Modern-Guilt: The Video

If you've ever wondered who G and I are past the photos and the long-winded diatribes, here's your chance to see.

We had a lot of fun making this video, and we hope you all enjoy it!


Modern Guilt: The Video from S & G on Vimeo.

Yesterday's Papers

So I finally caved and bought the ubiquitous black latex leggings this week, though I cleverly saved myself $15 by going the Urban Outfitters route as opposed to American Apparel (which is still strangely pricey in Canada).
Once on, these leggings are perfect and perhaps the most comfortable article of clothing ever, but - and it's a small but - the manufacturer of these did the weirdest thing by making the ankle without an ounce of stretch, meaning that getting them over my feet is, sarcastically speaking, a total barrel of fun. Nonetheless, I do like them on more than I expected I would, and I plan on making good use of them throughout the winter, as inspired by the mindblowingly creative and fashionable Queen Michelle over at Kingdom of Style.
In other news, I've determined that I very much miss my summer tan, and am hence spending my morning coffee-blogging-desk time debating with myself: to fake and bake or to not fake and bake? If there are two 'institutions' I loathe they would be [most] gyms and tanning salons without question, meaning the very notion of stepping foot in such a place is enough to make me content with being perpetually unfit and pale. That being said, am I really being rational about the whole thing? This is a pretty shallow concern to begin with. Moving on...
While I do quite like the outfit I wore yesterday to run about the city in, it's more the fact that G took some brilliantly psychedelic photos that makes it wicked good I think....n.b. for everyone and anyone who has ever asked or wondered: I have barely ever used a self-timer in my life, and G takes every single photo that goes up on here unless otherwise noted. I am so, so continually impressed with his photography, and is it not like the coolest thing ever that he does this fashion blogging business with me? I seriously feel as though I have the best mate/partner/friend in the world.
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and isn't feeling the Monday-itis I get from time to time too harshly today. And if you are, keep on keeping on and maybe have another coffee (or whatever your vice is for that matter)...

Wearing

Cardigan: vintage

Scarf and bag: thrifted

T-shirt: Darker My Love

Leggings: Silence & Noise

Boots: UP, DIY-ed

Love.

This week's theme (as alluded to on Friday) is not only colour, but also the new Harajuku Lovers perfumes which I was recently given the opportunity to try out prior to the Canadian launch of the product; you may or may not be familiar with them already, but in short there are five fragrances (Love, Angel, Music, Baby and G), each of which comes in a super adorable little character bottle representative of the accompanying scent.
I personally consider scent to be an integral aspect of fashion and style, and as such generally keep about five different perfumes in heavy rotation at any given time, the wear of which is determined by what I'm wearing or feeling or thinking or whatever else. It's very much like getting dressed for me, only easier and without as many decisions to make.

So this is all very exciting stuff in my books, and I therefore figured why not incorporate my excitement towards this venture into my daily blogging by dressing somewhat thematically? As I have mentioned before, I rarely turn down the opportunity to play dress-up, however in this case I wanted to ensure that my thematic outfits were still wearable so I've set one rule for myself: that I must wear the daily outfit all day with no exceptions granted - if it can't be worn normally throughout the duration of my normal days it's not really worth doing, is it?
Today's theme, as per the post title, is LOVE. I'm quite surprised at how much I like this fragrance, as it's pretty much a rule of thumb with me + perfume that I intensely dislike anything particularly flowery, sweet or girlish. As a matter of fact I've been known on occasion to don G's colognes...Prada by Prada for Men is fantastically genderless and probably my favourite scent ever, but I admittedly had to stop wearing it so often after G kindly informed me that he prefers to not be scent-twins.
Nonetheless, one can consider my preference for Prada cologne to be a barometer for all things which I like in a scent: crisp, clean, musky, subtle and long lasting on my strangely perfume-resistant skin. I'm quite obviously not a perfume expert and know very little about the technicalities which go into creating scents, but I do know that Love, which I was fully expecting it to go into overbearing and sickly sweet floral territory, fits all of my requirements and is something I will continue to wear long past this project's end. Love does have a really strong top note of rose petal but not annoyingly so, and I've found that this wears off after about half an hour of wear and turns into a really lovely feminine rose-musk-thing that I enjoy.
Moreover, yesterday's theme ended up being fitting on a number of levels - after a wild Saturday night out and about G and I ended up having a very lovely day consisting of walks through the city, furniture browsing, coffee on park benches and, finally, some heavy-duty housework which made us both feel pretty accomplished I think. In fact, you can even see G (kind of) in the photo below for what I believe is the first time ever on Modern Guilt. Well, there may have been one similar time long ago, but who's counting, right? As you can see from the photo, I am tiny and silly and blonde to his tall and serious-looking (deceptively so) and dark. We're a funny but good pair for sure.
Wearing

Sweater: Erin Fetherston for Target (I know, I know, it's grey and I promised all-colour-all-week...but it was cold outside and this has little heart buttons on it, so it's kind of still valid?)

