Tourist In My City

Shirt H&M - Black Tank Zara - Jeans Unclaimed Luggage Sale - Boots Winners - Necklace Yard Sale - Scarf (worn as turban) Thrifted - Bag Flea Market (Saint- Eustache) - Sunglasses Thrifted

I spend a wonderful Sunday afternoon playing tourist in my own city. You see, my sister’s boyfriend, Jairo, is in town from Dominican Republic and I had the pleasure to show them around for a little bit and the while getting to know him better. We had maple ice-cream, walked along the pier in the Old Port, lounged next to a pound with friends and I got the chance to practice my ear at Spanish…I really hope I can learn a few things over time! I also spend the whole day sweating my ass off! It is only me or is Mother Nature really confused lately?! My wardrobe choices somehow never seem to be appropriate no matter the amount of times I check the weather channel before getting dressed. I’ve got to remember, it is all about layering…

Jewel Tones

 Dress Vintage - Necklace Vintage - Shoes Nine West - Lipstick No7 in Sierra 08

The amount of turquoise and jade jewelry I’ve acquired over the years is somewhat ridiculous. At some point, they all end up looking the same and still, I just can’t stop myself. If I had to translate my style into a piece of gems, it would no doubt be my choice as it is the perfect between my vintage sensibility and my boho affliction…

Flower Child

Dress Suzy Shier - Necklace Forever 21 borrowed from the sis. - Flower Headpiece DIYed - Boots Random Store - Bag Vintage - Racoon Tail Random Store - Sunglasses Flea Market Find

What do you wear when meeting someone you admire, a lot? That was the question I was asking myself when packing to see Bright Eyes at Ottawa Folkfest. Finding the perfect outfit is always difficult. I know, pretty silly of me but what can I say, the right outfit always give me a lot more self-assurance and therefore making me feel confident! The perfect combination when you don’t want to get tongue tied at an unfortunate moment!

A shopping session with the little sis’ later, I had the perfect outfit courtesy of Suzy Shier’s sale section (can you see the theme here…I love myself a good deal!). Don’t laugh! This store has some real hidden gems when you take the time to look around! I knew I was looking for something flowy with an ethereal feel for that perfect feminine folksy look (well, my version of folk) and I found it in this tiered cherry red dress. Paired with my trusty pair of combat boots, the look got just the right amount of toughness. The perfect balance between romantic and edgy is always how I feel the most me.

After the sunset, just in time to see Bright Eyes play, I covered up with one of my newest thrifting find: a perfectly fitting cropped faux leather jacket (what a mouthful!). Last but not least, I completed the look with a childhood favourite: a flower crown! Think 27 is too old to play Anne of Green Gables? Think again! I’ll always be a kid at heart. That is why I never want to lose the excitement I feel when living a dream of mine, no matter how silly it might seem!

Kimchi Blue in Black

Dress Kimchi Blue via Urban Outfitters - Navajo Cape H&M - Boots Random Store - Necklace Urban Outfitters - Sunglasses Vintage - Bag Vintage - Racoon Tail Random Store

I’ve always been one to choose prints and colours over black. OK, maybe not bright colours but my heart usually falls for an array of neutral shades going from ballerina pink to military khakis. When shopping, my hands always seem to land on everything except for black, mainly because it is a) less eye-catching and b) for the simple fear of being boring. I’ve never considered myself classic and that is probably the reason why I don’t find myself lusting over little back dresses, THE wardrobe staple. As a result, my closet is seriously lacking in the layering prone dress department.

I’m proud to say that I have remedied to the situation when I was in Ottawa for Ottawa Folkfest. It was a race against the clock to find a replacement outfit just minutes before we had to be on-site for the festival! Mother Nature had decided to play a little trick on us bringing in unbearably humid weather when it was supposed to be 20 degrees max. Never again will I try to be a good girl and not overpack! I was stuck with a small travel bag full of jeans, long sleeves and combat boots simply because I was scared of looking high-maintenance if I packed any more. We were staying at Youth Hostel after all! The Joke was on me…

A quick trip to Urban Outfitters’ sale section and I had a completely new outfit for the concert. I first picked up this black Kimchi Blue dress out of simple despair. A quick trip to the changing rooms and I was head-over-heels! I had finally found THE dress for layering. The perfect mix between hobo and lingerie, I knew I would get a ton wear out of it! Not bad for a last minute outfit!

Funny fact: my sister and I had a good laugh when I changed from my dress into my pjs only to realize that the two were far too similar. What can I say, I have a thing for lingerie inspired clothes + overly girly sleepwear.

PS: The girl writing this right now couldn’t be happier! I’ve just learned that Mumford & Sons is playing Bell Center at the end of October. Already so excited!!

Wardrobe Remix!

