Far from frump or farmer: Alberta’s top 10 style bloggers
By now, most of us can recognize the many hours it takes to curate a decent fashion blog, and we’ve spent enough time perusing said blogs to know the value in finding a unique voice amongst the noise. Case in point: despite an overzealous cowboy rep (I’m talking the Calgary Stampede, of course, though there’s nothing wrong with rocking a good pair of cowboy boots), and a smothering from what was, at one point, the biggest shopping mall on the planet (I’m talking West Edmonton Mall, of course, though there’s nothing wrong with being a front-runner for immigrating brands like J.Crew), the prairies churn out some die-hard fashion addicts who are both independent thinkers, and far from frump and farmer. We’ve rounded up the top 10 personal style bloggers from Alberta who aren’t afraid to wear floral print pants, mix and match patterns from head-to-toe or seize outdoor photo-ops in subzero temperatures—bare-legged if they must—just for the frill of it.
Amy Nelson, 19, Calgary
amyflyingakite.com
Don’t you just want to join this girl on a grassy hill at a summertime music festival? Dreamy, artsy, whimsical, with many a-stint on Teen Vogue, and a similarly large following online, Amy Flying a Kite is a lover of vintage shopping and florals. With a secondary page dedicated to her own poetry, we have to assume there’s something pretty prolific going on in her head when she’s assembling these covetable outfits, too.
Vickie Laliotis, 28, Edmonton
adventuresinfashion.ca
If you’re wondering how to incorporate the latest and greatest trend into your wardrobe, A.I.F. has already got you covered. A fashion journalist herself, Vickie is originally (and ironically?) from Victoria, BC, but lucky for AB, she’s decided to call Edmonton home and make it all the more chic. Fashion ventures often mix the frilly and feminine with something polished, edgy, or androgynous, so, naturally, we’d like to peek in her closet. In addition to her active Instagram and Pinterest feeds, she’s also a DIY-er. Get out your glitter and glue.
Ashley Pettigrew, 28, Calgary
lionslacelattes.blogspot.com
Lions Lace Lattes is chockablock full of statement-making pieces, but the girl behind this sartorial space still knows how to rework staple items into something fresh and new. Belt-it, bangle-it, band-it, her playful aesthetic is sure to spark copycats. And if followers don’t flock solely for Pettigrew’s fun and practical fashion sense, it’s for her wistful, dream-like scenic photos that prove Alberta to be quintessentially beautiful.
Ania Boniecka, 26, Calgary
aniab.net
We love this drop-dead-gorgeous model and Calgary-based blogger not only for her charming Polish accent and her blog’s magazine-collage typeface (is that just a personal fetish?), but also for her rock star edge that makes you want to jump into the future. As the undeniable “It” girl you can’t take your eyes off at Calgary’s top fashion events, you’ve likely seen her posing in all the local designer look books, or, you know, walking for Missoni way-back-when. Ania B. is runway-to-real with all the allure.
Janis Galloway, 26, Edmonton
dressmedearly.com
This Edmonton-based site may be one of the most suitably titled blogs we’ve come across. Janis’s personal style is all about classic femininity: pretty bows, crisp Peter Pan collars, precious dresses, peep-toe shoes, pleats, lace and ladylike details of days gone by. Looking for the next Alberta fashion event, dahling? Fully immersed in the Edmonton scene as a stylist and communications expert, this girl is all over it with a fashion calendar and event recaps.
Alyssa Lau, Edmonton, 20
theordinarypeoples.blogspot.com
Adorable cousins Kurtis and Alyssa take turns posing and posting his-and-her looks that are clearly more invigorated by street style fashion than your next editorial spread. We’ve obviously got a girl-crush, though. Alyssa masters the chic-grunge look with leather jackets, sheer maxis and oversized tops, while simultaneously playing it sugary sweet in pink floral trousers and mint green dresses. Despite their humble beginnings (i.e. “ordinary”), this URL has got a comparatively loud online presence.
Sandy Joe Karpetz, 24, Edmonton
the-pretty-secrets.blogspot.com
Expert thrifter, vintage-fashion-lover, ‘60s musical buff, Sandy Joe is all about retro culture, and it’s written all over her patchwork faux fur coats and round Warhol-esque sunnies. Having studied fashion at Ryerson in Toronto, interned at British Vogue and worked at Lula while living in London, this wild child will use road trip antics and local hidden gems as backdrops to show off a kind of bursting personality we just can’t get enough of. P.S. Those lips are real.
KD Faustino, 27, Calgary
thegirlwiththemessyhair.com
KD arrived from the Philippines with her much-loved urban boho style blog only a few years ago, when personal fashion blogging in Alberta was as sparse as this season’s hurry-up-and-leave trees (pun!). The girl takes on this early-bird mentality when adopting all the boldest trends, and you know she has fun getting there. Since KD works as a fashion buyer and social media manager, you’ll hear it ‘round the world, too.
Marie Zydek, 31, Edmonton
mariealamode.blogspot.com
The girl with the signature blonde bangs: Marie of the à la mode genre is all about keeping it accessible in the most non-generic way. While adopting two or three trends into one sleek and polished outfit, she usually brings in a sexy twist, playing with black lacey cutouts or geek-chic frames. Both an actress and a buyer for a manufacturing company, she also blogs about manufactured celebrity stuff, like who’s the latest to get plastic surgery, which is a little bit of juice to any fashion update.
Kassandra Camponi, 26, Edmonton
kastles.tumblr.com
Kastles, as the Edmonton fashion crowd knows her, is a splash of sun on an otherwise dull day. Always colour blocking in bright, rich hues, she’s got a contagious smile, and we love how she’s not afraid to take risks with conviction when it comes to mixing patterns of the polka, plaid, botanic or animal print variety. If fashion is a form of self-expression, this tastemaker lives in technicolour inside and out.
