Scrolling through 21 year old Jessica Bialkowski’s blog (or looking at her flickr, for that matter) is like entering a dream world where everything is light and sunny, sparkly and sprinkled with a sort of ethereal cuteness. What stands out for me is her photography. Though her site is more personal diary than self-proclaimed “fashion blog,” there is still an emphasis on fashion and clothing. In Jessica’s photos, she captures clothing on its own, out of context, as well as in complete outfits she wears day-to-day.

What did you dress like in elementary school and how has your wardrobe changed since then?
I’m pretty sure back in primary school I just wore jeans (I think flares were cool back then, right?) and plain tops and that kind of thing. I don’t even really remember it that much because fashion wasn’t a huge focus for me, but obviously I have changed since then! For a large part of my teenage years I pretty much exclusively wore black jeans and band t-shirts, but since then my style has evolved to incorporate a lot of different things that I’m interested in (though I still wear band t-shirts occasionally) and I think it’s still changing and evolving now.

You seem to have a liking for bows, lace, and other little details in clothing now.
I think I always tend to gravitate towards clothing with a little extra detail, or if I’m wearing something plain I will add accessories to spice it up. I really feel like the details are what make or break the outfit and it’s where someone’s personal style really comes through. Floral dresses are a dime a dozen, but if it’s got a pretty lace collar or you match a cute belt and shoes with it, then you’ve created a look instead of just wearing a dress, y’know? Small details here and there make a big difference to an outfit and the overall impression that it gives people, so I always try to include a little something special whenever I get dressed.

What do you think contributes to shaping your style?
I think everything contributes to it. You can find inspiration anywhere - online, in the street, in the media, through music, books, or movies. I think generally my style is influenced by all of these things and by whatever happens to cross my path, but at the end of the day it’s my personal taste that brings individual elements together, and I am the one who shapes what I see into something that truly represents who I am.

We’re so used to seeing bloggers who only write about their outfits and clothing, and it can remove their personal styles from the contexts of their lives. How did you decide to incorporate a personal diary with a style blog?
For me it was more of a question of incorporating fashion into my personal journal because I have always used LiveJournal, so it was more about writing before it was about fashion. Even now I think my journal is still more life-orientated than fashion, but since the way I look and present myself is an important and fun part of my life, naturally it has become more prominent in my journal. At the moment I’m only working part time, but the industry that I want to get into career-wise (the management side of the music industry) tends to be pretty open-minded when it comes to style, so I don’t feel like that would hinder me too much.

You love op-shops (or thrift stores) and buy a lot of second-hand things. What do you like about buying used and vintage items?
There are several things I love about buying second hand items compared to new. Firstly, it’s the thrill of the hunt. You can walk into any chain shop and know exactly what you’re going to see, but when you go to an op-shop you can find just about anything - clothes, shoes, books, records, jewellery, perfume bottles, cute little ornaments, anything. It’s always a surprise and sometimes you walk away empty handed, but sometimes you find a real gem and to me that is much more rewarding than going to your local shopping centre. Secondly, I love that whatever you find is more or less going to be unique. There is probably more than one of it in existence, but chances are you will be the only person you know who has it and you can show your sense of style by picking out something that’s different to what everyone else is wearing. I also love that especially with the older items you find, there is a sense of history behind them and you never know what they have seen in their lifetimes. Op-shopping is also one of the only ways you can track down vintage fashion, even if most of it has to be hemmed! I also love the idea of recyling clothing instead of just buying new ones and throwing everything away - that’s quite important to me given the state of the environment and the impact that factories and large-scale manufacturing have on it. And of course, I love that op-shops are so much cheaper than regular shops. This is the first year of my life that I haven’t been a student, so money has always been tight with me and it goes a lot further when you’re spending it in op-shops!

Jessica’s Top Ten Style Influences (in no particular order)
1. Taylor Momsen: I’m talking about her current style here; there are certain outfits where I think she’s gone wrong, but on the whole I really love her look and how strong it is for someone so young.
2. Carrie: She seems like a really sweet girl and we have a lot of things in common, particularly when it comes to our taste in fashion.
3. Alexa Chung: A cliche response, maybe, but nonetheless justifed.
4. Alix: She is always so elegant and sophisticated.
5. Louise: Very sweet and girly but often with a bit of a dark twist that I love.
6. Blair Waldorf: Again, cliche, but utterly adorable.
7. The TV show Skins: Particularly Effy, Cassie (though there was always something a little off about her), and Emily.
8. The movie Grease: Ever since I was little I have loved the clothing in this movie, and whenever we went to the video shop I always wanted to re-rent it and watch it over and over. Not only do I love the girls’ clothing, but Danny Zuko is a BABE and I’m still in the process of convincing my boyfriend to try greaser hair.
9. Classic film stars who reflected the style of their time, i.e. Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Marilyn Monroe, Anna Karina, etc. I’ve grouped them together because I can’t pick a specific one.
10. Vintage Pin-ups: I just love the femininity of seamed stockings and garter belts.

