Toronto – PPMeow!

A November to Remember

Sorry for the long absence friends and readers 🙂

But November has been a busy, busy month filled with fun.

Let me catch you up with What I Did and What I Wore for various happenings this past month…

THE VINTAGE SPECTACULAR

What do you call a night where the amazing GTA Swing Band pair up with the vocal talents of Mim Adams and Lindy Hop Revolution Dance Studio?

It’s called: The Vintage Spectacular!

And what a spectacular night it was… with a gorgeous venue – The Great Hall on WQW!

It was the night I finally got to wear this adorable Russian nesting-dolls dress and fuzzy peach bolero I picked up at Tatyana’s crazy up to 90% off sale!!!

And danced my feet off!!!

Viva la Lindy Hop Swing Dancing!!! Not sure what that is? Click here to find out more 🙂

12227077_10153272791544072_6529698171367788404_n — A rare moment – a bunch of lindy hoppers sitting down 🙂

12095131_1649749775313880_8935357137644489498_o — ME and my Dance Teachers, Lindy Hop Revolution

REMEMBRANCE DAY

I’m embarrassed to say that this was the first year I’ve ever attended Remembrance Day Ceremonies as an adult.

Since I had the day off, I made my way to Old City Hall in Toronto and pinned my poppy to the wreath at the memorial there.

Got to see the fly-by of vintage World War II planes in ‘missing man formation’, and hear Mayor John Tory’s speech.

It was quite a moving experience to be apart of. For more pictures, check out my Instagram channel and follow me.

CHEF’S PLATE

With the end of the month here, I usually post a new recipe that I’ve tried out myself, for the blog.

Have you noticed that I haven’t been keeping up with this since around August/September?

Well, that is because I’ve been cooking up a storm with Chef’s Plate! Here’s what I’ve made this past month:

This fantastic service has helped introduce me to so many new veggies and dishes…and has given me new confidence in the kitchen.

If you’re curious and want to try it out, You can get 4 meals for FREE by using referral code: #PETITEPLUSMEOW OR click this link.

1940’s @ GOORIN’S HAT SHOP

The Toronto Lindy Hop Community were invited to an exclusive shopping event at Goorin Bross on WQW – these fabulous hat makers were raffling off 3 gorgeous hats.

goorin bros hat shop — Hats. Wine. Live Music. #Boom

I was crushing on this one like crazy!!!

With Xmas nearby… I couldn’t justify dropping big money on any of the beautiful hats I tried on that night.

But I did come home with an Xmas gift certificate present and feathers for a hat I picked up at the Toronto Vintage Clothing Show last year.

12243973_10153280579894072_149136051_n — Goorin Bros feathers amp up this vintage hat find, don’t you think?

Which meant, I was entered into the draw. And guess who won….

Turns out in all my excitement to get this winning hat on my head for photos …. I was wearing this beauty of a 1940s propeller hat BACKWARDS.

How embarrassing

SWING OUT TO VICTORY

And last, but certainly not least….. was the fabulous dinner dance in Hamilton called: Swing Out To Victory!!!

Last year… was my first year attending this fab event. And I ended up winning 2nd place for the BEST VINTAGE OUTFIT Contest!!!

Click here to see more on that.

12189239_10153278992479072_1817161054869151220_o — Accessories were selected first – complete with ‘arrival shoes’ (*Aldo)*, purse (*Tatyana Boutique)* and ‘dance shoes’ (Keds) plus nautical socks *(Ardene).* I was ready! 🙂

So naturally, this year outfit planning started early…

I had picked up this nautical wiggle dress from Tatyana LAST year and have been dying to unveil it all year-long.

Dancing among the planes, to a live BIG BAND, with men in uniforms….

Um, YES PLEASE!!!

