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Style and Fashion

Let’s say you were going to the opera

And let’s say that opera was the Marriage of Figaro. What would you wear?

wedding-dress-vintage

A wedding dress? Of course you would.

vintage-wedding-dress-top

I found this beauty at a vintage shop and even though I’m already hitched I had to have it.

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I’m getting it shortened so it will be more of a ballet length as opposed to an I’m-going-to-the-chapel length. (I’ll post the “after” shot along with the big reveal of my Hammer pants post-makeover.)

vintage-wedding-dress

I’m guessing the dress is from the sixties. But the spookiest part about it? The initials sewn inside — they’re mine.

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April 21, 2010 by

I was naive about Palm Springs

I had no idea how beautiful the landscape would be. What was I picturing? Flat lands and a million swimming pools. But now that I’m here, I’m in love. The desert, the mountains, the colour of the sky at sunset — it is so beautiful.

California desert

Which is why I am even more excited about Coachella.

floral-detail

So what did I bring with me? This vintage, floral, fluttery number. Perfect for the desert, but it wasn’t always this way. Back in the day it was long. Like Rachel Zoe long. And it was gorgeous, but just too heavy to wear.

floral-dress

But back to Coachella. Lexie, you were wondering which bands I am dying to see (and re-see)? Today it’s Yeasayer (who will be playing in Vancouver on April 21), Passion Pit (even though I just saw them on Sunday), the dance-tastic LCD Soundsystem, the one and only Jay Z and my boy Erlend of the Whitest Boy Alive.

floral

And because my husband loves them, we’re also going to see the way-too-heavy-for-my-taste Dillinger Escape Plan. But we won’t go anywhere near the front of the stage for this reason.

Man, I cannot wait.

First photo found here.

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April 16, 2010 by

Miike Snow

Oh! Miike Snow. Their show the other night in Vancouver was so gat dang fantastic, they have me seriously considering re-seeing them at Coachella this weekend. Even though their set time conflicts with Phoenix.

vancouver-street-style-fashion

And you know how much I really,  really,  really,  really,  really,  really,  really,  really,  really love Phoenix. (Coachella, you are cruel for pitting these two against each other.)

vancouver-street-style

But Swedish pop powerhouse Miike Snow put on the second-best show I’ve ever seen. (What was the best show, you ask? It’s a tie between !!! (Chk Chk Chk) and that Britney Spears show where she threw a tantrum and stormed off the stage.)

street-style-vancouver

So what do I do? Stand by my old love, Phoenix? Or ditch them for my new love? Help!

P.S. I’ll be tweeting my face off from Coachella. So follow me.

April 13, 2010 by

Beautiful baggage

Melissa writes:

I know you love to travel and you love your accessories, so I am wondering what you use to hold/organize your accessories when you are on the go!

We are going on a cruise at the end of this month, and one of my biggest challenges when packing has been my accessories (as well as over packing, but that is an entirely different battle). By the time they get to the hotel room they are disorganized so I get frustrated and leave them in the suitcase. If you have any thoughts or suggestions i’d really appreciate it.

boat-bird-cropped-croatia

Well, Melissa, if I were as organized as, say, my sister-in-law Jaclyn, I would buy a travel organizer (amazon.com has every type imaginable). Instead, I take a Ukrainian doll approach to packing.

bangle-and-scarf

I start with sturdy jewelry (I leave fragile and valuable pieces at home), which I wrap in scarves (just make sure they’re not delicate or easily snagged).

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Then I pack these scarf-wrapped piece in the clutches I’m bringing with me. And then I stash those clutches in my luggage. So I put to use everything I plan on wearing when I arrive.

ring-from-vincent-park

If a piece is too small to wrap in a scarf (earrings, rings and delicate necklaces) I store those in drawstring pouches. Most bead shops will sell them in all materials, colours and sizes. Luckily enough, my Alkemie fox ring (from Vincent Park in Vancouver) came in its own pouch so it’ll travel that way with me to Coachella.

But truth be told, I don’t bring many accessories with me because I like to stock up while on vacation. Accessories make the best souvenirs, don’t they?

Hope this helps, Melissa. Have such an amazing time on your cruise and let me know how it goes!

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April 13, 2010 by

Coachella Ella Ella Eh Eh Eh

Heading to Coachella this week to dance my face off under the desert sun. So. Freaking. Excited.

coachella-desert

Because it’s always draws the most stylish crowd, I thought I’d pull together some favourite looks from Coachellas past.

alessandra-ambrosio

Like Allesandra Ambrosio, who is gorgeous from head to pirate-bootied toe.

