Althea

For this shoot we were on location on Stony Lake, we spent the day on a boat which was hand built by Ted Moores, who owns Bear Mountain Boats with his partner Joan Barrett. The creative team consisted of  Jamo, Christina and I along with two models, Emily and DeLaney. By the time we had everything packed up (hair and makeup supplies, wardrobe, camera equipment) we must have looked quite strange wandering around the marina. We do not travel light it looked like we were going on a 5 day trip instead of just an afternoon, this was mostly my fault but I wanted options for the shoot.

The wardrobe was centred around bathing suits by Amber Watkins (a swimwear designer based in Ottawa) who makes elegant swimsuits with a vintage feel and a modern twist on embelishment and colour. All the suits were very cute but I fell in love with a black one with a slit between the high waisted bottoms and bandeau top with pearl detals. I had a lot of fun to coming up with accessories  for this shoot as I believe that jewelry, big hats and heels are always appropriate beach and boating wear. We wanted to go for a high fashion resort look, with the shoot telling the story of two heiresses and was strongly influenced by the sophisticated elegance of Chanel (I hope all this comes across in the pictures).

   The boat was beautful and a great way to see the lake. We shot at a few different locations, starting at an island with a sort of public historical park with a beautiful old gazebo, I felt like we all needed parasols and Edwardian sports clothes to complete the vision, it was very old fashioned and elegant. We didn’t stay there very long as it got quite crowded, people were milling around watching the shoot a fair amount, and we were worried that the boat would get smacked when people were pulling up to the dock. 

 We also went to an island with a church on it which was a great location for shooting, both inside the church and on the property around it. It was a very fun day, and I’m excited to see the rest of the edited pictures. 

Thank you so much to Ted and Joan for letting us spend the day on their boat, and welcome Emily to the STRUTT team! 

White After Labor Day

“Never wear white after labor day”, this fashion rule has been followed by the sartorially conscious for decades but does it remain true today? Although there is some debate about the origins of this rule, the most common theory is that around the turn of the 20th century white became the summer staple of the wealthy. Wearing white was considered a status symbol, as it would get dirty quickly in cities it was not practical for day to day wear, the only time it would be considered practical and appropriate was when the elite went to resorts in the cleaner country during the summer months. This was also practical as clothing was so restrictive that wearing white would offer a slightly cooler alternative to typical garments of the time. When they returned from their summer homes the white clothing would be packed away for darker city pieces for winter.

   In recent times this rule is still followed but rarely by younger generations and the rule is broken all the time by all levels of fashion.  You simply have to look at the full skirted dresses of Dior’s fall collection or the buttery white suits at Chanel to see that white is not only acceptable this fall but a dramatic wardrobe addition. Although many collections show a more soft off white shade the Versace collection includes a stark white dress with woven bustier and filmy white skirt which a few decades ago would have only been considered summer wear.

White outerwear can be impractical but this adds to the glamour, who can argue with the elegant transformation of Anne Hathawy in the Devil Wears Prada when she steps out to hail a cab in a belted wool coat and white and silver accessories. In one of the most iconic photographs of Marilyn Monroe she is wrapped in a luxurious white fur, so outerwear in white has always been seen as a luxury.

            If white after Labor Day is such a faux pas why do designers and trendsetters insist on tempting us with so many glorious fall options in white? In the modern fashion rulebook the most important rule is many of the old ones don’t apply. So lets bring back snow-white styles into the season that inspired them.