldest month and the month when you're the most sick of winter. You would be hard-pressed to find me at home (if I don't have to leave the house) in anything other than my cozy PJs and robe, wrapped up in a blanket. When I do venture out, you'll find me bundled up in my go-to down coat from RW&Co, my favourite wool mittens from Simons and cause I just can't pass up the opportunity to mismatch my prints, my fair isle leg warmers and houndstooth snow boots.

A new addition this winter for me is this lovely beaded headband from Aldo! It's so warm and snug with just a touch of flair. If you're looking for a fun, modern alternative to a plain old winter hat, I highly recommend a wool headband. I mean it will never rival a floral sundress in my heart, but I gotta say, it does soften that cruel, cruel winter punch in the gut.

                                                                               

The Two-Sided Scarf

Hey all! Just wanted to continue the scarf theme this week and share with you my number one for this winter brought to you by none other than one of my faves, JOE FRESH. You would think that we'd be starting to pack away our winter gear by now, but not so! Winter is still alive and well here in Montreal and no sign of dying down just yet.
Let me start by saying this scarf is huge! If you're going for that big scarf bundled-up look, this is perfect. It's also a very cozy scarf and the two sides make it super interesting. Two classic patterns coming together, houndstooth and tartan, it's a beautiful thing.

All Wrapped Up

H&M sweater and pants/vintage shoes/scarf from India

I'm trying to tell myself that we're in the winter home stretch but you really wouldn't know it from the weather we've been having lately. Sharp winds, never-ending snow and the mercury dipping below -30 are just some of the fabulous features of a Montreal February. And as many of you may know by now, I refuse to heat my apartment to an adequate degree (re: I'm cheap) so you'd be hard pressed to find me sitting at home without being wrapped up in some kind of blanket or scarf or even wearing my coat indoors.

Enter this delicious teal patchwork scarf I snapped up in India! I just love the colours and haphazard design of this scarf and it is so thick and warm. And you guys know how much I love my mismatched prints....I just had to add this to my winter rotation! Keeping warm in a Montreal winter is no joke and this is the next best thing after wearing my bathrobe everywhere. Has that become a thing yet? No? Didn't think so....
                                                                          

White on White

Jacket: Naf Naf (thrifted) / Boots: Michael Kors / Scarf: Joe Fresh / Headband & Gloves: vintage / Handbag: F21 / Tights: Smart Sert

Hey Frockers! I'm finally back with a new outfit post today. The past few weeks have been brutal since the cold here has been relentless and my fashion sense seems so far away from me. Not to worry, I pulled myself together for you guys and brought out one of my most recent thrifted jackets. Such a great find, obviously could not resist those puffed three quarter sleeves, right? I also happened to take these shots on one of the coldest days of the year so, as you can see, my poor little wrists suffered a bit but otherwise I'm bundled up nicely in a combination of furs. I'd like to point out that the scarf is actually 100% faux but it's absolutely one of the best looking faux furs I've ever seen. Ok, I love my winter accessories and all but...Is it too early to start a spring countdown?

Does This Ring Make Me Look Engaged?

You read it right Frockers. Yours truly is apparently going to tie the knot! I know, I didn't see it coming either. Which is weird cause I was the one who proposed....

I never really understood marriage, as in, what is the point? Especially in a place like Quebec where the common-law rights are almost identical to the married ones. But one cold and dreary November evening, I was sitting at my desk, hard at work solving stats problems (or that is what I choose to remember) when it kind of just hit me. The older I was getting, the more I saw of the world and people, the more I realized how lucky I am. I didn't always "get" people, and they didn't always get me. But I had someone and we got each other. Kyler makes me smarter, he's always game for anything, and truth be told, there's no one I'd rather do most things with. I mean he's pretty much the only person I can stand travelling with. And you know you really like someone when you can travel with them and not want to kill them. So, I just decided as we sat there on the couch, to butcher one of my favourite Aziz Ansari jokes about marriage and ask "do you want to hang out with me forever?"

Spoiler alert! He said yes.

 You could say I'm a little impulsive when it comes to my feelings. Marriage just suddenly made way more sense to me and literally the day after this realization, I popped the question while in my PJs. Which by the way, mad respect for all the dudes (and ladies) out there who decide to propose cause even though I hadn't planned anything crazy, I was so nervous and sweaty. It was like giving a presentation in front of hundreds of people. In French. Proposing is hard y'all!

Anyway, I'm not really one to believe in true love or soul mates or dream about some kind of princess wedding. Don't get me wrong, I believe in love and falling in love, but I think something as pragmatic as a relationship and especially marriage, is about making a decision to be together and working hard to, well, make it work. And I really believe that in order to make it work, we need to be fully-formed beings who together, make some kind of super-human-mega-ultra person who is good at deciphering computer mumbo-jumbo, juggling knives, putting together any outfit AND writing insanely good internet copy. It's like we're already awesome Power Rangers but we're about to transform into that big robot thing they have. You know the one I mean. I forget the name.

I mean life can be rough sometimes. Many a late night at the office, nervous breakdowns, algebra problems I couldn't remember how to solve from my high-school math (how do you isolate an exponent???), and getting lost while only two blocks from our hostel in Prague, made me really realize why people don't want to go it alone in life. The world is big and complicated and having a real partner in life, who's always there for you, not only makes it so much easier to wade through the madness, but more fun too! And sure, we are already together and committed, but suddenly instead of uncertainty, there was a clarity in saying "Hey, I've never met anyone I like more. I can really see this going on for a while...."

Long story short, I liked it, so I put a ring on it. Metaphorically-speaking.

                                                            

Be Mine

I have mixed feelings about Valentine's Day. Part of me wants to roll my eyes...Oh great, yet another holiday requiring you to put a dollar amount on your affection. An easy way to check off the relationship to-do list. There is something decidedly unromantic and slightly disingenuous about these types of forced scenarios. But I guess on the other hand, there is a point to most rituals. It does sort of force you to step back, think about what you have and express some sort of appreciation. I guess we could all use a nudge or cue every now and then. It's not all bad! And on the plus side, I just love mixing pink with red! 

                                                                    

Farewell to Target

When the news broke out a few a weeks ago that Target would be leaving Canada, I was not surprised but I was deeply saddened. I had already heard rumors of the company's major debt and demise and so I was spared the shock factor. However, like many of you, I feel like the loss of Target stores will leave a significant void in my shopper's heart.

It's hard to explain but I believe I held a special relationship with Target that ran deeper than simple retail. It was a shopping experience like no other and it quickly became a weekly ritual. My Target visits almost religiously started off the same ol' way, at the Starbucks counter, "I'll have the cranberry-lemon scone and a small Blonde roast please." I'd clip that red cup holder to my shopping cart, and so the adventure began. It wasn't just about consuming, it was also about having some quality me time. My trips to Target were like a mini-vacation, if you will, maybe because I associated  the feeling of a Target store with trips to Florida, it always felt like an escape. I loved taking my time browsing the aisles, checking out the clothing, the shoes, the home decor, the makeup, and even the greeting cards section was a favorite. The store was usually peaceful on those early Saturday mornings, never too crowded. If I happened to walk out of there with a new lipstick and a pair of jeans well so be it, I was happy. 

As it stands, the shelves are getting emptier and emptier as we patiently await the start of the reported liquidation sales. And although I adore sales of any kind, this one will be tinged with the sadness of losing a good friend I was just getting to know. It was great while it lasted, Target!