farewell to you, scotland

As I write this post, I begin to start saying my farewells to the beautiful country of Scotland. Today I attended a farewell lunch for all exchange students at Robert Gordon University to say thanks and goodbye to the ones who made it possible for me to be here studying at the university.  It was a crazy feeling to think that only three months previously I was sitting in the same room for a welcome meeting. Wow the time has flown! I've had such a wonderful time here in Aberdeen, making so many memories and friendships that wont be forgotten. Its been such a positive experience for myself as an individual to really feel like I can take on any challenge and I can do great things, because despite how many great moments I have experienced here, I wont lie in saying that it wasn't always that way. Being on a study abroad experience on your own brings many challenges that you will have to over come, but overcoming them makes you so much stronger and I personally believe that overcoming obstacles is the best way to learn in life.  It has been so fun for me being a fashion student in Aberdeen because I truly felt like I could express myself and style as freely as I pleased because many of the faces I see day to day, I most likely wont see again- this made for some very fun outfits. It also encouraged me to always look presentable because all the other fashion students I attended class with looked so. I always say "you never know who you are going to meet or see today so brush your hair and put on some lipstick."

As I end this post, I wanted to share a photo I took from my last day here at Robert Gordon University, where I pose in the same spot I posed on the first day of classes back in September. As I am sad to leave, I smile because of the great adventure I have just embarked on and for all the exciting and fashionable adventures I will embark on in my future.

pants: h&m canada, shirt: brody myles, jacket: h&m paris, shoes: spring canada, accessories: stella & dot 

location: aberdeen, scotland

With lots of love from over the pond - yours truly,

Angela

final adventures in aberdeen

Yesterday I embarked on what I consider the perfect adventure. It was not only perfect because of the activities that occurred, but the company I had to join me.  I have a list of things I wanted to do/see before leaving Scotland and my adventure yesterday did a good job of checking off a few of these things off my list. The day started off by getting an early start in the morning, our tour guide for the day was leaving lots a surprise but told us to dress so we could explore freely. This can be a hard task at times for fashion students, but I think I managed ok.  I mean this because at the end of the day, all together we had probably walked around 20 km and I was in no pain and felt like I didn't look like a total tourist.  We got all the way to the furthest light house on the shore of the city of Aberdeen (something I said I wanted to do ever since my first visit to the sea side) On our way we were able to see a cute fisherman's village, many fishing boats and oil boats, lots of green grassy hills and the long sandy seaside. Take a look at my adventure outfit from yesterday; cute cosy and comfortable! Following the trend of trainers (sneakers) and jeans together with the addition of big hats and longer jackets.

jeans: zara canada, jacket: zara spain, sneakers: reebok hat: azda 

location: Aberdeen, Scotland

oversized, dark solids : menswear

Back in Scotland, but theres no time to settle! Jam packed with a crazy schedule while I finished these last couple weeks of classes and all the assignments to be completed- this means early mornings and late evenings. I still havent adjusted to how early the sun goes down here and how late it rises in the morning, and makes for a short day and makes it even easier to be lazy. Even when I have a busy day and feel exhausted I still want to look cute, so on these days I rely on the styles and clothing items that I feel the best in. I enjoy oversized sweaters, especially in dark solid colours because they are so forgiving. I love this new oversized turtle neck I picked up over the weekend, one because its black and two because it is so comfortable! My addition of the winter ball-cap did a wonderful job of fixing not the most amazing of hair days and also made me feel a bit mysterious. Check out the rest of my dark, solid and menswear inspired outfit below! Happy Wednesday from Aberdeen.

 sweater: primark uk, jeans: dynamite boots: primark uk accessories: h&m, topshop

location: aberdeen scotland

Bold and Bright in Roma

Sorry it's been a bit since my last post, Ive been busy doing some final travels and enjoying my last little bit of time here in Scotland. I cant believe how fast the time has gone, but I also feel like I have been away from my family for quite awhile now and am excited to head home to spend time with them over Christmas break!

