Shop: Banana Republic Patio Dress(es)

I am, what I consider to be, average height. 5 foot 4 inches. I've lied and said I was 5'5 a few times in my life for reasons I can't explain. Perhaps it was because it lead to a better BMI (sneaky, sneaky). Due to my vertically challenged nature, the whole maxi dress trend that been popular for the last few summers is discouraging to me. Long (weighed down by tons of material) dresses have a tendency to make a short, ample booty'd gal look dumpy/frumpy/lumpy (you pick). But I love the idea of a flowy summer dress. Seeing all the girls in Montreal during the summer looking so awesomely boho chic gives me maxi dress envy.

I'm going against my own advice here by purchasing some thing that I know doesn't flatter my body type. I know better but I still succumbed to my retail impulse and bought two long summer dresses on BR's online summer sale. In my mind, I envision the perfect summer outfit complete with a cool pair of dangley earrings and a well paired purse or belt. I just hope it doesn't end up looking like a muumuu instead!

These are the ones I ended up getting. I am hoping the structure of the dresses will flatter my physique, and the darker colours will help keep things looking slim. I'm thinking the t-shirt styled one (BR Heritage Jersey Patio dress in Chocolate) will work better on me than the one in navy (BR Draped v-neck Patio Dress) but I just had to have the navy one once I saw it in the store, the pleating is so nice. Here's hoping. I'll post pictures if I think the results are good; otherwise you'll never hear about them again (banished to the back of the closet forever!)

Photo courtesy of BR

Photo courtesy of BR

Style: Fashion Faux Pas

Despite my love for all things sartorialist, there are a few elements of my daily wardrobe that cannot be made fashionable. I must simply grin and bear it (pun very much intended). Here's the worst offender, maybe some of you recognize the offending object in it's natural form?

If not, here they are being used as both an implement of torture and fashion inhibitor:

See? Maybe I should afix some rhinestones to my grill to gussy it up...but its more likely I will 'demurely' cover my mouth with my hand when I smile or laugh, which is becoming something of a habit.

Shop: The right shoes for 10,000 steps a day?

I've been delinquent with my posting. Activities related to moving into my boyfriend's apartment and planning a vacation are to blame, but with that kind of stuff on the horizon I can't really complain, can I?

TMI moment: I found 2012 to be an extremely challenging year. Divorce, sale of my home, a loss of a dear family member, work conflict, and ulcerative colitis flare ups were difficult obstacles to say the least. But after some time, reflection and prescription medicine, I feel like I'm starting to move past it. I have tons to look forward to; work and personal life appear to be on track so it's time to focus on my physical health a bit more.

As part of my effort to feel healthy and strong again, I joined the global corporate challenge this year with a team of 7 coworkers. For 16 weeks we will wear pedometers to track our distance walked. We will then post the daily results on their website to track our cumulative distance. It's a competition with other corporate teams with an end goal of raising funds for children's physical activity in schools, but also to encourage physical activity within corporations. It suggests a minimum of 10,000 steps a day, which I'm told is close to 5 miles distance. The competition starts tomorrow and goes into September. Yesterday I received my care packet, which includes my pedometer. I thought that I'd do a little experiment and wear the pedometer today knowing I have no plans of altering my regular activities, just to see what an average day looks like. I can only assume it's shameful. I have a strange relationship with exercise, I tend to do it in phases and then drop it completely, which I know is awful for a persons' health. Right now I'm in the inactivity phase so this friendly competition is exactly what I need. I know it will set the tone and within no time I'll be back to running, yoga and spin classes.

All this to bring me back to shoes (talk about a meandering blog post!). A girl can't walk 10,000 steps a day wearing high heels unless she's a masochist. I'm clumsy and way too much of a wimp to deal with that. So considering I like cute shoes and I don't want to compromise my work outfits with clunky running shoes to clock my 10,000 steps a day, I need alternatives. Luckily my predilection for footwear means I already have the answer to my problem; flats! Ballet flats, loafers, sandals, oh my! I know it's not enough cushioning for real exercise, but for taking the stairs and throwing in extra steps during the work day, I'm hoping they will do the trick. Today's selection are Jessica Simpson polka dot ballet flats. Cute, right?