Dress: F21

Tights: Winners

Shoes: the purple suede ones are from David's, and patent black flats are from a cottage-country dollar store - romantic walks in the city mean carrying a pair of comfy flats in your bag!

Bag: Chanel, vintage

Hello Traveler

It's that really strange time of year when the seasons are middling and indecisive, and because of this one can get away with wearing a tweed houndstooth blazer with jean short-shorts out to dinner and drinks and not think twice about it. Personally I'm a fan of having this kind of meteorological freedom when getting dressed, and hope for it to never end. The rarely-used logical side of brain is telling me that this is an entirely irrational thing to hope for though, so I suppose I'm just going to have to make the most of it while I still can.

It is, after all, the end of another week and hence the beginning of a new weekend in a few short hours, and I must admit that I have a wickedly exciting one ahead of me. Darker My Love and the Dandy Warhols are playing tomorrow night and there's been such a concert drought in Toronto these past few months that I'm unspeakably excited to be going to see not one but two bands that I love. Otherwise I suspect that this weekend will consist of the same old stuff but, considering how absolutely crazily busy last weekend was, relaxing and doing what I want when I want should be a properly pleasant way to spend my time.
Thank you times a billion to every single person who reads and comments on Modern Guilt. It's kind of totally amazing, and I sincerely appreciate it with all of my heart. I wish you all a weekend as wonderful as the one I plan on having, and look forward to getting back on here and catching up come Monday morning...truly, you guys all make Monday mornings less dreadful than I ever considered possible!

P.S. Happy birthday to my mums today, who turns a year older but still somehow manages to look as though she's not aged in ten years, and inspires me on more levels than I can count every single time I see her.

Wearing

Blazer: vintage

Shorts: J Brand that I cut up...note the very messy hems.

Shoes: vintage

Need a little time to wake up

G and I are in the process of recovering from the absolutely brilliant but thoroughly exhausting weekend just had. Professional cameras were not permitted at the wedding or at V-Fest, hence the smattering of different quality photos in this post - sometimes the iPhone camera just has to suffice!

The wedding took place at a gorgeous historical conservation area (which you can somewhat make out from the pictures included), and was in all honesty one of the most beautiful I've ever attended.

And the highlight of V-Fest was most definitely Oasis, though some inebriated dude decided to jump onstage in the middle of 'Morning Glory', tackle Noel and Liam (video included at the bottom of this post, the incident happens at around the 1:30 mark if you're interested), and therefore start one of the infamous Gallagher gig fights, which kind of ruined it for everyone because there ended up being no encore. Nonetheless, that incident included, the whole festival was a really enjoyable and unforgettable event.

P.S. We'll be back to the usual kind of post tomorrow!

Use Small Words

First and foremost, thank you to everyone who sent positive energy my way yesterday - good vibes + chamomile tea + Vicks VapoRub really seem to work wonders, as I am feeling inexplicably better today!

Another thing that definitely played a part in getting me back to my cheery self yesterday was receiving a really wonderful package from Use Small Words, a Colorado-based t-shirt company that recently contacted me about sending over some of their clever, comfortable and very cute garments. Not only was it an absolute pleasure being in touch with the delightful and prompt folks over at Use Small Words, I also received what is probably the most adorable little package I have ever seen (pictures of this will be up here later on in the day).
So I am kind of madly obsessed with this baseball tee, which is made of the softest American Apparel jersey and says "It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense" (Mark Twain) amidst a quirky unicorn print. I was between a rock and a hard place at bedtime when it came down to VapoRub versus new t-shirt, because this shirt is, in all honesty, one of the most cozy, comfortable and lightweight things I've ever put on and while I did not want to take it off, nor did I want to ruin the whole neckline of it with gooey minty stuff. Such are the trials and tribulations of my life sometimes.
Mind you I DID anoint my new Stranger than Fiction top into my wardrobe by pairing it with my vintage Yves St. Laurent pumps (which are closely tied with my Hermes booties as my favourite shoes ever) when G and I went for a walk last night. I virtually never wear these shoes for a few reasons, the most significant of which are:

a) they are ever so slightly too small
b) I love that they are vintage and in pristine condition, and would rather not have them turn into garbage like my other shoes that I wear, literally, to death.