- Stephanie Fereiro

Otiena Ellwand is a second-year journalism student at Ryerson University and an intern at CHEEK Magazine. She loves all kinds of design - from fashion to architecture - and she thirsts for adventure and seeks it not only in her own home of Toronto, but around the world. She has a unique, colourful, and inspiring sense of style. Otiena certainly doesn’t blend in, but that’s okay - she doesn’t want to.

How did you dress in elementary school? How about in high school?
In grade 4, I had an awesome pair of lime green platform shoes that I wore everyday… The Spice Girls influenced that decision! In high school my best friend and I paired odd combinations of things together. We tried to be creative with our clothes because it was fun and we wanted to stand out. A lot of the girls we went to high school with wore Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister so we sort of did it as a rebellion.

I have this bright yellow dress with little blue owls on it that I bought in Kensington Market. I wore it a lot in my teenage years; on dates, to school, to Greece, and I was made fun of mercilessly, but I didn’t care because it so perfectly represented my personality. I still wear it today and I still get made fun of although now it’s a little bit “cooler” to be seen sporting a vintage dress like that one.

You do a lot of traveling. Has this affected the way you see fashion?
I love traveling and every time I do, I try to pick up a few pieces that I feel either really represent the place, will remind me of it, or are just unique pieces that I won’t be able to find back home.

Last year I lived in Indonesia and dressing was tricky. It was extremely hot and I needed clothes that were comfortable, durable, that I was willing to get dirty, and most importantly, that covered me up because the majority of Indonesians are Muslim. I didn’t really care how I looked so I opted for baggy shirts and capris. I did get some beautifully patterned cloths, one of which I got made into a mermaid-shaped skirt. It isn’t really something I would wear in Canada, but in Indonesia I got a lot of compliments on it. It’s funny how the clothes that were fashionable there would never be fashionable here. They really like patterns and baubles. They have this traditional dyeing technique that makes a pattern called Batik and that’s what they wear for formal occasions. It is really something to see all of the men in these intricately patterned shirts instead of black dress suits.

Sometimes I have a lot of difficulty with having a fashionable image. I want to dress nicely, look and feel good, and indulge in fashion, but I also feel like I only feel those ways when I am ‘dressed up’ in makeup and nice clothes. Shouldn’t we feel all of those things even when we’re just looking exactly like ourselves without any of that stuff? As I adapt to where I am, so does my sense of fashion. Each scene differs from the next; I guess that’s the fun of fashion, after all.

Colour is a huge part of your personal style. Why do you think it’s important to wear colourful clothing and accessories?
I can’t help it, I’m just addicted to colour. Colour has always been apart of my wardrobe. I had a fascination with the colour turquoise and wanted that to be the colour of my wedding dress (hopefully my future partner won’t mind!). I have tried to put more black into my wardrobe because I hear that it is sophisticated, but really, black isn’t me. I’m an outgoing and positive person and colour is just another way I reflect that. If I’m going to live in a cold, sometimes ugly and grey place like Toronto, I best amuse myself with the colourful outfits I put together.

Oteina’s top ten favorite clothing stores in the world:
* The market in the city of Bengkalis, Indonesia where you can find everything you’d ever want for small change.

* The (Up)Market in London England’s Brick Lane area has crafty and creative knickknacks.

* All Saints, London. Great quality with a Brick Lane edge.

* There’s a store called PerModoDiDire in Florence that sells ‘funny saying’ shirts in Italian and each purchase comes with a pocket-sized comic book.

* I love Tina Kalivas’s designs because they are so colourful and geometric.

* Sitka is the name of a surf store and also of a tree that can be found in British Columbia, where I stayed last summer. I like supporting Canadian labels, and this one comes with a lot of memories.

* Young Janes: Treat yourself to some earrings made by the owner.

* If there’s one department store I like to make a point of visiting it’s Simon’s in Quebec. The store has all of the staples and then some.

* Going to Mountain Equipment Co-Op means adventure.

* Happie Loves It: This store appeals to my happy outlook on life and my addiction to colour. Cute!

- Stephanie Fereiro