They were an impromptu eBay purchase as the price was too good to resist (38$!). I've owned Jessica Simpson ballet flats before and aside from the fact that they don't last very long, they are easy to find for a good price, available in cute colours/patterns and are easy to break in (essential!!!). To be honest, I'm not very talented at mixing prints/patterns so I don't wear these too often. But today, I'm wearing Gap Khakis in Brick and Banana Republic Safari blouse in black; I thought that a red/black combo would pair well with white polka dots. I'd post a picture of the full ensemble but I haven't figured out how so many fashion bloggers take such good selfies (That sounds dirty...).

Courtesy of BR

Courtesy of Gap

Shop: Marc by Marc Jacobs Mouse Ballet Flats

This is a cautionary tale of cuteness crushing common sense.

I went shopping with a great friend of mine (and fellow shopaholic) this past weekend, with a goal of finding a nice pair of black ballet flats that I could take with me on vacation. I wanted something versatile and neutral, as I need to replace my old faithful ballet flats that are about to give up the ghost. My only rule is that they had to be black since I have a few other flats/oxfords in flashy colours/prints already.

On Saturday morning we did a tour of all the shoe stores in Rockland before happening upon these beauties:

Black = check.
Ballet flats = check.
Favourite designer = check.
Whiskers = check!

The impulse to buy these came on strong, which of course meant that they did not have my size. Even worse, they could not order them for me as they were out of my size store-wide. I tried scanning eBay right in the middle of the mall on my iPhone (shameful I know) to no avail.

I went home dejected and completely single minded on finding this one pair of shoes.  I googled all Marc Jacob sellers in Montreal (hint: there aren't many) followed by a search on all local and international websites. I finally found one website that had stock and would ship to Canada but the added cost of customs/duties were really discouraging so I decided to hold out.

The next day I embarked on a last ditch solo shopping mission downtown at various fancy pants stores like Holt Renfrew, Ogilvy, etc. I got close once but again they did not have my size. I tried so many shoe stores I can now quote you the exact price on most of this seasons hot shoes, but no luck.

In the end, I did the unthinkable and ordered from Shop Bop, complete with prepaid customs and duties applied to the price. It was a cringe worthy splurge, and I did feel pangs of buyers remorse. I'm normally all about getting a good price, evaluating cost per use, blah blah blah, but damn it I wanted these!! They arrived yesterday and when I opened the box I knew that I'd be happy with my purchase, despite the splurge. Sometimes you just have to, right?!

What ridiculous splurges have you indulged in? Was it worth it?

Style: Primer - The lifestyle magazine for 20-something men (and 30-something, and 40-something, and...)

Recently, while searching for a potential gift for my boyfriend, I happened upon the Primer magazine website. Their tag line is "Affordable style, how-to's & self development for the everyday 20-something man". As I went through the articles I realized I was thoroughly impressed. I know I'm not the target audience but if only this kind of magazine had been around a decade ago when I was consorting with 20-something boys??! I know people will argue that GQ and Maxim exist to fill this need, but I disagree. Ya, I get why boys like 'lad mags', I'm not stupid. However, I've flipped through a few Maxim's and I always thought that it pandered to it's audience with T&A and fart jokes. This magazine covers sex and dating just like the rest but somehow it feels like it has a little more self respect and focus.

Examples of topics categorized by headings like Live, Earn, Spend, Learn, Invest, etc.:
- 10 Style Mistakes I Wish I Learned Long Ago. 
- A Sensible Man’s Complete Guide to Losing His Hair
- How Pants Should Fit – The Principles of Fit
- A Visual Guide to Getting Your Car Unstuck From The Snow
- ProTip: Save a beer for later with a cork- The Pro’s and Con’s of Winning a Mustache Contest
- "Shit, Shower, and Shave”: Make Your Life Easier with Ritual’s Grooming Lineup

 I know there are constraints for the 20-something male; whether it be a restricted budget or simply that they are in midst of transition to young adulthood. But so many men do not transition with regards to style. They are either trapped in the style of their youth or dressed by their significant other (or even worse, their mother). I know men in their 30's and 40's that are guilty of this and I have to say, this website could teach them a thing or two. It's the basics really, clothes/accessories need not be expensive but they must fit right! No white socks outside of workouts and stop wearing that ball cap! (So glad to see a guy write this!)