But I digress.
Use Small Words kindly sent over a couple of other equally awesome shirts for me, which you will definitely be seeing on here in the coming week or so. And last, but definitely not least, is the best news of all: Use Small Words is offering a 25% discount to all Modern Guilt readers! It's super simple, you just enter "ourfriends" into the discount code box during checkout on their website - and ta-da, you too will experience the thrill of getting an adorably wrapped little box full of some of comfiest and cutest tees you've ever worn.

Wearing
Tee: Use Small Words
Skirt: vintage
Shoes: Yves St. Laurent, vintage
Earrings: my own

No words, only melody comes...

Last night consisted of activities that are quickly becoming typical events in my life: G and I visited some friends, had some beers with such friends, listened to music and took some pictures. It was one of those days, however, where I had worn something so unimpressively boring and 'conservative' to work that I felt the need to pile on the awesomest anti-desk job clothing within reach and give my Anita Pallenberg hat a warm welcome into my daily wardrobe, which happily resulted in an immediate sense of self-love on my part....moments like this one remind me why I love clothing as much as I do!
On to the stunningly exciting news I've vaguely alluded to for a little while and finally promised yesterday to divulge: G and I will be going to New York Fashion Week! Or rather, will be in NYC throughout New York Fashion Week...god knows if we'll actually be able to get into any of the shows, but I definitely plan on trying. However, even if we don't, can you imagine how amazing just sitting outside the tents and watching the street style is going to be? Ahhh it's all too much excitement, I have so many plans and very little direction...luckily for me that's usually where the wonderful reasonable, rational and logical G comes in and saves the day though! So yes, it's being planned and booked and we're actually going. As you can probably imagine I nearly squeal every time I go type that.
One thing I DO know we will be doing in NYC for sure is attending Spirit Animal House, a party being thrown at Pianos by the wicked hot ladies of NoGoodForMe.com which promises to be entirely off the hook. So if any of you, my gorgeous and dear readers, are in the 'hood (or do they call them bourghs [sp?] in NYC? There is so much to learn!) and want to swing by on the evening of September 9, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be there, wearing what I hope turns out to be the most fabulous thing on the face of the planet. I'm going to a very specifically out-of-this-world-super-fabulous vintage shop here in Toronto either this weekend or early next week to begin looking for such ensemble - wish me luck!
I have a ridiculously busy couple of days ahead of me (such 'busyness' being wholly inclusive of enjoying what is technically one of the last weeks of summer), and consequently won't be updating here until bright and early on Monday morning. Lastly, this has been one of our best weeks EVER; mucho, mucho thanks to each and every single one of you and have a fantastic weekend everyone!
Wearing

Skirt: Levi's

Everything else: vintage

13 O'Clock

Yesterday evening was not quite as eventful as the one prior to it, but it was nonetheless enjoyable in a really subdued, laid-back way. G and I made some dinner, did some laundry, organized finances and did all of that other stuff which unfortunately has a tendency towards reminding you that you are not even close to being a child anymore and that you are, for all intensive purposes, a proper adult.
I certainly don't feel like an adult most of the time, but I suppose that it is reasonably comforting to know that I am and that it's really not as bad as I thought it might be. I feel as though I'm really coming to understand the whole 'you're only as old as you feel' adage on some intrinsic level...at the same time, I'm considering purchasing this Lancome nonsense because I'm pretty sure I'll have a change of heart about the whole matter at the onset of my first fine line.
At a certain point last night I grew a bit tired of the grown-up activities and responsibilities and as such cajoled G into coming to the park with me to sit on the expansive grass lawn, drink iced teas and basically do nothing but enjoy sitting and drinking iced teas. It's not as though we have year-round summer here, so why stay in the apartment and let any moment of the nice weather pass us by, right? Mind you I didn't even notice that the pattern of the dress I donned nearly blended in with the actual scenery until we sat down and G started to click away. Silliness on my part ensued, as per the photograph above. Here's to hoping that all of you are having as nice of a week as we are!

