Caught Andrew at the SPAO open house 5th anniversary celebration event on Friday. What I loved most about his outfit was that it was simple and well put together – Fred Perry shirt, WeSC jeans, no idea where the shoes are from but they are my favourite part of the outfit.
Grace
Vintage polka dot blazer from Value Village matched with combat boots
Sisters Marcia and Gabbie – their sisterness was evident, I had to snap it. Oh and also because Marcia has a ridiculously cool Canon from the 1970s which belonged to her maman. Check out Marcia’s blog.
You can never go wrong with these classic dress shoes from Zara.
I’ve been in town for a couple of weeks now and a friend had mentioned that, while I’m here, I should revive the blog in the meantime and look for dedicated contributors – despite the fact that since I’ve been away in Toronto, many more fashion and street style blogs from the city have spurred up on the internets. I’m confident Ottawa Street Style will find some good contributors – if you’re interested, make sure to send an email to ottawastreet [at] gmail [dot] com.
Fellow Torontonian/Ottawa native Andrew, who works for designer Carrie Hayes covering the event for Miss Sly another former Ottawa resident who moved to Montreal.
Spencer – what can I say…I love how he’s pulled off this entire outfit.
The great people over at ellecanada.com featured Street fashion blogs in Canada and Ottawa Street Style happened to be one of them! Check out the article here
From contributor Payton Kennedy payton.kennedy[at]gmail[dot]com
You’re never too young to look cute while scootering.
Who? Tallulah
Occupation? Grade 5 Student
Style Icon? My sister Jane
Where’d you get that? My friend Jessica made my necklace, my sneakers are from Payless, and my hoody is a hand-me-down … from my sister Jane
Describe your style: A little punk … pants and skirts together … skinny jeans
What are you listening to these days? Avril Lavigne
There’s just something about colour …
Who? Jaclynn
Occupation? Assistant Manager, Le Chateau
Style Icon? Me!
3 Style Tips? Be comfortable, dress colourfully, wear clothes that fit
What are you listening to these days? Blind Melon
Hair is EVERYTHING!
Who? Erum
Occupation? Hair stylist, York Street Spa
Where’d you get that? Dorothy at York Street does my hair, I got my boots at Rideau Centre, can’t remember the name of the store!
What are your style “commandments”? Great hair, lip gloss, boots!
What are you listening to these days? Indie rock, funk, house and sou
You’re never too old to old to “push it”.
Who? Pascal
Occupation: Government employee, student finishing up a degree in Mathematics
Where’d you get that? My biker jacket is from Ragtime Vintage; my shoes are Steve Madden from Winners
What do you love? Vintage clothing, snowboarding, playing soccer
Any style tips? For men’s clothing, fit is everything. And I try to push it, take some risks. When I hit my 30’s, I’ll probably be more conservative.
What are you listening to these days? French Hip Hop
What’s your favourite thing about Ottawa? The size of the city
Spring is here! (Okay, kind of.) People are wearing less! (Or at the very least, leaving the black, knee-length, puffy parka at home.) This makes me hopeful, kind of like the season. Out and about on Saturday night, I ran into the ultra-cool Bob and Emily in the Market who were as lovely to talk to as they looked. A little later in the evening, Michael pranced into the Mercury Lounge in an eye-catching orange plaid cape. He had lots of interesting things to share and well, who doesn’t want to talk to a guy in cape?
Who? Bob and Emily
Occupation: B – Musician, Drummer. E – Swimwear Salesperson.
Who’s your style icon? B – Sidney Poitier. E – Victoria Beckham
Any style tips? B – Spend wisely, wear made-to-measure, be yourself. E – Go glam and glitter, tailoring is key.
What are you listening to these days? B – Soul, Motown. E – The same and Kanye West … love the new album.
What’s your favourite thing about Ottawa? B – Emily (cue sighing females). S – Small-town vibe in the city.
Who? Michael
Favourite thing to do? Create electronic music with my band “BoyScout Killers”.
Where’d you get that? I got my plaid cape at Value Village in Quebec, my v-neck t-shirt from a friend and my tattoos in China. (This interviewer can’t recall where the headless doll came from.)
Who’s your style icon? My friend Ralitsa Doncheva whose style I’ll describe as a “new-age grandma”.
What are you listening to these days? Nico Muhly, Gang Gang Dance, Paavoharju.
