Ally: We’ve been writing this blog for three years. In three years I have yet to physically make it to an Atlantic Fashion Week event. Why?
Year One: I had just given birth – excusable.
Year Two: First year of daycare brought a year of illness. Add asthma into the mix and you’ve got an overprotective mom that doesn’t often leave the suburbs (read: never).
Year Three: I was going to make it this year, I really was. Until I got a sinus and ear infection and had to go on two rounds of antibiotics. It was all I could do to make it through the work week.
Thankfully, Halifax is lucky to have photographer Brent McCombs, a specialist in fashion photography. He’s offered up his photos of the events to fashion bloggers for use as they see fit. That’s ridiculously giving.
L-A was able to make it, so she can give first-hand commentary. My thoughts are drawn from a delicious afternoon of gazing over Brent’s photos while sipping two cups of coffee. El Jeffe and Toddler G were taking a “nap drive” through Peggy’s Cove. I know, I’m a lucky gal.
I’m quite sad I missed the New & Emerging Designer showcase. There were a couple serious standouts.
I mentioned last week that I need to devote an entire post to my love of southern style and music. This will make the cut. Nothing says, “I’m just mixing y’all some sweet tea while bumping Rascal Flatts” like this number. The colour is gorgeous and fits the softness of the BEC Fashions outfit perfectly.
Paging Taylor Swift (and I mean that as a compliment). Brought to you by Blue Ladybug.
The Designer Showcase, attended by L-A, was incredible. I have to say that we’ve been watching Veronica MacIsaac for the past three years and each year she keeps getting better and better. She’s taken a solid concept and been able to expand the idea each year. There were a number of outfits I loved at AFW, but this jacket I need to own.
Same goes for this pencil skirt.
L-A owns nautical on this blog, which is why I am nervous even talking about it. I’m sure I’ll say something wrong. If I were to transform into L-A one day, besides having an awesome social life, I would also sport this dress from CRANKY.
Wait though, check out the back…
You feeling me?
One of my favourite shirts is from Orphanage, and this might need to make it into my closet to sit alongside.
So southern!
I think the most fun (and you’ll have to ask L-A if this was the reality) would have come from Sebastian Couture’s segment. It’s no surprise that this long, embellished tutu-skirt made my heart swoon.
I did have to laugh at this shirt from the DrunkGurl collection…
Clearly, you do not have children.
L-A: I’ve actually been going for the past three years. ALONE. (Okay, not entirely. Jo joined me for a show and Ben and Jill were there for a night last year). But that’s okay, because it means I get to see all the fashions in person. I missed Thursday because I had some work commitments, but I wasn’t going to miss both nights. I tried to take my own photos, but I’m going to use Brent’s because (a) I was sitting in a second row and got lousy photos; (b) Brent’s a professional, so even if I had been in the first row, his would still be better than mine (I’m okay with that. We all have our talents. I can draw pictures of cats in photoshop and tie cherry stems with my tongue. Not everyone can do that).
Anyway! The fashions! I decided to chat about them by theme. Because when I watch a fashion show, I like to think of occasions I can possibly wear the item on the catwalk.
Work Appropes
Sometimes when you watch fashion shows you think, “do they even know how real people dress?!?” And other times, you’re like, “I would totally wear that to work tomorrow!” These are some of the latter.
Dreamboat Lucy – add tights and a pair of black heels and you are set for winter days at work.
Dreamboat Lucy recently won the Mercedes-Benz Start-Up and it’s not hard to see why. They had some serious designs.
Veronica MacIsaac – super profesh. Just add a jacket or cardigan.
Dreamboat Lucy – They are clearly convinced by trousers and I want this for work next winter.
Put a jacket on it
Veronica’s tartan jacket (it had tails!) from Ally’s half of the post also falls under this category. While Miuccia Prada is convinced by trousers, I am convinced by jackets. You will always up the outfit when you add a jacket. If you dress nice, no one notices that you stayed up all night writing a paper or drinking or whatever. They’ll just think you look awesome. It’s also a great way to look sharp if you work in an environment where jeans are okay.
Monday’s Child – seriously though. With jeans? This would rock hard.
Drinks with your entourage
Don’t front like you don’t have an entourage. I’m sure you do. I’ve got one. Well, it’s more like a mutual admiration society/if one of us makes it big, the others ride the coat tails to the top. We can also call it cocktails with the ladies. Also appropriate for a work cocktail function.
Jere Brooks – you could probably find a way to wear this to work (with a jacket?) and then head to after work drinks and look hot.
Jere Brooks – the grommets will make you the badassest looking girl at the wine bar.
Turbine – Lisa Drader Murphy was in India recently and the fabrics she’s using now are making the designs super fun for après work drinks.
Fancier cocktail times
For those fancy cocktail parties that we all totally go to all the time. Or like to think we do when we buy cute dresses and glitter shoes.
Drunk Gurl – Someone needs to get this for their work Christmas cocktail party.
As a side note to this dress – I think this was the most wearable collection by Drunk Gurl. Well, wearable by my 30+ standards. I’ve always thought some of John Michael’s shorter party girl clothes could work on girls much younger and with better legs than me.
Orphanage – you could ROCK the cocktail party in this dress.
Drunk Gurl – I love the lacy sleeves. Covers the arms, but still looks hot.
Jere Brooks – a great take on the little black dress
Great Gatsbying
Oh yes. The movie coming out is totally going to make fetch happen and I am on board for it. I vote we start making bathtub gin and lobby to have a 20s themed party on George’s Island (not unlike the Governors Island Jazz Age Party).
Monday’s Child – Super speakeasy sexy
Cranky – you could dance the Charleston on a flagpole with this kicky skirt.
Monday’s Child – You’d have Jay Gatsby and all the other fellas eating out of your hand in this number. I kind of want/need it.
Not what real teenagers wear these days, but what the Angela Chase loving teen that lives in inside of me would dream of wearing…and may still wear.
Orphanage – with tights and a cardigan, I’d totally wear this to work.
Dreamboat Lucy – pretty much everything about this outfit is adorable. I almost want to wear it with Docs.
Veronica MacIsaac – To quote Penny Hartz, “so. cute.” Total 1960s teenage dream – so perfect for Mad Men parties next season. Zou bisou bisou.
Let’s go to the beach
Summer is almost officially here and we’ve had a pretty decent spring, so I’m on board with anything that looks beachy and fun.
Cranky – I feel like the boho-y skirt and the white t-shirt could totally be Ally’s jam.
Unlikely to ever have the occasion to wear, but still awesome
Unless you’re Daphne Guinness or you attend galas on the regular, there are few opportunities for most of us to wear these. But we can still look at them and love them.
Dreamboat Lucy – someone invite me to a gala something so I can justify this. (Also, I feel like if you weren’t into traditional wedding dresses, you could do this).
Veronica MacIsaac – this dress is straight up amazeballs. Vogue Italia agrees. As does the lady who sat behind me. She nearly lost it over this dress.
Sebastian Couture – It really was as fun to watch in real life as Ally thought it might be.
Sebastian Couture – seriously though, someone call Daphne Guinness and tell her about these dresses. They were walking art and that’s her jam.
Overall – AFW was awesome this year. The designers totally brought it. And thanks again to Brent McCombs for making his pictures available (you make us look so much better).
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