Wearing

Dress: H&M

Belt: vintage

Shoes: Nine West

Bag: vintage

Another day, the rain...

I take back what I wrote yesterday: I now in fact don't wish it was still the weekend, because the work week (other than the actual working part) is going more fabulously than I can say. Last evening G and I met up with a couple of our friends, went uptown, indulged in some lemon and amaretto gelato and walked and talked and generally caught up...we had planned on going to see a film, but sometimes it really just feels unnecessary to sit around staring at a projected version of people you don't even know while in the company of people who you do know and, more importantly, actually care about on a level beyond the superficial.
After the fantastic conversation over coffee with friend we took quite a leisurely stroll home, as it was for once what one could describe as typical August weather; everything around had that glowing dusty hue cast upon it which, in my opinion, makes even the most mundane corners of the world stunningly beautiful. So there we were atop a downtown parking garage, revelling in the outrageously wonderful evening...until we found ourselves in the middle of one of the most insanely torrential flash storms I have ever witnessed.
However, for once in my life I can't even complain about the horrible weather, because it was kind of amazing to sit under the concrete structure at literally arm's length from the storm and just watch the whole city become quieter, emptier and, in a certain sense, more human. Well there's that, and the fact that it made for what is in my opinion one of the coolest shots G has ever taken! My only concern last evening was how to get the Chanel home without it incurring any more wear and tear (do any GTA-ers know of any amazingly fantastic leathermakers that I could take this to to get cleaned up?) - but if you ask me, when a purse is my biggest concern on any given day it's probably a pretty good indicator that my life is going soaringly well.

Wearing

Blazer: vintage Perry Ellis

T-shirt: F21

Shorts: Moto

Shoes: Jeffery Campbell

Bag: Chanel, vintage

Drunk Without Drinking

Ah, what I would give right now for an extended weekend! It's not that today has started off on the wrong foot by any means - in fact, the very opposite is the case - it's more that I now have to come off of the high of having one of those best weekends ever and...well, I really don't want to.

The past couple of days have consisted of cottaging, watching Project Catwalk (SO much better than Project Runway), eating the best veggie burger in the history of the world and finding some of the most insanely awesome vintage items of my entire life. I don't think any thrifting excursions will ever beat the one I had this weekend, and for once I don't think I'm being even slightly melodramatic. My amazing finds include, but are not limited to:

- a large white quilted authentic Chanel gold chain-strap purse
- a navy, Marc Jacobs-era Perry Ellis boy's blazer that FITS LIKE A DREAM
- the most amazing feathered felt Anita Pallenberg fedora that smells like patchouli
- 90's rompers and kilts
- belts, sunglasses, bags, scarves and way more wicked hot stuff that you will undoubtedly see on here in the near future

...I know, right?! Basically I would be jealous of me if I wasn't me.G and I have been wholly preoccupied with our fantastic stuff and generally just loving being alive, so I'm not at all regretful in having to say that our grand photo plans fell by the wayside. In my opinion the veritable plethora of sartorial joy we've accumulated over the weekend means better pictures though, so it all kind of evens out in the end.

Wearing
Romper: vintage
Shoes: Spring
Sunglasses: vintage
Purse: vintage

If Love Is The Drug Then I Want to O.D.

I've decided that I can't wait any longer to delve into my autumn wardrobe and, since the recent weather here has been more than permitting for non-summer gear, the tweeds, plaids and polos are officially making their entrance. I suppose one could say that this outfit is Gossip Girl-inspired but, truth be told, it's not. I've always had a penchant for the hyper-collegiate with a quirky twist look, and I remember actually being a tad jealous of those of my high school friends who were in enrolled in schools which had strict uniform policy...mandated adorable blazers, plaid skirts, knee-high socks and mary janes...yes, please!
I find today's set of photos amusingly ironic in that the shoot took place in an alley next to a gigantic local strip club. As the ladies sauntered near the back entrance smoking in their questionable attire, I sat nearby in what can be described as the preppiest, most clean-cut outfit on the face of the planet whilst reading a book (in case you were wondering, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster is a great read if you're even remotely interested in high fashion) - it doesn't really get more hilariously dichotomous than that for me!
Since there won't be any updates this weekend I just wanted to take the end bit of this post to thank every single one of you who continues to read, visit and comment on Modern Guilt. Just last night G and I were discussing how wonderfully astonishing and overwhelmingly awesome all of the positivity we've been receiving is, and how it's so inspiring to not only have all of these amazing people reading and looking at what we do, but to also be privy to all of the brilliant things you guys have on your own blogs! I personally feel extremely honoured by all of the support and love you guys give to us - thank you a million times over. Have the fantastic, stylish and fun weekend you all deserve, and see y'all on Monday!

