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Fashion & Style

Street Style: West End Denizens

Posted by Jonathan Loek / July 28, 2009

60 Comments

As we all know part of everyday living includes waking up in the morning, eating breakfast, taking a shower, and most importantly for many people, picking out threads for the day.

It's with this last part that I've been finding my inspiration for the past little while. I can walk out on the street on any given day and just admire other people's everyday creations. These creations play a dominant role in different cities and different cultures around the world. Toronto has the key attribute of being a multicultural city, bringing many different types of people together as well as many different ideas of style. Here are some I spotted this past week:
Streetstyle TorontoName: Samuel
Words of wisdom: "Megog"
Expertise: International Student
Favorite Toronto shop: Magic Pony

Name: Christine
Words of wisdom: "My favorite thing to do in the summertime is to go treasure hunting in the city"
Expertise: Journalist
Favorite Toronto shop: Cabaret Vintage

Streetstyle TorontoName: Jed
Words of wisdom: "Canadians are nice"
Expertise: Graphic Design
Favorite Toronto shop: Sydney's

Name: Abena aka Abby
Words of wisdom: "I hate quotes"
Expertise: Cook / Artist
Favorite Toronto shop: Planet Aid
Streetstyle TorontoName: Alicia aka Ali Cat
Words of wisdom: "Ya know"
Expertise: Advertising
Favorite Toronto shop: Carte Blanche

Name: Michela aka Chela
Words of wisdom: "C'est la vie"
Expertise: Student
Favorite Toronto shop: Charlie
Streetstyle TorontoName: Maria and Charlie
Words of wisdom: "Compassion over consumption"
Expertise: Education
Favorite Toronto shop: Courage my Love

Name: Ruth aka Baby Ruth and Jogi
Words of wisdom: "I love Maria"
Expertise: Flight Attendant
Favorite Toronto shop: Value Village
Streetstyle TorontoName: Christian aka Cd
Words of wisdom: "Cool beans"
Expertise: Registry Clerk
Favorite Toronto shop: American Apparel

Name: Alla
Words of wisdom: "Homemade bread"
Expertise: Bread Baker
Favorite Toronto shop: Balzac's
Streetstyle TorontoName: Ashley aka Mogg
Words of wisdom: "Live long and prosper"
Expertise: Waitress
Favorite Toronto shop: Anthropologie

Name: Megan aka Meegs
Words of wisdom: "My heart is to big for my body"
Expertise: Actor
Favorite Toronto shop: The Workroom

This is blogTO's first ever street style post. It will appear every week. Do you have ideas for other questions I should ask when I encounter my subjects on the street? If so, please add your suggestions in the comments below.

Discussion

60 Comments

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Eric / July 28, 2009 at 06:29 pm
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You should ask them something regarding current events and their opinion on it. Just so we know whether they're brain-dead hipsters or just the regular kind. Now wouldn't that be funny!
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Christopher / July 28, 2009 at 06:54 pm
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Awesome, keep it up!
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highwaisted / July 28, 2009 at 07:49 pm
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omg how adorable is ali cat?! seriously.
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hm / July 28, 2009 at 07:54 pm
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we seriously have a lack of style in this city. this is a prime example.
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rocker / July 28, 2009 at 08:00 pm
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can i get the phone number of the girl top right? so cute
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S. / July 28, 2009 at 08:17 pm
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Any advice? Not really.

But I am wondering when you can photograph me on the street :)
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jamesmallon / July 28, 2009 at 08:29 pm
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Pretty unremarkable, except for the 'sexy librarian' with the bike!
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conscious / July 28, 2009 at 08:39 pm
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Any info on dude-in-too-tight-jeans' laptop case?
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Kenny / July 28, 2009 at 08:58 pm
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These random grab-people-off-the-street pieces are good... MORE!

The fashion sense... not so good. Kinda "bleh" and not really unique or eye-catching. In fact, my eyes keep wandering to the American Apparel ad in the top right corner.

