Calgary Stampede: Day 2

the one thing that shooting street style at the stampede for the last five (or is it six?) years has taught me is that there is always room for improvement. there are a number of signature styles at the grounds that i’ve noticed, some newer than others, some better than others. there is the newest classic white tank, denim shorts, plaid shirt tied around the waist, that look has got to go! i understand that plaid is an easy go-to when it comes to western wear but it just feels like such a cop out. stampede is an opportunity to get fun and creative, you can literally get away with anything, seeing the same outfit a thousand times in a day is just so boring! + btw plaid tied around the waist isn’t western, it’s grunge. NEXT! we have the ‘it’s stampede let’s not even try’ look, kind of a mix of just got out of bed/binge watching netflix with a bucket of chicken fingers on a monday night feel, another miss. of course there are those that always impress; not to pigeon hole but the award for best stampede style goes to those of the older demographic. i don’t know if it’s the age and the grown appreciation for what we have right here at home but i absolutely LOVE spotting older men and women decked out head to toe in their suede fringe and alberta boots, they just never disappoint. there is also the modern cowboy, dressed to the nines independently of the western theme but finishing it off with a wicked western accessory like a hat, boots or jewelry. i love seeing how people play with items currently available in stores and making them work for the stampede. quite honestly i don’t quite understand why canada hasn’t caught on stampede being such a great place to find style inspiration, coachella is synonymous with flower crowns and dessert boots, stampede, dare i say is possibly an even better playground for dressing up and sharpening your styling chops. give it a try! watch out for our weekend 1 finds from the greatest outdoor show on earth on flare.com coming this week (last year’s looks can be seen right here). until then here is my day 2 ootd and some future stampede look inspiration. lead by example, as i always say. xoxo

wearing: nasty gal top, self portrait shorts, alberta boot company boots, smithbilt hat, h&m belt