Travel in style

Mode Xlusive

I’m headed to Vancouver for a few days for some much needed R&R. I’m really looking forward to catching some street style pics of Vancouverites!

As usual, I checked in way too early, because I’m paranoid when I travel. I always give myself more than enough time. I’ll chalk it up to a great opportunity for a blog post!

When you travel, do you bring your best style forward? Are you a fashion chameleon tourist? Do you choose comfort over style? Personally, I’m a healthy mix of all three.

This is me, coffee in hand, patiently waiting to board the plane. I’m wearing my new favourite  wool scarf from “In the Ville” that I bought at the National Women’s Show. I’ve got my cozy green GAP flats, white GAP jeans, denim GAP shirt and black blazer from Casis (wow GAP overload!). 

In hand, I’m lugging my grey ‘alle’ Uashmama bag. It’s perfectly suited to use as a briefcase, fits my laptop and will double as my travel bag once I get to my destination. Shoulder strap here is key! Actually, as I write this post, I spot the same bag on another passenger! How cool is that!

Well, I’m off to see bigger and better things and hopefully come back revived, refreshed and inspired!

Have a great week!

Xox Chantal

PS- packing was a nightmare last night! I tried to plan outfits and just couldn’t hustle through it. 

Continue Reading

Ottawa Street Style: Denim and the BR dress

Mode Xlusive

If you look at my closet, you’ll see that I don’t have a lot of colour. I am quite picky when it comes to colours, to be honest. But I had a soft spot for the bright orange pops of colour on this blue Banana Republic Dress. I had to have it! You can’t see it in this picture, but the back of the dress is open. The dress is split at the waist, so you can get a glimpse of the low back with a soft breeze. Very sexy.

I paired the dress with a classic denim jacket (Old Navy), cobalt blue pumps (Nine West) and a vintage snake skin clutch (AMH Style), and my idea of a pop of colour for makeup is my favourite lipstick “Morange” (from MAC).

I love the juxtaposition of the bright colours of the dress and graffiti along side the drab trees and tones in this alley (Old Ottawa South at Bank Street and Sunnyside Ave).

A big thank you to John Finnigan-lin for these gorgeous shots! xox
 Chantal Sarkisian Ottawa Street Style plus size fashion blogChantal Sarkisian Ottawa Street Style plus size fashion blogChantal Sarkisian Ottawa Street Style plus size fashion blog

Continue Reading

#ImNoAngel Campaign

Mode Xlusive

#ImNoAngel Campaign PLus Size Models Fashion BlogNot surprising, one of my most popular posts on this blog is Models in the Media. Yes, “fat and pretty” women exist, and get paid to flaunt their curves. Again, I wonder if people genuinely are interested and looking for inspiration, or are they gawking to poke fun. I guess we will never know. These are true thoughts of a plus size women, always questioning ourselves if people are being honest. That’s what I believe anyway, maybe I am jaded.

Today’s latest news in the Plus-size world is the #IAmNoAngel Campaign, which is a rebuttal to the Victoria Secret Angels Campaign that only features thin women. This cleaver hashtag by Lane Bryant nicely encapsulates that plus size women know we don’t belong, and we chose not to belong. It’s like big sister who is a rebel, confident in her own ways and a trend setter for the rest of the women who need the encouragement.

So let me be your big sister! I’ll be using this hashtag on my instagram in the next coming days, please join me sistas!

xox Chantsy

Continue Reading

Transformation: My clothes tell my story

Mode Xlusive

This is a picture of my favourite belt, sadly it’s also my “fat belt”. It’s a men’s XL from Danier. When I say fat belt, it’s not to insult myself, it’s just an unfortunate term that perfectly describes my story. The good news is, I need to make new holes or get a new belt all together!

Wearing a belt with pants is the best way to keep yourself in check if you are watching your waistline. It’s actually a method that professionals use for obese patients to control their eating. I intuitively started doing it, and it’s helped me immensely.

There used to be a time where tights and flowy tops dominated the fashion scene. Not much motivation to keep our weight in check. Now, we’re seeing crop tops and cutoff shorts making their way into our repertoire and encouraging us to look (and feel) our best. What a great time to play with new clothes!

The style and size of your clothes mark a moment in your past.

What does this mean? Well, whether you need to tighten or loosen a notch on your belt, you are marking this moment in your fashion history. If you are getting rid of tight clothes, you are accepting your new larger weight. 

Often times we hear people say “how did I let this happen to me? It was such a slow progression, I never saw it coming”. Really it wasn’t. Changing your clothes and moving your belt are concrete actions that can lead you to more trouble in the weight department. So, if you’re seeing a trend in your habits, take note and start making changes to steer you in the right direction.

As for my belt story, well it tells my story in more ways than one. I’ve seen myself tighten my belt over the last few months and I see the notches to prove it! I’ve also rediscovered some old clothes that fit me better now than ever! Remembering a time when I had to ditch the small clothes makes me want to preserve my smaller size even more now.

Continue Reading