Sexy Librarian/Journalist Christine stands out though.

And don't get me started on the Asian dude's look... both on his body and face.
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mondayjane / July 28, 2009 at 09:06 pm
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love it! Too adorable.
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Chris replying to a comment from Kenny / July 28, 2009 at 09:12 pm
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Yo, let's talk about that ad for a minute. Facemelter? Yes.
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sully / July 28, 2009 at 09:17 pm
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Nice work - a local version of The Sartorialist, really.
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joon / July 28, 2009 at 10:00 pm
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what a delight. looking good, guys.
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b / July 28, 2009 at 10:29 pm
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Those kids on Sart's website would bash the flip flops and black tights to death though.
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k / July 28, 2009 at 10:39 pm
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edit.

"My heart is to big for my body"
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beans replying to a comment from highwaisted / July 28, 2009 at 10:43 pm
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seriously! adorable!
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CK / July 28, 2009 at 11:37 pm
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Is this article trying to be ironic?

(Also, I would like the Gloria-V from American Apparel.)
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JB / July 29, 2009 at 12:15 am
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Woah, Toronto's sense of fashion is as bland as I had imagined. Canada can be so boring.
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KM / July 29, 2009 at 01:14 am
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Top left corner looks like this:
http://blogs.sltrib.com/tv/uploaded_images/Cavemen-706621.jpg
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Louise / July 29, 2009 at 01:51 am
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Agreeing this is boring and I think there is hope in spotting more interesting style than this in Toronto. Everything here looks nice but tame. I know/recognize two people here though haha.
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DK replying to a comment from KM / July 29, 2009 at 01:54 am
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moolie loolie koolie moo!
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pft. / July 29, 2009 at 02:08 am
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favorite store... blah blah... another capitalist mind-numb.
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K / July 29, 2009 at 08:23 am
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yay Christine! nice work
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Angus / July 29, 2009 at 08:42 am
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Looks like they both follow Dalton McGuinty's "roll up the sleeves, I'm ready for work" look.

Very unsexy.
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DS / July 29, 2009 at 08:46 am
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I find it hard to swallow that a student can afford anything at Magic Pony.
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homeslice / July 29, 2009 at 08:55 am
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YAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWN.
you're telling me you spent an afternoon in the west end and this is all you saw???
clearly you just have poor taste, because all these people look'a'fool (and a boring, painfully boring fool, at that) and there are wayyy cooler looking people in the west end than this.
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Kwil / July 29, 2009 at 10:17 am
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Great post. Although the overall feel of their clothes is kind of "blah", and I would have asked them more questions like what they are wearing or who they admire, I look forward to more of the street style entries nonetheless!
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Ratpick / July 29, 2009 at 10:34 am
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I have no snark to offer the gentlemen in these photos, and only admiration for the ladies, particularly you, Christine and Ali Cat.



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Laurie / July 29, 2009 at 11:04 am
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I thought Planet Aid closed it's stores a while ago now... Does Abena know something I don't? I loved that place!
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piccola / July 29, 2009 at 11:44 am
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Believe me, Christine looks this good every day. It's almost unfair.
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AMH / July 29, 2009 at 11:49 am
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Tell me more about Christine's fashionable bike!
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mick / July 29, 2009 at 11:54 am
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Gentlemen are a little underrepresented and the style is a little homogeneous, but I like the concept.

Looking forward to your next edition.
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l / July 29, 2009 at 12:06 pm
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props! always wanted to see sarTOrialist-like content. can we send in photos of people we like?
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jamesmallon / July 29, 2009 at 12:33 pm
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The 'sexy librarian' is sexy because of a few things people have forgotten:
- don't get fat (everyone her age was that thin three decades ago)
- skirts look good
- long hair looks good
- modesty leaves more to the imagination
- always dress to go out, at least a little
Trim and classy always sells.
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SH / July 29, 2009 at 03:03 pm
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Maybe have less people but ask them to describe their outfit (ie; where they bought it, why they like it). It would be interesting for us to see where they get their style inspirations from... but keep it short!

