Thrifty Outfit: Upcycled Denim Jacket

Wahoo! It has been way too long since I've done a thrifty outfit post. When I moved to Waterloo last year for school, my focus shifted completely. Not only was I super focused on school, I didn't really have a good set up for photos or somebody to help me out with them. Also, in my spare time, I was often at work or hopping on the bus from city to city to get to work or back to school. It was a pretty wild year, and outfit photos were just not a priority. I'd like to try and post more now that I'm more settled back in Toronto again.

You may recognize the bag in these photos from my last outfit post over a year ago. My friend Cassandra made it for me out of leftover scraps from her previous projects. And we've been at it again! A couple of months ago I sent Cass a photo of a jacket that I really loved from a store that I don't love so much and don't want to give my money to. I asked her if she could make something similar for me. Now, Cass is a woman of integrity, and she told me she could make something like it but didn't want to copy someone else's design. So we started brain storming, and thinking, and dreaming up an entirely unique jacket that still fit into the style that I was hoping for.

For this jacket, we gathered pre-loved denim that was going to be thrown out if not used, and turned it into something brand new and totally perfect!

Bag: Cassandra Moy | Jacket: Cassandra Moy | Sweater: Thrifted | Scarf: Garage Sale| Pants: Urban Outfitters | Earrings: Scotch and Rye (Arts Market)

Total Thrift Tally: 5/6! 

One of my favourite parts of this project is that each piece of denim tells a bit of a story:

 • We used a pair of my Grandfather's jeans that he must have purchased just before he passed away; they still had tags on them and a few mouse-eaten spots from being stored in my Grandma's barn for 24 years. My grandpa was a big guy (the jeans were sized 48!) so we had tons of material from this to work with! I never met my grandpa, he passed before I was born, so it's special to me to have his jeans included in this piece.

• About 6 years ago I was convinced I would start my own upcycled denim jacket business. My plan was to decorate existing jackets that had holes or stains in them, to make them fresh and usable again. Evidently, it never actually happened. I didn't get around to throwing out the jackets though - thank you past self!

• Cass's fella Elliott (who also took these photos!) donated some of his jeans that had ripped in un-patchable areas to the project. These sleeves were once jean legs, and Cass intentionally placed the creased, worn sections right where the elbows are.


Here's a before shot, which we only thought to take after already ripping up some of the seams:

The other amazing part about working with Cass was going to her studio and helping out with the stitch ripping. It was so special to be included in the process of this jacket on so many levels! This is the beauty of bespoke and of working with friends.

I'm so in love with the jacket - I'm wearing it right now, sort of in place of a sweater. It's that comfy, and perfect for the fall weather that is just starting to creep into Toronto now (it's been on and off like crazy!). I've also already received so many compliments on it, and people love the story of how I got it made!


Be sure to check out Cassandra's website, and Elliott's photography!


xo - k

BEDHEAD: Update & Writing for Self Love

First, I want to thank everyone for being so supportive and kind to me about my Bedhead Project. If you follow along my Instagram, you'll know that's where I've been posting the photos fairly regularly (except for during October- my Instagram 'detox' month! That's a whole other post in the making...). I'm going to share more of them here as I go, too.

I admit that I have started to let go of the Bedhead Project as a daily part of my routine - some days I just have the same old sloppy bun and the same old face and there's nothing new or exciting about that. But then again, maybe that's the whole point of the project - I AM exciting, every day! Because I'm me! What a great thing to be.

Ok, real talk; I just came to that realization as I wrote it... writing can be so good for sorting out your thoughts and realizing some of the damaging self-talk we get ourselves into. I didn't realize I was calling myself boring and "same old same old" until I wrote it out, and that's not a great way to treat myself. It's pretty antithetical to the whole Bedhead Project's purpose; to treat myself as a subject worth photographing, whatever state I find myself in first thing in the morning. Natural and as is.

Which brings me to another 'self love' practice I've been trying to get into: Writing! A few weeks ago I attended a writing workshop for Artist's Wellness, put on by Toronto's Artist Health Alliance. We focused on identity, on the self, on using writing to explore one's inner world. It was a really healing and wonderful workshop. The other attendees were super supportive and created a beautiful, safe space to share your writing in. It reminded me that I used to want to be a writer, before I dove into visual arts. I had forgotten how much I loved writing - also one of the reasons I started a blog way way way way waaaay back when (I've been blogging, I think, since before I was a teenager. Yeesh.).

Writing in a journal most days (because I suck at 'every day' challenges it seems) has been a really great self-love experience. It helps me check in with myself, see how I'm feeling. It also helps me get out of my head without having to reach out or share with others if I don't feel like it (or if they don't feel like it!). I'm exploring different ideas about writing for self love, and I'm curious:

Do you journal? Or heck, do you blog about your life?
What kind of language do you use to talk about yourself, when you write about yourself? What words stand out to you?

Take a second to think about what your language says about how you feel about yourself, how you treat yourself.

xo -k

Photos: Victor's Apparel

Last spring I helped out the good folks at Victor's Apparel with a photoshoot to show off their luxurious, comfy silk boxers! Rachel and Nick have been two of the best clients ever - from design work to photos we've had a ton of fun working on their brand and making stuff happen together! I reflect back fondly on scouring a Value Village in Waterloo with Rachel trying to find fancy robe props for this shoot - and if you know me I love thrifting - so this was all in all a very fun project to work on.

For this shoot I wanted to capture a really luxurious feel with decadent textures and tones, but also natural light and natural, somewhat candid moments!

Also, fun fact! This shoot took place at my grandma's house - HA! I figured she'd have the nicest couches and chairs and natural light of any place we could comfortably have 3 men in their boxers hanging out and lounging for the shoot. I'm actually not sure if she's seen the photos... hi Mamy!

I recently edited some REALLY funny marketing photos for Victor's Apparel, which I will share soon! I realized I hadn't shared these though and thought they should come first.

Interested in some silk boxers? They also make for very comfy pyjama shorts ;) Check out the Victor's Apparel website here, and their Facebook and Instagram!

xo