Pop-up shops & then some

This past week has been a blur, NXNE happened..enough said. I didn't get to check out as much shows as I did last year but it was eventful regardless. On Saturday June 16th, OTMzine & Songs and Cigarettes joined forces to host an outdoor vintage pop up shop. Some local Toronto faves including Dalston Grey, Tomorrow never knows, White Tiger and yours truly reppin Pretty Freedom were part of the retailers involved. Overall it was a cute little event that brought vintage lovers together, great deals with one of a kind pieces of clothing, popcicles, lemonaid and bubble machine included.

Check out a short cheeky video I made to give you a sense of what you probably missed or were lucky enough to be part of ;) 

A Modern Man's Shopping Guide

I love shopping, my friends and family always ask me where to get what, and what would give them an extra "omph" in their clothes. Now I've always believed the saying "clothes don't make a man" but first impressions do and sometimes when a guy looks sloppy or wears those god awful mirrored oakley dad shades as bad as this may sound I'm judging you. So I wasn't surprised when one of my guy friends asked me what items of clothing should he buy without looking like an average 'American Eagle' kind of guy. This sparked a lightbulb and then a flash of all the guys I've ever known from coworkers, to my cousins, and then my dad, it suddenly made me realize that the average man (the ones I know) do not know how to dress themselves. I mean I'm sure they do but men tend to just settle for the basics, the classic ' if it's comfortable I'll wear it' and now this mentality does not apply to all men..just suburban ones. SO when my guy friend told me that majority of the time when he goes shopping he does not know what the hell he's doing and that he ends up just going to the cafeteria and eating. I've decided to make him a shopping guide, that he could print and bring along with him whenever he feels overwhelmed but in need of new clothes. Then I decided to test the waters and post this on facebook to my surprise I got a good mix of responses from both men and women SO I present to you my 10 picks on awesome basics for the modern man! ( Feel Free to right click, save & print ;)

1. An olive green 'military' jacket :  is a good investment not only will it add some colour to an outfit, this jacket literally goes good with anything! A bonus is that it could double as a spring and autumn jacket and it's light enough to carry around.

2. Leather oxford shoes :  preferably a tan or brown, or whatever color really. Not only could this shoe transition well from day to night, one can wear it casually to work, a date or even a meeting.

3. Fitted black jeans : baggy jeans were so 90's and frankly I'm tired of looking at random butt cracks and boxers. What's awesome about fitted black jeans is again you can wear it with anything.

One male model friend once told me that black pants elongate the legs so that's an added bonus.

4. Denim Shirts:  think the good, the bad, and the ugly but most importantly think rugged, girls love rugged men! Also it pairs well with basically anything just don't do denim on denim. 

5. A good quality sleek watch:  I've told almost every guy in my life that every man needs a good watch. Not only is it a nice accessory but it also looks sharp to have, added bonus you'll always know what time it is. 

6. A knit cardigan/sweater :  this can also be applied to a plain hoodie. None of that silk screened campus hoodies which should only be for the gym especially if you graduated 3 years ago. A good sweater/cardigan is good to have for those chilli nights besides other than your coat or blazer it looks good around your girl's shoulders

7. Clean sneakers:  Men's shoes are pretty limited let's be real, but not so clean sneakers especially men's sneakers can seriously stink bad so keep a fresh pair that you can wear on casual occasions other than the gym. 

8. A quality tailored suit: I can speak for all women because we all agree that theres nothing hotter than a man in suit. Think Don Draper minus the womanizing and mysterious past, the ladies love Don. It's also a good investment for special occasions like weddings, corporate events, etc. 

9. A leather Jacket: (preferably a bomber or moto jacket and none of that steven segall shit google for reference) Think Fonzie, Danny Zuko, Marlon Brando and James Dean...enough said. Added bonus they're a good investment and will go with all of the items listed

10. A clean crisp white t-shirt: this does not only apply to men but to everyone it's just good to have for any outfit besides it looks hot paired with a leather jacket ;) 

Rac Boutique a Bazaar Pop-Up Shop Experience

On April 5th through the 7th Rac Boutique hosted a four-day shopping extravaganza titled The Bazaar Pop up shop. As I entered through the doors of the top floor of the Century Room located in the heart of King West I felt an adrenaline rush. The kind of high one gets when you know you’re about to make a one of a kind purchase, the kind your friends are going to envy and ask “where did you get that?”

The buildup to the event itself garnered a social buzz with Brendan Canning from one of Canada’s prestigious indie bands Broken Social Scene Dj-ing the launch party and the advertised free cocktails are enough to win anyone over. The atmosphere was light and vibrant, the open concept of the room was filled with racks among racks of clothing and tables filled with unique jewelry and designer goodies from various local vintage & consignment boutiques throughout Toronto showcasing their best varieties in the limited space. The vibe of the launch party was fresh due to this being Rac Boutiques first ever pop up shop event and it was definitely luxurious from the cranberry cocktails to the free vitamin water coolers in each corner of the room.

The music was just right with the eclectic mix of tunes that was reminiscent to the crowd was not too loud for a conversation. There was a definite sense of comradery as well community in the room everyone somehow knew each other or was socially networking with the local shop owners tending to their racks. The conversation topics of the evening were of continuous raves of Fashion Week. There was a bustle movement from the crowds to get to one boutique rack to the other and of course the personal fashion I observed did not disappoint. Everyone was dressed in his or hers casual best, a reoccurring trend I noticed throughout the evening was denim from shirts to jackets, a mix and match of unique pieces that gave off an aura that can only be described as effortless cool.

Being in the same room with such a diverse mix of creative people simply felt like looking through pages of a modern zine. The night was filled with familiar faces one of them being Sebastian Grainger who is one half of Death From Above 1979, a local Toronto band that has played in such festivals as Coachella, lollapalooza was amongst the crowd. The clothing variety spanned from new local limited goods to unique vintage finds. The jewelry was lavish from vintage Chanel Earrings displayed by Fashionably Yours boutique, to the one of a kind dresses from the Racks of Dalston Grey. Rac Boutique hosted a successful pop up shop event that gathered the finest local treasures, it was every vintage connoisseur’s dream and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event!

(the fan girl in me is still reeling inside at the meer sight of this pic)

Vintage's Night Out

As fashion week wraps up here in Toronto I had the awesome opportunity to take part in some of the week's festivities. One of the events that happened during the week was Plaid Magazine's very first Vintage's Night Out, Pretty Freedom took part in this exciting event, and served up sweet treats, and awesome sales! I met a lot of awesome people along the way, and of course alot of beautiful people, I almost felt like a misfit.

fashionable people:

check out the rest of the photos here!

and lastly a short video I made to highlight the night

Out with the old and in with the new!

First and foremost, Happy Belated New Year!!!! 2012 is actually here and were all still alive.

I get pretty nostalgic thinking about 2012 it reminded me of my senior year in highschool when we went to those retreats and reflected on life and dreamt about where we'd be by 2012. If we'd be what we wanted to be, or if all our goals will be met, who'd be married, have kids. Welp 2012 is here and I still feel like I'm 17, with just more life lessons under my belt. So I asked myself did I accomplish my goals? almost and everyday is a constant climb but I'm loving every minute of it. Last year was a roller coaster as cliche as that sounds it really was. Finishing university and the unemployed purgatory I faced, and the expeditions I went on with minimal finance. To my new awesome job and an internship I never wanna leave, I'm at a comfortable state right now, and extremely proud of the work I've done. With that said here are some photographs I took with Pretty Freedom for the golden girls photo series.

and a behind the seams video I made! enjoy :)