And maybe find some sexy fat chicks.

Or some older women and ask them how thin they were 3 decades ago.
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Gloria / July 29, 2009 at 03:18 pm
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Kind of hilarious that people keep saying "It's like a Toronto version of the Sartorialist!" Hasn't NOW Toronto been doing that "version" for ages, with their My Style? I'd like an improvement on *both* and read a couple of real interviews for each feature.

This giant photo-dump isn't much different from everything else on the net, because the fashion certainly doesn't speak for itself. Some are dressed nicely, but ... tank top and jeans, without any individual flare?

@jamesmallon: Good points, except I wouldn't call any of the others on this list "fat" either.

And a head of long, thick hair does look good ... except if it's hot and sticky out. Thanks, I'll pass on looking good and just stay cool.
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Chris / July 29, 2009 at 03:29 pm
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I agree with Gloria, this isn't very interesting or terribly original.

A friend of mine had pitched something similar to this but then got shot down and I really like his version better, you can see it here:

http://sunnyfong.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/does-this-mean-im-fired/
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Gloria / July 29, 2009 at 03:34 pm
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It'd also be an interesting feature to have the author actually say what struck *him* first (especially since in many of these photos I'm not sure what grabbed his eye in the first place; a walk? a look? a smile?). It's nice to invite those featured to speak for themselves or let readers make their own interpretations, but it can too easily smack of laziness if the author totally stands back. There'd be ample room for that kind of observation if the feature is cut back to only a few people per feature.
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jamesmallon replying to a comment from Gloria / July 29, 2009 at 05:07 pm
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"@jamesmallon: Good points, except I wouldn't call any of the others on this list "fat" either." I would, but I won't be churlish enough to list the names. We've become used to a new normal, and it's a shame. I think most people would assume that Christine is in the low end of her BMI, but I bet she's spot-on the middle of her height/age/weight range. When you watch old movies, do you notice how a crowd just looks better? Yes, they dressed better, but the weight range was 20% lighter. Of course they look good!
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King / July 29, 2009 at 05:23 pm
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Ali Cat Rocks.
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Gloria replying to a comment from jamesmallon / July 29, 2009 at 05:30 pm
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@jamesmallon: I do believe part of how crowds in old movies "look better" can be attributed to the fact they're in movies. Crowds in our new movies tend to look better too.

Re: BMI, I think more and more people are debunking the BMI as a reliable measure of fitness.

I can tell you that I'm a 21 on the BMI -- literally smack middle of the "normal" range of 18-24. But I sure don't look like Christine. In fact, I never looked like that in a photo, not even when I was a teenager and qualified as a 18 on the BMI -- borderline underweight.
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Ashley / July 30, 2009 at 12:37 am
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Overall - blah. It would be better to photograph 3 or 4 'gems' rather than shooting anyone who walks by the park. Like for instance, if you only posted the first three (Samuel, Christine, Jed) - all 3 are stylish; the others... snooze.
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laura / July 30, 2009 at 10:31 am
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next time you need a much broader range of styles. people are saying this is turning into a hipster blog, and these style selections aren't helping.
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Dood / July 30, 2009 at 06:16 pm
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Man, you guys are a tough crowd. He did ask for some feedback so maybe it's his fault. It's his first post. Anyway, I say do your own thing.
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Anna replying to a comment from Chris / July 30, 2009 at 06:19 pm
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Yes, u can see Sunny's street style blog that he wuz gonna do for blogTO at his new site:

