I have always been a total sucker for Christmas. The colours are brighter. The fires are warmer. The lattes come in far better flavours. There are countless opportunities for dress-up and no one scoffs at you when you get a little more glam than the occasion requires. Also - and it's a bit embarrassing - I am frequently overcome with the urge to start singing 'Baby it's Cold Outside' and dance on the street with any available and dashing garcon (my friend Matt once briefly indulged me after a few too many pints and it was more or less the MOST fabulous of sloshed experiences).
So while I am currently putting most of my shopping energy into finding presents for all those wonderful people on my list, here are a few of the things I am loving about this time of year....
Devouring new issues of British Vogue and rediscovering old ones.
Oh, and also finding myself very drawn to a pair of patent 'slipper' style shoes. Sophisticated androgynous? Yes please.
Choosing which glittery dress to wear and stumbling upon vintage accessories courtesy of my grandma.
Snuggling up with a fantastic new novel in my Joe Fresh jammies (yes, I wear matching PJs....but you guys, they feel like heaven, don't shrink and are ridiculously inexpensive. It's love at first slumber).
Giving into the urge to wear my Jules Power headband when I get home and am puttering around my room....because it's as good a reason as any :)
Jules Power is absolutely one of my favourite Canadian designers, so when I found out that she was hosting a Trunk Show to launch her Rethink Breast Cancer t-shirt, I wrote it in my calender in pen, not pencil. We were greeted at the door with wine and appetizers, but I ended up ditching my glass of red for fear of spilling as I went crazy for the clothes. The room was gorgeous and it was so fun to see Jules' inspiration board and work space as well as her wonderful fashions. I left with a Rethink t-shirt, but spent the car ride home fantasizing about what life would be like if my wardrobe also included that forest green blazer with a leopard print lining, oooh and the yellow motorcycle jacket, oh and DEFINITELY that red dress. Thank you Jules for hosting such a fabulous evening!
Something really really cool happened....I made it to the Jules Power pop-up Boutique and met her and bought stuff and basically just had SUCH a great time! Allow me walk you through how cool it all was.
I walk in the door, spot Jules and spend the next half hour or so gushing about how much I liked her show and her clothes and how FREAKING funsuperawesome it was for me to be in her beautiful boutique.....which led to me totally unashamedly asking to have my photo taken with her. Some people would define that as a fashion groupie moment, but I think groupie has gross/weird connotations, so I'll just define it as THE BEST.
And then I shopped. And chatted with Jules. And took photos of her gorgeous stuff. It was like, y'know, REALLY REALLY FUN.
Aaaaaaand there's my face! Secret's out! But I had to. BECAUSE I TOOK A PHOTO WITH JULES SO IT WAS LIKE A REALLY EXCITING THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE! I would also just like to say that she was very lovely and gracious and it was an absolute pleasure talking to her. She was genuinely interested in what I was saying (even though it was mostly things along the lines of 'I think you're so great! I want everything you design!') and I loved hearing about how much she cares about making everything she does genuinely Canadian - designed AND manufactured. So I left with a full bag and a smile on my face and a boyfriend who patiently put up with me as I spent most of the evening saying over and over again, 'that was so great RIGHT?!?'
So ya, basically the day was fantastic.
The amazing and talented Jules Power (who I have gushed about a couple times, like here and here) is having a Pop Up Boutique!! It opened April 14 (yesterday....oops) but it will continue to be open until Sunday April 18th! SO GREAT RIGHT??! Spring is here, exams are almost done....IT'S SHOPPING SEASON. Please read the flyer below for more details....
Photo Credits: Life.com
Jules Power did it. She REALLY did it. I mean, did she just wake up the day she started designing her A/W 2010 collection and say, 'Y'know, the world needs a line that reads Ivy League meets a Whole Lotta Awesome and I am absolutely the kind of superhuman designer to deliver that vision.' Cause I think she did. Jules got on her spandex suit and made.it.work.
Okay so no, I admit, there's no wild extravagance. No outrageous new design concept but in post-recession where people really need classic items that can't necessarily be replicated by the masses this collection makes me really happy.
Highlights: The use of print. Jules did such a good job with the print. Sometimes designers make print and you try it on and kind of say to yourself, 'ya, sure, this WOULD be an awesome look for me if I wanted to be that super-over-the-top girl that has outfits that basically scream I READ FASHION MAGAZINES SO I KNOW WHAT'S TRENDY RIGHT NOW.' But luckily, Jules had the foresight to not design that chick's wardrobe, and instead she's doing some really adorbs printed scarves and camis that give off more of a 'oh floral and printed scarves are in? That's so lucky that I still have a few old ones that just happen to work perfectly with the rest of my stylish wardrobe.'
Photo Credits: Life.com
Second, I'm feeling the dresses. I hate that more often than not, dresses are either sleeveless-v-neck-minis that while suuuuuper sexy for a night on the dance floor, not so great for the day when you don't wanna look quite so sexytimes. But then lots of those daywear dresses kinda end up looking a little, well, old. And I'm young. So I don't want that. But because the dresses at this show had sleeves AND a tots flattering neckline AND a hemline that hits just above the knees AND those great prints I was just talking about I really really like them.
Final shout outs: Sexy sweatpants that are actually sexy and don't just say something stupid like 'SUPERHOTCHECKOUTMYBOOTYBABE' across the bum. And those floral headbands that work because they just freaking go.for.it.
Anyways, now I'm all flushed and excited because Fashion Week has started and this show was cool and I wanna make Jules my new bestie so I can wear her stuff all the time.