  

Drink: Duque de Viseu Dâo 2008 (15.20$) Review

Name: Duque de Viseu Dâo 2008
Price: 15.20

Quick Sum Up: Flavourful, Smooth, a great value

Full Review: I was never a fan of Portuguese wine until I went to Portugal. Prior to my visit, I thought of Portuguese wine as clunky and tannin heavy. I drank very little white wine when I was there but I imbibed plenty of red wine (and port) daily. Not sure if it was the wonderful meals with amazing company that accompanied my wine or simply daily repetition (wink, wink) but by the time I came home, I was convinced that Portuguese wines are some of the best deals out there. Wine in Portugal was extremely affordable; it's actually cheaper than bottled water! I came to the conclusion that Portuguese wine should be cost effective and full bodied, or cheap and cheerful as they say! Aside from the private importation at Ferreira restaurant, I was never able to locate any of the wines I tried there so over the last few years I have assigned myself the pleasant task of tasting numerous Portuguese wines to discover new favourites.

Duque de Viseu is a label I have tried many times, and it is available at practically every SAQ in Quebec. There are plenty of cheaper Portuguese wines to be sure, but at 15.20 it's still a great value. I found it to be a full bodied wine with a full mouth-feel, something I come to expect when I taste a Portuguese red. I would characterize it as having a medium finish, with a more fruity than spicy flavour. Most importantly (to me), I considered the tannin to be very well balanced. All in all, a good price point for a balanced wine. I would recommend this wine if you like a full flavour that can compete with pizza, pasta or a charcuterie/cheese plate. It's not for someone looking for subtlety but I wouldn't call it clumsy either.

*** *** ***

Additional Information from SAQ

Tasting Notes from SAQ: This dry purplish red coloured wine features medium woody, empyreumatic, spicy, floral and fruity scents and offers a broad texture as well as smooth tannins.

Food pairing from SAQ: beef, braised. mushroom sauce. pork, grilled. Pasta, al dente sundried tomato pesto

Additional Information from SAQ:

• Wine family: Dry, medium-bodied and fruity
• Country: Portugal
• Region: Beiras
• Appellation: Dâo
• Producer: Sogrape Vinhos SA
• Alcoholic strength: 12.5 %
• Acidity: Refreshing
• Intensity: Medium
• Persistance: Medium
• Body: Medium-bodied
• Tannins: Smooth
• Texture: Broad
• Sugar: Dry
• Taste family(ies): Woody, Empyreumatic, Fruity, Spicy, Floral

Shop: Clothing Conundrum - Silk Colour Block Blouse

I recently purchased this beautiful blouse from Banana Republic, the soure of my fashion fustration:

Photo courtesy of Banana Republic

At first I though I just didn't have enough imagination to pair it; I kept putting outfits together and then at the last minute opting for something else instead. I scanned Polyvore in an attempt to find ideas for pairing it and eventually it dawned on me that the problem wasn't the shape or color but the fabric. This blouse has the sheerest fabric I have ever seen. It is so see-through that I can't wear it without a base layer but at the same time, all the base layers I have tried stand out so sharply that it detracts from the overall look of the blouse. The writing on the material/care tag on the side seam can be read though my shirt! I've analysed the photo from the website and not only does it not appear to be sheer at all, but there is not a shred of evidence that the model is wearing a cami, tank top or even a bra. Damn you, photoshop!

If by chance there is someone out there who also purchased this top, I'd be very interested to hear how someone else resolved this fashion dilemma. Do you go with something flesh coloured and hope it doesn't stand out and distract from the lovely contrast trim, or do you say the hell with it and try something completely different like a black bra or vibrant hue?