This whole undecided weather/in between seasons thing always starts to get to me at this time of year. Which, is why I tend to gravitate towards reworking favourites and introducing new summer pieces slowly by layering. The oldest trick in the May book. Let the remixing begin!
Looking at these photos, I just want to run and fetch my steamer to get those darn wrinkles out of my blouse. Of course, I only had a few minutes to get ready (because Jen, Kate, Elizabeth and I had all been out shopping before our last Manchester dinner with the boohoo team) and I couldn’t find an iron and board in the hotel room. Let’s just consider it a lesson learned not to pack that particular top, as it’s creased on a good day. Speaking of which, I must confess that I still haven’t fully unpacked from the trip. Just call me the ultimate procrastinator, but laundry and unpacking are two of my most hated tasks! Needs to be done though, I’m spending the long weekend doing a big closet purge/spring cleaning. Can’t wait to re-organize and make room for lots of new summer goodies. Happy Thursday lovelies xo
Feels like oh-so-long ago that our mini taste of summer was here. Back when I finally got to sport this dreamy citrus outfit that I’d been saving for a few months. I just love these juicy hues! Reminds me of sitting on a patio enjoying mojitos, or diner on a warm and breezy beach vacation. Soon enough my friends, soon enough!
On just a few hours sleep (curse that jet lag), I venture to the boohoo.com head office with the rest of our Canadian team. Rich in textile history, the boohoo headquarters are in a brick building that was formerly part of Manchester’s cotton milling disctrict. We started with a breakfast with some of the social media and marketing teams before a lengthy maze of a tour through the building. Having spent 4 years in a local fashion design house, the enormity of their head office was probably the most fascinating thing to me. That, and realizing that my old co-worker Danielle and I did the job of 5 departments each! It was such a treat to get a behind-the-scenes look at how boohoo.com operates, from their designers, to stylists, photographers, to quality control, and all that’s in between, it’s a well oiled machine of fashion genius. Being fast-fashion means that if needed, they can get a new piece designed, produced, and on the site within 3 WEEKS! That, my friends, is pretty crazy.
We also took a mini tour of their Manchester warehouse, where their efficiency made my heart flutter. I love organization! We also met a member of their customer service social media team. They make a point of getting back to any social media complaint within 20 minutes. Mind blown. If only I could boast the same! This once in a lifetime experience was just something else. I have so much love for the boohoo team and feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to visit them all the way in the UK. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some online shopping to do!
I don’t know about you, but on a hot summer-worthy day, my favourite treat is an iced coffee (though, ice cream is a very close second). The beginning of May has brought nothing but sunshine and record breaking temperatures in Vancouver, and I am very much okay with all of it. The sun is just so motivating. I mean, just today I’ve already baked muffins, done two loads of laundry, got a good chunk of work done, made a delicious breakfast, and cleaned the kitchen. And, it’s only noon! Eeep, fingers crossed this glorious weather sticks around a little while longer.
Recognize this blouse? I recently wore it here for the Twin-Set Canada ‘Send Your Favourite Blogger to Italy‘ Contest. It’s so gorgeous and easy to pack, I couldn’t help but wear it again so soon! This time, over a pair of faux leather pants and topped with a structured blazer. All in the name of a delicious English meal at Albert’s Shed in Manchester. And I must say, visiting Manchester was a really cool experience! But, more about that tomorrow…
Slightly tucked away amongst the Carnaby Street chaos is an office building that houses the boohoo showroom. A space that normally hosts media, stylists, and celebrities, the boohoo showroom was stocked with spring’s hottest UK trends. Being a fast fashion brand, they are concentrating a lot of their efforts into Festival wear (just a few weeks too late for me), the California Dreamer, and this season’s favourite Geo Traveller look. The boohoo Boutique line is also popular amongst their slightly more mature boohoo customer.
Since the UK tends to be ahead of Vancouver, I felt like it was a fun afternoon of trend forecasting. For one, I’m definitely curious to see if dungarees (overalls to us) take off here as much as they have there. One thing we do have in common are the bold patterns and pops of colour that adorned the boohoo racks. This spring is sure to be an extra bright one!
The mission was to make an outfit with this printed Twin-Set blouse and photograph it in an Italian inspired setting. And nothing says Italy (or much of Europe for that matter) than beautiful, grand church doors. If you like the look I put together and you’re feeling extra kind, hop on over to the Twin Set Canada FB Page and vote for me! Plus, all of the entries are so great, I love seeing the different ways that people infuse a piece into their existing wardrobe style. Thanks in advance for your help, lovelies!
If I were to pick a go-to look, it would go a little something like this. Classic black and white, with a pop of kelly green, and a printed scarf for good measure.