Payton Kennedy
Payton.kennedy[at]gmail[dot]com
Ottawa Street Style is looking for street style photo contributors. If you are interested, please email ottawastreet [at] gmail [dot] com for more information.
From contributor: LAUDIA
Who: Lucie & Andrew
Why: Both a little camera shy, I thought I’d loosen them up a bit by having them pose together. The first thing that attracted me to these two fashionistas was the way they used colour. First of all, not only are those high waisted blue pants absolutely hot, but her belt, hand bag and scarf perfectly are perfect accessorisies for her outfit and create the right colour combination. I have to give her props for wearing a men’s dress shirt so well. She wears it better than some men might I add! Lucie is proof how colours can make a bold and beautiful look, despite the cold weather. Her outfit looks as comfortable, vivacious and happy as she does.
Andrew, on the other hand, is wearing all black, however, he still manages to create a cool splash of sophistication. Again gentlemen, this is another example as to how one can look cool, calm and collected. In fact, he’s wearing staple pieces of clothing, but it’s all in HOW you put it together. From the fitted jeans, to the black vest and black vans, he turned this ensemble from cool to smooth by accentuating his look with that a little black bow tie.
Their style: Living la vida “mode”
Who: Reginald
Why: Oh’ that double breasted sweater. From the colour, to the fit, to those bold navy blue buttons, the sweater caught my attention from the moment I saw Reginald. I think a lot of men undermine the power of a good sweater. The simple and rather casual look in wearing jeans and a shirt can go from street to chic, all depending on how you wear it and what you wear it with. The belt contrasts perfectly with the light pink dress shirt and the dark jeans. Although a little shy when I first approached him, Reginald’s style certainly proved to be preppy sweet; casual and charming.
His style: Preppy with a twist
Who: Mirna
Why: Sweet, simple & hot is what I thought when I first ran into Mirna, a fashion stylist from Toronto . I must say I haven’t seen any ladies in Ottawa rockin’ the one piece, without making it look like cat woman with a really bad camel-toe! Mirna made the jump suit look flirtatiously elegant. It’s the right size, the right length and perfect for the occasion. The black booties blended perfectly with the all black & bold look. I must not forget to mention how gorgeous her necklace is. I like the fact that she has her hair in an up do, no earrings and even the rest of her jewellery compliments the elegance of her ensemble. Mirna proves that “yes you can wear all black. Just make sure you get the elegance part right.”
Her style: Sexy elegance
From contributor: PAYTON– Payton.kennedy [at] gmail [dot] com
I was at the Elmdale Tavern this weekend for The Fiftymen. Great show … and great style! I didn’t notice until looking at the shots at the end of the evening that all of my subjects were wearing plaid. Expected at alt-country/rock show I suppose but I love how they all wore it in their own unique way, and as comfortably as well … an old, plaid shirt.
Who? Jake
Occupation: Drummer for The Fiftymen, Guitarist for Jim Bryson, proud new daddy of “Ramona”
Where’d you get that? My hat is probably from Ragtime Vintage … I own a few; I’m a hat-guy
Who’s your style icon? Rick Danko, circa 1967
What are you listening to these days? Notwist and Marc Ford
What’s your favourite thing about Ottawa? My family
Who? Megan
Occupation: Librarian for the government
Where’d you get that? My dress is from H&M in the States, I bought my glasses in London, England
What’s your favourite thing about Ottawa? You know where everything is!
If you were an animal, what would you be? A dinosaur
Who? Melissa
Occupation: Cook at Café Fresh
Where’d you get that? I bought my shirt at Dynamite. Genevieve at La Spa cuts my hair
Who’s your style icon? Betty Page (Payton thinks a little Patsy Cline as well … Melissa agrees)
What are you listening to these days? The new Dolly Parton album, Matthew Barber, The Fiftymen
If you were an animal, what would you be? A bird … a Loon to be exact
What’s your favourite thing about Ottawa? Its small town vibe and big city feeling
Okay, not at the Elmdale and not in plaid, but look at his hair … fierce!
Who? Richard
Occupation: Bartender/Manager, The Whalesbone
Where’d you get that hair? Pedro at Scizzors cuts my hair
Describe your style: Comfortable, clean, eco-friendly
What are you listening to these days? Cat Stevens, Neil Young, James Taylor
Your tombstone will say? No regrets!
