Winter Fashion Street Style Looks- Black and Grey

As promised, here is the second look from the winter fashion street style session that I did with Amy Symes last weekend. These photos were taken on Bank street near Catherine. If you missed it, check out Vintage Fur. Yes! like the Krista Norris Scarf that was gifted to the Obama girls from Sophie Gregoire and Justin Trudeau at their visit to the White House!)

In this photo, I am wearing:

  • my favourite wide brim hat from Lovely Bird, which I bought in Toronto at The Cloakroom
  • my black and white scarf is by Ottawa designer Krista Norris, purchased at Viens avec moi. Yes! like the Krista Norris Scarf that was gifted to the Obama girls by Sophie Gregoire and Justin Trudeau at their visit to the White House!
  • my camel leather gloves are H&M
  • my grey coat was a second hand find at The Clothes Secret
  • my black leather purse is Marc Jacobs from Fashion United
  • my black suede wedged WINTER boots are from La Canadienne. They are the leader in elegant and functional winter weather boots. They are also from Montreal and obviously a Canadian brand. I bought these boots about 4 years ago and they are still going strong! Great investment and worth every penny (albeit many of them).

I felt really feminine, chic and most importantly WARM, in this outfit. I got a lot of stares, which can only confirm that it looked as fabulous as I felt in it. Maybe a tad over dressed for a Sunday afternoon, but who really cares!

Chantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes PhotographyChantal Sarkisian Mode XLusive WINTER FASHION STREET STYLE LOOKS Ottawa Fashion Blogger Amy Symes Photography

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Style Profile: Rosie Waugh of Secondhand Rose

Meet Rosie Waugh of Secondhand Rose. I like her style, so I asked her a few questions.

What’s your passion for fashion?

My passion for fashion started when I was much younger. I am incredibly shy and have been anxious my entire life and I have found that wearing interesting pieces is a great icebreaker. I’m not the best at typical small talk but I love bonding with people over shared interest and I find fashion to be the most relatable thing. My style has definitely evolved from when I was younger, I was much more wild back then, but I still love to break out the odd statement piece to gain some (hopefully positive) attention.

What XLusive tip can you share?

The most freeing moment in my fashion life was the moment that I decided to wear what I wanted to wear and to rock what makes me feel most comfortable. I’m definitely a bigger girl and I gravitate towards more boxy and oversized pieces which is something I’ve been told to stay away from my entire life. Throwing out all of the rules and not letting anyone tell you what to wear is such an amazing feeling! One tip that I’d like to share is to go shopping alone. That’s when I personally find my best pieces. I just concentrate on what I like and what I know I’ll wear and I block out all of the outside noise and pressure.

Stay Social with Rosie!

Blog: www.secondhand-rose.ca
Twitter & Instagram: @rosiexwaugh
Facebook: facebook.com/secondhandroseblog

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What to wear: Holiday Family Photos

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I wanted to take a moment to wish you all, my dear gorgeous readers, a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I am so in love with these photos we did for Christmas, with Kristy Chapman. You would have already seen my holiday outfit post on “Festive Fashion“, but in these post I am sharing the family pics. But as you can see, the main focus in these pictures is my brand new kitchen, although renovated by my husband almost one year ago.

I know that figuring out the “family outfit” can be somewhat of a challenge. It’s a fine balance between not too matchy matchy, and well coordinated to get a cohesive look. This year’s theme was “Plaid”… and funny hats! Last year we went with “Canadian Tuxedo”. Awe, Victor is so much  younger in that pic (sorry, mommy moment).

Here are some great tips on organizing a family photo shoot.

 

 

 

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Product Review: GotyGoty Workout Set

Well, this is me in my new workout gear. It’s called GotyGoty Hotwear and they are, well, hot!

I was asked to do a review on this new workout gear and to provide my honest feedback, so here goes. 

I have been using the top and pants (both size L) for almost 2 weeks. I have done yoga and circuit training in them.

The material of the clothes are quite interesting. When I opened the package, my first impression was that it felt like a scuba diving suit. It’s a little bit more stiff, thick and more noisy (material swishes around when you move) than I am used too. When you put on the clothes, they instantly heat up. I would say this is the best type of clothing to be working out in during cold weather. My personal trainer told me that the extra heat was really good for my back too (I have back muscle problems).

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The clothes feel really good on. They are tight but not restrictive. They hold you in really nicely and to be honest, it’s very flattering on me. I do feel like I’m in a scuba suit though! 

So the material that heats up, is meant to make you sweat more, and in turn make you lose weight faster while you’re working out. I have only been using the clothes for two weeks, and between Christmas lunches, chocolates and cookies, I don’t think it’s a fair assessment to say that I have lost weight because of these clothes. However, I can attest 100% that these clothes make you sweat! By the end of your workout they are soaking wet. Obviously the more intense your workout the more sweat you generate.

As far as weight loss is concerned when it comes to over-sweating, personally I think you’re just losing your extra water weight. Keeping your body warm while you work out is really great for flexibility, but I’m not convinced that it will make me lose more weight, burn the fat or generate muscle. But if it does, I’m not complaining! It’s similar to hot yoga. The heat makes me feel really flexible, which I love! Someone once told me though, that over-sweating during hot yoga was almost an illusion of working hard. He said, in fact, you should be sweating that much, when you’re doing regular yoga, for a true rigorous yoga workout.

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I would definitely recommend these clothes for someone who has knee injuries or needs that heat to create the extra flexibility. I’d also recommend the GotyGoty system to folks who workout in the cold, or run outside in the winter.  At about $30 per item (currently on sale), it’s a great deal! Also, it’s Canadian and love that!

I give this product a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5 stars.

I’ll keep wearing my outfit and let you know if I see any results in the new year!

In case you missed it, over the last year I have lost almost 20 pounds and have been working out consistently with a personal trainer. I have a whole “transformation” series of posts on the blog. You may find them motivating and inspiring, especially if you’re considering adopting a healthier lifestyle in the new year…. of course!

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