First Impressions

I have now been in Aberdeen for just under two weeks and wanted to let you guys know some of my first impressions on the city and the fashion! Here are some main differences I've been noticing:

• Clothing, like everything else here, is more expensive than back home in Canada it seems, with the exception of Primark which seems to have Forever21-like prices
• For the most part, people seem to be better dressers than back home. I don't see jeans sneakers and hoodies as often, and boys especially like to make more of an effort in what they put on
• Not really a lot of hipsters it seems since people overall dress more "hip"
• Girls really like to dress up when going out at night. My Canadian friends and I all showed up to the club in our sneakers while the other girls would wear crop tops and high heels
• Sizing is different, which is an obvious one. Every UK size seems to be two sizes more than at home, while shoes are two sizes less. (12 is a Canadian 8, size 5 shoes is a Canadian 7)

So far I am really enjoying looking in the shops and watching what other people wear, which makes me want to go out and buy things. So far here are some items I've picked up in the past two weeks:

A tartan scarf from some random traditional Scottish store. I've always wanted this exact tartan so obviously it was the first thing I had to buy, plus I ended up needing it as soon as I bought it!I wear a lot of navy so it will go well with a lot of things.

Knockoff white Converse from the brand Victory. I got them at a shoe warehouse style store and were only 10 pounds. I love the look of white sneakers right now and the ones I had in the summer got destroyed so I needed new ones!

These two items I've picked up from thrift stores. There are actually an abundance of them around where I'm living which is literally the best thing ever! The top is originally from Marks & Spencer, and the fur vest is originally from New Look. I've been wanting a fur vest for awhile so yay for not having to pay full price!

Jack Wills Herringbone sweater. One of the things I was most looking forward to for Scotland was visiting Jack Wills, which I have had a minor obsession with since my preppy phase. I couldn't not buy something from there and it was an added bonus that it was 25% off since I'm a student! The store is five minutes from my place which will be dangerous....

Topshop denim skirt. Pretty much everyone has this skirt this season so I thought I might as well too! A good casual skirt that I can wear with lots of different things.

 From Primark, a pair of light wash skinny jeans because the two pairs I brought are both dark wash. Also a burnt orange tank top that has that split hem that alot of shirts have right now. I really like this colour and this shirt will be so easy to accessorize!

And the piece de resistance...New Balance sneakers!! Ahh!! These have been on my wishlist for a really really really long time but I could never find a colour combo that I knew I would wear easily. I found these babies at TK Maxx for 20 pounds, which is like 40 dollars. My eyes popped out of my head when I saw them, especially since they are a colour combo that I really like! Made the mistake of wearing them to the club though, note the rip in the top argh.

I'm sure I will have more items bought to show you in the future! Bye for now!

Off To The Highlands!

I've finally arrived in Scotland! And with only one mishap at security (forgot I accidentally packed a large pair of scissors haha). I thought I would go over what I brought with me to wear in the nice cold and rainy weather over here.
I brought a large suitcase for my checked baggage, plus a small suitcase for my carry-on as well as my school backpack. I was surprised I was actually able to pack much more into these suitcases than I though I would be able to.
Here is what my large suitcase looked like all packed:

I focused on bringing quite a few sweaters and long sleeves to keep me warm and shoes that I thought would be practical for the weather. My original plan was to only bring my Nike running shoes, my black chelsea rain boots and my brown combat boots, but I was also able to bring my converse and leopard sneakers yay! I figure I will purchase heels or flats for clubbing while here in Scotland.
As much as I love skirts, I only brought two just because most of the ones I own are in summer colours, so I ended up just bringing a leather one and a navy knit one. I brought 2 pairs of dark wash jeans, an olive pair and a pair of black stretch pants, as well as multiple pairs of leggings. I don't have many pairs of pants that fit me well at home anyways so it wasn't a hard decision what to bring there.
I chose to leave behind my straightener and hair dryer because even though I have a converter, the last thing I want is for them to still malfunction and be ruined forever.
I probably brought way too much jewelry but that's my weakness so I'll try to make use of everything I packed.
I also made sure to pack lots of thick socks, long johns and a turtleneck to help me battle the damp cold. My jacket I brought is a navy wool Tommy Hilfiger peacoat that I've had for quite a few years, as well as a new down jacket that folds up quite small that I can layer underneath if need be.
Overall, I tried to pack my items from my wardrobe that were the most interchangeable to get maximum usage so I didn't end up thinking why in the world did I pack this??