Third presentation=PAYTON. She put together a cute little package when she emailed me to become Ottawa Street Style’s latest contributor and I appreciate it very much. Payton also has the ability to take pictures of people that are a little older from the usual that we’ve snapped here at Ottawa Street Style.
You gotta love the new market she’s hitting, and it’s also great because we need to represent Ottawa entirely. Oh, and her questions are great, she takes time to get to know her subjects. More from Payton soon, for now, here are some shots she snapped during Halloween and while out in the market. Please note, although I am really not fond of pointy square toe shoes and faded jeans on men, you gotta love what Guy had to say!
Who? Angela, Irene’s Pub in the Glebe
Occupation? Assistant Manager, Claire’s
Three things you can’t live without? Red lipstick, shiny make-up, stockings!
Who’s your style icon? Betty Page
What are you listening to these days? The Bible All Stars, 90lbs of Ugly, Mike Plumb, The Popular
Your tombstone will say? She found joy in everything!
Who? Guy and Ludwig, on Murray Street
Occupation? G – Art Gallery Owner; L – Fashion Photographer
Where’d you get that? G – My new neck tattoo which is currently just an outline is by Guen at Planet Ink; L – I bought my coat in Montreal, $50 bucks!
Who’s your style icon? G – Tom Ford, is that boring?; L – Cary Tauben (Montreal stylist and “about-towner”)
Three commandments of style? G – Have a sense of humour, be unique, mix up your style; L – pointy shoes, comfortable jeans, clean cut
Do you think there are stylish people in Ottawa? G – Yes and I’ve slept with them all!
As the competition for the next street style contributor heats up, I am going to share some of the results with you.
Right now, Ottawa Street Style has a few new contributors – each of them providing some new street style pictures and write ups every two weeks or so.
Each contributor went through the test and some passed, while some didn’t. First presentation=LAUDIA. She’s young, she’s got fashion and modeling experience and she’s been lurking the streets, here are some pictures she took and her write up. Nice job on getting twins in here Laudia!
WHO: Zahmat, 23, History and political science graduate student.
WHERE: The house party scene which subsequently stimulated everyone to strut their style, especially after a few drinks and a combination of ego-centered “look at me’s”
What attracted me to Zahmat was his swagger, his energy emanated nothing but confidence.
Here we see how confidence made the outfit, while the shades, shoes and all the other pieces merely acted as accessories to complete his ensemble. I loved his stunner shades, the Bape t-shirt and the old school kicks, creating a perfect marriage between the preppy look and the urban swagger. When I asked Z to give me two words to describe his style he said, “ So Wavy”.
WHO: June, 23, student.
WHERE: Carleton University cafeteria.
I’m at the cafeteria and I see a Japanese guy with an afro! So I made a 180 degree turn and followed my next street style subject. His afro has a little history to it, having gone from a bob cut, to a buzz cut and finally to that 70’s inspired afro, which apparently he has been growing for 2 years.
His T-shirt also caught my attention since I am a huge fan of Snoop Dogg. The doggystyle album was one of my favorite albums, particularly because it carries my favorite song “Lodi Dodi” which so happens to be my nick name. And we can’t forget about those funky Jordan’s. I personally didn’t know this but his sneakers are called the ‘Jordan’s spiz’ ike’, inspired by a collection from the Spike Lee and Jordan collaboration. It is clear that his fashion inspiration comes from the 90’s, where music, art and fashion were eclectic and authentic to self expression. June defines his style with one word, “Street”.
Who: Jose
Where: Harry Rosen
Sharp, Sophisticated & “Suave “, is how I would best describe this fashionista.
I was walking through the mall when I spotted Jose in his dark blue pin striped suit.
Perhaps it is my weakness for seeing a man in a fitted suit that made me gravitate towards Jose, or perhaps it was his shoes. But when he walked by, I knew I had to know more about his outfit.
From his shiny shoes to wearing a suit that was actually appropriate for his size, because God knows
I’ve seen men wearing suits that are often too big or too small for them, I bow my hat to Jose for wearing a pin striped suit with class. I certainly appreciate the soft touch that the peach-orange tie and collared shirt added to the suit and particularly the contrast it created with the black cardigan.