Deets on my outfit and outer wear…

Right picture: Purse and Dress from Tatyana Boutique, Shoes from Aldo, Gloves from 69Vintage

Left picture: White coat from Forever21+, Mink stole from Public Butter …. I really like this look, must remember to do this more often in the winter months 😉

Like I said… It was a busy November 🙂

Hope you enjoyed reading this online journal of What I Did and What I Wore …

If you’re looking for an excuse to get dressed up for a fun evening out, join me and the Toronto Vintage Society at our White Kitschmas Party on Saturday!!!

Click here to see the fun from LAST year.

COME! It’s the best way to kick off your Holiday Happenings – You will not be disappointed … I promise!

Get your tickets online and save $5 … right here😉

Have you LIKE’d the Petite Plus, Meow’s Facebook Page yet?

LIKE. Comment. Share.

Blast From The Past Vintage Prom

On November 28th, Rosie The Rebel – a retailer of retro and alternative clothing – hosted a fantastically themed party at The Great Hall, in Toronto:

Blast From the Past Vintage Prom: For Those Born in the Wrong Era

Think back to the prom scenes in classic movies like “Back To The Future” and “Grease” —> **swoon** What a terrific idea to recreate a ‘perfect night’ to live out your Vintage Prom Fantasy!

For those of us who were born in the wrong era, Vintage Prom gave us an opportunity to live out THAT fantasy Prom night!

The Toronto Vintage Society was on hand to help decorate and set-up the place with a Winter Wonderland theme. There was live music from the GreaseMarks with Rock and Roll hits from the 50s and 60s, followed by tunes by DJ Dr. Velvet.

Live Music from the GreaseMarks — Live Music from the *GreaseMarks*

There were Vendors vending, Single Hearts ready for pinning, Ballot casting for Prom King & Queen ….. and there were even a bunch of Swing Dancers on the floor that night – myself included!

PLUS a special performance from Miss Kitten Monroe:

And there was even a Photo Booth set up to capture your cheesy Prom moments!!! Photos below by Eye Candee Visuals/Ashley Gillick:

winter wonderland vintage prom — Photo Booth pic of Monika & I wearing our ‘single hearts’ …donning repurposed bridesmaid dresses of our past

vintage prom — Toronto Vintage Society – aren’t we a good looking’ group? 🙂

What I Wore:

How lucky was I to have been a bridesmaid earlier this year to already have a perfectly matching aqua coloured dress at-the-ready for this Winter Wonderland themed event! Sadly, it got terribly wrinkled throughout the night… not cute, sigh…

fake prom — Rocker boots under my prom dress a la “My-So-Called-Life”….

plus size prom — Halter bridesmaid dress from *David’s Bridal*; Rocker boots from Aldo; Feather hair piece was gifted; Jewellery from *Panache* (worn on MY actual Prom Night)

Oh, the memories! 🙂

Did YOU go to your Prom? What did you wear?
IF you got the chance to do it all over again, and create ‘a perfect night’, would you?

Come make some more fun-filled memories This Weekend (TODAY Saturday December 6th) It’s the Toronto Vintage Society’s Kitschmas Cabin party!! $5 gets you entertainment galore all starting at 8pm tonight! Hope to see you there!!!

Have you LIKE’d the Petite Plus, Meow’s Facebook Page yet?

LIKE. Comment. Share. 🙂

Oktoberfest!

For years now I’ve been trying to round-up the troops to enjoy Oktoberfest in the K-Dub (Kitchener, Waterloo) – the 2nd largest Oktoberfest celebration next to Munich, Germany! Sadly, I’ve failed every year. 😦

This year however, a few fun friends and I were determined to dig out our lederhosen and dirndls for Toronto’s 3rd annual authentic Oktoberfest party – at Ontario Place! Inspired by traditions started in Munich, Germany over 200 years ago, Toronto Oktoberfest brings a taste of Munich to the City as it captures the essence of authentic food, drink and merriment.

Naturally – we HAD to dress the part!

