Today, I wore black.

Fall uniform

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Posted on November 11, 2021 by sergelyne

Short PSA: I posted my draft by mistake around noon. This is the real post. Thanks to those of you who’ll take the time to read me twice.

If last Wednesday’s post was all about la-la land, this one is very much grounded in reality. This is what I’ve actually bought and will be wearing this fall.

Much like a lot of people who are still working from home, the days of wearing old leggings and stained sweaters are behind me. I just couldn’t do lounge wear 24/7 anymore – it was affecting my mood. I either had to start investing in cashmere leggings (and we’re back to la-la land) or resume wearing my normal work clothes. I really needed to get dress in the morning – especially in winter. The weather is dreary enough without me looking like the grim reaper.

And then summer came. And getting dressed was no longer something I did to stay sane, but rather something I did because since we only get 3 months of warm weather in Montréal, there was NO WAY I was spending them in my holey sweats. I still had nowhere to go, but at least I looked good for my computer.

For Fall, I knew I wanted to replace my linen shirts with (surprise surprise) wool sweaters and my high-waisted shorts with jeans. With Totême being out of the question (I stopped teaching, but someone at the government still signs my pay check), I turned to some valeurs sures: Club Monaco, Banana Republic, Aritzia and Uniqlo.

So here’s some of what I wore for my computer last week and what I plan of wearing during the colder months.

Uniqlo Soufflé yarn mock neck sweater, (old) Club Monaco Alessia corduroy

Banana Republic cardigan sweater, (old) Citizens of Humanity jeans, 2017 Nike Air Max 97 Silver Bullet

On weekdays, should you bump into me on my daily walks on Mont-Bruno, this is most likely what I look like. I take athleisure to a *whole* new level…

(Old) Eileen Fisher Stand Collar Cocoon Coat, Echo scarf, HM shirt, Stance socks and (destroyed) Mizuno sneakers

Uniqlo soufflé yarn mock neck sweater – Have no fear, I did – nor would I ever – not get in light blue. But if blue is your thing, know that it comes in blue. And in heather grey and in tan and in cream. And of course, in black.

*Photo provided by Uniqlo*

The High rise Skinny Cord – I like this new version even more than mine, because they have slightly wider leg opening and they’re cropped (l had to get my tailor to shortened mine).

*Photo provided by Club Monaco*

The Silver Bullet is the only pair of sneakers that one – ok fine – that I need to own. Except maybe for a ball gown, they work with any outfit in any colour. I will forever regret not owning an original pair from 1997, but I was there in 2017 and I’ll be there for its 25th anniversary next year.

*Photo by Matt Martin*

Here’s the updated version of my coat: Eggshell recycled nylon hooded coat.
If you ask me, Eileen Fisher should be any grown woman’s go-to norm-core brand.

*Photo provided by Eileen Fisher.*

As you can see comfort is the word and my love of all things black has been challenged… if only slightly.

✌🏾Sergelyne

Tale of a coat

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Posted on November 7, 2021 by sergelyne

I’ve parted ways with my beloved Canada Goose parka. I loved that coat as much as one can love an inanimated object. Still, after a decade, we had to part ways.

Ok, full disclosure: it no longer fitted me. When I purchased it, I told everyone that it was the last winter coat I was ever going to buy! I figured that a $600 parka with a lifetime guarantee was bound to last me a lifetime. Clearly, I didn’t account for the weight gain… Anyhow, since those parkas retain their value, I sold it this past August. May it live on for another decade…

I really wanted to get another Canada Goose – ideally a calf-length parka. But as you know, their prices are now as steep as their coats are warm… So thank you, but next.

So my Trillium parka has been replaced by the long version of Aritzia’s Super Puff. Now, seeing how it gets rave reviews year after year, you might think that this decision was an easy one. Ce serait très mal me connaître… Back in September, after much deliberation, I had settled on it. I liked its price and I figured that getting it in black was a sure bet. But then two weeks ago, I saw the Powder Parka in dark olive and it was love at first sight. So I bought it in an extra-small and it was perfect. Perfect to wear over a t-shirt, that it. So I exchanged it for a small. The small was also perfect… for someone else. On paper, the Powder Parker has a lot going for it: it has a great temperature rating and it’s water- and wind-proof. And it comes in nicer colours than the Super Puff. But I found it quite heavy. Plus, it’s noisy: the fabric makes a weird swoosh sound when the sleeves rub against the rest of the coat. I really wanted to love it, but I ended up exchanging it as well.

So it was back to my original plan. It might not be the most exciting puffer out there – it’s actually quite basic. But strangely enough, I get the hype around it: it does what it needs to do. It’s simple and to the point – just the way I like do dress. My only regret is that it doesn’t come in dark olive.

Well, let me not speak too soon: temperatures here have yet to dip below 0° C. Alors à suivre.

