In love with an idea…

September 4, 2017

Fashion blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera stands on a Venetian bridge looking out over the Grand Canal wearing a Galeries Lafayette straw hat and Gentlefawn lace dressWinnipeg fashion blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera stands on a bridge in Venice wearing a Gentlefawn lace dress and carrying a Celine trio bagPortrait of fashion blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera wearing Anine Bing Los Angeles sunglasses and a Gentlefawn dress in VeniceBridges over a Venetian canal behind St. Mark's Basilica in Italy, as captured by travel blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & VeraCanadian fashion blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera holds up her Galeries Lafayette straw hat on a bridge in VeniceOutfit details on Winnipeg fashion blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera, wearing Miu Miu patent flats, a Gentlefawn lace dress and Celine trio bagFashion blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera sits on a bridge in Venice wearing a Gentlefawn lace dress, Miumiu bejewelled flats, Anine Bing Los Angeles sunglasses and carrying a Celine trio bagCanadian fashion blogger Cee Fardoe of Coco & Vera walks along the Grand Canal in Venice wearing Miumiu flats and Gentlefawn lace dress, carrying a Celine trio bagGentlefawn dress (c/o) (similar)
Miumiu flats (similar)
Celine bag
Anine Bing sunglasses
Galeries Lafayette hat
Madewell rings

I loved the idea of Venice more than the reality of it. When I look back at photos from our trip, I have difficulty reconciling my memories of suffocating crowds with the tranquil snapshots we took. The photos were well-timed, of course; the result of waiting, with varying degrees of patience, for the right moment.

The way we approach photography can, in many ways, be compared to the way I have approached composing outfits for this space over much of the past seven years. I grew up on a steady diet of fashion magazines – Flare, Vogue, InStyle, Vanity Fair, Nylon, Harper’s Bazaar and the list goes on. (As I type this, the September issue of American Vogue sits open beside me.) Those magazines made fashion seem like art. But they also made it feel like something that was out of my reach. Valentino dresses and Oscar de la Renta shoes were never within my means; they still aren’t. My inability to relate to the fashions I saw in magazines inspired me to start Coco & Vera. I wanted a space where I could explore and experiment with the fashions that were actually accessible to me. But somewhere along the way, something changed.

I started an outfit idea list. It seemed logical, at the time; I had so many ideas of outfits I wanted to wear that simply didn’t fit into my corporate office wardrobe. I didn’t want to forget any of them. Back then, I was in my mid-twenties, younger by a half a lifetime than most of my colleagues, often burning the candle at both ends and sprinting to the office every morning. I wore a lot of dresses; they were the easiest thing to throw on in a rush in the morning and easy to restyle in a less conservative way for the weekend, too. But I traded my desk at the corporate office for a laptop in my spare bedroom three years ago. My need to wear dresses dissipated immediately. But I kept the outfit list.

When we were planning our three months in Europe this year, I dreamed up this outfit as soon as we booked tickets to Venice. All the pieces were already in my closet. I considered, briefly, that I’ve barely worn the Miumiu flats because they’ve never really felt like me. I wondered how much I would really want to wear a mini dress while walking around an island in a lagoon. But the photos would be so beautiful, I told myself. And so I packed the outfit.

It was a mistake. The photos are as beautiful as I imagined, but when I look at them, I remember how I felt as soon as I put the outfit on. I loved the idea of it, I realised, looking in our hotel mirror, far more than the reality. In fact, it reminded me of those old magazine editorials I felt so disconnected from because while I appreciate the beauty of lace dresses and bejewelled flats, they don’t fit into my life.

Shortly after our return from Venice, I made a promise to myself. From now on, I decided, I will not allow anything into my wardrobe that I can’t feel totally comfortable in after we’ve put the camera away. But it was only this week while preparing these photos, that I realised I need to start my outfit from scratch, too. The long note in my iPhone was still full of outfits that I love the idea of but will hate actually wearing. I erased the whole thing and started it over. It was surprisingly thrilling.

It’s only natural that the styles I love now are different than the ones I loved in my mid-twenties. I don’t need the dresses I used to find so practical. And I want this space to reflect who I am, not a person I think it might be fun to pretend to be for an hour or two. Fashion is art. It is a powerful medium for storytelling. I don’t always want my travel photos to be full of groups of sweatpant-and-sneaker-clad tourists. But I want the story I tell about myself, through my style, to be true. Even if it isn’t always glamorous.

8 comments so far.

8 responses to “In love with an idea…”

  1. Lyddiegal says:

    These photos are indeed very beautiful, and I’d be lying if I didn’t have a similar list of outfits for varying degree of scenarios. While I’ve always maintained that I never play dress up for the blog – if I’ve got it on, I’m wearing it, even if it’s just to the grocery store, but it there does come a time when it feels like dressing for life, instead of a magazine shoot might be the more sensible approach, albeit the more difficult one. A lace dress and jeweled flats speak for themselves. Conveying the same amount of glamour in a pair of jeans is trickier.

    But in defense of the photos, there will come a day when your memories of being uncomfortable in Venice will dissipate, and these photos will be there, to make you think about how glamorous you were in Vencie.
    Chic on the Cheap

  2. I think you’ve made a really wonderful decision —- it’s something I did myself about two years ago. I abandoned my list of outfits (well, the ones that incorporated pieces that I didn’t really comfortable in at least) and did a huge closet purge of things that I was solely hanging onto for the purposes of crafting blog outfits. I’ve never looked back and never regretted it!

    Courtney ~ Sartorial Sidelines

  3. Lorena says:

    Its unexpected, I would think you felt as marvellous as you look… then again not all is what it seems. The dress and MiuMiu flats look dashing and indeed have that vintage feel that is complemented by those stunning views of Venice.

  4. Melanie says:

    This dress is very cute and I love the pics :-*

    Melanie / http://www.goldzeitblog.de

  5. Relate to this all too well + have absolutely been there, in love with an idea, but cursing at the impracticality of it all. And to be honest, while I love all your outfits on Coco & Vera, my favourites are your everyday looks. You make even the simplest of outfits look incredibly chic, which I love, and am super inspired by! Excited to see this shift! Plus love the shot of you holding your hat, makes me want to jump on a plane, travel ASAP and take all the photos!! xo

    http://www.girlandcloset.com

  6. Sometimes what we think may work, doesn’t work out. I’ve been there Cee. I think your outfit is beautiful! I love the picture with you holding your hat in the air. Things I use to gravitate to I no longer do. I’ve made changes to my wardrobe. Only wear what makes you feel good.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

  7. I really loved reading this, Cee. It’s so interesting how life reflects this (ideas vs. reality) as we grow older. And although we have much different styles, I can relate to so much of what you said. I really love your blog, and look forward to seeing everything you wear – whether glamorous or practical.

Cee Fardoe is a thirty-something Canadian blogger who splits her time between Winnipeg and Paris. She is a voracious reader, avid tea-drinker, insatiable wanderer and fashion lover who prefers to dress in black, white and gray.

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