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And Sienna Miller, who actually makes effortless chic look effortless.

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And this couple, because their boots match.

First image found here. Second image found here. Third image found here. Fourth image found here.

P.S. Follow the Anthology on Twitter.

April 11, 2010 by

A Canadian in Paris

Wendy writes:

I stumbled upon your blog and I love perusing it! I’m in Paris just now and am staying for two months, and since you’ve been, I wanted to know some of your favourite places to shop (Printemps being one of them bien sur)?  Any good open markets for trinkets that are not overly touristy?

oneandonlyparis

Wendy, you lucky ducky! I am so envious of your two-month Parisian adventure. Now, I was there five long years ago so my shopping memories are limited — we did frequently frequent Printemps and the gorgeous Galeries Lafayette (our little atelier was near the Grand Magasins). I also remember loving the boutiques in le Marais.

But where do I dream of going in Paris? That, I can tell you:

There’s Colette, of course, whose artsy-fartsy funkiness is so irresistible, it would be my first stop.

 colette-interior-paris

Then there’s the shop by Canadian designer Tara Jarmon, who Haute World introduced me to in a guest post she wrote for the Anthology.

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And there’s the brilliant Merci, where you can feel good about stocking up on everything from books to fine jewelry — profits benefit impoverished children in Madagascar.imgmerci1

And finalement, there is Laduree, whose macarons are so beautifully pastel-y, they inspired the colour palette for Sophia Copola’s gorgeous film Marie Antoinette.

Laduree Paris shop window

Hope this helps, Wendy!

So, mes amis, do you have any tips for a gal embarking on a Parisian adventure? Any Paris wishes? Share, please!

Paris image found here. Tara Jarmon photo by Haute World. Merci illustration found here. Colette image found here. Laduree image found here.

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April 8, 2010 by

The more classic the look

the more fun it is to accessorize.

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Short shorts, long jacket and Frye boots? Sounds pretty classic to me. Which means it’s game on. Bonus points if the accessories hold memories.

beaded-bracelets

Take, for example, the gold bracelet I found during my recent trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It reminds me of sun, sand and, well, shopping.

first-nations-beaded-bracelet

Then there’s the blue and gold bracelet I found at CRS Trading Post in Britannia Beach. Stopped there on our way to Whistler last weekend, which means it reminds me of sun, snow and, well, shopping.

dream-catcher-rearview-window

The Trading Post is also where I found my car’s newest accessory, the dream catcher. Which reminds me: I should start planning some dreamy roadtrips for the summer.

P.S. Follow the Anthology on Twitter. And get bonus bonus points.

April 7, 2010 by

It’s a Design Love Fest love fest

Design Love Fest is one of my favourite blogs on the whole worldwide web. Curated by California designer Bri Emery (wearing the hair bow in the photo below), it’s a virtually inexhaustable source of design and style inspiration.

design-love-fest

This shot of the blogger and her girlfriends was so gosh-darned cute I had to post it. Besides, I love Bri’s grey pumps.

April 6, 2010 by

A foolproof way to mix and match prints?

Look to Mother Nature. Because she know what she’s doing. And if a colour palette is good enough for her, then it’s good enough for me.

alice-hart-feather-headpiece

Let’s take the peacock feather for example. The forest green, the deep purple, the navy blue and, when the light hits it right, the splash of yellow. (The peacock headpiece, by the way, is one of two custom pieces made for me by Vancouver’s Alice Hart.)

mixed-prints

Stripes, florals, miscellaneous geometric patterns — they all work together beautifully when Mama N picks the palette.

wrap-dress

She makes the potentially disastrous practice of print-mixing as foolproof as can be.

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In fact, I’d say she’s the best stylist a gal could ask for.

P.S. Follow the Anthology on Twitter, tweeps!

March 31, 2010 by

Out for dinner the other night

And it was finally spring-y enough to wear a summer dresses (underneath a faux fur jacket, but still).

dress-from-antalya-turkey

This particular number I found in Turkey last summer. And it’s got everything I love in a dress — bat-wing sleeves, light material and a beautiful print. Makes me think I need to get a similar one made in a different print.

boots-from-umeboshi

My boots? Didn’t have to travel quite so far to find them. They’re from Umeboshi on Main Street.

P.S. Will you be my tweetheart?

March 28, 2010 by