#fashion blogger

#1217 by @lipsticklovelies

Waaaaaaaait This photo embodies how much fucks I don’t give to naysayers. To Islamaphobes. To people who like to comment on how I promote obesity and fat shame me regularly, saying I’d be much cuter if I was ‘smaller’. To the people who say I’m not Muslim enough. To the people who slide into my inbox saying how they wanna do lunch but wasn’t with me when I was down, out, and had no self-worth but now find me 'of value’ now that I got a little media play. To the people who told me that there was enough writers already and to get a 'real’ job. To the people who used to be my friends but went ghost because of their own insecurities. And to the folks that just plain don’t like me because I slay super easily. Heeeeeey Photo: @remy_me Model: Leah Vernon Turban: @flossyssuitcase

Can Never Have Enough Cheetah

It feels so weird to be writing an outfit of the day post. It’s been four weeks since I last took photos of my outfit. FOUR. WEEKS. I don’t think I’ve ever neglected my blog for that long before. But there was nothing I could do it about it. This past month was torture. And lemme tell you, the polar vortex was a very real thing in Edmonton. We experienced the coldest February in 40 years (Global, 2019). Yes, I cite my sources. The average temperature was -19.4°C. That doesn’t even include how cold it was with windchill. So, folks, that is why I didn’t take outfit photos for four weeks. I could not even imagine taking standing outside for a second let alone 15 minutes trying to get a shot of my outfit. The blog just ain’t worth it.

But, I am very excited to be sharing all my new clothes with you! The outfit ideas have been building up during my absence from ze blog so I will definitely be sharing some cute outfits with y’all over the next couple of weeks. So I recently turned 24 and my parents got me this cheetah fur coat from Ralph Lauren. It’s so bougie and over the top and a lil’ ratchet. But that basically sums up me so it’s the coat for me. I know I already have a cheetah coat (see in this ootd here) but as I told a lady who complimented my coat, you can never have too much cheetah (or leopard). That’s a fact.

Because this coat is such a statement piece (cheetah AND faux fur), I knew I had to be a lot more subtle in the rest of my outfit which is a hard thing for me to do. I wore my favorite black turtleneck from Aritzia with a pair of distressed Citizens Rocket jeans. The turtleneck is called the Seaton top and it’s seriously the best turtleneck. I own it in 3 different colours but my fingers are crossed that they will be bringing it back in dozens of new colors for the fall next. Because I need 20 of them. 

“THE” Purse

December 25, 2015. That was the day I got “THE” purse.  

Three years ago I was a very different person. I was in my third year of university but my first semester in the business faculty. To say I was lost and confused would be a vast understatement. I had no idea if I was making the right choice switching to business after being in the science faculty as well as the education faculty. My confidence in myself and my intelligence was at an all-time low, but I was determined to make my way through my degree one day at a time. 

That year there was thing I wanted to buy and one thing only. I wanted a big girl purse. Being a girl obsessed with all things fashion and beauty, I had an abundance of purses throughout my life but none of them symbolized an “adult” purse to me. They were all casual or little cross-body purses. I wanted a handbag that would make me look like I meant business. One that would turn my babyface into a girl boss. One that I could carry on the crook of my arm that would one day hold very important documents and files. Because at the time, that was something I thought every businesswoman had and needed. 

In the winter of 2015, I was dating a boy named Brent. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned his name on ze blog before but as one of my first boyfriends, he is automatically special, so he deserves a name here. That year for Christmas he got me a gift that to anyone else would just be a pretty purse but to me, it was so damn special. This Michael Kors Selma handbag is so much more than a purse. When Brent handed it to me on December 25, 2015, he told me that the reason he bought such an expensive, designer purse was so that everytime I carried it, I would have the confidence to be a powerful businesswoman and I would remember that I have the ambition and drive to be anything I wanted to be. And so, I didn’t like the purse because it was pretty. I didn’t like it because it was expensive. I didn’t like it because it was Michael Kors. I loved it because of what it symbolized. And nothing is more special than that. 