✌🏾Sergelyne

Totême

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Posted on November 3, 2021 by sergelyne

As a native Montrealer, I live for the summer. But as an avid fashion lover, I know that Fall is where it’s at.

*Photo provided by int.toteme-studio.com*

And in terms of great timeless Fall pieces, Totême is where it’s at. With their raison d’être being the exploration of the “appeal of a modern uniform through distinct design cues, meticulous craftsmanship, and methodical repetition”, this Swedish brand was surely going to make a fan out of me.

So while many fashion girls are Olsen twins stans, I’m team Totême. Case in point: on any given week, I dedicate a few of my Instagram stories to their pieces. Let me share what I’ve added to my “cart” since September. You read right, September – this blog might be part fantasy, but Totême prices are definitely real!

Oh, by the way, you might have noticed a slight switch in my colour palette. There’ll be more on that later…

✌🏾 Sergelyne

I’m ready to shape shift.

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Posted on May 24, 2021 by sergelyne

Big and bouncy, with loose curls: that’s my idea of perfect hair.

The only problem is that hair like that takes time and dedication. Achieving that look was already a feat when my hair was relaxed, it’s even more of a workout now that I’m natural. Washing, blow drying, straightening and curling my thick 4C hair can sometimes feel like a part time job. One I don’t care for, nor did I ask for.

Still once in a while, I dedicated three hours to my hair, in the hopes of leaving the house with big bouncy loose curls. How many time have I achieved my desired look lately? Not once. I’ve blamed my blow-dryer, my straightener, my thick hair when the only one who’s really to blame is my talentless hairstylist, me.

A few year ago, I came across Frédérique Harrel – Freddie, pour les intimes – on Instagram. Something about her personal style – and yes, her hair – automatically drew me in. It is perfection: carefree, but also very intentional. But mostly, it is unapologetically black. It reminds me of Diana Ross’s hair – only more attainable.

Hair is where you get to be loud, where you can express your multiplicity. (Freddie Harrel)

*Photo provided by Paul Natkin/Getty Images*

*Photo provided by Frédérique Harrel/RadSwan*

Only it’s not her natural hair. Harrel wears hair extensions and wigs or, as she now calls them, RadShapes. When I first started following her, she had her own line of clip-in extensions that followed the 3C-4C curl pattern of black hair called Big Hair No Care. While her hair line has since changed name to become RadSwan, its mission remained the same: to offer hair that black women wouldn’t have to spend a ridiculous amount of time caring for or spend too much money on. Harrel has also mentioned several times that she no longer wanted human hair extensions as she felt grossed out by the reports she’d hear about women being abused in the sourcing process. All of her RadShapes are therefore made with high quality synthetic hair.

I’ve never been a wig girl myself, something about them always turned me off. Let it be the price or the necessary upkeep, I’d admire them from afar, convinced that they were not for me. But those RadShapes got me intrigued. Intrigued enough to want to give them a try…

Now only time will tell if I actually commit. But after having relaxed my hair, after giving weaves a try and after occasionally sporting braids, I finally feel ready to embark in the final stage of my hair evolution. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted. Unless I get one in the winter – we all know that I don’t blog in the winter.

My perfect hair on a perfect day, my engagement shoot. Back when my hair was relaxed and my hairstylist more adept.
*Photo provided by Fusion Photography*

Speaking of perfection, this particular picture was taken right before a pigeon defecated on my head…
*Photo provided by Fusion Photography*

✌🏾 Sergelyne

There Is Apparently No Going Back to the Way It Was

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Posted on August 20, 2020 by sergelyne

Last week, Sarah Rutson, a former buyer for Lane Crawford and for Net-a-Porter announced that she was getting rid of about 30 years worth of clothes.

The reasoning behind such a purge? In short, Rutson has said that knowing that there will no going back to pre-lockdown times led to the decision to clean out her closet.

All in black – just the way I like my girls.
Photo provided by Getty images

But if one must wear colour…
Photo provided by Philip Oh

Enough said.
Photo provided by Style du Monde

When you know, you know.
Photo provided by Larry Busacca/Getty Images

I do not get it. She is, as American Vogue Senior Fashion News Writer Emily Farra puts it, an OG street style icon. So lockdown or no lockdown, I cannot imagine parting with such superb pieces of clothing. Don’t Zoom calls have a video option? Why can’t that Givenchy jacket be worn then?

Regardless, she is parting with it and with so much more – it seems like no designer was spared. So if you are on the hunt for some Alber Elbaz-era Lanvin runway pieces (!!), for that infamous red and navy striped Dries Van Noten blazer or for the metallic pink heart-printed Gucci skirt pictured above, check out The RealReal in a few weeks.

That being said, if you are like me and cannot afford any of it, but you still want to better understand the logic behind such a massive closet cleanup, I suggest reading Farra’s interview with Rutson for American Vogue.

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