Todays post is an outfit from a recent trip I took to Rome. When packing for Rome I wanted to take advantage of the bold patterned and bright colours I have in my wardrobe because I knew of all places I could get away with wearing them, it would be Italy. Our first major day of touring ended up being one of the best days we had in Rome weather wise, the sun was shining and the weather was warm (a great break from the cloudy and chilly weather of Aberdeen). During this day we toured the Colosseum, The Roman Forum, The Pantheon, and The Trevi Fountain; a jam packed day full of touring these major sites, enjoying lots of yummy food, and great company! This outfit is a perfect example that you can still feel fun and stylish while staying comfortable as a tourist. 

I was so happy to visit Italy because of the Italian background I have and heritage I have always known. It was such a great trip, even if it was only a small taste of Italy. I cant wait to return in my future and tour more of beautiful Italia. 

Jacket: h&m Spain, Shirt: Urban Behaviour Pants: h&m Canada Boots: Zara Canada, Accessories: Longchamp, Gucci, Ardenes

Location: Rome, Italy

wednesday sunrise

Im going to take a different spin on this post by not only talking about fashion and material things I think are beautiful, but those things natural that I view as beautiful as well. It was a beautiful day in Aberdeen today, the sun was shining and the weather was quite comfortable sitting over the plus 10 mark! (sorry to all my Canadian readers back home who are probably experiencing weather quite a bit cooler than this). 

Before even stepping foot outside today, I knew it was going to be a good day because I was woken by the beautiful sunrise over the northern sea, which I can view right from my bedroom window. This is by far one of my favourite sites i've experienced in Scotland thus far, 1 reason being I don't even have to leave my bed, and secondly I have a true love affair with anything having to do with the sun, and thirdly, despite all the rumours about Scotland having the most horrible rainy cold weather, they also happen to have some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets (meaning that the sun does come out often!). Some mornings I feel as if I could sit there from start to finish and just watch the sun fully rise. I am a lover of sunlight and colour, I think its a great symbol of positivity and happiness,  which are two things I like to feel during my day! 

I was able to catch the final bits of the sunrise this morning during my shoot of outfit pics which was super exciting. My outfit today represented my love for colour (especially purple) and the ability to feel free by expressing your fashion interests with your own style/inspiration/feelings! Happy Wednesday all, whether the weather was cloudy where you are, I hope your day was full of other forms of sunshine!

ripped light wash jeans: h&m spain black peplum top: zara canada cardigan: forever 21 canada accessories: tiffany& co. michael kors, ardene

location: aberdeen scotland 

paris tourist chic

Last week I took a trip to the so called city of romance and fashion, Paris France. It was a trip full of fun and lots of touring. I was traveling with some friends who I'm studying with in Scotland which made the trip that much more enjoyable! It was difficult, to say the least, to try to be fashionable with your outfits while only being able to pack a few things in a suit case, and to also make sure you're some what comfortable (the whole "beauty is pain" really doesn't work when you're endlessly walking around for hours and hours day to day). Here's an outfit from my favourite day of the trip. I purchased some new faux fur for the occasion while shopping on Champs-Élysées so I could feel a little more chic while visiting the Eiffel Tower.

  jacket: h&m jeans: zara boots: zara sweater: august silk accessories: michael kors, tiffany, cactus leather london, sunglasses and gold rings were both found at two different small boutiques.. one in Huntsville Ontario and other in London England.

Location: Paris, France

a business casual cheetah

Todays midweek look took on the business casual approach with my added flare of some fun cheetah print. These might be one of my favourite pair of pants from my wardrobe because of my serious love for funky printed pants, and of course my love for cheetah. This look could also be easily dressed up with a pair of simple black heels, and a bright shade of lipstick. Happy Wednesday! 

pants: charley 5.0 blazer: suzy shier top: primark spain oxfords: spring accessories: h&m, one of a kind show (toronto), tiffany& co.

