Buy a designer birthday suit

When I first moved to Ottawa in my early 20s, I fell in love with Kaliyana. Every time I walked by the shop on Sussex Street, which is Ottawa's luxury lane on which the Prime Minister lives, I would stop and gaze at the window. The clothes had an elegance, freedom and flair I had never seen before. They looked timeless and fun. Women with any body shape could enjoy them: they look stylish, comfortable, practical and unique on anyone. One day, I didn't resist and walked inside just to look. I found a rack in the back and saw a beautiful simple summer dress which had been significantly marked down because it had a slight snag in the back. I bought my first purchase, so proud at 23 to have my own Kaliyana dress. It lasted me over 20 years and I wore it as much to go on pick-nicks as I did to go on evening nights out.

Over the years, I would occasionally step into the boutique and head straight to the back. I still have all of those pieces: a dress, skirts, a tunic and sweater. Over the years the design has stayed true and I can still mix and match pieces, including colours and patterns. With age my body has changed but the clothes still fit, fresh and luxurious. Rare are the times when I don't get a compliment when I wear them.

Yet, over all those years, I had never splurged on an a full outfit chosen from the front of the house. For my 50th birthday, I finally gave myself the gift of a Kaliyana ensemble. Here I am wearing the Hakuba tunic with the Seville pants. The shoes are the classic Fluevog clogs. Here's to the very best of Canadian fashion!

P.S. I'm very fond of hats as well. I have quite a collection, and even had a beautiful bibi made just for me. This one, however, was more for the photo: bought at a Dollar Store for a Halloween Party. Not everything has to be expensive to have panache!