BATTLING THE COLD IN MY CHEETAH PRINT ARMOUR
WINTER - A time for catching snowflakes on your tongue, holiday spirit that oozes out of every storefront, sports that thrive in terribly cold environments, & the odd snow day that spreads joy to children everywhere. Here in Montreal, we have too much of it. Yes, I know, technically we are now in spring, but who are we kidding...winter is still among us. This particularly cold & snowy season takes up a solid four months out of the year, leaving fellow city folk dressing in layers upon layers yet still wondering why the hell they’re freezing.
Out here, winter is a time for red & sniffly noses, not being able to feel your toes & believing your ears will fall off dare you forget your earmuffs.
I’ve never been much of a fan, honestly. The extreme cold, the never ending snow in my boots, the ice underneath my ass as I slip & fall, & worst of all, the fact that every single outfit is covered up by overwhelmingly large jackets & NEVER TO BE SEEN BY THE PUBLIC EYE. From December through March everyone looks like a freaking marshmallow...& if you don’t, you should probably stop lying to yourself & wrap another scarf around your neck.
I guess you could say I’m a little bitter.
A solid half of my wardrobe is completely neglected, collecting dust in my dresser, while I try & pretend that I can just wear nude tights with all of my skirts & not die from frostbite. For the first time in my life, leggings had become a staple piece in my closet. Three whole months of the year were dedicated to this simple article of clothing, as they were to go under every single pair of pants I put on my body. No ski hill required, no wild mountain adventure to be had, no tobogganing on a Sunday with the fam - just to step outside & live my life. Now that is the way of a true Quebecois.
There are times where I forget my gloves on my way to work & truly believe that the cold will be the end of me. In the short amount of time spent waiting for the bus, both hands fully exposed as I eat my bagel, the freezing air cuts into my skin & I can feel the tears begin to build up. Who knew that thin air could hurt SO bad?! It’s moments like these that make me want to give up entirely & spend a third of the year bundled up so tight that nothing could ever touch me again.
It wasn’t until I moved out East (where they have “real” winters) that I witnessed such a warm embrace for such a cold season. For a city that is so deeply immersed in the snow, there sure is a lot of life! No matter the conditions outside, people still wander through the icy streets going about their day, they attend outdoor festivals dressed to the max in vintage 80’s snowsuits & balaclavas, even ride their unicycles through wild snowstorms & continue to rely on public transit!
As inconvenient as winter may be & as much as I'd like to pretend it still isn't here, the truth is winter isn't leaving us quite yet. But if I've learnt anything from my first winter in the land of sugar shacks & good ol' Bonhomme Carnaval, it's that life simply goes on. Life won't wait for you, so you might as well step outside & enjoy some of it!
No matter how much snow falls from the sky, no matter how many sidewalks turn into skating rinks, no matter how far below zero the thermometer gets, our lives don’t stop just because we want the snow to.
So gear up & make the last chilly breaths of winter a little more bearable & a lot more exciting! Throw on your armour, whether it may be your most beloved cheetah print coat, faux-fur trimmed jacket or goose-down "super puff" & prepare for battle. Show off your greatest outerwear & show the cold just how resilient you can be!
If you can live your life to the fullest in a frozen world just imagine what you'll be able to do once it awakens for spring?
& until then...
Accept it - because winter is not an excuse to stop doing the things you love.
Embrace it - because winter is not an excuse to stop accessorizing.
Rock it - because winter is the perfect excuse to bring out your most extravagant coat!
xx C
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETSY-MAY SMITH @BETSYMAYSMITH
OUTFIT ANTHEM: COLD OUTSIDE - ARI LENNOX
OUTFIT DETAILS:
CHEETAH PRINT COAT - ARITZIA
CHEETAH PRINT HAT - EVA B VINTAGE
WHITE TURTLENECK - EVA B VINTAGE
SANTANA WHITE DENIM PANTS - THRIFTED
BLACK PLATFORM BOOTS - TIGER ALLEY CLOTHING
CHEETAH SATIN SCARF - EVA B VINTAGE
EARRINGS - ALDO ACCESORIES
SUNNIES - EVA B VINTAGE
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