Lace Jacket/Dress Vintage (also worn here) - Nude Tank H&M - Jeans Old Navy - Boots Random Store - Harness Forever 21 - Bag Vintage - Racoon Tail Random Store - Sunglasses Flea Market Find

Second time around, completely different look! Here is what I wore upon our arrival in Ottawa to walk around the city/shop before going to Ottawa Folkfest. Yes! You are seeing right. This is the exact same lace dress I wore to Osheaga at the beginning of August. I was so thrilled when I noticed it had some buttons all the way down the front. The possibilities of ways to wear it being endless it was a no-brainer, it had to be mine! For a mere 1.99$ (yes, you read right!!), I knew my purchase would get a lot of use...because where is the fun in wearing something only one time!

You see, I’ve been questioning myself lately about the state of personal style blogs. The authenticity and freshness they all had in the beginning seems to have somehow vanished with the start of collaborations between brands and bloggers. Don’t get me wrong! I get why getting free clothes is amazing and understand it often acts as a substitute for a salary but where has the free-spirited way of cataloguing outfit gone? The first thing that made me fall in love with blogs and the bloggers that have inspired me to start my own blog is the fact that I could relate to them. That they, like me, tried to reproduce runway trends at a lesser cost was always one of the biggest draw. Part of the fun was always to see my favourite bloggers remixing part of their wardrobe into completely different outfits with the simple addition of a few accessories. The wonder of the style blogger birth was always that it was easier to identify with them than with any celebrities.

Before starting Modern.Antoinette. in 2009, I played with the idea of blogging for about 2 years all the while religiously following Fashion Toast. The first thing that drew me to these new style ‘’stars’’ was that they could make something out of nothing. With some old closet favourites, new thrifting find and a few investment pieces their closet looked like a carbon copy of mine: a miss mash of clothes to be worn a million different ways.

Somehow, in the last few years, this all seems to have taken a drastic turn. Every single one of my favourite style blogger is now wearing the latest designer good. Gifts or not, luxury is now a prevalent part of their look. The freshness is gone; it’s now all about the dream. Can I really blame them? Not really…It’s not like I would say no to Chanel, Dior or Givenchy sending me their latest bags. I mean, it is a fashion lover’s dream. What really bugs me however is the fact that they never seem to wear the same thing twice…how relatable is that!? I’ll be honest: I could probably wear something different every day for at least half a year. Thrifting is cheap and the amount of clothes I have accumulated over the years is shameful but at the same time, I have some favourites that I like to wear over and over again. Part of the fun with fashion is the way you can totally transform the feel of a piece depending on your moods. I miss seeing Rumy wear her floral dresses time after time and being able to achieve a different look every time.

I want to know, am I the only one feeling this way? Can to still relate to the various style blogger? Where to you steam the majority of your inspiration when looking at blogs?

Ottawa Folkfest Photo Diary - Day 2

1. Laying in the grass between shows, wearing trusty Converse

2. My sister’s addiction: Pop-corn
3. The Traditional, my beer pick of the week-end.
4. The crowd during Matt Costa
5. The adorable chalkboard sign with the stage’s line-up. So folksy
6. Matt Costa’s amazing outfit. So on trend with the colour blocking and all
7. LOL. Sign seen at the kids’ musical zoo tent.
8. Amazing colourful artwork created by festivalers. The exact same boards have been in use for years being painted over each time. Layers and layers of soulful drawings.
9. My sister getting in on the act.
10. The beautiful tree lined site. Stunning scenery at sunset.
11. Getting to shoot your favourite band = Priceless
12. Our closing concert: Bright Eyes
13. Conor Oberst in all of his glory
14. The gorgeous Laura Burhenn. She had on the most perfect vintage looking dress!
15. 2011 truly was a Bright Eyes year! Can’t wait until the next time…

Ottawa Folkfest Photo Diary - Day 1

1. The Grand: Where I had one of the best beet salad in my life!

2. Beautiful flowers near the Parliament
3. Enjoying some downtime before the festival craziness
4. Questionable sign in the bus. Priority to conjoined twins or people fornicating…lol
5. Sisters think a-like! My Sister Karine and I looking a little bit too similar
6. Friday’s great line-up, waiting impatiently for City & Colour
7. Cute wire headband sold on site. I love the variety of prints
8. Some of the best tacos I’ve ever had. Notice the nice shade of nail polish, the perfect Khakis green/grey from Revlon called Moss.
9. Me stuffing my face!
10. Prison cell used as a dormitory…who would have thought!?!
11. The most amazing Hostel International. It is in fact an old prison. Can you imagine the ghost stories? Crazy!
12. Free bike parking at Hog’s back park. What a brilliant idea!
13. The Jam tent. No need to say more ;)
14. City and Colour finally on stage!
15. My Sister in heaven watching her favourite band from the front row.
16. Dallas Green in all of his hotness.