English Bay Watch

Hat: H&M // Blouse: Urban Planet // Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters (via clothing swap) // Bag: Michael Kors // Necklace: The Hudson Bay Company // Bracelets: Aldo, Forever 21 // Sandals: Steve Madden

 Signature Sangrias at the English Bay Cactus Club

 One pretty lady.

First off, whatever happened to that amazing weather? As usual, that short burst of sunshine and warmth was quick to flee Vancouver, leaving behind a fleeting, foggy memory of the ability to walk outside without needing to wear a jacket or other arctic-weather-friendly gear. 

On this particular day, my bestie and I were fully aware that we didn't have much more time to enjoy that summer-like weather before the rainy season returned to our fair city. As a result, we decided to have a day on the town by hitting one very popular dessert spot, the much-hyped (and fairly so) Nero's Belgian Waffle Bar, and afterwards checking out the beach at English Bay. The waffles were as delicious as expected and the weather was even more wonderfully hot. However, the warm climate also seemed to bring out the horniness in many of the more under-evolved male homo sapiens within the area; my poor friend and I were subjected to more than one cat-call at the hands of some gentlemen with questionable hygiene. Nevertheless, we were determined to enjoy ourselves and make a day of it! I wish we could have had all day long to sun ourselves on the beach (in AK's case, probably hide under an umbrella while reading her e-reader) but I had to meet my significant other in too little time. So instead we settled for some people-watching and relaxing drinks at the new Cactus Club, which is conveniently located right on the beach at English Bay. Human scenery is never more interesting than at the beach on a hot day. Somehow, the combination of sun and sand really manages to bring out the good, the bad, and the downright weird. AK and I even sighted some elderly dude swaggering around in a kilt and nothing else, even though he was in serious need of some sunscreen for his disturbingly sunburned body.  

In regard to that day's outfit, I knew I had to accommodate for both the hot weather and the possible windchill associated with being near the water and in the cooler parts of the city. So I decided to wear short shorts with a sleeveless chiffon top. along with my newest straw hat, while carrying around a jean jacket (which turned out to be very useful as it was actually quite chilly in the most random places). While I adore bright colours and bold patterns, this top is more than a little daring in both departments. I personally think that the very attention-grabbing neon pink of my MK bag clashed a bit too much with my top; but, then again, retrospective criticism is all too easy and you need to be daring once in a while in order to live a little. 

Hope that that sunshine comes back very soon!