A few of my table mates have been painstakingly sewing themselves authentic-looking dirndls to wear to this event. I had my heart set on wearing an old Halloween costume I had in my closet of a German Beer Maid. Figured if this outfit won me 1st prize at my Office’s costume party – it was deserving enough to make a reappearance for this event. (woot! woot!)

german beer girl ppmeow — Last year’s winning Office Costume Party outfit (the blonde braided wig was on loan) 😉

Buuuuut then as Toronto Oktoberfest continued updating their FB page as the big weekend arrived …. it seems that their waitress staff were all going to be wearing my EXACT outfit!!! Le sigh… 😦

Needless to say, I was heartbroken. We bought our tickets back in July specifically for the dirndl wearing. Sooooooo I was DETERMINED to wear this get-up no matter what!

I figured my fancy buttons and a floral crown (Claire’s Accessories) would do the trick 😉

A few added button accessories … to look different from the waitstaff 😛

Floral crown from Claire’s Accessories (oh-so difficult to find in Fall)

There where fabulous hair inspiration in this article —- but y’all know how much I hate brushing my hair, let alone doing it. In the end, I went for a simple double ponytail look. Nailed it! 😛

German Beer Girl costume from Candy Apple Costume (online)

I was told that there was great importance and rules placed on how a dame ties the bow of her apron:

Rightside = married/taken. Back = virgin. Leftside = single n’ ready to mingle. As you can see, mine was tied accordingly 😉

Click here for deets on that.

Me with Liz of The Vintage Inn and Jacquie of TVS

I’m not typically a beer drinking kinda gal …. but this festival allowed you to taste a bunch of different ones, so I did. You can almost pinpoint the exact moment when the beers started to kick in by the excessive laughing and blurry-ness of each snap….:)

As per usual, the Toronto Vintage Society ladies brought their A-game, all decked out … in proper German dirndl attire! ps: I am NOT double-fisting my drinks. I’m a lady! I was kindly holding a pint for the photographer taking this pic …geez! 🙂

Me and my empty Beer Stein with the WINNER OF BEST DRESSED, Joy!!! She sewed this entire outfit herself, including the adorable hat!!! Mad skillz…with a ‘z’!

Before vs. After ….. an evening of Oktoberfest!

Turns out we closed down the tent!!! And stumbled our way out of the Ontario Place parking lot around 1am …. we were halfway to Brampton on foot (or so it felt like we were) before a kind cabbie picked us up and dropped us home safely. ***Hiccup***

Overall, a fantastic time! Can’t wait for next year’s Oktoberfest!

Would you be up to going if PPMeow! organized a table-o-fun? Let me know in the comment section and let’s start planning some beer + costume + blog-reader fun!!!

Have you LIKE’d the Petite Plus, Meow’s Facebook Page yet?

LIKE. Share. Tell A Friend, friend 🙂

Electro Swing Toronto’s Vintage Hollywood

We were at it again folks!

Electro Swing Toronto’s event this month was attended by moi and several TVSers (Toronto Vintage Society) to work the door and help judge the best dressed competition that is held each time an Electro Swing event happens. Tonight’s theme: VINTAGE HOLLYWOOD!

DJ Medicineman (founder of Electro Swing in Toronto) often recruits TVS to help him with vintage related things – and so far these collaborations have been fantastic!!! To see the other ones I’ve attended, click here , here and here.

Me wearing what I was told is a “80s does 20s classic black Hollywood peplum dress (BlackMarket Vintage on WQW for $10). And Joy!!! Photo Credit: Shermette

And Joy in an amazing Audrey Hepburn inspired look with jewels, gloves, cig holder and everything! **swoon**

Joy and Shermy … in their amazing vintage dresses giving their best vintage-non-smiling-bored faces.

Here we are on stage…trying to gauge audience applause for winners of Best Dressed: Dapper Dude and Dashing Dame:

Tah-Dah ….TVS with the winners of the Best Dressed Competition:

Check out my magical hair transformation courtesy of Jacquie – done in two mins flat in the green room at Revival!!! Thanks Miss Jacquie 🙂

My dress was a simple black – a classic hollywood look – with gold Lemay. I was told is a “80s does 20s classic black Hollywood peplum dress (BlackMarket Vintage on WQW for $10).

