Throughout the first few years of my career, I wore mostly black. I still mostly reach for neutral items for their wearability and longevity, but every so often I’m drawn to something printed. This floral Olivia dress by RUBY is one such item. Ever since I saw it in store, I knew it would fit right in with my wardrobe. It’s 100% silk, floor-length and falls perfectly to the floor. I love dressing it down with heeled boots (the ones pictured are from Mi Piaci) and my army green coat, especially as we enter the cooler months here in New Zealand. It’s also beautiful worn underneath a leather jacket. And I know it’ll be equally perfect for spring weddings paired with neutral heels or sandals. I don’t know about you, but I’m not about buying pieces that only last a season, I want clothes I’ll wear for years to come.
Are you more of a statement shopper or do you opt for blacks, greys and other neutrals?
Moving to Canada, Toronto in particular, has undoubtedly impacted my sense of style. Whether it was the continent hopping or simply transitioning from full-time student to full-time intern, I’ve been forced to relinquish my ‘homeless-chic’ fashion sense (a term so lovingly coined by my dear friend, Adrian.)
The study of style has always been of interest to me. How we evolve over time and accumulate new life experiences certainly impacts our sense of style. I appreciate the various social media platforms at our disposal. They enable us to so easily chronicle our daily lives in such a visual and powerful way.
My sense of style has certainly evolved since high school. Whilst in New Zealand, I was obsessed with the quirky, tongue-in-cheek designs of Karen Walker, Ruby and Huffer (more on Huffer later…) eventually embracing the more streamlined looks of Moochi, Country Road and Zambesi. Like most Aucklanders, I wore a lot of black and adopted a minimalistic approach to hair and makeup. I love how my New Zealander friends and classmates mix high fashion with consignment steals and messy hair. Their “I’ll be damned” attitude is conveyed in everything they do and wear, as if they had just spent their noon hour having a dip in the Pacific.
However, working in an office environment, many of my favourite garments have been stashed away at my parents’ home in Saskatchewan, waiting for the next road trip or indie music festival. Lately, I’m finding my style veers towards the preppier, buttoned-up looks of J.Crew and Kate Spade. Club Monaco is another old standard that can do no wrong in my eyes.
Who influences your sense of style? Or rather who influences your style? Is it your present geographic region? The current trends in your part of the world? Is it a combination of your travel experiences and the cities you’ve visited? Surely you are influenced by the climate and your friends, but what else drives the way you present yourself to the world every day?
For me, my style is an accumulation of all my experiences. From growing up in rural Saskatchewan to travelling to Europe for the first time to completing my BA in the Southern Hemisphere, and everything in between. Here are some of my favourite outfits over the past few years:
prairie girl musings 