Same, Same, But Different

It’s the weekend, everyone, and I’m extra excited! As I type this blog post, I’m actually sitting on the #JunoExpress, a Via Rail train jam-packed with people heading to Ottawa for the Juno Awards! It’s my first time going to the Juno Awards, and I’m so happy to be one of the bloggers going with Metro Ontario. I’ll be writing all about my experience in an upcoming blog post, so make sure you’ve subscribed to my blog. And if you’re reading this blog post and not already following me on Instagram, make sure you hit “follow”, since I’ll be showing you all the behind the scenes on my Instagram stories!

But for now, I wanted to share a quick OOTD with you, featuring the top you’ve probably been seeing on bloggers everywhere lately. And, in keeping with the theme of Canadian pride, I’m also featuring jeans from one of my favourite Canadian denim companies: Fidelity Denim.

So first, the top that everyone seems to be freaking out over as of late: this striped, exaggerated bell sleeve top from Chicwish. Not gonna lie – I’ve seen this on probably 5 or 6 bloggers by now, and it was likely because I saw it on a blogger that I decided to buy it for myself (See? Influencer marketing definitely works!). And that’s what I wanted to talk mainly about in this blog post: dressing the same versus dressing differently.

All my life, one of my older sisters, Melissa, pretty much drilled into my head that I should always try to be different and not wear the same thing as everyone else. That’s been her philosophy about fashion ever since I can remember, and I admire her individuality and personal sense of style. For the most part, I do agree with her. It’s so important to be an individual and that’s really what fashion is all about, right? Self-expression. But at the same time, there is a comfort in dressing the same as other people at least sometimes. I mean, if I buy a top that I later see on another fashion blogger whose style I love and respect, then that kinda tells me that I’m doing something right, right?! Almost like a fashion litmus test. Conformity is encouraged in certain circumstances (that’s why there are dress codes and uniforms). It can also just generally be tough when everyone else seems to be wearing something that you’re not (as I’ve talked about in one of my last blog posts in relation to designer handbags).

My own conclusion is that some middle ground must be taken. It is virtually impossible to avoid dressing like other people, especially when we all seem to draw inspiration from many of the same sources and shop at the same stores. However, I believe your individuality should come from your own, personal spin that you put on clothing. How you wear something is probably just as important, if not MORE important, than what you are wearing.

So with that being said, I’ve decided to pair my bell sleeve top with a pair of classic blue jeans and neutral pumps, for a casual, yet sophisticated, look. I love to support Canadian designers, so I’m happy to be wearing Fidelity Denim. I own a couple pairs of Fidelity jeans and I absolutely love the fit! I also recently learned that each pair of Fidelity Denim is touched by 26 pairs of hands before reaching the end consumer – talk about quality control! Lastly, I’ve accessorized simply with a white and silver bracelet from another Canadian designer, Thomas Sabo. What’s pretty neat about Thomas Sabo bracelets is that you can personalize them by getting them engraved at any time after you’ve purchased them.

Well, I’m off now to begin my Juno Award weekend. Make sure you guys are following me on Instagram, where you’ll be able to catch all the action. I’ll also be sporting looks from another Canadian designer for the awards and festivities. I’ll catch up with you lovelies when I’m back in town!