Cooling Down

I am trying my best not to start blog posts talking about the weather. I've noticed over the past few months that I do that all the time and it must be really boring to read. Since this is a fashion blog the weather is a big influence on the outfit I'm wearing, so it just feels natural to talk about it. But even as I type it out I feel like a boring person. Let lets go straight into the look!

For this outfit I am wearing one of my favourite new suit sets, I got it at the Ian Drummond studio sale a few weeks ago and its incredible!  It actually also has a matching coat but its not quite cold enough for it yet, so you'll be seeing it later on this year. It's a 1930s reproduction suit set in an incredible muted maroon. I love the details that are on the labels of the blazer and also the beautiful button on the belt. I was never really into suit sets until last year, I think its because up until that point I was only seeing modern/80s/90s suit sets at thrift stores, and lets be honestly they are ill fitting and unflattering. I know suit sets have been pretty trendy these past couple of years, all the fashion girlies were wearing these colourful suit sets and they all looked amazing. But they were all pant suit sets so I wasn't really that interested. Looking back I never really liked pants if I'm being honest I remember wearing skirts and tights to school or shorts and tights, I avoided pants as much as possible. Not because I find them uncomfortable (Although skirts and dresses are more comfortable) but because I find them really unflattering on me and I don't feel like myself. I guess its because my style is very feminine? I even wear nightgowns because I can't imagine wearing pyjamas pants. Sorry I'm rambling... conclusion I've been into1930s/40s skirt suit sets lately ! And this suit set was the perfect addition to my closet. 

 Ok lets talk about the shoes!! I am obsessed with these maroon shoes. They are the American Duchess  Marjorie shoes in Cordovan, They are perfection! Look at the details along the top of the shoe and also the button! I am so excited to wear these these all throughout the fall. They are up on their website for preorder,  you can click here if you want to order yourself a pair! These were actually my first pair of American Duchess shoes and wow the craftsmanship and quality is fantastic. They fit me like a glove and I can tell these will last years even with constant wear.  They are leather so that also aids in their longevity, it's the most sustainable option when shopping for shoes. I used to have a closet full of fun coloured heels that I would buy anywhere (lower price point), but most of them only lasted a few wears. I've completely changed my shopping habits over the past few years and shoes were something I still struggled to invest in. American Duchess changed my mind and I will be making smarted choices when It comes to footwear. 

And last but not least I topped the look off with this brown hat that I got at the Toronto Vintage Clothing show! WHICH happens to be coming up this weekend ! I have been loving this style of hat lately ; I have this brown one, a red one which you can see in this blog post, and a black one that you can see more recently in this blog post. I'm not sure what this style of hat is called, they were very popular in the 1930s and I love the way they fit my head. They are round at the top but flatter than modern hats. I'm not sure if I'm describing it properly but after trying on every hat that crosses my path I notice a difference. I would love to find a cream hat like this so that I can wear it in the spring/summer.  Maybe I'll do a blog post talking about everything I'm shopping for at the TVCS ? What do you think ?? 

Old Stock Exchange

I can't think of a better feeling than stepping outside on the first day of fall and feeling the crisp air, the sun shining above you and the excitement of a new season all around. That was the case this morning and honestly it was perfect . I was going to take the subway but decided to walk the 25 min instead to enjoy the moment.  The start of a new season is always exciting, mainly for fashion. I always feel the most creative in the fall, maybe its because we can layer more so outfits become more interesting. I have more fall hats than I do summer ones so I always get excited when I can start wearing them again. This particular hat is one I thrifted about a year ago and its my first time wearing it... I still can't believe I found this hat at a THRIFT STORE for a couple of dollars. It's in perfect condition and it might now be my new favourite hat. As for the outfit I am wearing this 1940s peplum top that ties in a tiny black bow at the front (Etsy). I paired it with this midi black wool skirt that I also thrifted. I actually debated getting rid of this skirt but I'm glad I kept it! I'm already picturing other outfits I can make with it. It was a cooler day so I layered a black cardigan over the top. For accessories I wore black t straps and a 1940s popcorn bag that I got recently at the Ian Drummond studio sale. 