Wearing

Polo: Ralph Lauren

Skirt: thrifted Gap (it's actually a dress)

Blazer: vintage

Loafers: vintage Gucci

Hairclips: various, from my childhood

It's up with my heart when it skips a beat.

Okay, I may have just started hyperventilating.
Alexander. Wang. Diffusion. Line. (And. Shoes.) Oh. My. Effing. God.

This is quite possibly the best fashion news I've heard all year. No longer will I have to say my outfit was "Alex Wang 'inspired'", now I can just be all like "it is Alex Wang...diffusion" and feel insanely cool in an Erin Wasson-esque way. A Holt Renfrew salesgirl and I recently bonded over a love for Alexander Wang's simple, lazy and perfectly cut garments and lamented the price tags of such utterly beautiful things. No more will we have to do this.

Mind you I haven't even touched base on the shoes yet, of which there will be "five styles, each a variation on the platform sandal". These will apparently wholesale between $125 and $250 which in my books is entirely reasonable for shoes...I may have a great deal of difficulty paying astronomical bundles of money for clothing, but I do believe fabulous shoes (and hair for that matter) are always worth the expense.

This definitely gets bestowed the 'life is awesome' tag.

P.S. How badly do I want his desk in the photo above?!

Credit: WWDFashion

See how they fly like Lucy in the sky, see how they run

Whenever I am confronted with a large, open space with hardwood flooring I develop a powerful and imminent urge to dance, jump, leap, lay down, run, somersault, and so on. Perhaps spending hours upon hours in a dance studio throughout one's formative years is the cause of this odd quirk, but regardless of its antecedent, it is above all else super, super FUN. In fact, this was probably the most fun photo shoot ever...and by ever I mean that I don't think anyone who has ever lived has had this much fun on a photo shoot in the history of the world. Pretty intense, no?
Entirely impromptu, I jumped about and G captured an entire album's worth of pictures ranging from impressive to downright silly. It was suffocatingly hot at this point in the day, so naturally I chose to wear comfortable, loose clothing that I could move around in (which for me, 9 times out of 10, means a sheath dress). But perhaps I had some type of psychic prescient brainwave yesterday, because I chose jean shorts, a top made of basically a semi-sheer nothingness printed fabric, and my favourite headscarf (which my mother informed me yesterday she purchased when she was the exact same age as I currently am), which was much more conducive to jumping about than a sheath dress could have ever been.
Surprisingly (in the best possible way), the rest of the day that followed this photo shoot actually lived up to the awesomeness that the photo shoot had set the bar for. Lots of stuff happened, including: ground round burritos, finding the most perfect pair of jeans to ever grace my body at the most unlikely of stores, more frustration towards American Apparel employees, balcony fun, Coors Light in a downtown park in fancy dress, Frisata-filled conversation and so on. Some of these events will undoubtedly be expanded upon in future diatribes, but for the time being I do not have pictorial evidence at hand and it is therefore best left a mystery for the time being.

Wearing
Top: F21
Shorts: Moto
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell
Headscarf: vintage

Northern Soul

G and I woke up to a beautiful morning in the city, so we decided to hop over to a crepe restaurant nearby and do a very European, lazy brunch together, which was lovely, most of all because we took some photographs along the way which I, personally, am super impressed with.
As much as I am looking forward to fall fashion, I must admit that I am absolutely loving summer in the city. I've really been making the most of every day for the first time probably ever, and it's surprisingly awesome. I obviously don't go out every night or anything along those lines, but I'm more referring to just the general beauty of being alive, in love and having this blog with all of the wonderful comments I receive - truly, you guys are awesome and I appreciate your support more than you know!

Busy day ahead of shopping and purposeful wandering, so I've got to be off, but of course expect another post bright and early tomorrow morning.

Hope you're having as great of a day as I am!

^ Me doing my best Liam Gallagher impression. As a brief side note, I heard the new Oasis single last night, and it sounds be mega! I'm SO looking forward to the next album.

Wearing

Dress: FCUK

Shoes: Andrew Stevens Studio

Purse: vintage