cafe bar pasta

Dress (vintage, Jones & Co Vintage, Windsor, ON; last seen here altered). Fur (second-hand, May-Court, Windsor, ON; last seen here). Hat (vintage, The Boodle Factory, Detroit, MI). Handbag (Chanel, vintage). Booties (Zara).

What better way to start your weekend than an early morning with friends and a heavy dose of caffeine!
Most mornings you will find Tom, owner of Cafe Bar Pasta on Dundas St W in Toronto, in the front window chatting with locals or a passersby.  Christine, his wife and the one responsible for the fantastic interior will pop in, say a quick hello and then is off; their young son has other plans than to stay and chat.
At night the cafe becomes a fine dining restaurant and bar hosting both dinner parties and intimate first dates.  It has become one of my favourite spots in Toronto. You really feel like you're part of the family.

Photos Renza

double duty coats

When your coat doubles as a dress, I say it's a win, win!  

I picked up this jacket at a local consignment store because I loved the boxy, sightly over-sized fit.  I had the sleeves shortened to just above the wrist to help with the proportion of the jacket on my frame.  I wanted the size to look intentional, not like I borrowed my husband's coat! I had the piece of beaver fur lying around and had my seamstress cut it to shape and attach a hook and eye closure to the front.  I'm now able to add it to any jacket or top in my closet.  

Leather coat (vintage, Common Sort, Toronto, ON). Fur collar (custom, Shoppe & Tailor, Toronto, ON). Clutch (Zara). Booties (Zara). Sunglasses (Ray-Ban).

Photos by Renza

altered state

I believe that all garments are a work in progress.  Sometimes I have a hard time getting rid of things that have great bones; pants in a bold shade of purple but the leg just isn't flattering anymore or a jacket with gigantic shoulders but made of the most beautiful wool.  

Alterations and a trusty seamstress are both something I'm quite fond of.  Case in point with these jeans.  I mean it was not a huge alteration but I think the look it quite different.  

The last time I wore them in a post was in July 2013 (how was it that long ago?) They have since been in my closet for some time but I still really loved them. I thought about options for a few weeks and settled on simply shortening them above the ankle.  I figured that this would allow me to wear them with flats or sneakers, something that was not an option when they were so long without losing their massive size.  I must say that I'm quite happy with the result.  Throughout the winter I have worn them with ankle boots and sneakers and look forward to pairing them with platform sandals come spring. *Just make sure when hemming jeans, especially a distressed pair that you spend the extra money to have your seamstress salvage the original hem and reattach it at your desired length.  It makes all the difference.

Faux fur vest (thrifted, Kensington Market, Toronto, ON). Top (Joe Fresh). Vintage Men's Levis (Urban Outfitters, Toronto, ON). Shoes (Nine West). Clutch (vintage, Salvation Army, Windsor, ON). Necklace (vintage, Jones & Co. Windsor, ON).

Photos Renza