You are probably confused by the title of this blog post but the doors I am standing by at the doors to the old Toronto Stock Exchange. The building was built in 1937 and at the time it was considered the most modern stock exchange in the world. Now its the design exchange which helps promote Canadian designers. Luckily the original  building still stands and is one of the few Art deco buildings in Toronto. I was walking by and the doors matched my outfit perfectly. It feels like I stepped back in time. What are you the most exited about for fall?? 

Under the Apple Tree

Fall is only a couple of days away, and one of my my favourite fall activities is going apple picking ! You wouldn't think apple picking its my thing, seeing as its out in the countryside but I enjoy going once a year. I kept my outfit pretty simple and wore this floral dress I thrifted with a blue cardigan layered over it. It was suppose to rain so I ended up wearing flats because I was worried about ruining my white leather wedges (It didn't end up raining). I'm sad to see summer end but I am excited for fall, it's my favourite season (and that means we get closer to Christmas!) I had a great time walking through the trees filled with apples and being out in the fresh air!  I didn't see any pumpkins yet but I guess its still a bit early in the season. Do you go apple picking ? Whats your favourite apple? Mine is Honeycrisp. 

Strolling through Niagara On The Lake

On Saturday I spend the day in Niagara on the lake, its a small downtown strip filled with shops and restaurants. I love visiting in the summer and at Christmas time. The weather was beautiful !  Honestly one of the nicest end-of-summer days haha. I wore this vintage inspired suit set that I thrifted earlier this year. I love the red colour its so flattering for my skin/hair tone. I layered it over a cream blouse that has a peter pan collar. For accessories I wore a vintage cream hat and my favourite brooch from Vintage Soul Geek, it s a knitted 1930s brooch that has a hat and a hanging hand bag. While I was walking around I walked into Beau Chapeau, a hat store in NOTL. They have a section in their store where they restore vintage hats and they were selling some vintage hat boxes.  I found this INCREDIBLE hat box! It's quite tall so I'll be able to stack a few hats inside. HOW BEAUTIFUL IS IT!

SHAW CAFE AND WINE BAR

I had lunch at the Shaw Cafe and Wine Bar. It's the most recognizable building in Niagara on the lake (except for the Prince of wales hotel of course!) its on a corner and its surrounded by beautiful flowers. I've eaten here a couple of times and each time its disappointing... I normally don't speak ill of places I've been to, If I don't like a place I don't mention it. But I want to save you guys the heartache lol. The tables are very small and the service isn't the best. This time we had an incident where the waiter spilled our drinks on my dad. Luckily I ordered white wine sangria and the other drinks were water and a 7up so nothing stained. The waiter apologized (didn't seem very sincere...) he started cleaning the table/chairs.  They gave us another table on the patio and it was hidden in a corner so our waiter never checked in on us, and it was hard to order dessert/get the bill, we tried to get the attention of one of the other waiters but no one seemed to be paying attention. The food was also meh.... I got the caesar salad wrap and it wasn't bad, but also not very good, for the look of the restaurant I would expect something better. The Key lime pie wasn't very good tbh, it tasted like grocery store pie. But I think the worst part is that they still charged us for the sangria even tho my dad spent the rest of the day wet. We didn't say anything, we just paid and left. TBH I don't think I'll ever go back. You would think for such a pretty restaurant the food and service would match. I'm sorry for being so negative, I don't like complaining about restaurants but its not worth going if you visit NOTL. I recommend taking photos outside of the restaurant and then going to the Angel Inn pub or Corks. 

After lunch we just walked around the looked at some of the beautiful houses that surround the main street. I still had a fun day and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I have a weekend planned in NOTL in December and I'll be attending one of the local plays ! So you'll be seeing more of that this Christmas season! But thats it for now! Have you ever been to Niagara on the lake? Whats your favourite restaurant in the area?