Queen’s Plate 2016
A couple weeks ago, I attended the Queen's Plate 2016 for a day of fashion, food and fun at the races. A big part of attending this event is race fashion, and I turned to Fitzroy Boutique's dress rentals for Queen's Plate 2016. The pop-up shop is shaking up the consumerist model with their curated selection of dress rentals. Available for pick up in their Ossington store, you can email to reserve a dress, and then try it on at their pop up to make sure it fits. For a mere $50, a designer dress is yours for four days... and that price includes dry cleaning too! With unique designers from Canada and Australia, it's also less likely you'll show up to a wedding and have an US Weekly, "Who Wore It Better" dilemma too.
I picked out this stunning Paige Eyelet lace dress by Brose, which features a beautiful asymmetrical hem and boned bustier. The dress retails for over $695, but $50 is the perfect sweet spot to borrow this beauty for a few days! I thought it was the perfect dress for the races. I wore a white dress last year to the Queen's Plate, and I was so happy to wear white (my favourite shade in summer), without having to worry about wedding guest protocol.
For my accessories, I kept it simple with a black and white fascinator headband, and nude sandals from Joe Fresh. My glitter sunglasses are Miu Miu, jewelry by Kate Spade and Forever 21, and I wore a Rebecca Minkoff mini affair bag, which stocked all my essentials: tickets for my loser horses, band-aids (a must for the Queen's Plate!), lipstick and cell phone.
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The best part about this dress? POCKETS! Honestly this was a lifesaver at an event like this. I was able to hide my cellphone and tickets in my pockets without having to fiddle around in my bag. I'd even consider going to an event without a purse, so I could dance the night away. Daniel kept asking me to hide his cell in the pockets too!
If you're attending a wedding or have a big event this summer, I would definitely consider renting a dress. I have too many formal dresses I've worn once sitting at the back of my closet, and this option is both friendly on my wallet and the environment.
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I picked out this stunning Paige Eyelet lace dress by Brose, which features a beautiful asymmetrical hem and boned bustier. The dress retails for over $695, but $50 is the perfect sweet spot to borrow this beauty for a few days! I thought it was the perfect dress for the races. I wore a white dress last year to the Queen's Plate, and I was so happy to wear white (my favourite shade in summer), without having to worry about wedding guest protocol.
For my accessories, I kept it simple with a black and white fascinator headband, and nude sandals from Joe Fresh. My glitter sunglasses are Miu Miu, jewelry by Kate Spade and Forever 21, and I wore a Rebecca Minkoff mini affair bag, which stocked all my essentials: tickets for my loser horses, band-aids (a must for the Queen's Plate!), lipstick and cell phone.
Shop the post: [show_shopthepost_widget id="1774604"]
The best part about this dress? POCKETS! Honestly this was a lifesaver at an event like this. I was able to hide my cellphone and tickets in my pockets without having to fiddle around in my bag. I'd even consider going to an event without a purse, so I could dance the night away. Daniel kept asking me to hide his cell in the pockets too!
If you're attending a wedding or have a big event this summer, I would definitely consider renting a dress. I have too many formal dresses I've worn once sitting at the back of my closet, and this option is both friendly on my wallet and the environment. 
Sandal season is around the corner, and I’m obsessed with the latest trend, denim heels! Denim has moved from clothes to accessories, and I love how this pair by Diba incorporates a trendy block heel as well! I styled these denim heels with a blush pleated chiffon dress from Zara and other accessories from Kate Spade.
I also loved to hear that the buyer herself is Canadian, and has been a buyer for Hudson's Bay for decades! She knows what the Canadian customer wants (i.e. lots of layers, coats, practical winter shoes) which sometimes can be a miss when US retailers open in Canada. Another exciting element to this is that there are Canadian brands peppered throughout the store. I spotted Lazypants, Löle, Matt & Nat and a couple jewelry brands from homegrown talent! This helps strengthen the store's Canadian identity, and is also an amazing opportunity for these local brands to grow their customer base. 
I'm wearing a tweed cropped blazer (old,