Seeing that a pin stripped suit often makes for a very bold look, the light colors from his shirt and tie created a gentle but yet manly outfit, perfect for a gentlemen. Even the war memorial poppy further added a little warmth to this stylish ensemble.
With the holiday season just around the corner, a sophisticated look is always a good motivation for all the Christmas parties soon coming our way.
Who: Svenja & Nadine
Where: The Rideau Centre
I was on my way to grab a bite to eat when both my friend and I turned around to see a girl who we thought had absolutely gorgeous hair, when we realized that there was not one, but two girls. They were twin sisters! They are only 16 yeas old and so adorable.
Besides their beautiful fire-red hair and identical outfits, I think the girls embody what most teenagers would consider to be the current ‘street style’ in Ottawa. Ugs, leggings and a leather jacket.
So I thought I might capture that look with a slight twist to it.
Although Svenja & Nadine looked rather casual, I like the fact they turned this laid-back school look into something a little unique by simply being themselves and adding a little twin-twist to their outfit. What I do really like about their outfit is the cute denim bag, the fitted leather jacket, the long hair of course and needless to say, the fact that they were twins wearing the same outfit. They certainly stood out from the crowd.
What’s’ great about fashion is that everything is a fashion statement, everything from your hair style, to the books you read, to your swagger, the colors you wear and who you allow to influence your style.
Dear readers,
On Wednesday afternoon, I found out my fate. After months of being interviewed and selling my skills around the big city, I was offered a job at a marketing company in Toronto where I will begin working full time in November. This is a very exciting opportunity for me and I am anxious to begin, also because I will be working with bloggers! I found a great (and cheap) apartment on Queen St East which is about a 15 minute public transportation ride from the heart of downtown – yay!
At the Canteen opening last night, I was speaking to Tracie from Youth League and she asked me what will happen to the blog. Here’s what I want to do: I love this blog and have no intention to stop writing for it. It has given me great pleasure over the past year and a half to write about the fashion scene in Ottawa, help citizens of this city gain more knowledge regarding the events and services provided to them here, express my opinion, and to hear the views of others whether they are in agreement with my opinion or not. However, not being in Ottawa will be difficult in terms of taking street style pictures of stylish individuals. On a side note because I’ve been moving around since August, I was unable to find my camera charger and have taken ZERO pictures lately which totally sucks. But I’ll find the charger. You can imagine how angry I was last night at the event when there was hordes of stylish individuals coming through the door and I couldn’t take their picture. Sigh.
I am hoping to find a loyal contributor to do the picture taking for me and I will continue to write opinion pieces regarding fashion and post events happening in Ottawa since I still know many people here and don’t expect anyone to stop sending me press releases. Maybe I’ll post some street style from Toronto too who knows.
In conclusion, I am leaving the city but not this blog. I need a contributor with a camera and an eye for style. Interested? E-mail me right away and we’ll chat.
Remember, I will never ever become a Leafs fan, Senators for life!
Love love,
Ottawa Street Style
Kara is always well put together and she has lovely locks. I love her shorts and her big heart (the shirt and her own heart hehehe). I also named the post after the band she was travelling to go see this weekend. This past week has been a scorching heatwave and I love it, although I wish it was happening during the summer (well technically it is still summer until the 21st). Regardless, Kara celebrates the beautiful weather in style. I just wish I a) shot this outside and b) had a fan to make her hair blow and make this picture complete.
At Jer’s Vision Pride Gala this past Thursday, I got to meet a handful of interesting people, including Adamo Ruggiero from Degrassi: The Next Generation fame. As my sister and I were invited to walk the red carpet at this event, we both felt the need to dress up. Wait we always feel the need to be stylish, it’s kind of like our job. Oh yeah and gays are known to dress up right? Wrong! Very few people bothered to be stylish for this event. There were various attempts at style but all in all we were both very disappointed by the way people were dressed. Urban Behaviour evening wear was in full force – which is not a bad thing because if it’s dressed up properly, it works. However, the way girls dressed up their outfits was really unfortunate. Um, flip flops with that dress? Are you serious? Make sure you were something that is flattering to your shape, there are so many options, please do not opt for the wrong ones! The men didn’t help either. Remember that bartender from Helsinki Youth League and the Spies photographed back in April who likes to wear black, two belts, a fedora, and white shoes? He was there, wearing the same outfit he wore when Youth League took his picture.
