Always Greener On Another Side (of the world).

I know it's actually only December and winter has barely begun to hit Vancouver in any significant way... I know this. I do. But my mind has been wandering and I've been outfitting myself for warmer, drier days (only in theory, not in practice). Is that wrong? Can you really fault a girl for dreaming of sunny days and wearing shoes made of suede with abandon (especially if she lives in Vancouver... where rain pours from the sky and mud puddles are everywhere).

Don't get me wrong. I love Vancouver and the many, many drear days we have. I like indoor times, tea-sipping, and silent reading breaks. I do. I really do. But then I think to myself: somewhere else, it's sunnier, it's drier, it's warmer (although, I don't fare well in the heat - so maybe that doesn't matter so much) and some other girl is wearing shorts and sandals. Somewhere else, some faraway land, maybe.

Wait. I said faraway, not magical and make-believe. Faraway like... Australia. Like New Zealand. Yes, that sounds about right.

Hmm. MINKPINK (from Australia) is definitely a Vancouver favourite thanks to Aritzia. But no, I'm not thinking about MINKPINK right now (seems like MP is stuck in the 80s this season - no, thanks). I'm trying to piece together outfits that are more girly, more whimsical, more laid-back. I have some favourites and I wasn't going to tell you about them because I'm terrible and I'm unwilling to share. But I'm trying to change.

(Technically, it's not S/S... it's more like A/W)
Photo Courtesy: Arabella Ramsay

I'll faithfully visit the Arabella Ramsay site every 2 (or so) months to see what's new. No one in Vancouver carries AR, so I have to keep myself current by visiting the site every so often. She manages to mix the girlie and the preppy perfectly. There's a touch of French-girl ease to the collection and you know, that's my latest obsession... pretending to be a French girl. Yup.

Photo Courtesy: Style.com

I won't lie. The first time I heard/read of Karen Walker, I giggled to myself... "hehe, Karen Walker" but quickly realized it was the Karen Walker of the fashion designing fame, not the KW of Will and Grace fame. Every season, she draws from unexpected bygone pop-culture (e.g., this season was inspired by The Prisoner) that I don't quite understand (I mean that in the best possible way). Upon reviewing the new season's looks, I thought to myself, "Oh. There's that straw hat again. That's just ridiculous or... is it cute?" And then, I look through the pictures a few days later and I'm still thinking about the hat. Days after that, I'm thinking, "I could really use a very tall straw hat. WHO COULDN'T?" So maybe I will go buy myself a straw hat.

Photo Courtesy: Ruby NZ

Ruby. Oh, Ruby. You had me at your current look book. You've come a long way from 2 seasons ago, I'll tell you that much. This season full of all things cute and delicate-but-not-too-delicate. In a perfect world, I'd be wearing the first outfit (look above)... typing this. But it's not a perfect world and it's still... raining outside.