Ever since that day, I held those words and the purse very close to my heart. It was the purse I wore to every business presentation in university. It was the purse I took to my first business conference. It was the purse I was carrying when I got the YouAlberta blogging contract. It was the purse I used when I wrote my last final of my undergrad degree. It was the purse I carried when I went to a meeting for my first high-paying blog sponsorship.

But it was also the purse I used when I went to countless interviews and got told I didn’t have enough experience. It was the purse I was carrying when I felt absolutely worthless and like I would never achieve my goals. But time and time again, I would look at that purse and remember my ex-boyfriend’s words. It helped me remember that somebody actually believed I would accomplish something in my life. 

And then, it became the purse that I carried when I got my first adult job after university. It also became the purse that accompanied me when I quit that first adult job. And, it became the purse I carried when tears of happiness streamed down my face because I got the job at my dream company. This purse has become a token for not only the struggles I have faced in my life but also the things that I have achieved. Throughout these past three years with this purse by my side (literally), I graduated university, grew this blog to a level I never could have dreamed of and made my way through the business world.

So to anyone else this is just a purse. But to me, this is my future. These are my goals. And this purse is going to be with me every step of the way. 

We’re Cheetah Girls, Cheetah Sisters

Ahh, yes. I’ve hopped on the cheetah print bandwagon and I LOVE it. I feel like cheetah print is just one of those things that you either love or absolutely hate. For example, the day I brought home this cheetah coat, my dad cringed and made fun of it saying that I was stuck in the 80′s while my mom gushed over it. Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all, folks. But, also a guy at the Arkells concert the other night asked if we could switch jackets. So clearly, this coat is a winner. 

And before we start discussing the outfit, we need to get something out of the way. Is this cheetah print or leopard print? And what’s the difference between the two? Let me google this.

Okay, after a quick google search, I learned that “Cheetah spots are equally spaced, solid black dots. Leopardprint is more complex. They have a golden brown coat with black shapes that resemble a horseshoe or circle” (Google, 2019). Well, shit. Guys. I think this is leopard print. How awkward. Do I have to change the title of my post now? Ugh. A cheetah print coat just sounds so much cuter than a leopard print coat. We will just keep on living life in denial. Sound good? Cool.

Alright now that we got that cleared up, we can move on to the outfit. I’m wearing my cheetah coat with an all black outfit AKA black jeans (they’re actually dark grey) and a black turtleneck (the Seaton top from Aritzia). But then, the all-black outfit stops there, y’all. We spiced it up today with these brown suede boots. Long story about these boots. Are you ready? Okay so I wear these Old Navy black boots constantly (see here). They’re just the classic pointy toe booties with an elastic triangle down the side. Exactly like the Acne Jensen boots (that are $18231820938102- a lil’ out of my price range). Well, my Acne wannabe Old Navy boots are wearing out so I’ve been trying to find a replacement (these (this,this, and this) are in the running but they’re just not perfect. So when I stumbled upon these brown suede boots from Marc Fisher on clearance at Winners, I knew they were the perfect boots to replace my Old Navy ones. They’re comfy. They’re chic. They have a cute metal tip on the toe. But there’s just one big problem. They’re not black. So, I’m currently on the hunt for them in black. I will keep y’all posted on my journey.

AMinor Coat Obsession 

Wow, Taylor, that coat is really starting to look familiar. That might be because I own it in three colors right now. Yes, that’s right. Three. The same coat. Just different colors. Am I obsessed? Probably. But I already have plans to buy it in black IF Club Monaco ever decides to make a black one. I told my mom this and she rolled her eyes and told me that there’s going to come a time when I don’t even like the coat (AKA probably in a couple of months) and I will have four useless coats and a whole lot of wasted money. But on the bright side, at least I’m looking hella stylish in my coat(s) for the short term.