Among the guests were the Drag Queens (always a pleasure), various Parliamentarians (including Sheila Copps who had to find out if my sister and I were twins – we years apart actually), local fashion designers, magazine representatives, Mr. Leather Ottawa, and members of the GLBT community.
Let’s talk about Adamo for a moment. Anyone who has watched the show has certainly noticed that Adamo is a total babe, and his outfit was jumpin’ (check out the cool boots). I saw Adamo when I was first entering the Saw Gallery, he was chatting with a few people in the corner. After registering with the staff, we came back outside and then Adamo and I made eye contact a few times and smiles ensued. I hesitated to ask him for his picture because various eccentric teenagers were asking to get their picture taken with him, which is initially why I don’t like to bother people with picture requests because it must get annoying for them after awhile.
I then decided to approach him because he’s so cute and stylish I had to take his picture! “Excuse me, do you mind if I take your picture for Ottawa Street Style?” I asked. “I feel like I should be taking a picture of you guys because I love what you’re wearing, I’ve been staring for awhile!” He replied. Awesome dude. Totally awesome. I already love your vibe. We’ll get back to Adamo a bit later, here are some highlights:
My sister and I walk the red carpet, people snap our picture (which was cool but due to the fact that I am incredibly non-photogenic I am afraid of the results) and we walk in. Although I have participated in many events where I was considered VIP, I never walked a red carpet since I was busy dealing with things on the inside, so this was fun. Inside, my sister and I mingle, but the space is way over capacity and it’s boiling hot. Since my sister has a tendency to sweat (not smell hehe) and I have curly locks that are prone to get frizzy, we opt to stay outside the action and in the gallery where various individuals are also mingling, including certain designers that kept staring at us as if they just found their new muses. I know that this was not the reason they kept staring at us – maybe it was our delightful ensembles? Or the fact that you know who we are but you opt for staring instead of approaching us? If that’s the case, please don’t stare. If you come up to me, I will talk to you whether I know you or not. I would’ve enjoyed speaking to them actually. Why the hate? This is what I dislike about Ottawa, HATE and MONOPOLY. Sorry for the unnecessary caps, wait; I think they are necessary to describe the fashion industry in the city. Hate is part of anything fashion but “the monopoly” needs to embrace people who aren’t competing, they are simply helping the scene in the city grow. But enough about that, let’s move on again.
We mingle with the people from Spade Magazine for a bit and get to know a little about their project, then we move back to Adamo who is taking pictures with people. I ask him to take a picture with my sister and I and he’s totally up for it. His publicist? Friend? I don’t know who the dude was (nice guy though) takes a close up, but Adamo requests a full body shot to get all our outfits because “we look too good!” (ha I love this guy and what he’s doing to our self esteem) and so I give him a street style card, tell him that I enjoyed meeting him and we are off.
Awesome suit dude, purely awesome
At the Mainstream Revolution event, I spotted this young lad sporting a pair of Cheap Mondays. His awkward cuteness and fantastic taste in denim prompted me to get new Street Style contributor Alexandra M to snap his picture for the blog as I was in the midst of 67 conversations which never ended up getting anywhere.
Although various stylish individuals were in the crowd, none struck me as street style worthy. The event went great. People unfamiliar with the cause were given the opportunity to read up on the issue, check out and buy some t-shirts, eat some great vegetarian food courtesy of Castle Shawarma on Rideau, La Brioche on Bank, Contemporary Cuisine on Nicholas and Sitar on Rideau, and listen to Eric and Seb spin some fabulous hip-hop (the good stuff not the mainstream stuff).
Too bad Alex forgot to get his name. Young, Cheap Monday sporting lad, if you are reading this, what is your name?
P.S. His shoes are adorable too.
Emily P, Ottawa Street Style contributor, snapped this shot outside of Starbucks on Bank and Slater.
Yeah, I’m talking about my shoes. Dope, aren’t they?
Carolynn is looking great in her monochromatic Club Monaco-Philip Lim ensemble. Her chain t-shirt is totally rad and that skirt is super cute (yes it has pockets!!!). Emily is laid back in her really cool buttoned shirt and she adds flare to her outfit by wrapping a coloured scarf around her neck. Très jolie les filles.
Ottawa Street Style
Ottawa Street Style 