One Sweater, Five Ways

A few weeks ago, my talented friend, Leyla, offered to take photos for me. I, of course, said yes and on one of the coldest days in a while decided to pose in Central Park without a jacket on. This sweater is one of my favorites because of its versatility. I received it a couple of years ago as a gift from my aunt (who's shopping gene I inherited!). When I unwrapped this gift, I had NO idea what to do with this sweater looking thing with a whole bunch of extra fabric. Well, after some experimentation and website consulting, I figured out the five ways to wear it.

This is how I wear it most often because I like how it drapes and there's not much fuss.

I've never worn it like this before, but I think I'm going to start. This way makes for a more blazer sort of feel, which I like if you want to wear something else underneath.

This is probably the easiest way to wear it and I can't believe I haven't given this option more of a chance. This style was definitely the surprise standout of the day. It also happened to photograph beautifully and had lots of natural movement.

To be honest, this style is a bit silly. Basically the same as number three but with one end thrown over your shoulder. I guess it could fancy up an outfit or act almost as a shawl over top of a dress but I likely won't be wearing it like this any time soon.

This style was my least favorite and it even looks better in the photo than it did in real life, so that's not saying much for it. I may have been doing it wrong but there was a lot of extra fabric behind me that we didn't know what to do with. I don't think this style is overly flattering but I do like the contradiction of stripes, so that's something.

sweater {Jacob} - jeans {Gap} - booties {Top Shop} - moose necklace {Prima Donna} - bracelets {Gap}

So there you have it. One sweater worn five different ways. And in case you didn't notice, those are tiny stars on my jeans. So, in a way this outfit was a gray scale version of the American flag. That is about as patriotic as I will get for you America!

j.

*A big thanks to Leyla for being a trooper in the cold and for all the beautiful photos!!! Check out just how talented this girl is HERE!

BK (What the Cool Kids Call Brooklyn)

I know I've proclaimed my love for Brooklyn many times but I really can't say it enough. I love Brooklyn. My favorite area is Williamsburg and I know that some people can't stand the place but it does something to me every time I'm there. It is an escape from the chaos and crowds of Manhattan. It's quiet, quaint and charming. There are the best shops and restaurants along Bedford Ave that I could spend an entire afternoon popping in and out of. Williamsburg is serene and has a sort of calming effect that soothes my soul. If magic was a feeling, it would feel like that. It is the perfect remedy to whatever ails you. In a bad mood? Go to Williamsburg. Need time to think? Definitely Williamsburg. Want to see the sky and maybe a tree? Obviously Williamsburg.

I went with my roomie a few weeks ago (her first time there! I had a hard time concealing my shock) and brought the real camera to practice using in manual mode. It was a gorgeous blue sky day, the sun was out and Spring was teasing us all afternoon. We browsed and walked and ate and fun was had by all.

j.

Living Like a Nomad

jacket {Aritizia} - sweater {Jacob} - polka-dot skinnies {Gap} - leopard print shoes {Toms} - purse {vintage Dooney & Bourke} - 

sunnies {Forever 21} - key necklace {flea market}

Every semester Parsons hosts a trend presentation by Trend Union, a Paris based company and one of the world's most renowned trend forecasters. This afternoon was the presentation for Spring/Summer 2014 and I had the privilege of guest tweeting for Parsons during it. This season's theme was titled Nomadism and in a nutshell, it was all about roaming the globe, connecting with nature and basically living a nomadic lifestyle. Inspiration was drawn from the earth and the different cultures that live on it. I thought it was a great presentation and I was loving many of the forecasted trends. If you're interested to hear more about those trends, check out the Parsons twitter account here!

It really got me thinking about the whole notion of living life out of a suitcase and having so few personal belongings that you're able to pick up and move on to the next place should the mood strike you. This lifestyle is basically the antithesis of mine. I collect belongings, crave stability, reject change and usually need a solid few months to wrap my head around a new beginning. As I was sitting in this presentation and seeing beautiful imagery of hippies and gypsies, I realized that I have always been envious of the free spirited. To have the ability to go with the flow and not only be okay with it, but thrive from it, is truly a remarkable quality. 

After an entire life of accumulating 'stuff', I'm beginning to realize that maybe having less things, but with more meaning is better than having just a bunch of meaningless things. Obviously, this can be applied to all of one's possessions but for me it really applies to my closet. I'm not going to make some big (unrealistic) declaration that from now on, I won't buy clothes. I am going to say that I will strive to put more thought into my purchases. I mean, really think about what it is I want, if I have something similar to it already hanging in the back of my closet. I think I should challenge myself to mentally come up with at least five different ways I could wear this new item with my current wardrobe before making the purchase. I love the idea of being able to mix and match the majority of one's clothes with one another.