, and a smothering from what was, at one point, the biggest shopping mall on the planet (I’m talking West Edmonton Mall, of course, though there’s nothing wrong with being a front-runner for immigrating brands like J.Crew), the prairies churn out some die-hard fashion addicts who are both independent thinkers, and far from frump and farmer. We’ve rounded up the top 10 personal style bloggers from Alberta who aren’t afraid to wear floral print pants, mix and match patterns from head-to-toe or seize outdoor photo-ops in subzero temperatures—bare-legged if they must—just for the frill of it.
View our top 10 »
Amy Nelson, 19, Calgary
amyflyingakite.com
Don’t you just want to join this girl on a grassy hill at a summertime music festival? Dreamy, artsy, whimsical, with many a-stint on Teen Vogue, and a similarly large following online, Amy Flying a Kite is a lover of vintage shopping and florals. With a secondary page dedicated to her own poetry, we have to assume there’s something pretty prolific going on in her head when she’s assembling these covetable outfits, too.
Vickie Laliotis, 28, Edmonton
adventuresinfashion.ca
If you’re wondering how to incorporate the latest and greatest trend into your wardrobe, A.I.F. has already got you covered. A fashion journalist herself, Vickie is originally (and ironically?) from Victoria, BC, but lucky for AB, she’s decided to call Edmonton home and make it all the more chic. Fashion ventures often mix the frilly and feminine with something polished, edgy, or androgynous, so, naturally, we’d like to peek in her closet. In addition to her active Instagram and Pinterest feeds, she’s also a DIY-er. Get out your glitter and glue.
Ashley Pettigrew, 28, Calgary
lionslacelattes.blogspot.com
Lions Lace Lattes is chockablock full of statement-making pieces, but the girl behind this sartorial space still knows how to rework staple items into something fresh and new. Belt-it, bangle-it, band-it, her playful aesthetic is sure to spark copycats. And if followers don’t flock solely for Pettigrew’s fun and practical fashion sense, it’s for her wistful, dream-like scenic photos that prove Alberta to be quintessentially beautiful.
Ania Boniecka, 26, Calgary
aniab.net
We love this drop-dead-gorgeous model and Calgary-based blogger not only for her charming Polish accent and her blog’s magazine-collage typeface (is that just a personal fetish?), but also for her rock star edge that makes you want to jump into the future. As the undeniable “It” girl you can’t take your eyes off at Calgary’s top fashion events, you’ve likely seen her posing in all the local designer look books, or, you know, walking for Missoni way-back-when. Ania B. is runway-to-real with all the allure.
Janis Galloway, 26, Edmonton
dressmedearly.com
This Edmonton-based site may be one of the most suitably titled blogs we’ve come across. Janis’s personal style is all about classic femininity: pretty bows, crisp Peter Pan collars, precious dresses, peep-toe shoes, pleats, lace and ladylike details of days gone by. Looking for the next Alberta fashion event, dahling? Fully immersed in the Edmonton scene as a stylist and communications expert, this girl is all over it with a fashion calendar and event recaps.
Alyssa Lau, Edmonton, 20
theordinarypeoples.blogspot.com
Adorable cousins Kurtis and Alyssa take turns posing and posting his-and-her looks that are clearly more invigorated by street style fashion than your next editorial spread. We’ve obviously got a girl-crush, though. Alyssa masters the chic-grunge look with leather jackets, sheer maxis and oversized tops, while simultaneously playing it sugary sweet in pink floral trousers and mint green dresses. Despite their humble beginnings (i.e. “ordinary”), this URL has got a comparatively loud online presence.
Sandy Joe Karpetz, 24, Edmonton
the-pretty-secrets.blogspot.com
Expert thrifter, vintage-fashion-lover, ‘60s musical buff, Sandy Joe is all about retro culture, and it’s written all over her patchwork faux fur coats and round Warhol-esque sunnies. Having studied fashion at Ryerson in Toronto, interned at British Vogue and worked at Lula while living in London, this wild child will use road trip antics and local hidden gems as backdrops to show off a kind of bursting personality we just can’t get enough of. P.S. Those lips are real.
KD Faustino, 27, Calgary
thegirlwiththemessyhair.com
KD arrived from the Philippines with her much-loved urban boho style blog only a few years ago, when personal fashion blogging in Alberta was as sparse as this season’s hurry-up-and-leave trees (pun!). The girl takes on this early-bird mentality when adopting all the boldest trends, and you know she has fun getting there. Since KD works as a fashion buyer and social media manager, you’ll hear it ‘round the world, too.
Marie Zydek, 31, Edmonton
mariealamode.blogspot.com
The girl with the signature blonde bangs: Marie of the à la mode genre is all about keeping it accessible in the most non-generic way. While adopting two or three trends into one sleek and polished outfit, she usually brings in a sexy twist, playing with black lacey cutouts or geek-chic frames. Both an actress and a buyer for a manufacturing company, she also blogs about manufactured celebrity stuff, like who’s the latest to get plastic surgery, which is a little bit of juice to any fashion update.
Kassandra Camponi, 26, Edmonton
kastles.tumblr.com
Kastles, as the Edmonton fashion crowd knows her, is a splash of sun on an otherwise dull day. Always colour blocking in bright, rich hues, she’s got a contagious smile, and we love how she’s not afraid to take risks with conviction when it comes to mixing patterns of the polka, plaid, botanic or animal print variety. If fashion is a form of self-expression, this tastemaker lives in technicolour inside and out.){kind=link}