I threw on a black feather boa (Dollarama) and excessive blingy jewellery (most of which i got as wedding presents – Indian people love giving jewellery to brides)…and off I went.

Collage -O-Fun had at Electro Swing Toronto’s Vintage Hollywood night!

Electro Swing with Toronto Vintage Society — TVSers: Jacquie (Founder of TVS), moi, Shermy and Joy

For complete photo album of the event, taken by David Tom Photography, click here. AND to read about the event from Shermy’s perspective visit her blog Shermette. 🙂

Have you LIKE’d the Petite Plus, Meow’s Facebook Page yet?

LIKE. Share. Tell A Friend, friend 🙂

Tiki Lani Lanai with TVS and Ginger

Bands. Vinal. Videos. Burlesque. Hula Dancers. Signature Cocktails. Door Prizes. The Limbo. Swimsuit Contest. What more could you ask for at Toronto Vintage Society‘s 2nd annual sensational-end-of-summer tiki party.

I got there early to help my TVS Sistas set up the Cadillac Lounge into a Heavenly Tiki Patio…then I ran home to change before the could fun begin…

Me along side a few of the lovelies of the TVS Events Team

Me in my tiki-taskti dress, my wicker aqua clutch (Aldo), simple brown ankle-strap sandals (Payless), aqua drop earrings (Reitmans) and my too-tiny-to-notice hair flower (Forever21)…..

Y’all know I’m not a big make-up wearer …. but I tried my hand at bright eyes and loud lips with Almay’s intense-i-colour trio for greens and Rimmel’s In Vouge lipstick

Clearly a dress like this needed a much more substantial hair flower! Lucky for me the lovely and talented Shermy of Shermette was on hand selling her Fruits of Bali.

14958_10154459929635184_8451421278491510801_n — You can follow Shermy and her lovely hair flowers on Instagram: @miss_shermette

She’s got an etsy shop: Frutis of Bali by Shermette … just sayin’ 😉

Want more pictures of the TVS Tiki Party … click here

Now….let’s talk about MY DRESS!!!! 🙂

I was introduced to world of Cherry Velvet last year via Damzels store on Roncy in Toronto…and since have picked up two lovely dresses that fit my measurements (size 0X) like a glove flattering my curves with different, unique necklines. And best of all: your bra straps will always be covered and your hands, phone and lipgloss will always have a home in the convenient pockets in ALL of their dresses!

Click here and here for details on the above Cherry Velvet Dresses.

I’ve been coveting this tropical number for months….drooling over their Instagram post this amazing Tropical Taupe number that would be PERFECT Tiki Party attire for Toronto Vintage Society’s TIKI LANI LANANI.

Sadly I never found this in store…so it seemed this frock was only going to become a apart of my life and wardrobe if I bought it online. Now, I’m not 100% comfortable buying something I’ve not tried on before, especially when it comes to spending at these particular price points ($100+ per dress). Sigh…

But, since I own two already I felt fairly confident that my measurements and their sizing chart would make any online purchases a ‘success story’ 🙂

Truth be told that, outside of a German Beer Girl halloween costume (stay tuned for a reappearance of this getup as I just bought tickets to Toronto’s Oktoberfest – woot! woot!) I have never purchased clothing online before. My biggest concern or deterrent from online shopping: Returns and Exchanges if something doesn’t fit right —- aka “The Shipping-Back Hassle”.

I tried to push Ginger (the name of the dress) outta my mind and continue living my life…to find an alternative Tiki outfit for this event. But I just couldn’t. I was in love! Upon revisiting their site last week, turns out Ginger was on sale, a clear signs from the shopping-gods…and the ADD TO CART button was clicked and she was on her way to me 🙂

I ordered via http://www.cherryvelvet.com on August 1st and by August 8th a Canada Post deliver arrived with my name on it!!!!! Clearly I was excited as you can see from my Facebook post below…

Seemingly in my zeal to bring Ginger home to me, I ordered a size 1X, instead of the needed 0X…and instantly my “Shipping-Back-Hassle” fears were realized. Lesson Learned folks: double check, and triple check sizes you selcted and return/exchange policies before clicking ‘checkout’ … le sigh.

