A few weeks ago, I was invited to a top secret event, held at the Museum of Nature. All I knew was that Metro Ontario was sponsoring a dinner and Jessica Mulroney was the guest of honour. The event photographer, Katherine Holland was gracious enough to send her photos for me to share!
I was greeted with smiling faces and offered a glass of bubbly as soon as I got to the cocktail area in the cave at the museum. Right away, I knew I was in good hands. Then, I do a double take… Is that Rachel Zane Maghan Markle I see by the dinosaurs? It can’t be! It was 🙂
You all know that I am a huge fan of Rachel Zane’s corporate wear and have even made reference to her style in my post “What’s a Capsule Wardrobe and Why you Need One?“. Meghan was very sweet and patient with my embarrassing fan girl moment. I get so shot up with nerves that my instinct is to cry… Control yourself woman! I need to get better at meeting famous people if I am going to be in the biz (plant seed here). Luckily, I worked up the courage to introduce myself to Jessica at the end of the night and also managed to snap a quick picture!
Metro Ontario sponsored the elegant meal prepared by the chefs from the Westin Hotel. The dinner was lovely, and I am sad that I don’t remember now how everything tasted. I just remember that everything was decadent, delectable and delicious! I admire Metro’s commitment to supporting the community and look forward to seeing the impact of the changes brought on by their new corporate direction. Listen up people- Metro is reinventing themselves, and they are here to stay!
Well, it was a sweet surprise alright! I already started digging into the chocolate cherry mix… OMG! Do these folks know that I am on Weight Watchers??? hahaha #Donttellmytrainer
I am a part of a vast network of bloggers in the Ottawa area. It’s a very supportive community. We try to get together on a monthly basis, and everyone gets their turn to host. We take part in charitable causes, we hash out business ideas and most of all, we vent about the #firstworldproblems of being a blogger.
This week we had our Christmas party meetup at Two Six [Ate}, on Preston Street. They kindly hosted our gang in their event space upstairs. The food was spectacular. I forgot how delicious that place was. I have to admit, I used to go more often when it first opened.
Anyhow, I was sitting beside Flic Taylor of loveagoodstripe.com. She is a self-confessed shopaholic attempting to build a capsule wardrobe. I loved how she defined her vision of a capsule wardrobe. I am paraphrasing here, but (in her lovely british accent)she said something along the lines of “a capsule wardrobe shouldn’t look the same for everyone. It’s not about everyone having black pumps, black trousers with a camel coat. It’s about finding the right pieces to build an ideal capsule collection for yourself. A great bowler hat and leather motorcycle jacket would be fundamental in my capsule wardrobe.” In essence, not all styles share the same essentials!
Back it up, what exactly is a capsule wardrobe? Let me wiki that for you.
Capsule wardrobe is a term coined by Susie Faux, the owner of a Londonboutique called “Wardrobe” in the 1970s. According to Faux, a capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items of clothing that don’t go out of fashion, such as skirts, trousers, and coats, which can then be augmented with seasonal pieces.[1] This idea was popularised by American designer Donna Karan, who, in 1985, released an influential capsule collection of seven interchangeable work-wear pieces.[2]
So here in lies the problem: I am not only a shopaholic, but also a fashion chameleon. Capsule wardrobe equals impossibe. My style is, literally, not having to stick to one! I dress based on my mood, what my day looks like, what inspired me that day and the overall vibes of where I am headed. I have an overabundance of clothes, which I partly blame for having a very conservative corporate job by day and being a creative social fashion butterfly by night. I could try really hard to find a style that works for both, but I love me some classic corporate atire. Think Rachel Zane in Suits, #goals.
I also find the waste and pollution brought on by fast fashion, a little difficult to swallow. Building a capsule collection can play a huge role in sustainable fashion. It’s a hard balance between investing in classic essentials (a.k.a. clothes that will last you a long time), keeping up with trends to stay relevant, and squirrelling enough money away to pay the bills.
“The Prophesy” is a series of photographs by photographer Fabrice Monteiro that shines light on the problem of pollution in Africa, yet offers a message of hope.
A great resource for sustainable fashion in Canada, is Ottawa’s own Malorie Bertrand. She has many great suggestions on building a simple, effective and sustainable capsule collection, if that is the direction you prefer heading. She also has a few exciting things up her sleeve, so make sure you follow along!
I think we can all use a little lesson in building our own Capsule wardrobe. So, here is my attempt at one! I think I have way more than I need, but it’s a start. What do you think? Is there anything missing? What would you swap?