http://thefashionister.wordpress.com

Its ok.
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meh replying to a comment from Ratpick / July 30, 2009 at 10:47 pm
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thank you Ratpick. :)
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meh replying to a comment from Ratpick / July 30, 2009 at 10:50 pm
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Thanks King!
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rock it! replying to a comment from jamesmallon / July 31, 2009 at 06:56 pm
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james if you know anything about fashion circa 1930s through 60's the average sizes for women's clothes were alot bigger, the clothes were just tailored better. fashion was more about the silhouette then the size which makes sense since having style and good taste has nothing to do with how thin you are. hence, alot of designers and stylists are not size 4. there is a whole world out there full of different kinds of people including the chubbie. you are incredibly closed minded if only that came with a closed mouth too.
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JS / August 1, 2009 at 05:41 pm
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How about showcasing fashion from a different neighbourhood each week? Like Little Italy, Greektown, Chinatown, Koreatown, Little India, the Beach, Forest Hill, Kensington Market, St. lawrence Market, etc. Perhaps, each neighbourhood will have their own fashion style?
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legal_wasabi / August 1, 2009 at 07:16 pm
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I need to know where Megan got her dress, love the red lips & cute red shoes!

good work, keep it up~

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Steph / August 2, 2009 at 05:55 pm
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Whatever, this is fun. Get off your high horses!

Although, yeah, doesn't exemplify the best in Toronto fashion, its just this week's picks. Christine and Maria are my favourite dressed up/down...and that bike!

@ DS: I often go into Magic Pony just to look around. Saying you like a store doesn't necessarily equate spending all your money there (also there are lots of affordable, crazy cute things for around $6!)
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piccola / August 3, 2009 at 09:51 am
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I second JS's suggestion - would love to see neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood style snapshots, for comparison's sake.

And none of these people are fat. Being fat doesn't preclude style anyway.
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JS / August 3, 2009 at 11:53 am
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Got another idea for you. Since you have an affinity for bikes, why don't you do features on fashion trends for bike lovers. You can call it "TOBIFA" for "TOronto BIker FAshion" or "TOBIRA" for TOronto Biker RAg". If you spot any high-end bike fashionistas, you can have a special feature called "TOBICOU" for "TOronto BIker COUture".
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JS / August 3, 2009 at 01:18 pm
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Let me make a correction on Biker Fashion so as not to misconstrue cyclists with bikers (motorcyclists). Perhaps you can do a page on "Cycle Fashion" or if you can spot cyclists sporting the "Hippie or "Flower Child" look, you can call it "Cycle-delic" (Psychodelic) Rags.
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HSolo / August 3, 2009 at 10:07 pm
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Good concept. It's a shame that the majority of comments here seem to be focused on debating what is society's concept of fat. Beauty and style can appreciate the sizely and shapely, and so should we all. I look forward to the next edition.
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Steph / August 3, 2009 at 11:50 pm
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@ JS: I hope I'm not being silly here, but are you being sarcastic? I can't tell.
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JS / August 4, 2009 at 08:18 pm
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Steph, I was just putting out some crazy light-hearted suggestions. I think fashion should both be an art form and people's expression of fun. After all, fashion is all about entertainment. I really do feel that hi-lighting fashion among the cyclists is a great way to promote both fashion and the better way to travel around T.O.
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shera / August 5, 2009 at 02:56 am
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U never posted the pic u took of me!!! - I'm hurt, is there anyway that u can email to me anyhow? sgreenb5@uwo.ca ? - I woudl really love to see!!
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Steph / August 8, 2009 at 05:54 pm
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Cool! I completely agree, bikester fashion can be really nifty. A TO bike style blog would be pretty awesome.
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Katherine0910 / September 26, 2009 at 10:20 pm
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I think all of these people have their own unique way of expressing themselves through what they wear and they all look fantastic doing it!!! They picked clothes that fit their body types and i think that takes a lot of acceptance and confidence in what God has given you. Christine definitely has the best outfits i have ever seen and they suit her so well!!! I don't know why everybody is criticizing Jed because even though he's not wearing the most fashionable clothes ever, he is being unique. And half of being stylish is feeling confident in the clothes you love. If you feel confident, people will notice, and that's what makes an amazing outfit. Stop being so negative all the time and realize that one person's definition of style may be somebody else's definition of trash...look at it from a different perspective once in a while.
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