Lucky for me, minor alterations were needed to make this dress wearable for the big event were made, without having to send this beauty back to Vancouver (that’s where Cherry Velvet is based), allowing Ginger & I to have a fabulous time at TVS’s TIKI LANI LANANI Party!

Are you thinking to yourself…. “But Irene, there are TWO lovely new dresses that hang in your closet… tell me more about the other cutie-pie frock?”

Stay tuned for that friends, in an upcoming blogpost 😉 xoxo

Have you LIKE’d the Petite Plus, Meow’s Facebook Page yet?

LIKE. Share. Tell A Friend, friend 🙂

Pre-Opening Sneak Peek at Tatyana’s new Boutique in Toronto!!!

As much as I love vintage/retro styles ….. sifting through smelly racks of ‘truly vintage’ clothing in hopes that a gem-of-a-find will fit my petite-plus sized bod in a flattering way is difficult and often an uneventful task. This is why I’m a huge fan of the world of vintage reproduction. 🙂

Toronto has been buzzing for months around rumours of getting the golden-era inspired dress company behind the Bettie Page brand – Tatyana!

Vintage and retro style lovers – from swing dancers to rockabilly fans – have been dying to get their hands on the full range of clothing since they were dreamed up in 2006. With sizes in both circle dresses and wiggle dresses going right up to size 4x! The Tatyana company has chosen Toronto to be it’s 20^th location AND it’s first international store….and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

About the Company – Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tatyana Designs, Inc. is a growing retailer specializing in contemporary designs inspired by the 50’s. The merchandise offered through boutiques and active e-commerce and wholesale divisions is a diverse mix of high-quality and attractively priced apparel, jewelry, accessories and gifts. Tatyana collections target the 18-35 year-old, fashion conscious, female customer, but women of all ages are attracted to the unique retro look.

“Our newest Tatyana boutique is situated in the heart of Toronto,” notes Tatyana Designs co-CEO Jan Glaser. “We continue to be gratified by the enthusiastic acceptance of Tatyana’s designs by women from all walks of life. This is especially true as we have an enormous Canadian following with thousands wearing our dresses representing a disproportionate percentage of our customers. Now we have the opportunity to honor their patronage with our first Canadian outlet in an amazing location.”

The Toronto Vintage Society are huge supporters of any new company that wants to join our ranks in bringing the retro inspired lifestyle to this city…and there is room for everyone!!! To find out more we reached out to the company. The lovely Hayley from the NYC Boutique and new Toronto Store Manager Martha made time to let the Toronto Vintage Society have a sneak peek at what’s in store. Click here for the complete blogpost and interview.

The Tatyana Boutique Soft Opening Event this Saturday (Location: 322 Queen West, near Spadina Ave) with goody bags for the first 10 people through the door; bubbly drinks and tasty treats; PLUS an exclusive discount just for US! Mention “Toronto Vintage Loves Tatyana” and receive 20% off your purchase!!! You’re welcome friends!!! 🙂

Happy Shopping! If you do pick up something fabulous this weekend…be sure to post a picture of yourself on Petite Plus, Meow’s Facebook page so I can oooo-and-ahhhh your purchases with you! xoxo

Deep-V Faux Wrap

I have to say that I’ve been really, really good about NOT making too many additional outfit purchase since my Cross Boarder Shopping Extravaganza earlier this summer. Buuuuuuut, every now and again, usually when I finally make it into the office downtown, I maybe find an amazing piece or two that is simply too lovely to pass on.

Like this amazing sleeveless deep-V faux-wrap dress I saw hanging in a Winners rack just as I was leaving. There isn’t much of a plus-size selection at many of the locations in the downtown core, or so I’ve found. This dress that I fell in love with for instance, was a XL in straight sizes. Dun dun dun…..

