England - Part 2: Advanced Style

I've been following the Advanced Style blog for some time now. It mixes my admiration for seniors and fashion. It has helped me feel more confident about aging and I've whole heartedly taken the pledge to remain stylish and creative well into my 90s. What started as a hobby for Ari Seth Cohen, Advanced Style went from being a blog to becoming a movement. The fashion industry has now taken note of one of their most important and long ignored demographic- seniors. Designer labels such as Lanvin and Chanel have even photographed some of the Advanced Style ladies for their advertising campaigns. 

The blog has gotten so large that Ari embarked on creating a documentary on these amazing ladies. The documentary took a few years to make and required donations so I was constantly on my toes about when it would finally come out. I'd watch teasers of what was made of the film and just couldn't wait for the day I get to see it. Well that day came! It premiered in Toronto May 3 but I wasn't able to make the 5 hour drive down to see it. Knowing my trip to England was soon, I was on the Advanced Style website looking at show times. To my surprise, it was coincidentally playing at the Little Theatre in Bath on August 19 (5 min walk from where I am staying). I bought tickets the second they went on sale and after a recent thrifting trip, I knew exactly what my outfit would be. 

I've wanted a bright coloured suit for ages. Orange would be ideal however I was willing to settle for any bright colour. I found this beauty at Value Village a few weeks ago and had to buy it. It's linen so it does wrinkle easily but on the plus side, it's super light and very comfortable. 

The film was everything I'd hoped it would be. I got to learn even more about the ladies I had been following on his blog all this time. It's such a positive message and I know it will help many women to feel hopeful and excited even about aging. 

"I don't want to look young, I just want to look great!" - Joyce

Suit: Value Village, $13. Purse: Sally Beauty Supply, free. Shoes: JuJu, Little Burgundy, $40. Socks: Primark, $3. 

Photos by Jonathan Lindsay. 

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Meet my Grandma.

Meet my grandma. When I was little, she always had at least one or two pet cats. To differentiate her from my other grandma, I began calling her "Grandma Kitty Kats" and still do-- she still signs my cards with it.I love her so much. She has the best stories and makes the best sticky buns. She's also very edgy and slightly gothic, which you wouldn't sense from looking at her. Her favourite colour is black and she is not afraid of death. She always tells me this story from when I was little: One day my grandma, sister and me were talking about ghosts and what we would do if we ever saw one. I said to my grandma: "If you saw a ghost, you'd say 'Hello, ghost! How do you do?'" And it's very true. I love that about her. As humans, a large majority of us are terrified of death, including me but she inspires me to not be afraid and to live life to the fullest.

I also adore her sense of fashion. Her outfits are generally all black but always have interesting details. I love love love her orange scarf and bag. She's always loved fashion and dressed well from a young age. She's a great writer and painter and I like to say I got my love for writing and fashion from her. I taped our conversation over tea at Easter and I encourage you to watch the video down below. Hope you enjoy!

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Secondhand Rose Feature + My Style Icons

You may be familiar with the newest curvy fashion blogger to grace the likes of Gabi Fresh and Frantic Dreams. Her name is Rosie and her blog is called Secondhand Rose. She's edgy, glamorous, and witty. She is also my best friend. Every Saturday, she writes a blog post for her Style Icon Saturday series on people who have influenced her style. 

Her latest style icon post was on yours truly. She talked about how our styles are so different yet they create a wonderful balance. She also touched on the fact that we inspire each other's style and even included a hilarious picture of us at our H.S. graduation.

I am constantly inspired by her risky fashion choices and amazing sense of style. Her confident stature makes me feel more confident and inspires me to be fearless. 

Click on the picture to see the full post:

Rosie's style icon posts have got me thinking about my style icons. My style is constantly inspired by my friends, people on the street, celebrities, and fellow fashion bloggers. I've made a list to give you a better idea.

My Style Icons

celebrities

madonna

vivienne westwood

solange knowles

julie sarois

olsen twins

M.I.A.

M.I.A., www.tumblr.com 

friends

rosie

amy

aurelia

www.rosemaryfaith.blogspot.ca

bloggers

advanced style

fashion filth

nia says

stockholm streetstyle

www.advancedstyle.blogspot.com

Who are your style icons? What about their style inspires you? Leave a comment!

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