My flight outfit isn't anything particularly fashionable or put together but I chose to wear leggings since they are comfy, and my button down shirt I knew would get uber wrinkled in the suitcase so I wore it instead.

So fingers crossed I brought enough with me (and the right stuff) because if not, I'll have to buy it all over here! Not that I would be upset about that.... ;)

My Personal Style & Inspirations

Ok second post! I thought the subject of my personal style would be a good thing to cover just so you can get a feel of what I'm like and decide whether you think my clothes are ugly or not. I really can't sum up my personal style in one word, or even two or three. Some people will say their style is "quirky" "sexy" "glam" or "hobo" but I just can't seem to put my finger on what my style is like. My aspiration for my wardrobe would be the entire J Crew stockroom but alas, it's not like that at all. Some things I really love (at the moment) are button up shirts, sequins, statement jewelry, flats, blazers, flippy skirts and anything denim. I tend to gravitate towards navy, white, poppy and dark green for clothing items. I have some really great pieces in my wardrobe but always find myself being jealous of other peoples closets.

Moving to Toronto for school has really helped me find my personal style. Growing up in a small town, I felt very self conscious of my clothing choices. I got sucked into the whole jeans, cardigan, cute top and flats that was the daily uniform for high school. When I did decide to branch out a bit I always seemed to regret it halfway through morning classes. But the great thing about Toronto and not being in high school anymore is that you can wear anything you want! And people won't look at you with a wtf face! So I have definitely become more comfortable in choosing an outfit each morning for the sake of what I want to wear, not what I think other people want to see me in.
My absolute favourite thing in the world is just looking at how other people dress; how they pair things together and add their own flair to items. I do have some style idols but overall I find my fashion inspiration in everyone that I see.

I could probably write an update on my personal style every week, but that would get rather tiresome for you and me, so I will spare us both. I make terrible fashion mistakes but hey, so does everyone once in a while, and I (usually) learn from my mistakes! Previous style phases I've had are: uber preppy and Tommy Hilfiger obsessed, failed attempt at hipster, ironic t-shirts, idgaf, and the young wannabe sophisticate.

I would like to think I've come a long way...

 So safe to say, don't try taking style lessons from me.

Some of my style icons though are:

Jenna Lyons! Of course! She's the Creative Director for J Crew and does a damn good job at it I must say. I remember the very first time I saw her was when she was on Oprah waaayyy back in the day, when she first started her position. I think the thing is that fascinates me about her is the way she mixes things that you may normally not put together i.e. a pink satin maxi skirt and denim shirt. Plus, she doesn't seem overly obsessive over her beauty routine; she has her signature glasses and red lip but no spray tan or overdone highlights. Overall, she's just one cool chick and I hope I'm as kick ass as her when I'm that age.

Olivia Palermo! Though I am still not quite sure how she contributes to society, she is atleast a very nice human being to look at. I tried watching The City just because I wanted to see her in it, but Whitney Port's annoying voice got the best of me and I couldn't bring myself to watch all of it. Nevertheless, Olivia has amazing style because she always looks incredibly put together even if she's just walking her dog. She mixes pattern, texture and colour seamlessly in ways I never would have thought of.

Blake Lively! Is there anyone on this planet that doesn't love something about her? She's gorgeous, has great hair, an enviable figure and an amazing wardrobe (not to mention a hot husband too). If I didn't love her so much, I'd hate her. She's not afraid of colour and always wears something that draws the eye; I don't think you'll ever see her in a plain shift dress. I really think being on Gossip Girl helped shape her style and made her the fabulous dresser she is today.

There are many other people that are everyday inspirations to me, but these are definitely my top three at the moment.

In the future I'll have more outfit posts so you can get a better feel at what kind of things I wear!