A broad Broad, abroad

*Welcome to my first guest post! I have mentioned Vanessa in past blogs & tweets but now you get the real thing! From time to time this East Coast born, Toronto living, hairstylist & fashionista will be writing about her experiences & take on fashion. You can follow her on twitter as her alter-ego, Kenicke Street.

I like to think of myself as a bit of a globe trotter. Every year or so I hop the pond and treat myself to a European jaunt. There are three things that keep me returning to the old countries: the sights, the food and the shopping!!!

There's nothing I like more on a sunny, Spanish afternoon than sitting at a cafe, enjoying a cervesa and ogling the locals. Europeans know how to kill an ensemble. Everyone is so put together and how they manoeuvre the cobbles in those heels I'll never know.
If Hollywood has taught us anything it's that every European is a vision of waify perfection. What my travels have taught me is that European woman, like the women the world over, come in all sizes. The difference between us North Americans and our European brethren is that the Euros recognize that there are women bigger than a size 10 and that we too like to look savage.
My favourite shopping spot that i have found abroad in recent years is a store by the name of Penney's (or Primark outside of the UK). I compare it to another European superpower H&M, but it has sizes up to a 24! and it's cheap!! I find more often than not, European stores carry up to at least a 16 but usually higher.　

Vanessa outside House of Lords salon in Toronto

The North American retailer, boxed in with small sizes that sit in the store, eventually hit the sale rack and then are recalled back to the company should take note of European retailers. I feel like Europe has a better understanding of supply and demand when it comes to fashion. Between Primark, Asos, Evans and many others, there are so many ways to keep us Full of Fabulous

　
　
dress: Primark (13 euro)
shoes: Walmart ($19)
headband: Ardene's
necklace: etsy (darling dilemma)