Now that I have this coat in baby pink (see here), camel (see here) and now light grey, it’s really got me to thinking which color is my favorite. Because apparently, there are no better things to think about. The pink is just so me whereas the camel is a very classic coat that goes with all my business outfits and the grey is a little more casual in my opinion. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I love them all equally. My three children. Oh, and Oakley. The most important child. 

So yes, as I was saying, the grey is definitely more casual and to show that, I wore it very casually today. I threw on a mustard yellow (duh) sweater underneath with my Citizens of Humanity Liya jeans. I have a bone to pick with these jeans. Why is it that straight leg jeans seems to be so damn unflattering on me? They just make my legs look so short and wide. Or, maybe my legs just really are short and wide. These are the thoughts that keep me awake at night. I’m kidding. There’s bigger problems in the world, folks.

To finish off the outfit, I’m wearing my cabbie/newsboy/train conductor hat because - yup, you guessed it - my hair was greasy and I didn’t have time to wash it. Ahh, what a wonderful thing hats are. For shoes, I have on my Kendall & Kylie shiny patent leather boots. I really love the look of these boots but they’re just so impractical in Edmonton winters. They’re so slippery because they have absolutely zero grip on the bottom. Why are so many pairs of shoes like that?! Do shoe designers not realize that we can’t all live in places with summer all year round? I’m starting a rebellion, y’all. We ain’t buying any more shoes until they start being equipped with better grip on the bottom. Seems like a reasonable reaction to this problem.

Online Shopping Tips & Tricks

Even though online shopping can be so easy and effortless (AKA shopping in your pjs at 3 in the morning), it is always a slippery slope towards spending more money than you intended. I am the self proclaimed queen of online shopping so here are my smart tips to not waste your money!

1. Ebates. 

I know, I know. Everyone talks about Ebates but it’s seriously the best thing to ever happen to me. And no, this isn’t sponsored by Ebates. Essentially Ebates awards you cash back on select stores (see list of stores here) and then once you reach over $5, they deposit it into your paypal account or send you a cheque in the mail. That’s ALL. Just download the extension onto your browser and then it automatically gives you cashback when you checkout! You would be STUPID to not use Ebates. It’s free money back for doing NOTHING (except spending money oops). My brother still refuses to sign up for it so please don’t be like my brother and just sign up. I have only been using ebates for a year and I already have earned $78 cash back. That’s $78 of FREE money. Are you tired of hearing about Ebates yet? Yeah, me too. Let’s move on (but go download it).

2. Coupon sites.

I will never ever ever ever buy something full price online. Unless it’s Aritzia because I swear they never do coupon/promo codes. Before placing an online order, I always just google “[company name] [month, year] coupon code” and I can usually find something! If not, check sites like retailmenot.com, groupon.com and Honey!

3. Newsletters.

Often, if I can’t find any coupon codes online, I will resort to signing up for the company’s newsletter. More often than not, when you sign up for their newsletter, they will award you with 10-15% off or even a promo code for free shipping! I just enter in one of my throwaway email addresses so I don’t get overwhelmed with an inbox full of newsletters and collect my promo-code. Easy peasy! Also, checking these newsletters every once in a while gives you insight into great sales coming up! And often, newsletters award their readers with early sales or exclusive subscriber only sales (Forever 21 and Old Navy and Gap do this quite often!)

4. Free Shipping.

If there is one thing about online shopping that I hate, it’s paying for shipping. My mentality is that if I were to buy it in store, I wouldn’t be paying for shipping costs so I if I want hassle free online shopping, I should find a way not to pay shipping costs either. Another way to get around shipping costs is to keep items in your cart until you reach the minimum amount for free shipping. For example, Forever 21 is free shipping on orders over $50 so I will just wait until I have accumulated enough items to reach that threshold! In addition, some companies (ie Zara and Simons) have the option to ship the items directly to the store for free so I will also take advantage of that (only if the store is close and not out of my way- doesn’t make sense to save on shipping costs if you’re just going to accumulate gas costs!).