I didn’t even have time to try it on – just held it up against my body. I decided that the DBA (designated-boob-area) was ample enough, the pattern and fabric forgiving enough, that I just ran it over to the checkout and hoped for the best.

Later that week I found myself running errands in The Duffrin Mall (who, I must say, have really stepped-it-up from the frightening array of shops it housed from my memories as a teen), and discovered these fab booties on sale at Reitmans…… regular price $60 — marked down to $14.99!!!!!!

A little accessories love: Suede Booties from *Reitmans*; Jean jacket from Old Nay; Bow earrings and vintage purse were gifted & thrifted.

New Sunnies!!! My first Aviators…from ElleHardware

And like that a country line-dancing outfit was born! 🙂

I rocked this outfit and made my way to Boots N’ Bourbon for their Thursday Night lesson + 1/2 priced appies and $5 beers!

Happy to say I wasn’t a complete disaster on the dance-floor. Thank goodness for all the vid clips from my previous blogpost: Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy!

Giddy Up!

How I Got The Look:

Dress from Winners (Wellington/Yonge); Jean jacket from Old Navy; Booties from Reitmans; Aviator sunglasses from Elle Hardware (West Queen West); Bow earrings were a gift and vintage suede purse thrifted/gifted.

Have you LIKE’d the Petite Plus Meow Facebook Page yet?

LIKE. Share. Tell A Friend, friend 🙂

Cross-Border Shopping Extravaganza

After the Victorian Tea event at Your Big Sister’s Closet last month, I met a delightful lady with whom an instant friendship was born. Turns out this chick, Annika Reid is the chief designer and owner of Candi Apple Couture (who was soon to be launching into the bloggosphere) struggles with finding affordable bra options in Toronto. Naturally, our tea-time conversation quickly turned to planning a road trip to Buffalo to empty all of the Lane Bryant locations of their Cicaque bras!!! Annika had yet to learn of the magic of this brand – and I was more than happy to show her what a proper fitting bra could do. 🙂

So we took a day off work and left for the border bright and early …. but first a stop at currency exchange followed by the church of i.HOP…their Strawberry Banana Cream Pie Pancakes is an AMAZING and religious experience! God is Good!

Now…this was meant to be a very purposeful and focused cross border trip. There is absolutely no reason for me to be shopping. My closet is full and my shoe selection ample. This trip’s Mission was strictly for Over-The-Shoulder-Boulder-Holders! Buuuuut some how the following sofa-full of bags ended up coming home with me….

My Shoe Haul!

The deals on footwear in my size were just too good to pass up friends…. soooo this happened:

This was my very first time visiting Torrid … and I must say, when they throw a sale…they mean business!! Check out these two pairs I got from them:

Torrid: Black High-top platform kicks $14!!!

From Torrid: suede black sling-backs with gold pointed studs were $5! (I signed up for their store card…and got them for $2.50!!! Crazytown!)

Payless: each pair was $17!!!! Naturally I had to get them in ever colour that fit my feet!! 🙂

Then of course, we had to stop at the NineWest Outlet … they’ve never let me down yet…and with their Buy one Get one 1/2 off, these two babies became mine:

Kate Spade New York

I’ve been eyeing the Kate Spade bags for sometime now, but wasn’t sure if I was a “Kate Spade kinda girl”. But then I saw this paten-leather stripped beauty in the window, whist waiting for the girls to find WiFi service within the mall…..and I was hooked. I visited this shop TWICE before making my decision. I cradled and petted it. Wore it with its detachable cross-body strap. Held it by its handle and walked around the store a bit to see if I liked the look and weight of it. It was beautiful. But, did I really need another designer purse?

Then a conveniently placed shop-girl quickly informed me that this particular bag was not only discounted at 40%….but there was an ADDITIONAL 20% off this bag TODAY ONLY!!!! Well…that did it friends! She. Was. Mine! 🙂

Dresses

As I mentioned above, I truly set off with good intentions to keep my wallet tight….I had no intention of buying additional clothes this trip. Buuuuut then this happened….

