Future Perfect

Focusing on work a bit too much in the past few months -- shooting short news stories, developing an environmental kids show(!) and most recently -- traveling to Yellowknife, NWT to cover a conference. It was beautiful and cold, and sadly too cloudy for the Northern Lights.

I'm coming close to my January internship at The National Film Board, and I've got to start thinking about dressing for an office job. An awesome office job where I'm surrounded by creative wonderful people, but an office job nonetheless.

I really feel like I have a good feel on what my person style is nowadays -- probably because I've cycled through so much clothing that ended up being so wrong for me. I've acquired several wonderful pieces in the past month or so -- mostly staples that I've been wearing every other day. A black lace skirt, a pair of military green chinos and a cozy white fisherman wool sweater ($200 all together, so I didn't break the bank). I realized about a month ago that my winter wardrobe consisted only of a navy blue zip up hoodie from several years ago. A brutal error...

I will post more, I promise. Especially more photos. My frugal no-fun nature has finally paid off and I bought a Canon T3i. As you can imagine, I've made sure my cats have been properly documented in glorious 1080p during all their waking hours. Soon I will release my magnum opus, a bleak and revealing look at the sinister life of a housecat.

October Wishlist

Proenza Schouler High Waisted Full Skirt/ Rachel Comey Dahlia Hartley Blouse
R13 Long Sleeved T-Shirt/Étoile Isabel Marant Manu Zip Front Sweater
3.1 Phillip Lim Knit Track Pants

The Moon Festival

Ann Demeulemeester Button Up Shirt/Moschino Cheap & Chic Linen Shorts

Last night I went to to Chinatown with my boyfriend and attended the Mid Autumn Moon Festival Celebration at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. It was really wonderful - live music, tea, moon cake, fortune telling and an incredibly bright full moon.

Afterwards we visited the Night Market, which was on it's very last day. It's one of our favourite places to go on summer nights. We shared a take out box of chow mein, a green apple bubble tea, and bought home several stalks of lucky bamboo.

September Heat

Introducing my $6 bikini, which I bought in a rush when I realized I would rather go swimming than be self conscious and shy, which is more of my usual game.

Since wearing a bathing suit at the beach isn't as terrifying as I originally had thought, I think I'll look into a more retro suit for next summer. The last few weeks have been the hottest of summer (September, go figure!) - but I really, truly can't wait for fall.

I've already got a box for summer clothes sitting by my closet. Watching...waiting. As soon as the tempature drops under 16°C they're GONE.

DIY Red

Rachel Roy Dress/Tahari Flats

New hair. Four hours, two boxes of bleach and one box of red hair dye. Every time I do something like this I'm extremely thankful for my thick indestructible hair.

The Gardens

Dries Van Noten Blouse
Moschino Cheap & Chic Shorts

I spent the weekend in the production office supervising a language dub for the television show I work on. And when I say 'supervising' I mean lurking by the window and looking wistfully at the sun - and later, getting ice cream drumsticks for everyone.

Today my boyfriend and I went on a day long trek - first to eat lunch at a Mongolian BBQ place in town (which, if I were stuck on a desert island, is the exact type of food I'd chose to eat forever) -- and then going to the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens.

Even though I love the city, wandering through the forest and fields on a summer day feels like coming home. When I was young my sister and I lived in this big wooden house out on a mountain, where were had ten acres of wild to explore. I remember spending all the time I could outside - waking up before the sunrise and going to lean against dewy moss covered rocks and breathing early summer air. Now that summer is nearly over I'm planning on spending more time outside of the city this autumn, which is by far my favourite season for doing just about anything.

On the Waterfront

Collecting the last warm nights of summer. I secretly am completely and absolutely ready for fall.

Dressing the Hourglass Pt. 1

I've really started taking my body shape into account first and foremost when shopping for clothes. It seems like a painfully easy concept, but in practice I often drool over shift dresses, boxy blazers and oversized knit sweaters -- all which I've tried on multiple times, only to the exactly same disappointing results.

What makes it worse is I have a younger sister who fits all these styles perfectly -- she has a model's build and can easily borrow anything in my closet, and then go straight to the boy's department and look fantastic in everything there as well.

But, genetics willing, I dress for curves. Nipped in waists, pencil skirts and belted coats. If I stray from this general shape I find myself swimming in fabric and looking pretty undesirably shapeless.

This season I'm preparing for two back-to-back jobs in the film industry (the first, as a Social Media Director on an environmental show, and the second an intern at The National Film Board) - which means I have to fill the professional gaps in my wardrobe and start dressing the part.

THE LIST

Joseph /Solferino Blouse

1. White Button Up Shirt

White button up shirts have always been much harder item to acquire than they should be -- I struggled against see through fabric, the 'gaping bust button' syndrome and totally losing my waist in boyish cuts. The solution -- ditch starchy cotton and opt for a more flowing draping fabric. Even though this shirt looks straight it's surprisingly curve-friendship and easy to belt or to tuck into a high waisted skirt.

Y's /Combi Slim Pant

2. Soft Black Dress Pants

My secret goal here is to find pants that are as comfortable as pajamas, disguised as a work and weekend wardrobe staple. Again, soft fabric like this cotton twill/wool jersey with a very streamline shape is extremely charitable when it comes to hips. Pants that are actually enjoyable to wear (not super tight and stiff) means they'll be in rotation much more often during the week. And the neutral nature of black pants also means that people probably won't notice if you wear them two days in a row...

Rick Owens Lilies /Neoprene Jersey Jacket

3. Blazer

For me finding a blazer is a torturous hunt. Often I find something that looks decent, but I can't button it entirely or really move in it, or if something fits in the chest it's much too big everywhere else. The solution: shrunken jackets that are cropped and hit at the waist are extremely flattering, or a jacket that hits at the hip or above in a very tailored and slim cut, made in a more generous and flowing fabric.

Wolford/Opaque Natural Light Forming Dress

4. Lingerie

There's some magical power that good lingerie holds -- even worn secretly under a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie, there's this extra push of confidence knowing you have them on. Like a good luck charm. There are so many shaping products on the market now, which makes wearing sheer and very body conscious pieces a lot easier -- but I don't believe in completely manipulating your body in the name of fashion. Functional and classic with a hint of old Hollywood glamour is exactly what I pine over.

Birch Bay, Washington

Spent the week between the forest and the ocean. Today I'm back in Vancouver, moving to my new apartment, but planning to travel soon after I'm done.

La Garçonne | Sale | Wishlist

LE MONT ST. MICHEL/HENLEY POCKET SHIRT

PROENZA SCHOULER /POINTELLE LACE CREWNECK

IAN R.N. /COLOR BLOCK TUNIC MM6 BY MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA /V-NECK SWEATER

Y'S /LONG SKIRT W/ SLIT

HELMUT LANG /CRACKED STOVEPIPE PANT

JIL SANDER NAVY /VELCRO STRAP FLAT

ROBERT CLERGERIE /JATA SLIP-ON SHOE

ZERO + MARIA CORNEJO /LOOP DROP BAG

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA LINE 11 /OSTRICH CLUTCH