5. Wait a couple of days.

Whenever I start to shop online, it seems so much easier to spend a lot of money than if I was in store and therefore, I tend to make a lot of impulse purchases. To help stop this, I always like to leave things in my online cart for a couple of days to see if I really do like them or need them. Often, the excitement wears off and I realize I really don’t need some of the items! I always start off with like 40 items in my cart and by the end of the week, we’re down to 1 (or none) items! That’s saving me a lot of money!

6. Return Policy.

When shopping online at a store I’m not familiar with, I always make sure I check the return policy. If you can’t return the item in-store or they don’t offer free online returns, ONLY buy it if you’re 99% sure it will fit. Nothing is worse than spending $20 on a top that doesn’t fit and then realizing it’s going to cost $20 to ship it back to get a refund! 

7. Holiday sales.

Always be conscious if there’s any holidays coming up when you’re about to place an online order. In the online world, holidays equal big, big sales. It’s not just Boxing Day and Black Friday that spark sales. There’s Easter sales and Halloween sales and Canada Day sales. That’s retail for you. But that’s also just another reason to love holidays!

8. Currency or Customs.

For us Canadians, customs and USD currency are a pain in the butt. I can’t even tell you the number of times I have been shopping online and I’m thinking the prices are sooo cheap and then I realize they’re in USD. Also, I find American site do way better sales and deals than their Canadian counterparts. I remember one time I was shopping on Old Navy and I was shocked because ALL shoes were 60% off and then I realized I was on the American site and when I switched to the Canadian side, the shoes were only 30% off. But it’s not only the currency difference we have to woryr about. Customs/duties always play a huge part in my online shopping as well. When shopping, always check to see if you’re going to be charged customs at checkout or when you receive the package. A good rule to keep in mind is that even if a company is American, even their website ends in .ca, that means they will be shipping from Canada and you won’t be charged duties! 

Now that we’ve gone over my rules of online shopping, here is a list of my favorite places to shop online with great return policies, shipping rates and no customs/duties!

A Very Canadian Toque For a Very Canadian Winter

Doesn’t it always seem like winter is 8 million months long? Maybe that’s an exaggeration. It’s more like 2 million months long. I bet all you California and Florida and Texas (heck, even Vancouver) peeps are reading and nodding your heads pretending you know what a long winter feels like. Why oh why do I have to live in Edmonton where I’m permanently cold. Well, Taylor, you could just move. Yes, yes I could. And I plan to do that one day. Then I can finally stop complaining on ze blog all the time how cold I am.

When it stays so cold for so long, it becomes really hard to keep picking out cute outfit. All I want to do is throw on the biggest, thickest sweater I can find, wrap a blanket scarf around my neck, throw on Uggs and a parka and call it a day. But no, I can’t do that. Because I have to look “cute” and “stylish” and not like a potato. But I really want to be a potato. Ya feel?

Luckily, my new toque from Nordstrom combines my wannabe potato tendencies and a high cuteness factor into one. I picked up this hat when I was in Vancouver because they have the most glorious Nordstrom. When will Edmonton get a Nordstrom? I really need one. But for now we have Nordstrom Rack which is as good as it’s gonna get apparently. Anyways, Nordstrom is great and I found this cute pink faux fur pom pom toque (American translation: beanie) there. I have been searching for a new pom pom toque as cute as my Topshop cream one that I got a few years ago (see here) but it’s a lot harder to find the perfect one than you’d think. Topshop still makes the pom pom toques in a variety of colors but they’re not the same as my old one. They’re a lot bigger now. I have the world’s smallest head so no beanie fits quite right and thus the Topshop ones are now a lil’ bit too big for my pinhead. But the Nordstrom BP ones are perfect for all my small head friends

The rest of the outfit isn’t even worth talking about, to be honest. I’m wearing my favorite Kit and Ace peacoat over a cream sweater, black jeans and my black patent Kendall and Kylie boots. And, so we don’t die of boredom over my outfit, I’m carrying my pink Michael Kors purse that matches my pink toque because we all know I like to be matchy-matchy with my colours. 

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