location: Aberdeen, Scotland

Trendy Tuesday

boyfriend jeans and classic floral

In the past urbanrural kept you informed of the current trends with our Trendy Tuesday blog posts. Todays post takes a look at some current trends that I am following within the fashion world. Boyfriend jeans. This style of jean can be seen everywhere lately, especially with the added worn out look with rips and fading, make this trend super popular. Boyfriend jeans can be such a staple item in your wardrobe because the are so versatile with how they are easily styled in so many ways. Check out my take on a girlish tomboy look by adding different shades of the lovely colour pink to my outfit. 

jeans: asos, jacket: h&m, sweater: catherine (from a small boutique in Montreal, Canada) accessories: tiffany, michael kors, shine muskoka

location: aberdeen, scotland

silver, solids, and studs

 I guess it would be appropriate to start off this post by wishing you all a happy Halloween! Its a bit chilly today in Aberdeen, but nothing was going to stop me from wearing this new skirt. I look forward to trying more ways of styling it with other shirts, shoes and accessories. Check out my take on classy school girl.

 skirt: miss selfridg. shirt: papercrane. accessories: stella & dot, shine muskoka, michael kors, tiffany. tights: joe fresh. footwear: jeffrey campbell

location: Aberdeen, Scotland

welcome back

We're back again.... I hoped you missed us! 

Putting aside the fact that we have busy lives, and cant communicate with one another as often as we would like, urbanrural became more and more difficult to keep up with. But now with our lives probably busier than ever, we made the decision to bring it back!  I guess you could say the urban rural girls did a bit of a life swap. Urban is now in the rural and rural is in the urban. Confusing? Let us explain. 

About seven months ago Rural decided to pack up her life and take an amazing job opportunity in Calgary, Alberta. Despite the fact that she knew no one, and was moving to somewhere completely new to her , she was ready to take on all the challenges that would be involved. Around the same time Urban had been accepted to continue her studies of Fashion Management abroad in Aberdeen, Scotland. Somewhere she had never been to before either, but was excited to experience studying in another country and learning about fashion in a new country. Both of us are super excited with where we are in our lives right now and look forward to sharing with you fashion from the new places we call home. 

hat: h&m (old, but I will always love you), shirt: zara, skinnies: dynamite botties: zara accessories: topshop

location: Aberdeen, Scotland

Real Canadian Style :: Toronto :: Day Five

 

NAME : hey guys its me!

STYLE: I love all black, but always throw in an accent print or colour.

I wanted to end the week with a picture of my own style, since I don't showcase it much on here. 

Hope you guys enjoyed the little taste of Toronto Street Style. 

Keep checking back for more !

xxx Angela

Real Canadian Style :: Toronto :: Day Four

 

NAME: Aly

STYLE: Edgy yet chic. Enjoys thrifting, booties and fun prints. 

Real Canadian Style :: Toronto :: Day Three

NAME: Jessica 

STYLE: Comfortable, but enjoys following the latest trends. 

Bright colours and different textures: faux leather detaling, suede knee high boots .

Real Canadian Style :: Toronto :: Day Two

NAME: Carly  

STYLE: classy yet funky. Solids with fuax leather.

Real Canadian Style :: Toronto :: Day One

NAME: Lola
STYLE: Solid colours with bold accessories

Real Canadian Style: November

Hey followers! Hillary and I were brainstorming some new ideas for Urban Rural and thought of an addition to the blog to showcase real Canadian style. Everyone month, we will have two weeks of Street Style, where we will take pictures of peoples outfits that express the styles of Urban and Rural.  One week will be photos of Toronto style and another of Nova Scotia style. We thought it would be a fun way to show the different fashions from both areas! So we encourage our followers to keep an eye out for the new posts over the next couple weeks. 

Thanks for following, and happy blogging! 

xxx Angela & Hillary

Haute Halloween

Happy Halloween witches and ghosts!

If you are unlike myself and haven't already made your outfits weeks in advance, here are a couple quick last minute options for you to create using things you already have in your closest or can grab from local stores. Below is a picture of my version of Holly Golightly that I wore on the weekend! 

For the Fashionistas 

Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffanys

• Black dress, simple flats, pearl necklace, diamond earrings, tiara-like hair comb, simple make-up with a dramatic wing tip eye and a sock bun.

Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby

• Flapper style silk dress, fishnet stockings, pearl necklace, pearl earrings, faux fur wrap, black Mary Jane heels, bejewelled headband worn horizontally across your forehead, hair tucked into a faux bob or curled and dramatic eye make-up.

Rachel Zoe

• Blonde wing with voluminous curls, large sunglasses, statement jewellery, faux fur coat or leopard print jacket, suit pants, blouse, tallest high heels you own, and don't forget to use phrases such as, "BANANAS," and "mah-jor!" 

Group Costumes

Rock, Paper, Scissors 

• Create each item out of bristol board and secure to the front of a simple neutral coloured outfit.

Three Blind Mice

• Wear grey clothing, black Ray Bans, mouse ears, draw whiskers and a mouse nose on your face with eyeliner and walk around with canes.

Where's Waldo

• Red and white striped shirts, black pants or skirt, white knit hats and glasses.

Simple Chic Costumes 

Sailor

• Striped blue and white top, blue high-waisted pants or skirt, white tennis shoes, a sailor's cap and any anchor jewellery you can find.

Parisian

• Black and white striped top, black dress skinny jeans, simple neutral ballet flats, beret and red lips.

Have a wonderful time dressing up tonight, play safe and have a Happy Halloween!

Xo, H. 

Trendy Tuesday: Winter Boots

On the east coast we deal with all forms of weather; torrential rain, hurricane winds, snow drifts and the occasional sunny day if we are lucky. Our tumultuous relationship with nature means that we must dress practically so as not to become frozen ice statues while walking across campus. One of the most essential items for us to possess are a pair of stylish weatherproof boots. After observing my peers' footwear and my favourite online stores here are some of my top favourite boots to help us survive the winter.

Sperry Top-Sider                                     Sperry Top Sider 

Quilted Shearwater Boot                          Two Tone Tall Shearwater Boot

J.Crew                                                      J.Crew       

Sorel                                                               UGG

Caribou Lace Up Boot                                     Adirondack ll Boot

shopbop.com                                                  shopbop.com 

               

Trendy Tuesday

Today's blog has been taken from the speedy streets of Toronto Ontario! We've all seen them (well I'd like to hope so) the different colours, the different styles. Is it a slipper or is it a shoe? What I'm describing is TOMS Shoes. The brand of shoes is a Canadian brand that was created and designed to create a profit that would be donated to children in need located in third world countries. A pair of TOMS shoes purchased would equal a pair of shoes for a child in a third world country. I've noticed these shoes over the past couple of years on the foots of friends who've traveled to third world countries. who've had real life experience with the situations in these countries. But now being located in a large city where I am constantly surrounded by large amounts of people, you are able to pick out trends that you notice constantly.

Today while traveling on public transit through the city, I was thinking about Urban Rural. Today was "Trendy Tuesday" and I didn't know what to write about. I looked down, and there it was, in this crowded bus, in one small area, I could count six pairs of TOMS. All different colours a, styles, and on different sexes, that's right TOMS are for guys too!

I like to believe that this trend is popular because of the fashionable style but also for ethical reasoning. If you are loving this brand you should check out http://www.toms.ca/ and get yourself a pair!

Yours Truly,

A xox

Trendy Tuesday

     

Trendy Tuesday

Hello lovely readers! We are very sorry for our absence on the blog, the fall has left us preoccupied with classes and projects. I am happy to announce we are back with weekly updates including our new 'Trendy Tuesday' feature. These instalments will highlight trends populating the urban and rural streets of where we go to school. 

Today's Trend has been taken from the students on the streets of the lovely Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Trend: Utilitarian Backpacks

Popular Brands: Herschel, and Ecote.

Where to Buy: ASOS or Urban Outfitters.

Material: Canvas, Polyester, with hints of Leather.

Colours: Black, Olive Green, Mustard and Patterned.

Why This Item? The utilitarian backpack gives the wearer an effortlessly chic appeal as it is not flashy and stamped with a patterned brand name. These perfectly simple bags are unisex and appeal to people of all fashion levels.