The girls took me to a shop I’d never been before called: Rainbow. I was immediately drawn to this fantastic nautical cut-out hi-low dress….but at first glance I was too intimidated by it. But upon trying it on – I really really really loved it! And have been kicking myself for not buying it in the summer-tastic teal colour it came in as well as the navy I picked up. It pays to go shopping with two pushy chicks I tell ya 😉 (Thanks again ladies! You make be brave!)

Rainbow: Hi-low nautical stripes cut-out dress was $16!!!

I did end up buying TWO more dresses….a scalloped neck and hemlines lace dress from DressBarn ($39) and a coral-navy patterned faux wrap dress from Rainbow ($15!). I ended up wearing this one to this Speed Dating Event I recently attended …. stay tuned on my blog post on that friends 😉

Oh…did we buy bras? You bet we did!!! Lane Bryant’s Cacique bra selection goes right up to F, G and H-cup …. and they often have Buy one, Get one 1/2 off sales also! Which typically means this girl can get up to FOUR bras for less than the price of one in Toronto that doesn’t need to be custom ordered and fitted by a pricy lingerie shop.

Sadly, the selection was rather limited in terms of the styles vs. sizes needed this time around — strongly recommend you pre-order if you’re making a trip out there specifically for bras friends. I did pick up a deep plunge for those dresses that are cleavage specific, a perfect tee-shirt bra, a racer back lace french cut and a regular lace french cut. Curious of what these look like? Click here and visit their site friends 😉

All smiles with full bellies, empty wallets, and sore voices from all the Car-aoke singing all the way back to Toronto. ROAD TRIP COMPLETE! Woot! Woot!

There you have it! A Breakdown of my Cross-Border Extravaganza and Shopping Haul! It was a fantastic day. How many of y’all go cross border shopping on the regular? Would anyone be interested in coming along if Petite Plus, Meow! + Candi Apple Couture were to HOST a cross border shopping trip in the near future? Tell us what you think of this idea in the comments section friends….and we’ll take it from there 🙂

Oh … Have you LIKE’d the Facebook Page yet? Subscribe. Share. And Tell A Friend. xoxoxo

Custom Suiting – Thoughts?

Most of what I like to do on Petite Plus, Meow! is to write posts featuring “what I did” and “what I wore“. Occasionally I’ve spoken about other topics, one in particular is how disappointing it is to see a handsome & eligible bachelor who’s wearing crumbled pants and a hoodie. Even more rare, apparently is one who actually OWNS a pair of dress shoes….le sigh (click here to read what I wrote in that post).

I get that not everyone loves clothes and shoes as much as me. Buuuuuut I don’t think too many people – men in particular – realize how important looking your best is when interacting with others – after all you only get one chance to make a first impression – and those first impressions are lasting impressions. Looking your best is directly related to your ability to influence and persuade others and is the basics in the ‘Art of Manliness’.

Anywhoo, I recently received an email announcing a fantastic opportunity and deal and wanted to share: HIRAS are Custom Tailors based in London & Hong Kong now visiting Toronto – specializing in custom suits, shirts, jackets, coats and many more for men and women. With a focus on bespoke tailoring.

Bespoke tailoring means to design garments from a bare canvas, and the client provides his/her personal choice of style in addition to those of the fitter. They do not have any established patterns. Individual paper pattern is cut from scratch using individual measurements of the clients. HIRA only keep individual paper cut outs of patterns and measurements in file for the client’s future orders. This means your suit/shirt/whatever will be one of a kind and only for you!

Ladies – this means you too! Suits in softer silhouettes with feminine accents enhance a woman’s style to provide a distinctive form and fit with functional pieces that can go beyond the board room in any occasion. From the sleek suit jacket to the silk blouse and shapely skirt, made to YOUR body – how are you not excited?!

Andy Hira, is exhibiting in:

Toronto (Richmond Hill) on Tuesday 10th & Wednesday 11th June 2014 (from 3pm on Tuesday to 3pm on Wednesday) at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North, located at 600 Highway 7 East, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1B2.

