'Back' at it

Last one from this series.

I just lived through one of the most intense experiences of a student: frosh. Also, I happen to attend one of the most froshee-intense institutions. Day one, I was like ¨okay, I get what this is all about¨, then day two, I thought ¨oh hell no I did not know what frosh is¨. They 'kidnapped' all 1000+ of us and brought us to the middle of a field. Disoriented, the frosh leaders suddenly started throwing ketchup, mayo, chocolate syrup, flour, honey, vegetable oil, cat litter, eggs, etc. on us while stuffing us with booze. Unimaginably wild activities then followed - I'll spare the details. I still shiver when I think about my ride home in public transportation, mostly feeling bad for my co-commuters and what they had to endure. Luckily day three at the beach was a cleansing?

Aside from the madness, I do see the purpose of Frosh, and it is surprisingly relevant. In our case, our frosh group remains our class group for the rest of the year. This means that we are bound together since the very beginning with ice-breaking activities, thus showing a completely different side of our personality that might've only been revealed later on during the year, or possibly never. Being able to see fellow students in this completely different perspective is so great, since most of the time, we're spending silent time with them sitting in class. The group dynamic is enhanced since the very beginning.

However, even after just one week of serious classes, I do realize that university is so different from high school and cegep. At its basis, it's not a school anymore - but an institution. And by 'school', I am here mostly referring to the entire social dimension that encompasses the friendships and relationships that are woven. During our childhood and teenage-hood, we grow up with individuals who still have more or less time to bloom similarly, and are more likely bounded to last a lifetime. Now, it is generally harder to find someone along your vibes. When you do though, you appreciate them way more, like a rare pearl. We are so much more on our own and most of the time attend class and then go study. Luckily, there are still many, many extracurricular activities that allow such networking.

Nevertheless, this is already the start of an exciting year. So many things can happen when venturing through uncharted territory. Happy semester!

Enjoy!
Katia

Snail Mail

Overalls? Check. Palazzo pants? Check. Breathtaking meadow and fence? Check. 

Take me back. 

Dressing Up

'Bout time for a new post eh?

As explored in a previous post, I tried defining my stylistic decisions. But how did I get there? Well, a little personal history is needed for this. 

As a child, I wouldn't say that I was consciously fashionable at all. As a matter of fact, I was quite the opposite - my wardrobe was not much part my preoccupations at all and therefore limited. My mom would dress me in little dresses over turtlenecks (that is believe it or not coming back) and. for a long time, I'd be the only girl in a dress running down the school hallways playing tag with the boys. Until I started minding. I wanted to start wearing pants like most kids around me, but it wasn't until 6th grade that I excitingly slipped on my first pair of skinny jeans. 

There was this gap time where my style was nebula like, dispersed and undefined. Then I realize that it was my music camp that helped me start refining my style. It put me off to more of a hipster phase, but the timing was just right, as cut offs and band t-shirts were a thing again, transcending all the low waisted pants of the 00's. I started finding an interest in fashion to help define my style. I started researching it online. I started to express myself in a new form. Quick anecdote: this was around back in 2008, and I had no idea where to start exploring the vast world of fashion online. So I just googled words such 'fashion', which made me stumble upon the humble blog Fashiontoast. Immediately admiring the unique photographic angles, the effortless style, and relating to her as she is also half-Asian, she quickly became my main my go-to blogger for style inspo. Who knew she'd be where she's at today, woah. Also googling my at first limited fashion vocabulary, I typed in the word 'lookbook'. Yes, kind of lame, but brought me to the now indispensable blogging tool and community Lookbook.nu. Anyway, I ransacked all of my mom's surprisingly valuable vintage closet (to prove my point the culottes in this post were her's), and when that wasn't enough, I went thrifting. My knowledge of brands and of their influence also grew.

Then came my job at American Apparel. It was my last year of high school, and it was time for me to find a job and get some serious clothes for cegep, as wearing a uniform spared me from stressful mornings full of fashion crises. The retail job definitely helped me easily build my wardrobe with stylish basics. All the money I earned also finally allowed me to save up and buy some statement pieces that I lacked. And never did I know I would be ever so exposed to the fashion world, and now, fashion blogging. 

Where do I look for inspiration now? Instagram and its panoply of posts of course, fellow bloggers, sites such as style.com, a bit of Whowhatwear, retail sites themselves, and also recently, Hazine. The options are all out there, now it's just about limiting myself.

Enjoy!
Katia

Neo B&W

This is the first of many from a nine-look series I just shot. What it has in particular is that all of the looks to come consist of short dresses and tunics that just might be a little too short to wear on their own (you know you're guilty). To play with proportions and give them a new life with a modern and fashionable edge, I styled them with longer layers, mostly consisting of palazzo pants, midi skirts, and the ever man-repelling culottes. Each look has its own flair - some are urban, some are zen, some are beachy and some are  professional. 

If you look carefully, the 'dress' I'm wearing below is actually my mother's edgy-rocker authentic moto dress from the 80s. You can just tell by the broad shoulders and the zip that goes all the way down. To be honest, I would probably wear that dress alone on, let's say, a night in the town, but I still find it more amusing to dress this down to a to a completely different level - almost unrecognizable from its era. Here layered are a kimono and culottes, which keep the outfit amusingly monochrome. 

What I've been doing so far this week is amazing. I am basically in the middle of nowhere doing nothing. In other words, I am at the countryside by the lake sleeping in, cooking, reading, blogging (just a bit), and, well, incorporating more of nature into my life. I now have time to make myself infamous green smoothies every morning, but other than that, some of my activities included spending 30 minutes trying to photograph a snail under the microscope with my phone and trying to communicate with a frog through the sound of a rippled drinking glass. Today was even more awesome. Having some friends from work over, Canada Day was celebrated through various peculiar activities. We canoed on the lake despite the heavy rain and, like somewhat newbie explorers, landed on a desert island, docked our ships and attempted to bring back a valuable treasure for our spa-demanding faces: clay. Unfortunately, the resource was inconveniently buried in the coastal sands, and not wanting to expose our frail bikini bodies into the water, the mission was aborted. We scurried back, on our way reenacting and filming the dramatic raining boat scene of The Notebook. We also spent about an hour in the jacuzzi, and went stick hunting for the smores to be roasted over the campfire. As I presently write I still have the earthy smells of rain and smoke haunting my nostrils. 

Lol to that metaphor. 

Sherpa bag: Ecote
Clothing: my mom's

Enjoy!
Katia