While I know that the nomad life is not for me, I wouldn't mind borrowing from it from time to time. Living in the moment, allowing freedom to take over and just letting go (both mentally and physically) are not the worst philosophies I've ever heard.

j.

Mad Love for Warby Parker

 

glasses {Warby Parker} - chambray shirt {Loft} - black skinnies {Old Navy}

I remember being eleven years old and, for reasons that are beyond me now, wishing I had braces and glasses. Don't let me say that wishes never come true because lucky me, within a year I had both. Shockingly, neither of their realities had the appeal they had held while wishing for them in the school field.  I remember my first pair of glasses, back in grade seven. Rainbow colored oval metal frames that only added to the awkwardness that was twelve years old. I was on the steady climb to the peak of that awkward, 'is that a boy, no pretty sure it's a girl' phase and my first pair of glasses certainly weren't helping. That, combined with the alarmingly accelerated decline of my eyesight led me to opt for contacts at an early age. 

Fast forward fifteen years and I have never owned a pair of glasses that I have truly loved. Worn solely in the confines of my own home, strictly before bed I have not gone out in public wearing glasses since the Spice Girls were topping the charts. A while ago I learned about the eyeglass company Warby Parker and it was love at first sight, pun intended. Warby Parker is an online retailer that sells boutique-quality glasses for $95. Prescription included. If that price and the abundance of cute frames wasn't enough to get your attention, how about the fact that for every pair sold they donate a pair to someone in need. They are the TOMS of the optometry world.

After a visit to their Soho showroom to try on frames, the process was quite simple. I placed my order online a few days later and within a week my new pair of specs arrived on my doorstep. Having literally never worn glasses in the outside world, it was a little disorienting the first time I stepped foot outside my apartment. Everything was so clear! After wearing them a few times, I am definitely getting used to them and can actually say that I feel comfortable in them. 

Thanks, Warby Parker, for finally allowing this twelve year old girl to be the four eyed dork she always dreamed of. 

j.

You Belong in 'X'

 

image via Pinterest

You know the feeling you get when you're reading a good book and it's nearing the end but you just don't know exactly how it's going to end? That's what my life feels like right now. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that my program will be over in May. I don't know what I want to do or maybe more importantly, where I want to do it once I graduate from Parsons.

I feel torn between two completely different options. I can stay in NYC and work for a year or I can move back home to Calgary. If you had told me a few years ago that I would be considering moving back to Calgary, I would've told you you were crazy. I don't know when exactly it happened but lately something has shifted in me, making moving back to the city I grew up in an appealing choice. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and realizing that I want to be near my family. I've been away for nearly ten years, but perhaps that was the amount of time I needed to feel ready to call that place my home again.When I think about moving to Calgary, it feels right in a sense. But I can't stop the little voice in the back of my head from planting seeds of doubt in my mind. What if I don't like living there? What if I can't find a job that allows me to use my schooling or at the very least, my creativity?

If I stay in NYC, I will get the chance to work in the fashion industry, which has always been the goal. Sometimes I feel like I should not even have to think twice about this and that I'm crazy for not jumping at the chance to work in my dream field in the city where it all happens. But I do have to think twice and I'm not jumping anywhere at the  moment. This city is inspiring and breath-taking and I've never felt more alive but a part of me feels unsettled, for lack of a better word. Maybe because I know in my heart that this is not the place I want to settle down, so in a way it feels counter-productive to start my career here. This city, with all of it's positives, has a dark side that can chip away at your soul if you're not careful. It's busy chaos can leave you feeling lonely and cold. And while the pace of NYC can be hard to keep up with at times, I worry that the pace of Calgary will leave me running circles with no finish line in sight.

I literally flip-flop on this decision every other day. Some days I'm leaning towards staying in NYC and giving it a try for at least the next year but then something happens and I'm back to mentally preparing the moving checklist I'll need should I decide to leave. Most people are on New York's side (besides maybe the few friends I have in Calgary), and tell me I should definitely stay and get a job. Even with all the support and obvious benefits of staying in the city, I find myself defending Calgary and talking it up more times than not. Is this a sign or is this me trying to convince myself of something? I don't know and although I don't need to know right now, I will need to know soon. I'm just waiting for that moment of clarity to come smack me in the face and yell at the top of its lungs,  

"YOU BELONG IN 'X'". 

Please tell me that's going to happen.

j.