Toronto (Downtown) from Thursday 12th to Saturday 14th June 2014 (all day on Thursday onwards) at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, located at 123 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON M5H 2M9.

Click here to book an appointment.

Now – if this is wayyyy outta your price range or lifestyle needs at the moment…perhaps you’ll find this video an easier alternative to custom suiting.

Antonio Centeno is one of the founders of A Tailored Suit, an online maker of custom suits and clothing. He’s put together this vid talking to men about the Top 10 Inexpensive Ways to Upgrade Your Style. Included below for your viewing pleasure:

Choir! Choir! Choir!

I love to sing. I’m an off-key karaoke fiend, and often have broken into song on the streets whilst listening to my iPod. I’m not particularly good at it … except when I’m singing “Drunk In Love” in my shower – then I sound EXACTLY like Queen B 🙂

Singing makes me happy. And I’m determine to discover and DO more of those things – that make me happy. I’ve been told of social choirs outside of a ‘church type choir’ before, however many of the ones I’ve been looking at have strict rules and restrictions before one can become a member. Plus, most of these chapters are located in Whitby, Mississauga and Oakville. Not at all what this Downtown Toronto gal is looking for.

SIDE NOTE: Just recently found this BlogT.O. article: Karaoke Nights in Toronto – every night of the week?! I’m definitely gonna have to investigate this list and the different spots this summer FO SHO!!!

I often sing the praises (see what I did there…ya, I’m clever like that) of Toronto being the best city ever — and I’ve recently discovered yet another reason why this city is so great: Choir! Choir! Choir!

C! C! C! is a singing group based in Toronto. Since February of 2011, they have been throwing down and saving lives. www.choirchoirchoir.com

I’ve actually been a member of this Facebook group for a few months now. Always wanting to go to an event, but feeling shy and discouraged to go alone. Alas, my social circle’s avaliability has dwindled due to life, marriages and babies….. and of those who still remain, they are less than enthusiastic about singing loudly in public than I am 🙂

But when I received the invite to last week’s session – I was def gonna check it out not matter what!

Don’t You Want Me (Human League) and Tainted Love (Soft Cell) – Yup! Two classics. One glorious night!

Typically, C! C! C! meets at two different pubs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Toronto’s Little Italy (College/Shaw area) …

Daveed Goldman & Nobu Adilman are the musical leads/directors who kick off the evening with riffs and banter before corralling us all to stand tightly as close to the stage as possible, grouping those who sing “highs and mids” separate from “lows and base”.

With minimum practice, Daveed and Nobu were able to make us sound amazing in 3-hours of fun filled singing with beers! Don’t believe me – check out the SoundCloud clips … thrilled that MY voice will be among a few of these renditions now. Oooop Boop!

I really can’t describe how amazing it was to be surrounded by a bunch of strangers singing our hearts out in unison and harmony. The only way to capture that feeling is to show you friends. Check out this clip of C! C! C! singing Neil Diamond’s hit “Sweet Caroline”.… if you’re not smiling ear-to-ear by the end of it, then you are a robot.

Oh … here’s what I wore done collage-style (as I forgot to take pics of the actual outfit) – my #ootd was uber casual for pub singing with C! C! C!:

How I got the Look: Black tank maxi dress from H&M; Great back lace sweatshirt from Penningtons (click here and here for other posts featuring this one); Medina Bib from Stella & Dot; Purple patterned scarf and memory foam soled Sketcher — essential for all the STANDING required for 3+ hours of singing with C! C! C! 🙂

Can’t wait for the next sing-a-long event with this fantastic group of people! Just thinking about it makes my heart happy! Weeeeee!

Want more details about C! C! C!? – Read Here, New People 🙂

THE VINTAGE SPECTACULAR

REMEMBRANCE DAY

CHEF’S PLATE

1940’s @ GOORIN’S HAT SHOP

SWING OUT TO VICTORY

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: